8 min read

Why You Need Unlimited Referees per Candidate Check

Hiring the right person is one of the most important things you do for your business. When you find a great candidate, you want to be sure they are the right fit. Most companies use reference checks to confirm what they saw in the interview. However, many hiring tools put a limit on how many people you can talk to. They might only let you check two or three people. This can be a big problem.

If you are limited, you might miss out on the full story. You need to know how a person works with others, how they handle stress, and if they have the skills they claim to have. To get the truth, you often need to talk to more than just two former bosses. This is why having access to unlimited referees is a game changer for your hiring process.

Why You Need Unlimited Referees per Candidate Check

The Problem with Reference Checking Limits

Many software platforms charge you for every single referee you contact. This forces you to be stingy with your checks. You might only ask for the most recent manager. While that manager has good info, they only see one side of the candidate.

When you have reference checking limits, you are forced to gamble. You hope those two people give you enough info to make a safe choice. But what if the candidate had a bad relationship with one boss? What if they were great at their last job but struggled two jobs ago? Without the ability to check more people, you stay in the dark.

Limits also make it hard to verify specific skills. One manager might know about their technical skills, but another might know more about their leadership. If you can only pick a few, you have to leave out important questions.

The Value of Thorough Screening

Good hiring is about more than just checking a box. It is about thorough screening. This means looking at a candidate from every angle. You want to see a pattern of behavior over time.

When you use a system that allows for unlimited referees per check, you can reach out to:

Former direct managers.
Work colleagues and peers.
Direct reports or team members they managed.
Clients or customers they worked with.
Personal character references.

Each of these people sees the candidate in a different way. A peer knows how they work in a team. A direct report knows if they are a good leader. A client knows if they are reliable. By getting all these views, you build a complete map of who the candidate really is.

Getting a Complete Picture of Your Candidate

Think of a reference check like a puzzle. If you only have two pieces, you cannot see the whole image. If you have ten pieces, the picture becomes clear. You want to see if the candidate is consistent. If five different people say the candidate is great at solving problems, you can trust that it is true.

If you only talk to one person, you are getting an opinion. If you talk to five people, you are getting data. Data is much more reliable than a single opinion. You need to make sure that the person you saw in the interview is the same person who shows up for work on day one.

Saving Money While Getting More Data

One of the best parts about Refhub is that you do not have to worry about extra fees for more information. In many other systems, checking five people instead of two would double your costs. This makes hiring very expensive very quickly.

With a flat model, you can ask for as many references as you need. You do not have to worry about the budget every time you want to send another request. This freedom allows you to be as careful as you want to be. You can do a deep dive into a candidate's history without looking at the price tag. This helps you focus on quality instead of cost.

Reducing the Risk of a Bad Hire

A bad hire is very expensive. You lose money on training, salary, and the time spent finding them. You also hurt the morale of your team. Most bad hires happen because the company did not have enough information. They saw a good resume and had a good interview, but they did not dig deep enough.

By using more referees, you lower this risk. You can find "red flags" that might not come up in the first two calls. Maybe the candidate is great at the work but hard to manage. Maybe they have a history of leaving jobs quickly. The more people you ask, the more likely you are to find these issues before you sign a contract.

Why More Referees Mean Better Decisions

When you have more data, you feel more confident. You can go to your boss or your team and say, "I talked to six people, and they all say this person is a great fit." This makes the hiring process feel more professional and less like a guessing game.

It also helps the candidate. A good candidate will have many people willing to speak up for them. It gives them a chance to show off their hard work from many different perspectives. It shows that they have built good relationships throughout their career.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many referees should I usually check? While two or three is the standard, checking four or five gives you a much better view. With an unlimited system, you can choose the number that makes you feel safe.

Does checking more referees take more time? If you do it manually, yes. But with an automated tool like Refhub, it takes the same amount of effort to send five requests as it does to send two. The system handles the follow-ups for you.

Will candidates get annoyed if I ask for many references? Most serious candidates understand that you want to be careful. If they are proud of their work, they will be happy to provide names of people who can vouch for them.

What if a referee does not respond? This is why having more referees is good. If you only ask for two and one does not reply, you only have one source of info. If you ask for five and one does not reply, you still have four others.

Making Smarter Hiring Choices

Getting the right people into your business is the best way to grow. You should not let software limits or extra fees stand in the way of a good decision. By choosing a partner that allows for more checks, you are putting your company's future first.

You deserve to have all the facts. You need to know that your new hire will help your team and do the job well. Using a wide range of sources is the only way to be sure. Don't settle for a partial view when you can have the whole story.

Get Started with Better Background Checks

If you are ready to change how you hire, it is time to look at your tools. Stop paying extra for every person you contact. Start using a system that supports your need for more information.

Refhub is here to help you get the data you need to hire with confidence. You can set up your checks quickly and get results fast. Make the move to a better way of checking references today. Your team will thank you for it.

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