Reference Check Questions for Professors

In the world of academia, we might expect to rely solely on CVs and degree listings when it comes to vetting candidates for teaching roles. But a professor’s ability to successfully instruct their students involves so much more than what’s expressed on paper. Higher education requires patience, emotional intelligence, and excellent communication skills that enable the facilitator to effectively pass on what they know to their class. And that’s why reference checks must be held as a vital part of your facility’s hiring process.

A well-crafted interview will allow you to get to know your candidate to a high degree of confidence. But it’s important that you also do the work to confirm their assertions with those professionals that know them best. Talking to a reference can also give you a more nuanced look into some of these soft skills that make all the difference between a good instructor, and an excellent one.

Here are a few questions to include in your professorship reference checks.

9 critical reference check questions to ask when hiring professors

• Please verify the position held and the dates between which you worked with the candidate.
  
  This straightforward and standard question works simply to establish a baseline connection between the candidate and their chosen reference. Similar to asking a patient to confirm their name and date of birth at every stage of a medical check-up, asking for this verification in large part is there to confirm that both the interviewer and interviewee know who they’re talking about, and that the candidate’s initial claim about their employment is in fact true.
  
  

• How long have you known the candidate? What was your professional relationship?
  
  Not all references will have the same weight or offer the same insights to your hiring committee. A longer relationship between the candidate and the reference can offer a more nuanced picture of the candidate’s professional background. The reference in this case may be able to speak to the candidate’s professional growth and personal learning over the course of their career.
  
  On the other hand, supervisory relationships regardless of length may have access to more data-driven facts about the candidate’s abilities: student outcome numbers, feedback forms, etc.
  
  

• In your opinion, what are the candidate’s strengths as both a scholar and instructor?
  
  How does the candidate work to update their knowledge base and support their subject matter expertise? How effective are they at conveying relevant, accurate information to their students?
  
  This question also works in large part to confirm assertions which the candidate may have made about themself during the interview process. Or, it can reveal contradictions.
  
  It is possible that the reference may also have a higher opinion of the candidate’s strengths than they do themself, and can give the hiring committee a clearer and more complimentary view of their abilities.
  
  

• In your opinion, what are the candidate’s weaknesses as both a scholar and instructor?
  
  A follow-up to the previous question, this helps to establish any support or training needs which the candidate, if hired, may require in order to succeed. These may be access points, continuing education support, EQ training, etc. If their detriments outweigh their abilities, in the reference’s opinion, you might consider taking your search elsewhere.
  
  

• In what research projects, if any, has the candidate been recently involved?
  
  This question gives you deeper insight into the candidate’s investment in their field and continued scholarship. If the department is trying to fill a niche research area, understanding the candidate’s specific interests within their field will tell you whether they are the right hire to fill that gap.
  
  

• How would you rate the candidate’s communication skills? How do they relate to their students, other members of faculty?
  
  Collaboration is an inherent aspect of university culture, especially if the instructor is working as a member of a large department. They will need to confer with colleagues, and be able to express their ideas effectively to both other teachers and non-faculty administrators.
  
  They must also be adept at communicating with students – expectations, learning content, feedback, etc. Your candidate might believe they are an effective communicator, and their reference should agree.
  
  

• How has the candidate worked to support positive learning outcomes? For undergraduates? For graduates?
  
  In other words, what efforts does the candidate make to center the student experience in their pedagogy? How do they cater to a wide range of learning needs and styles to support understanding and effective application of the material for their students? Do they help undergraduates to produce college-level work? Do they show up for their graduate students to help them become effective scholars themselves?
  
  

• Is there anything else you would like us to know about the candidate?
  
  This is an open-ended question that allows the reference to convey any special praise or concerns not covered by the questions above. Depending on the answers the reference gives, be prepared to ask follow-up questions to gain further clarity.
  
  

• Would you hire the candidate again as a professor?
  
  Even if the rest of the answers are glowing, the answer may still be no. If this is the case, it’s important to understand why, if the reference is able to divulge. Their reasons may or may not impact your decision to hire or not hire the candidate.

Crosschq can help with reference check questions for professors

Checking references is an important piece of the academic hiring process, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you do in a day. Checking references and then using the information gained to make intelligent hiring decisions used to be an uphill climb. But Crosschq makes it easy.

Our hiring intelligence platform works to automate much of the reference checking process so your team can gain all the critical information it needs to hire well, while also leaving you free to focus on bigger-picture tasks. And Crosschq makes using this information easy, with accessible graphics that allow you to make smarter choices, faster

Sign up for a free demo today.