Weed Out the Wrong Fit – 7 Reference Questions You Never Thought to Ask (Updated July 2013)

Posted by on July 19, 2012 · 1 Comment 


Pharmacy directors/hiring managers: do your reference questions help weed out the wrong fit, or do you not pay much attention to them especially if you like the candidate? References are a goldmine not only for determining fit, but also for how to bring out the best in a new hire once he/she starts.

When my company asks reference questions to pharmacy directors about candidates who’ve worked under their supervision, we often get pharmacy directors making comments like “these are good questions—I’m writing some of your questions down to ask during reference checks!”

Since quite a few of you have asked me for this, I’ve decided to  let you in on a few of my secrets about asking the right reference questions to weed out the wrong fit:

  • “What kind of a role do you think is best suited for his/her personality and skills?”
  • “What pace (ie, slow or fast-paced, size of pharmacy) of a pharmacy would he/she thrive best in?”
  • “What is one thing you wish he/she would have done differently when working for you?” (this insightful question was one suggested to me by my mentor Melanie Benson Strick)
  • How would you rate XXX among all the pharmacists you’ve ever worked with: top tier, above average, good, below average?  And why? (I learned a form of this question from one of our IHS pharmacy director clients)

    • Bonus questions to ask:

    Ask creative questions to gain valuable insight on how to work best with your new prospective hire:

    • “What advice do you have for someone who would be managing him/her?”
    • “What untapped talents do you think XXX has and is waiting to be expressed?”

      *The 7th best reference check question will be selected from your submissions below & posted here.       Post below and receive your gift of the top 20 Interview Questions to Ask.

    Also, ask proficiency-related questions if it’s important. And don’t just stop at asking them to rate proficiency level. Go a step beyond to get clarification about their proficiency level.  Ask them to describe what the pharmacist is capable of doing.  For example, don’t just stop with asking your reference for whether someone is just proficient/good/average/poor using a computer system.

    I made the mistake recently about this & it blew up in my face. What was answered by the reference was not representative of the person’s actual experience. Imagine how awful I felt misrepresenting a pharmacist’s experience to a hiring manager (especially when hiring managers usually love us for our honesty).

    The key is learning from each mistake and always improving your process.  It will make you eagle-eyed with assessing the wrong fit and prevent you from headaches down the road.

    Now that you’ve learned a few of my favorite reference questions to ask, share 1-2 of the most useful reference check questions you have used in the past in the comments below. Post a comment below (when you type in your email, it will remain private and will not show up on the blog) and you will receive a gift of the “Top 20 Questions to Ask in an Interview, so you hire the best pharmacist.”

    Filed under For Pharmacy Directors and HR Managers · Tagged with , , , ,

    7 Reference Questions You Wish You Asked Before Hiring a Pharmacist

    Posted by on June 17, 2011 · Leave a Comment 

    Have you ever hired a pharmacist you got along with so well during the interview, only to wonder why you hadn’t seen it coming that your new hire would not work out as your employee? 

    Hindsight is always 20/20.  But what if you could have as close to 20/20 before you hire someone?  Take the emotional judgment out of your decision by using your intuition (NOTE: there is a distinction between intuition and emotion), assessing someone’s potential for future performance, and uncovering past behavior. This prevents you from just hiring someone you like, but who may not be a fit for the role.  The decision factors mentioned above are the keys to a successful hire.

    One method to uncover past behavior is asking the right reference questions.  Not just generic standard reference questions, but insightful ones that help you make a sound decision.  Don’t skip asking these insightful questions before you rush into hiring someone just because you’re short-handed.

    Ask these 7 Reference Questions Before You Hire Your New Pharmacist:

    1. What did you find him/her to be naturally good at, or thrive on doing?
    2. Tell me about a time when a breakdown happened (ie, patient wasn’t getting served in the way you wanted; project wasn’t completed in a timely manner).  What happened & what was the resolution?
    3. Under what kind of work environment do you think he/she would feel stifled in?
    4. Did he/she meet, exceed, or perform below your expectations?
    5. What advice do you have for managing him/her, and bringing out the best in him/her?
    6. What comes to mind first when you think of him/her–a starter, or a finisher?
    7. Would you have him/her work there again if the opportunity arose?

    BONUS Reference Check Question:
    If you were to hire XXX back and could create a position for XXX, what kind of a position would it be (ie, responsibilities)?

    Comment below, or click the link to the right to share YOUR favorite reference questions.  Contribute and you will receive a FREE Gift of” Top 20 Interview Questions to Ask“, so You Hire the Best Pharmacist NOT the Best Interviewer.

    Filed under For Pharmacy Directors and HR Managers · Tagged with , , , , ,