Requesting References

[Knittingnovice]

Hope someone here can help me where the oh so powerful google has failed me.

I am the volunteer chair of my local preschool and having spent the last few months wading through EYFS, OFSTED etc we have finally managed to interview and recruit a new pre school manager.

I thought that was the hard bit.

Now I am faced with requesting references.

I have been googling all over the place to find out what I need to ask or what I can't ask, but all I can find are american sites which tell me about letters of recommendation.

Prior to DC I worked in finance and all things recruitment related other than the interview were dealt with my HR and so I have no knowledge of anything after the interview.

Can anyone either

a) point me in the direction of an idiots guide to requesting references
b) tell me what I need to ask/can't ask/

I would ask the rest of the committee if there is anything that they can recommend we put in, but one of them is out of contact until after the new year and the other is notoriously difficult to contact either via email or landline.

I have been emailing previous committees who may have faced this problem but am now stuck

Please help a desperate & possibly overthinking it mum who appears too have bitten off more than she can chew at the moment

Thank You

[Karoleann]

Okay, I used to ask.
How many days they had off sick. Any disciplinary issues. Would they employ them again and if not why not. Did they work well within a team?

I worked within a patient facing profession so also asked if they had any complaints raised against them and if they were up held. (plus other things related to our professions such as running on time, professional skills etc).

I also asked about punctuality and honesty was another thing on the tick list.

One reference hestitated on the honesty question and it made me think twice about the candidate, we employed her anyway and she wasn't honest at all.

[hermioneweasley]

Ask whether they would employ her again