Richard Wilson: finding references among former employees
Richard suggested looking for former employees when researching a company, extending the reference search beyond the contacts supplied by its management.
The supplied list has a selection history
In his diligence tools module, Richard said people are unlikely to provide a reference they expect to be unfavorable. He then described finding other people who had direct experience of the organization. Former employees were one example.
The questions concerned experience at work
He suggested asking whether those people respected the company, how it was to work there and how customers were treated. His example points to a source of firsthand experience.
In Richard C. Wilson's words
"You could look on LinkedIn for people that used to work for the company and no longer work there." (Richard C. Wilson, Due Diligence mini-series)
How to use this
- Distinguish supplied references from independently located contacts.
- Ask about the contact's direct experience and the period they worked there.
Questions and answers
Who did Richard suggest finding?
People who previously worked for the company.
What experience did he want to hear about?
Working conditions, treatment of customers and the person's respect for the organization.