Before talking to any reference source, however, inform the candidate of your intentions. If at all possible, have him or her sign a form which allows you to verify information, and absolves you of any legal actions resulting from your research. Once you begin talking with your reference sources, be sure to ask each one whether they know of other people with whom you should discuss your candidate. TALK is the magic word. You should converse with reference shources whenever possible.
Conversations help clarify and confirm the claims that are in written recommendations.
The very best approach to reference checking is to personally meet with as many of your sources as you can at their offices. You will also tend to get more sincere, complete answers this way. The telephone is useful in checking credentials. Often a call or two is all it will take to verify degrees, honors, professional memberships and the like. If the candidate's claims don't jibe with the facts, you may want to save yourself any further research time.