Someone I know hired a new employee in part because they knew someone the person had worked for for some years. They did not reference check. rather, they assumed that since they held the job for years they were a good employee.
The new hire was let go for cause after a few months.
Had the employer reference checked with their friend they may have been told the story as to why the person was not still working there.
While people can rate businesses anonymously on Google and myriad online platforms, there is no easy way for employers to rate employees. It’s not a good idea anyway for plenty of reasons.
What we do have is the ability to reference check. Employers should do this. Employers on the receiving end of a call will, of course, be cautious with what they say, and this may lead to insufficient details being shared.
The thing is, not making a reference check call may mean you do not learn something, even a hint, that could guide you away from a new hire.
In the story I recall above, the cost to the business of not doing the reference check was more than $15,000.