I’m filing this one under Why didn’t I think of that?

Checking references is not exactly news when hiring new employees: anyone who’s managed staff has probably either made or received those dry phone calls, most of which do little more than verify that the new hire worked at the old company for specific dates. Asking for any recommendations at all can be tricky, as many employers err on the side of caution to avoid any privacy issues.

There are tips out there for how to make reference checks effective, but unless you have a relationship with the reference, you’ll often simply run into policies that prohibit former employers from sharing anything more than name, rank, and serial number. For executive level hires, face-to-face reference checks are a great idea — but most hires are a little further down the hierarchy.

However earlier this week I ran into a new twist on the reference check. My team member Jason — a contributor to this blog — is moving across the country and therefore taking a new job. I handled the perfunctory reference check phone call, but there was more.

After he was hired, I got another call, this time from Jason’s new boss Jay. Jay wanted to talk about Jason — but not in a “should I hire him” way, since that was already settled. Instead, he wanted to ask me about Jason’s work style, skills, strengths, weaknesses, and career development path.

Knowing Jason was already hired, I was better able to candidly share those details. Jay got valuable information that will help him integrate Jason more quickly into the new environment. And it only took a 20 minute phone call.

To me, it’s seems like a great step slot in between checking references and new employee orientation — at least in situations where you can talk to a new employee’s previous boss, which isn’t always the case, of course. By asking the right questions, you’ll be able to help the new hire get off to a better start, which is better for everyone.

And speaking of good starts… good luck, Jason!