System and method for evaluating job candidates

Abstract

Human resource system for collecting and analyzing survey data from reference providers identified by a job candidate for use by an employer. The system sends an electronic communication to the reference providers to request completion of survey questions and electronically receives the survey data from the reference providers, preferably through webpages. An analysis module combines the received survey data from the reference providers and generates a confidential candidate report for an employer which excludes identification of any ratings or comments by any reference providers. The system also generates customized interview probe questions for use during job interviews and coaching tactics for use after the hiring, based on the weak areas that have been identified from the completed surveys in order to assist the hiring manager to bring the new hires up to speed quickly and effectively.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . In a computer network, a computer implemented system for collecting and analyzing survey data from a plurality of reference providers identified by a job candidate for use by an employer, the system comprising:
 a candidate database that stores survey data provided from a plurality of reference providers for a job candidate;   a collection module operable to send an electronic communication to the plurality of reference providers to request completion of a survey containing survey questions and to electronically receive through a computer network the survey data from the plurality of reference providers for storage in the candidate database;   an analysis module operable to combine the received survey data from the plurality of reference providers and generate a candidate report for an employer.   
     
     
         2 . The computer implemented system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a survey database that stores a plurality of survey questions for different job types;   a set-up module that allows the employer to select a job type and customize a survey for the selected job type.   
     
     
         3 . The computer implemented system according to  claim 1 , wherein the survey questions are related to competencies that represent the characteristics of an individual. 
     
     
         4 . The computer implemented system according to  claim 1 , wherein the collection module is further operable to generate a web page containing the survey questions and to receive the survey data through the web page. 
     
     
         5 . The computer implemented system according to  claim 4 , wherein the survey includes a plurality of questions and an answer to each of the plurality of questions is a number within a numerical range and the collection module generates a graphical button for each number in the numerical range through which the survey data are collected. 
     
     
         6 . The computer implemented system according to  claim 1 , wherein the collection module is operable to provide status information regarding the progress of completing the survey questions by the reference providers. 
     
     
         7 . The computer implemented system according to  claim 1 , wherein the analysis module generates the candidate report which contains a score for each survey question, the score representing an average of all answers to the each question by the plurality of reference providers. 
     
     
         8 . The computer implemented system according to  claim 1 , wherein the survey questions are grouped into categories, and the analysis module generates a candidate report which contains a score for each category, the score being based on answers from the plurality of reference providers to all questions that belong to the each category.