Reference Information Tips

Having a difficult time obtaining pre-employment reference information from former employers?  While employers are protected from sharing employment information about an employee unless they provide intentionally false information, employers are still opting not to share.  Ironically enough, it is typically those employers who don't share with you that are asking for the same information from you.  Lawyers have managed to drill into their clients the importance of "it is our policy not to share this information" which often limit the ability of potential employers to make well-informed hiring decisions.  This makes that job offer even more of a gamble and those precious 90 day orientation periods even more critical.

Here are a few tips to help you through the difficult moments...

• Don't ask for the HR department when calling for references.  Make sure the potential employees gives you the name of their former supervisor and ask for them directly.  Many employers have not taken the time to educate their front-line supervisors and middle managers about referring those references calls back to the HR department, so you are increasing your chances of actually getting information.
• If you get the "we don't share that information" line from the other end of the phone, offer to fax or email your questions to them.  That way, they can keep a copy of what they submitted to you for their own records - which will often be enough to get a little more information than what you would have originally received.
• If no former employers are sharing, go back to the employee.  Employees are savvy nowadays, and they recognize when employers will not share employment information with individuals who inquire.  They believe this gives them a free pass, which often is the case.  However, go back to the employee and tell them you need the names of people who will share information with you - otherwise, you cannot consider extending a job offer to them.  The candidate may scoof and say they gave you all the information they have and do not know anyone else, but that isn't good enough.  If they want the job, they will provide more names.
• Finally, make sure you network and make personal connections with those individuals who can provide you that information.  A person is more likely to share that employment information with you if they know you personnally. 

Hiring decisions are time consuming, risky, and expensive.  To be thorough, it is important to use as much time as you can, but to minimize the risk and costs - always make sure you do reference checks.  And if the information isn't forthcoming, you do have options.  Use these tips and you increase your chances of obtaining more useful information for your pre-employment screening.