Destination Success: References Part III: Silence might mean trouble

Sinara Stull O'Donnell is a professional speaker and writer through Springfield-based SinaraSpeaks. She is the author of "Be The Star Of Your Life: Are You Ready For Your Close-Up?"

When I was on the debate team my senior year of high school, I heard an expression I used for the next four years of debate: "What have we heard from our worthy opponents? Significant silence!"

Significant silence. When you are taking a reference on a potential employee, you need to listen for the silences. It is in the pauses that we often learn the most.

"Is there anything you would like to add?" Silence.

Translation: "I know something negative, but I don't want to jeopardize XYZ's chances, so I had better think about this for a moment. I also don't want to be sued for what I am saying. Maybe I had better say no.'"

"Were there any weaknesses in his performance?" Silence.

See above. Most references are very wary about outlining a person's negatives.

"On her resume, she states that she supervised five. Could you tell me a little bit about her management style." Silence.

Silence after this question may mean many things: Did she really supervise five? Was her management style strict, great, nonexistent?

With this and all questions, the key is to probe deeper. Although silence is often negative, it may also mean that someone is putting his or her thoughts together. Whatever the reason, you need to delve deeper by some of the following:

"Is there anything that I, as an employer, should be aware of?"

"Could you elaborate?"

"Perhaps I should reword my question." (In the supervisory question, for example, you might reword your question to "Let me reword that. Could you tell me about her supervisory duties?")

"Let me tell you more about what our job will entail, and that might clarify what I am seeking." Your explanation will: A. give the person time to think and evaluate and B. clarify what you are looking for.

As mentioned in a previous column, you will often hear: "We have a policy of not giving references. I can only verify dates of employment." If this happens, simply verify the dates of employment, say "thank you" and hang up. Your next call should be to the applicant. It is his or her responsibility to provide you with references. Difficulty in providing references is always a red flag. In most cases, I recommend only using business references.

There are certain questions that you should always ask during a reference check:

"Is this person eligible for rehire?"

"Can you describe this person's strengths and weaknesses in the position he or she held at your company? How were those strengths or weaknesses demonstrated?"

"How do his or her former subordinates and managers view the applicant?"

"This is the job for which he is being considered." Describe the job. "How well do you feel he would perform in this situation?"

Always ask for very specific information regarding the functional aspects of the candidate's background. Make sure that the reference gives you examples.

Remember that the person you are speaking with may be a potential customer for your business. Make sure that your attitude and questions are respectful, friendly and empathetic.

Never reveal information beyond the fact that the candidate has applied for a job with your company. If the reference is irritated that his or her name was given out, be neutral. You might say something like, "Well, thank you for your time. I will have to check in with Ms. Applicant on this one."

The most important thing to remember about references is that they are not a formality. They are an important aspect of the entire hiring process. When I was a corporate recruiter, I did hundreds of reference checks, and 98 percent of the checks came back positive or neutral. That 2 percent really stood out. In one case, a reference told me that the applicant was wanted for forgery. In another, I discovered a candidate had been fired for sexual harassment.

In yet another case, I was told that my potential employee had greatly exaggerated his educational background. The reference would not elaborate on this, but his comment prompted me to check all his degrees. I was surprised to learn this gentleman (a loose term in this case) had not graduated from college or graduate school as he claimed on his resume and application. When I called him to confront him with this knowledge, he said, "Well, I have the background."

He couldn't seem to understand that his lying on his application was an issue as well. A signed application is a legal document and can be used in a court of law. A resume is summary of one's background.

The cost of employee turnover is very high. Studies have ranked the costs of rehiring hourly employees at 30 percent of their annual salary. The cost of rehiring salaried employees can go as high as 150 percent!

Many employers hire on a feeling. Stick to the facts and don't forget to listen to the silence.