References Part II: Use caution with words

“John Doe gave me your name as a reference. Do you have a minute?”

Out of the blue and out of context, you get the call. There are so many questions that may run through your mind:

“Who is John Doe?”

“I fired John Doe. Why did he give my name out?”

“How much can I say without bringing on a lawsuit?”

“I don’t have time for this. How can I get off the phone – fast?”

“John Doe! What a great guy! I hope that I can help him get a job!”

Reference checks should be the No. 1 priority in hiring an employee, but they are often stressful for the reference source. How much should you say? Can you refuse to give a reference?

Years ago, I was working in a human resources department when six employees were fired for being part of an internal theft scheme. They had worked as a team to steal items from the men’s department of a big department store. The store was prosecuting and I had to give a deposition later as well.

Imagine my shock when someone with another store called and asked for a reference on one of the perpetrators. I was speechless. I put the caller on hold and ran to the human resources manager.

“What should I do? Should I tell them we fired him for stealing?”

The human resources manager calmly took the phone and said, “We can tell you that he was terminated and is not eligible for rehire. That is all the information we can give out at this time.”

I learned volumes with those two sentences. I learned that you don’t have to give out a lot of info to make your point. I learned that you are not obligated to give details. I learned that speaking authoritatively usually works. I learned that you can establish your own reference-check policy and stick to it.

There are two routes to follow in regard to giving references:

• Establish a company policy of never giving references. When a company calls to check on a former employee, you merely say, “We have a policy of not giving reference information out at our company. I will be happy to confirm his or her dates of employment.”

If you are asked for further information, simply say again, “I am sorry, but that is against our company policy. I can only give out dates of employment.”

This statement may feel awkward. You may want to give a complete reference on someone you appreciated. On the other hand, it protects you and your staff from repercussions, i.e. being accused of keeping someone from employment.

Make sure that this policy is reflected in your employee handbook so there are no surprises.

• Give references. Be forewarned that you have to speak cautiously at all times, and it is very difficult to coach an entire staff in this. Here are some tips:

If it is a busy or awkward time, ask the caller to get back to you at a more convenient moment. You may wish to review the former employee’s files or check with his or her supervisor.

If you need more information, again ask the caller to call back. Then, call the former employee to get information about the job for which he or she has applied.

Give specific examples of exemplary performance and if you have negative information on a former employee, state only facts. Do not embellish.

You might say, “We terminated John Doe because he was chronically late to work.”

Do not say, “John Doe had a drinking problem and was often so hung over he couldn’t get out of bed.” The conversation should be kept professional, not gossipy.

Never say anything you would not say in the presence of that former employee.

“We felt that Jane Doe was not a team player,” is acceptable.

“Jane Doe had a thing for her manager and she wouldn’t let the other women in the office get in to speak to him,” is not.

If you don’t know the circumstances of someone’s leaving the company, don’t speculate, and never, ever lie!

Remember that the caller may be a potential customer for your business. Be polite and encouraging at all times.

If you are caught off-guard by a call, you can always defer the caller to a later time. Take the time to call your former employee to ask for a copy of his or her current resume, details on what job he or she is applying for and a brief outline of what he or she would like you to emphasize.

Remember that you do not have to give a reference on anyone. It is a courtesy. Establish a policy and stick to it.

Editor’s Note: This is the second installment in a three-part series. The final piece is in the Aug. 30 edition of SBJ.