Q. Checking references on job candidates is almost impossible anymore. At best you may get an employment verification, or worse, no information at all. Any advice on dealing with uncooperative former employers?
A. Making a formal request in writing helps give legitimacy to your inquiry and may sway some former employers to cooperate. Above all focus on positive, non-pejorative questions. Also, be mindful that employers are sometimes more apt to provide references on good former employees than on marginal ones.
Q. If I get a reference request from an employer on a former employee, should I answer it?
A. If you have an HR Department, turn the request over to them. If not, respond to it if you so choose, provided the request is in writing. A word of caution would be to refrain from reporting information on overly subjective or negative characteristics as this could come back to haunt you.
Q. If get a negative reference on a strong job candidate from a former employer, should I automatically reject the candidate?
A. Weigh it against all the other factors you use in evaluating job candidates. Consider the nature of the poor reference. Is it performance-based or some other reason? You can try to probe for more information, but be cautious about confronting the job candidate with this directly. In the end, you may have to make a value judgment and "go with your gut".
Q. In filling job vacancies, I'll go for attitude over skills every time. Am I wrong?
A. What is your track record with hiring this way? Is turnover a problem? Do you make an extra effort to train new employees? Attitude is certainly important, but skills and experience are much easier to evaluate. In the long run, it's best to look at the "whole package" when evaluating job candidates.
Q. When I run a Classified Job Ad, I get flooded with resumes from job seekers who are either over-qualified or under-qualified for the vacant position. Any way to cut down on this deluge?
A. Perhaps your ads are too broad. Use job descriptions to identify the skills and experience levels you are looking for. Also, work with the hiring manager, Ad Agency, or a publication's Classified Ad Coordinator to better-focus your Ads.
Q. In negotiating or renegotiating employment terms with job candidates, how far should I go?
A. If it’s a critical vacancy, the simple answer is to go as far as it takes to secure the candidate. However, carefully consider offering terms that are totally out-of-line with what has been offered to similar candidates. This information gets around, and you may risk causing discontent among other key employees.
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