Have a problem getting information about a candidate from a past employer?
Many companies will only give the ex- employee’s hire and termination dates. Here is what I’ve used to get around that roadblock.
I begin the my conversation with the candidate’s manager with “Can you help me?” Most people want to help. If the manager is still reluctant, I ask them two more questions:
- Does your company have a policy against re-hiring an ex-employee? If they say “no,” then I ask question #2.
- Would you rehire _____(candidate’s name)? If there is a long pause, you have just received some valuable information for your hiring decision.