Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue II, 2011 | Page 95

notation that you’ll be calling to discuss the information. When the reference sees you have provided the applicant’s release in writing, as well as the applicant’s self-rating, you’ll find you get a great deal more cooperation. Experience shows that employers get useful responses and reliable answers more than 90 percent of the time when they use this tool. The technique is effective because you’re asking references only to confirm the applicant’s self-ratings—not to divulge information. additional strategies If you still meet with resistance when using the form to check references, try these strategies: • Have the applicant do the legwork. Ask the applicant to call and tell the reference you’ll be calling, and that they’d appreciate it if the reference would cooperate. The applicant’s follow-through (or lack of it) will tell you a lot about their viability as an employee. • Try, try again. If you call the applicant’s former department and are referred to human resources, try the 0 department again later. You may get more information if a different person answers the phone. • Have someone else try. Sometimes it’s difficult to establish rapport with a reference. Someone else may be able to get more information. • Speak with a former co-worker. You may get a more willing response from the applicant’s previous co-workers than from their former supervisor. (It’s also possible you may obtain valuable leads on other potential job candidates. After all, if the applicant you’re checking on was unhappy enough to leave, chances are someone else may be too.) • Appeal to the person; don’t think of them as just a “reference.” If you have established a good rapport with the person on the phone, but they will not give you any information, you could try this approach: “I understand you may not want to discuss this, but if you could, what would you tell me?” It may sound too simple, but it does work occasionally. Whatever you do, don’t give up or pass on getting reference information. If you don’t get any cooperation and then hire the person, document your inability to get meaningful references and keep the records in the employee’s file. Also, take a moment to consider your own policy on references. As employers, we owe it to our employees and the publics we serve to hire decent, ethical, safety-conscious employees. One of the only ways to do this is by sharing information with one another about former employees. When you hire new people, ask them to sign a release that, should they leave, allows you to give references when asked. If every employer would adopt this procedure, negligent hiring lawsuits would soon be only a footnote in law school texts. Mel Kleiman is a consultant, author, and Certified Speaking Professional on strategies for hiring and retaining the best employees. He is president of Humetrics, a developer of systems, training processes, and tools for recruiting, selecting, and retaining the best. You can reach him at 713-771-4401 or [email protected]. NOTHING KICK-STARTS A BUSINESS LIKE ZERO ROYALTIES. % Franchise Royalty Fees For The First Year To learn more, call Dino Chavez at 1-800-284-3466, or visit us online at pizzainn.com/ownastore. Premium Fruit Smoothies Multi-unit Franchisee Iss u e II, 2011 93