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MHA
Service Corporation Professional Search Services, Stephen O’Connor,
Senior Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . .March
2007 |
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Make
Sure You Cover All the Bases When Checking References
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Checking references may be the single best way to guarantee you’ll get what you bargained for when hiring a new employee. But it also seems to be one of the most difficult steps for managers to execute effectively. Improve your reference-checking process by heeding this advice:
Adapted from “Nine Tips on Checking References,” on AllBusiness.com |
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People who want to make a good impression aren’t going to provide references who might discuss their negatives. But you may still be able to get the straight story by trying this strategy: After speaking with one of the applicant’s references, casually ask, “Can you think of anyone else who worked closely with this person?” If you’re lucky, the reference will be caught off-guard and blurt out the name of a colleague or supervisor who may provide a more candid assessment. Adapted from Get Weird! By John Putzier (AMACOM) |
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by Stephen O'Connor There
are a few truly awkward moments in life and just getting through
them
Like the time you insisted on picking up that big dinner check for your in-laws, only to discover that you left your wallet in your other suit and this place won’t honor your K-Mart debit card. Or the time you were making that big presentation at a conference and realized that you’ve got your son’s 10th grade biology homework and he’s sitting in fifth hour with your pie chart overheads. But having to give an employment reference for a lousy former employee has got to rate as one of the worst. However, armed with enough ambiguity and double-entendres you can make even Barney Fife sound competent. The Web site laughnet.net has some ingenious suggestions for the reluctant reference giver. For the chronically absent employee you could say, “A man like him is hard to find.” The employee with no ambition could be described with, “You would indeed be fortunate to get this person to work for you.” While these responses can keep you out of trouble, they are not honest (there’s that pesky integrity thing again), and you certainly would hate being on the receiving end of such dodge-and-weave behavior. In an article published in Recruiting Trends magazine (August 1998), Lewis Silverman has outlined seven tips on reference checking. Silverman is a partner at Jackson, Lewis, Schnitzler and Krupman, a White Plains, NY, law firm specializing in employment law.
Remember, reference checking is just one step in the process. Certain positions require an investigative background check to see if the candidate has any criminal convictions. This article originally appeared in the November/December 2000 issue of Michigan Health & Hospitals magazine and is being used with permission. |
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IStudents at large universities don’t always have the opportunity to interact personally with their professors, which explains why a recent Cal State Long Beach survey found that most don’t know whom to ask for recommendations. Rather than insisting on a faculty reference, ask if you can contact others who could attest to a student’s character and work ethic, such as volunteer supervisors, family acquaintances, and even clergy. Motivational Manger, Jan. 2007 |
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Just the Facts
On the Job
The Bottom Line
HR Magazine, June 2000 |
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For additional information
contact: |
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Steve
O'Connor, SPHR, |
Professional Search Services
When you need a healthcare management recruiter, call Steve O’Connor at the Michigan Health and Hospital Association in Lansing, MI at (517) 663-5755. He’s the search consultant who produces this monthly newsletter and has hundreds of management candidates currently registered with his service. Most are open to relocation. You are also invited to browse his web site for more information on Professional Search Services at www.mhaservicecorp.com. Available positions may include: CEO/CFO/COO/VP • Facilities Management • Finance • Food Service • Fund Development • Health Information Management • Home Health Care • Human Resources • Information Systems • Managed Care • Management Engineering • Marketing/Public Relations • Materials Management • Nursing Administration • Physician Practice Administrators • Planning• Rehabilitation Management • Social Work • Training and Development • Utilization Review For more information contact: Stephen
O’Connor, SPHR, Senior Director Corporate Office:
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Professional
Search Services
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Management
Recruiting for the Health Care Community |
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Stephen
O’Connor, SPHR, Senior Director
Full Service Background Screening Sales Department |
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