What Can You Say During a Reference Check?

What you can say during a reference check for a former employee is just one more example of how tough it is to be a leader today. Hopefully these tips will help you to keep things right on and live to tell the tale.

WORKPLACE911 EXECUTIVE POINTS

Reference questions you can answer safely:

-- Did the applicant work for you?

-- What were the applicant's dates of employment?

-- What was the applicant's job title or general job duties?

-- What was the ex-employee's salary?

LIST OF THE WEEK

from Challenger

Challenges facing companies after layoffs, according to HR pros:

-- 54 percent consider employee engagement the biggest challenge they face

-- 23 percent say it is easing anxiety over the possibility of additional layoffs

-- 15 percent said maintaining the quality and quantity of work

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

"A lot of fellows nowadays have a B.A., M.D., or Ph.D. Unfortunately, they don't have a J.O.B." -- Antoine "Fats" Domino