How can I convince an applicant's former employers to talk?

Question:

I run a small business, and am interested in hiring a salesperson. However, I'm finding it hard to get any real information from applicants' former employers -- all they seem to be willing to tell me is the applicant's title and dates of employment. How can I get more information out of these people?

Answer:

Pity the poor former employer who is asked to give a reference. Even employers who want to be truthful face a dilemma: If they give information that hurts the employee's chances, they could face a lawsuit for defamation. For this reason, many employers have adopted a "name, rank, and serial number" approach to giving references.

The best way to convince a former employer to spill the beans is to remove this obstacle. Ask your applicant to sign a release authorizing the former employer to give a reference and promising not to sue over the information provided. This gives the former employer some legal protection -- and also gives the former employee good reason to choose references carefully.