Navigating Reference Checks: What Should You Share About Former Employees?

Hello, as I am new, I don't have any idea, so seniors, please guide me. If an employee working at my company leaves or is fired and then applies to another company, the other company's HR calls us for reference checking. In this situation, what information should be disclosed to them? Should I also disclose the reason why that person was fired or left?

I think you should not disclose your internal matters, especially if it could hinder his career—whatever the issue may be. You can inform the agency that he has resigned for better prospects. Instead of punishing him for his mistakes, you can impose a suitable penalty within the limits of his earnings.

You can share the following details:

1. Employee name
2. Designation and the time period he served in your office
3. His CTC details
4. Projects he had worked on (if needed)

Please refrain from commenting on any negative factors about the employee as it could impact his future career and pose a barrier to joining new companies.

Regards,
Matheen.R

Hi friend, here is what you can disclose:

- Employee Name
- Employee ID
- Employee Designation
- Employment Status
- Salary
- Attitude
- Roles and Responsibilities
- Employee Reporting Head Name
- Reason for Resignation
- Period of Work
- Any Plans of Re-hiring the Candidate
- Reason Behind Employee Resignation

Request you not to reveal negative comments on the candidate as it may affect his/her future. If the candidate has done something that cannot be hidden (like stealing company assets and other illegal acts, abscondism, bad attitude spoiling the work environment, sexual harassment, physical violence, falsifying information on his/her experience during recruitment, etc.), then yes, there are companies that disclose it so that the next hiring company doesn't face the same situation they have faced with the employee. They even produce documented proof as evidence.

Regards,
Babu

I am sending you the sample and the information regarding the background verification. This format has been downloaded from the internet. I hope this will be helpful for you.

Regards,
Shaikh

Here's a script followed by an industry leader during the background verification. You may not answer all the questions depending on the confidentiality to be maintained by your organization. However, you may choose to validate what you have been asked. As suggested by other members, please avoid any subjective feedback. Keep it purely data-oriented and factual.

Moreover, if you have fired an employee, you must have issued a clearance letter. Have you mentioned the reason for the change in the employment status with the company? Most of the time, those letters do not share any details about termination. Since you have not issued it in writing, please keep it safe and do not give any such information verbally.

In case the employee had done something terminally wrong and you had to publish it in the newspaper as fraudulent activity, then the matter stands differently. If the termination had been due to an internal dissonance, please avoid talking about it. You have already set it even by terminating the employee.

Potential Questions

- Can you please verify that [Name of Applicant] was an employee with your Company from [Insert Date] to [Insert Date]?
- What type of work did [Name of Applicant] do?
- Were [his/her] earnings $[Enter yearly salary]? Were there any bonus or incentive plans?
- Why did [Name of Applicant] leave your organization?
- How would you rate [Name of Applicant]'s overall job performance on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, compared with others you observed in a similar capacity?
- How did [Name of Applicant]'s last job performance review go? What were the strengths and weaknesses cited in the evaluation?
- What do you feel were [Name of Applicant]'s major accomplishments with your company?
- What is the biggest change you've observed in [Name of Applicant]'s performance while with your Company? Where has there been the most growth or development?
- How did [Name of Applicant] handle [himself/herself] in times of conflict? Can you provide me with an example?
- What other person(s) know [Name of Applicant]? May I have their name, title, and business phone number?

Regards,

Thanks a lot for your instant replies. If I am asked why the employee left or why he was fired, my answer is, "He was a trainee and he could not perform well, so he was fired. This, of course, is negative feedback for him and it can be a barrier for his future." What should be done in this case?

The future of a candidate often relies on the type of reference we provide. Just think from this perspective: if you are selected somewhere but your last employer's perception was negative, and they provide all negative feedback, how would it impact you?

Similarly, if a trainee underperforms and you pass on this negative feedback to a potential employer, it could hinder the individual's progress. Unless there is a serious issue such as theft, sexual harassment, physical harassment, violence, or similar offenses, one should refrain from making negative remarks.

Some may question why honesty shouldn't prevail in such cases. The answer lies in the fact that our perception of a candidate may differ from that of the next employer. Just because someone didn't perform well in our company doesn't mean they shouldn't be given another chance.

If you have already provided a reference, unfortunately, nothing can be done. :(

Thank you.

Hi Neha,

The future of a candidate often relies on the kind of reference we provide. Just think from this perspective: if you are selected somewhere, but your last employer's perception was negative and they provide all negative feedback, how would it impact you?

Similarly, in the case of a trainee who may not have performed well, providing negative feedback to the next employer could create an obstacle for them. Unless the issue is of a serious nature such as theft, sexual harassment, physical harassment, violence, or similar offenses, one should refrain from making negative remarks. It is essential to consider that our perception of a candidate may differ from that of the next employer. Just because someone underperformed in our company does not mean they cannot excel elsewhere.

If you have already provided your reference, there may be limited options for alteration. 

Hi, thanks for the reply. I also believe that the trainee should be given another chance. Maybe if they did not perform well here, it does not imply they cannot succeed elsewhere. In such cases, what response should be given?

Regards

Dear Neha,

If you really want to give him another chance, then you can simply state a lot of reasons why an employee leaves the current organization. Some reasons may include:

- Climate conditional factors
- Salary hike
- Personnel problems
- Not interested in the project
- Overly talented and seeking a better job
- Lack of cooperation with the team manager
- Lack of recognition in the company
- Heavy workload pressure from the company/client side
- Desire to achieve targets in a different stream

These are some of the common issues that cause employees to switch from one organization to another. However, whatever feedback you provide should not disrupt the employee's future career with another organization. After all, we are HR professionals responsible for taking care of both the organization and its employees, ensuring their career growth. We hope you understand our perspective and provide constructive feedback that does not harm the trainee's future prospects outside our company.

Regards,

G. Vinay Kumar
Certified Master Trainer (HR)
LinkedIn: [URL](http://in.linkedin.com/in/vinaygajula)

Hello, thank you for your response. All the reasons mentioned are valid, but in this specific case, the trainee is being dismissed due to poor performance. I suggested that just because he could not perform here does not mean he cannot perform elsewhere. Therefore, I was discussing what the appropriate feedback should be in this scenario.

Maybe it was his poor performance that led you to make the difficult decision of firing him, but I hope he performed well during the interview process at another company, which is why they approached you for his referral check. I really appreciate your concern about the candidate's future, which led you to start this thread.

Feedback on Handling Reference Checks

Well, I would give you two types of feedback as I am not really clear about the situation:

It's not really clear whether the candidate or his relieving letter stated to the new company that he had been fired. If so, there is not much we can do. In that case, just say that the candidate was a trainee, and it was difficult for him to meet your expectations. Also, the project was in full swing, and you didn't have much time to train him, so you were forced to let him go; otherwise, he was really good.

If neither the candidate nor the relieving letter stated that he has been fired or terminated, then the situation favors the candidate. Usually, when a new employer requests a reference, they typically ask you to fill out a short form. All they usually ask for is the title and dates that the employee was employed. Just mention that the nature of separation was "Resigned" and the reason for leaving was "Personal reasons." Candidate performance during his tenure was "Satisfactory" (Please do say that keeping in view of the candidate's future). Will you re-hire him? "Yes, if he meets our current needs and requirements."

I have given the best advice I could in favor of the candidate. It would be great if our seniors could provide their feedback too, which could help us in future referral checks. Do let us know if you have any more doubts.

Regards,
Babu

I truly agree with Babu. You can give feedback on either of the statements about the candidate. I hope you will consider all of our advice and make a decision. I really appreciate your concern for the candidate, even after you have fired them. Your kindness will certainly contribute to their future success.

Regards,
Vinay Kumar Gajula
Certified Master Trainer (HR)
vinaykumar gajula | LinkedIn