Almost all employers on a regular basis receive calls from a prospective employer requesting information about a former employee.
Today, most employers, fearful of a potential defamation or some similar legal claim, respond with nothing more than the period of employment and position held. Some even decline to respond at all. Rarely does a former employer provide any useful information regarding the person’s job performance, any disciplinary action or the reason for their departure. In some instances, responding human resource managers, fully appreciating the dilemma that lack of information creates in a hiring decision, especially if it is negative, will politely ask the inquirer “Do you have any other candidates?” Message delivered.