Though many employers ask for personal references when hiring, most employers never check the references provided.  The common perception is that personal references are usually friends of the applicant that will not convey any negative information about them, or that an applicant would not provide a personal reference who would speak negatively.

If you do request and check personal references during hiring, use the services of DatabaseRecords.com to verify them.  We use our experience to get quality feedback on the applicant. We realize that:

• - Like employment references, personal references are more likely to say things over the phone than they would if asked to put it in writing.
• - Red flags may exist if a person has lived in an area for a considerable period of time but cannot list any local references.
• - At times references ask for a written, signed information release forms. We have them handy beforehand.
• - Irrelevant questions could later be the basis of a discrimination claim or questions that could potentially support a claim of invasion of privacy.

Former employers are in the best position to give insight into an applicant’s work history.  The staff of DatabaseRecords.com makes sure the information a former employer gives agrees with the information the applicant provided.

Information we obtain may include the following:

• - Dates of employment.
• - Job titles/positions held.
• - Rate of pay.
• - Nature of tasks performed, skills ability, and responsibilities.
• - Applicant work habits- were they conscientious employees?  Did they exhibit a sense of responsibility?  Did the individual work well with others?
• - Whether the employer would hire the applicant again having worked with them and knowing what they now know about him or her.

Several states require former employers to provide job letters of reference or employment information for people who worked for them in the past, but there are times when a former employer will not divulge any more information than the fundamental “name, rank, and serial number” for fear of a former employee suing them.  We are qualified to handle such a case by ensuring the former employer that the information is “qualifiedly privileged”, and the employer providing the information is protected. We inform them that unless the information is given under one or more of the following circumstances:

• - Information is given with known falsity.
• - Information is given in bad faith.
• - Information is given with reckless disregard for the truth.

they cannot be sued by the employee.

The staff of DatabaseRecords.com is sure to document all information provided by former employers and personal references.  We also note,  information references would not provide as well.

Reference checking is an essential step in hiring prospective employees.  Whether you choose only to have us check employment-related references or you’d like to have us include personal references too, DatabaseRecords.com will help to ensure you are hiring a well-performing, reliable worker who has people willing to stand behind them.
 

Email marketing and list management is a tricky, tedious task, but here are some things I have discovered over the years that makes list management less of a burden.

“Man, List Management Is Hard!”

- Please, don’t take it personally when clients unsubscribe.  People unsubscribe from lists for a number of reasons - needs change, inboxes become flooded, and time becomes increasingly restricted.  Not all unsubscribes are due to your email content.

-Remain confident. You can’t make money if you don’t push the send button. Worrying that your list might dwindle is a negative waste of time.  Keep in mind that 100 targeted consumers are far better an audience than 1,000 tire kickers.

-Remember that customers are egocentric; they want only to know WIIFM - “What’s In It For Me?” - personally.  Make sure every email you send out is targeted to your specified market list - or don’t bother sending it. You’ll risk alienating the people who have come to trust you as someone who can do them good.

- Now, within the structure of the WIIFM, make sure every email you send out clearly states three elements:
1) A catchy title/subject line that gets the reader to open it.
2) A strong and compelling offer that gets readers to act now.
3) A strict time limit. You don’t want readers to think they can shelve your email for a while and the offer will still be there when - and if - they get around to it.

- Of course, keeping your lists updated, timely, and organized is essential to streamlining your workload.  Letting list management tasks pile up ensures you will become overwhelmed and play with the thought of ditching your list entirely.

- Lastly, admit something to yourself - list management is a little hard. It’s work, but everything worth doing, and anything that will reel in customers and produce a result, is. Make time to manage your lists, and be prepared to input some effort.  If you don’t, the result will clearly show to your customers, and you risk damaging your trusted reputation.