Trying to gain valuable information about an applicant from their former employers can be nearly impossible. Certain laws are in place protecting the former employee, so companies are very careful about what questions they answer and how. In fact, some managers refuse to answer questions about former employees at all. If that’s the case, how will you get the information you need about a job applicant’s previous job performance?

There are ways of communicating with former supervisors legally and successfully. Here are a few suggestions for how to make that happen in a professional manner.

• Contact Human Resources – You could start with the Human Resources department of the job applicant’s former employer. HR acts as the middle man between you and the supervisor, making sure all communication is legal and handled properly. This method would give you employment verification, and maybe some job responsibilities and salary details but very little more than that.

The manager you’re reaching out to still might refuse (or be told to refuse) to answer any questions about the employee’s performance. Even if they wanted to, the HR department would likely need something in writing from the former employee first before giving permission to give out certain information.

• Ask the job applicant to set up a phone meeting for you – This method requires the applicant to make the call to their former manager to ask if they would speak with you – the prospective employer – about their former employment. If the applicant sets up the call, they are giving permission for you to ask questions to their former supervisors. Those supervisors still have the right to refuse to answer any of your questions, but this puts you in direct contact for a conversation.

Here are the steps we suggest for this method in gaining past performance information about prospective employees:

1. Explain to the prospective employee that part your interview process is to have applicants set up brief phone meetings with former supervisors.
2. Pull out a calendar and tell the employee that you’d like them to set up the best timing for this call.
3. When on the call with the former manager, ask basic employment verification questions and then ask “Was this person an A-Player?” An A-Player is a salesperson who is a strong asset to a sales team. The employer could give a simple yes or no answer or elaborate further within the boundaries of the law.

With an answer to that key question – if the applicant was an A-Player for the former supervisor – you will have all the additional information you need. You definitely want the answer to be “yes” to that question before hiring the applicant. Trying to take a B-Player (or further up the alphabet) and turn them into an A-Player won’t likely be successful. Committing to only hiring A-Players is how you find the top sales performers you need to succeed. If you receive a “no” answer from the former supervisor, it is best to pass on this applicant.

It’s important to know the laws in place regarding sharing information about former employees. Treat those laws with respect and you’ll still get some answers you need to hire great A-Player salespeople.

Top sales performers are always looking to achieve greater success, with more wealth, perks and power. They will be paying close attention to the benefits you offer, so you need to emphasize those benefits in your job postings and applicant interviews.

If you think the benefits of being on your sales team aren’t competitive enough, consider adding some incentives top salespeople will be attracted to.

Here are some questions to consider when pulling together a list of the benefits you have to offer.

• Is your company’s commission structure very generous? Top salesmen and saleswomen value money a great deal and you want them to. If your sales commission benefits aren’t up to par with that of your competitors, it will be tough to build one of the best sales teams in the business. If you do have a great commission structure, make that a priority mention in your job listing to attract great salespeople to your door.

• Is it common for top sales performers in your company to succeed quickly? Excellent salespeople want accolades and advancement opportunities. They work harder when recognition and rewards come fast. If that’s a benefit of working on your sales team, you’ve got a definite edge over your competitors who might offer slower career advancement.

• Do you usually promote from within? Play up the benefit of employee loyalty if your company typically promotes from within. You’ll attract salespeople who will want to stick with you for the long-term.

• Is your business locally-owned and based? Sometimes a locally-owned business has advantages over corporations. Brainstorm what you think your locally-owned benefits are over your larger competitors and proudly boast about them. Something as simple as family-oriented employee events hosted by your business can attract salespeople who have spouses and children.

• Does your company sell something that’s hot in the marketplace right now? Excite potential sales hires about the popular products or services they would be selling for you. If what your company sells isn’t a hot product, could it be considered a better alternative to a fad? Think of creative ways to sell your products to your salespeople and they’ll want to sell them for you.

• Is your company considered a recognized industry leader in their field? Use quotes from reputable publications and other sources when making this claim, for validity. A great reputation for being an industry leader certainly attracts better applicants, so make this detail prominent in your job listings.

• Does your company offer additional health benefits, like vision insurance? Every extra health insurance perk is beneficial in attracting and keeping great employees. Let people you offer the job to know if services like preventative care and medications are covered on their health plans with your company.

• Do you provide regular free or discounted training opportunities for the sales team? Consistent trainings and courses for sales staff to enhance skills and education are vital to your company’s growth and success. If you provide the means for your employees to attend webinars, conferences, and other trainings make that clear to applicants, as well.

Attracting a lot of applications for job listings you post during tough economic times might be pretty easy. However, your goal isn’t to attract a lot of applications. You want to attract the right applicants; a team of top salespeople who want to work for the company who offers great benefits and rewards for excellent sales performance.