Who says there is no humor in the hiring process? Employers will enjoy reading the book, “Lexicon of Intentionally Ambiguous Recommendations (LIAR),” by Robert Thornton and available on Amazon. The book gives a whole new meaning to the term “damned with faint praise.” It answers the age old question of how to give a truthful recommendation without getting sued.

Here are just a few examples from this very clever book:

“Her ability is deceiving” (She lies, cheats and steals)

“No salary would be too much for him.” (He is not worth anything)

“It was a pleasure working with her the short time I did.” (Thankfully it was not longer)

“I am pleased to say that this candidate is a former colleague of mine” (I can’t tell you how happy I am that she left our firm)

“He’s a man of many convictions.” (He’s got a record a mile long).

“She gives every appearance of being a reliable, conscientious employee” (But appearances can be deceiving)

Any employers or HR or Security Professionals that want to share their own favorite way of giving ambiguous references, please send them to Jared Callahan at ESR by e-mail at [email protected]

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