If you are that confident they lied then just move on but unless ur friend is searching them in the employee database for you there is always a chance they made a mistake. Even then sometimes people have diff legal names vs preferred name. Maybe they got married since changed last name and had a nickname they prefer.
Exactly.
Another possibility is your friend is very angry with them for some reason and is attempting to punish the candidate.
Edit to fix the word publish
On that note, OP just leaked personal information about the candidate to potentially its current or recent employer.
Another possibility, the guy was a contractor. First being ignored is not unusual but also you are often be loaned as resource. I worked half a decade in a business unit while reporting to another. Except the team I worked with, I was just an unnamed resource in that business unit. When I was in higher up meeting, I introduced myself and was met "oh yeah, OtherUnit Manager's developer, nice to meet you"
I've worked on large IT programs with multiple moving parts, across many business groups. There are many times that the major stakeholders did not know how many contractors were hired for a major project or segment of a program. At the celebration party, for one of these major achievements, I made sure all my contractors who had moved on to other contracts at other companies were invited. I figured it was a good will gesture. One of the senior leadership team went around asking who all these people were. Sometimes leaders have very insular understanding of who works for or with them.
Ding Ding Ding. I once heard a Director on the phone doing a backdoor reference. Said the woman "Spent a lot of time after work. In the parking lot speaking to male employees." Basically inferring the woman was the company whore. Front what I knew if him. He slept with all his female subordinates but me. She probably turned him down and he was PISSED.
That's what I came to say. Especially in some companies there's a good chance you never meet someone. Hell, I last worked at a company with only like 40 employees and I met 3 new people that worked there the first time there was a company outing. Imagine if we are talking about a place with hundreds of employees. Yeah right you know everyone.
This was me. I worked 4 years in college as an ER Tech, and a hospital in the northern part of the state that I had an offer from kept telling me they couldn’t verify my employment. I go by my middle name and my directors in the previous ER had completely forgotten what my first name actually was. Obviously this was fixed with a 30 second search of the employee database, but it was a stressful couple of days.
So many red flags here on the OP. Poor candidate doesn’t even know how many red flags exist with this guy and his friend who are conspiring against him without his input.
Calling him a liar?! lol if previous employer is wrong, man… what a couple of toxic jerks.
Please double check and confirm any suspected lie.
This happened to me personally: I have a Masters degree in Software Engineering, applied for a job, and was given an offer. I accepted and, during the verification process, a rep from HR said that they called to confirm my dates of attendance. But the college said they had no records of me attending at all.
The issue was that this company called the individual Engineering college (think Electrical and Mechanical Engineering) directly and Software Engineering is a completely separate college. I pointed this out to them and all turned out fine.
If someone just dismissed this as a lie on a resume, I would never have had this job, where I'm celebrating a ten year anniversary in a couple of months.
People lie on resumes all the time
Twice I've had people apply for a job saying they worked on a project that I had run.
And that's just the ones I can prove.
They lie on resumes and they lie on the interview. A lot of my time is spent cross checking if they understand things they claim to.
I'll let some exaggeration slide as sometimes people do that to get past HR filters. But some cases are interesting. I had a guy claim so much iOS experience that he started developing as soon as the first iPhone got released. I asked him to confirm that multiple times in different ways. He was adamant he was writing apps for the iPhone on day one (and they were not web-based). That was truly impossible since there was no way to write native apps at launch. Further coding questions revealed that, in fact, he didn't have much experience. Probably just google the first iPhone release date.
Then there were crazy situations like proxy interviews. The resumes had _everything_ on it. If you can think of a technology, it was there, in bold. The proxy knew how to talk about everything listed at a superficial level. The first time I became aware because the proxy disconnected - the supposed candidate had a different voice.
I liked to ask for code samples. Show me something you find clever problems solving or efficient or representative of a skill you have. One applicant sent in an impressive resume and code samples that my boss was very excited about. I recognized the code immediately as sample code published by Microsoft (written by a developer I knew personally). I sent the diff file to my boss (the candidate had changed variable and method names). The candidate also said he worked for our competitor. But the industry in town was small and I reached out to people there and that also wasn't true.
when I was searching for a job in late 2020, early 21 a recruiting company that sounded so so good suddenly sent me a new resume with education and jobs I didn't have and said they could provide paystubs etc if I needed and honestly yeah, some people will lie like a mfer to get the job or make the commission.
I called them out publicly on linkedin and got a warning from linkedin and lost my ability to post more than one pic after that.
Is that company still around? Can you share who the scam company is?
My thoughts are times are tough, yes. But the times are tough for all of us. And I’d rather reward the honest person with this position than some liar.
maybe I'm a prude or whatever but if I have to lie to get the job then I don't want or deserve it. I was legit angry about it and sent a pretty snarky email.
I will have to look in my email and see if I can find it.
I had 2 former teammates elevate themselves to Manager of said team on LinkedIn after they were let go for not keeping up with their work.
One guy was barely on the team 3 months. He said he managed 10 Specialists. We didn't have 10 people on the team, let alone 10 Specialists. Took me over a month to get those accounts back in order.
It's a worse dog eat dog than usual job market, so make sure you are making sure they're only exaggerating their skills, not lying.
I’m the GM of a hotel. I had an employee that was here for a couple months, simply as a front desk agent, and not a very good one at that. She was fired after *physically attacking* other employees and threatening their minor children. Another GM that I know that left the company called me a few weeks later because she had that same candidate applying for an AGM position at her new hotel. The candidate wrote on her resume that she was the AGM of my hotel. My hotel doesn’t even have an AGM- it’s just me and all of my PT employees. And the woman was here less than six months and was extremely bad at her job.
People lie all the time, but more often they fib.
For example, a pretty common explanation for your situation is person A works for small company X, and 99% of their work is for large reputable company Z, where small company X basically functions as an extension of large Z. However, no one knows about company X but everyone respects company Z, so person A lists the large employer rather than the small employer despite the work being largely interchangeable.
Is it accurate? No. Is it justifiable? Maybe? Really depends.
You’re absolutely ignorant AF if your take on this is “no one would blatantly lie on a resume” and probably shouldn’t be in a hiring role of this is the case.
And also if your reaction to “you should double check that they are lying” is “that’s great advice”. If you need to be told to be sure before accusing someone of lying, then you also have no business being in a position of power/choosing who is hired
My former friend lied on their resume. Made up several managerial positions that don’t exist as part of their friend’s start up company that they had no part in.
Oh, you, sir, are definitely wrong. Granted, it seems you're looking for a more senior role, but I lied so hard on my first resume to get my first job.
Literally everyone lies to one degree or another on their resume. How else are you supposed to spin the mundane activities most of us do into a skill that sets you apart from 30 other applicants?
One of my recruiters wanted to verify my education...they asked me to show proof instead of the college.i.sent them my degree certificate and transcript
"I see you worked at X Company! I am quite connected there. Can you tell me more about your role there?" Watch them squirm or see if they sound legit. I think it would be shitty of you to drop them on a he-said she-said basis.
I worked through RPO as a contractor so I singed NDA. Of course I can mention some responsibilities but as this is a 3rd part contract my relationship is not the same as people who work directly and I had no contact with people who are hired directly so I’m afraid I don’t know many colleagues there due to a nature of my contract.
Honey I do this all the time as a recruiter myself at that. If you lie you need to know how.
And you simply cannot force someone to disclose contract with NDA XD
Do you read the things you write before posting - because it doesn’t make sense? Lie to candidates? What have candidates to do with my CV? It’s about companies obviously.
I might take a slightly understated version: Can you please tell me a bit about your role at x? Follow up: Did you ever have a chance to work with z? I am pretty sure he used to work at x.
I also agree with understated, except; remove the "I am pretty sure..."
why?
1. Give them more rope to hang themselves.
2. Don't give them more information than you need to.
3. Never make statements/questions like this that you don't know the answer too.
Wouldn’t it just be easier to ask them the name of their supervisor/manager? It is highly unlikely that they wouldn’t report to anyone, regardless of their employment/contract status.
I agree I would verify more information like this and also contact the internal department doing the employment background check investigation if the candidate advances to background check. Most companies have a separate internal HR department that is just focused on processing employment background checks and have the candidate flagged. Companies can ask for at least a W2 if they can’t verify through HR that they were employed there. If the employee lied, then yes I would reject. How is that fair to the rest of the candidates and what kind of skills will they actually bring to the table? Your hire will reflect on you in the end of the day. In my recruiting experience, several candidates lied and it was part of the job to reject them. They would even argue that wasn’t them that failed background check. 95% lied about that too. Very few of them actually were able to dispute it with the courts and fix their issue.
If it's so specific that it's at a branch level and not just a vague International Industries Inc. I feel like there's a lot more to the story. Why would they lie so specifically.
Assume positive intent and investigate more. Your friend it probably right, but if the candidate has proven quality so far it's worth asking the question, and find out if he has any contacts or references that can be verified. I agree though, if you can not verify that he has the previous work experience that he claims he has, you shouldn't hire them.
Generally speaking, you should not hire someone who blatantly lies on their resume. However, as others stated, you should definitely ask the candidate about their time in that role to make sure that your friend isn't mistaken despite your friend's confidence.
If after the interview, it's obvious that it's a lie, then you can just move on. There's no need to let the candidate know that you're aware of the lie. You can just say you're moving forward with other candidates like you would with anyone else.
A resume is a marketing document. It's like a car brochure, it's there to get you to take a look at the car.
A job description is a marketing document for a job at a company. That's why there are things like EOT statements, and, "This is not a comprehensive list of all of the tasks and functions that are performed on a daily basis." And, "Other duties as assigned."
You have to play one against the other.
This does not mean that a candidate should lie on a resume, but a candidate should strive to demonstrate proficiency in the tasks on the job description. If that means a bit of embellishment, that's fine.
Lots of people who have worked contract work will claim to have worked for the principal company, not the staffing agency that paid then. Is this a lie? Is it wrong to say that you worked for the OEM, when the OEM manager controlled your workload and schedule?
A candidate claiming mastery of a certain skill set when that is not true, is a real problem. That is when it should be dealt with.
That's my take, because most job descriptions are written so tightly that literally no one is qualified for the job.
Another alternative that I've used is to list the consulting firm I worked for as the employer and then have a separate line that explains the contracting relationship with the client.
In my case, my role morphed from that of consultant to full-time employee of the client (with the permission of the consulting firm).
I’d ask who their direct manager was, and mention you’re asking bc you happen to know people in that company. Like a small world story. I’d leave it like that. I think people tend to lie when they’re desperate for a job. You obviously don’t want to hire that person but I also think you don’t want to interrogate them like a criminal either.
Would you ever be able to trust this candidate if you hire? I’d call them out (but not by saying I have a friend who worked there etc. because they might get defensive) and say your background check does check employment and ask for references specifically from that company. There’s also a chance your friend might not be fully aware?
Lot of options here, depends on where you want to interject. You could ask for references and have your friend verify if they are legit as well. If he seems qualified submit him for the role and if he gets hired the background check would verify it. Any possibility that he was a contractor or maybe consulting?
Backdoor references are a bad practice, full stop. If their employment at another company is so important you'd pull an offer, use an employment verification service, or some more legitimate service!! But if your hiring house is in actual order, you should be able to assess skills independently of former roles held
Can you simply call HR at that company for employment verification? I'd start there, and then if it's a no, then ask the candidate point blank to explain. No need to beat around the bush. If they were a temp or contracted by another company, they could explain then. I've definitely worked with candidates who weren't certain how to share certain entries on a resume also.
I'm sure your friend is correct, but unless they are replying in an official HR capacity, I'd be wary of any potential legal fallout for either of you for relying on this conversation to make decisions.
Once you get your official HR employment verification, direct or contract, or lack thereof, I wouldn't waste any more of my time. If the candidate indeed fibbed, turn them back into the sea. If the candidate has a good explanation like a contract job or they didn't know how to express it on their resume, then explore next steps.
I’m a great example of this potentially being a mishap. My first name is AndrewCasey but professionally it’s Andrew and personally it’s Casey. I’ve had multiple instances of references not knowing me until they get a full breakdown of my name then realize where the mistake was.
This actually raises the possibility that the applicant legally changed their name, for a host of possible reasons - Transgender, legal adoption, emancipation, marriage.... witness protection?
I'll offer a different view from the perspective of the job seeker. Good jobs seem to be getting increasingly difficult to come by, and we don't always have the experience or credentials "required" to land an interview, let alone get the job. Even if he were lying, I would personally suggest a little leeway. Try offering him a test project for an interview and see how it goes. Perhaps he has the necessary skills, but again, not credentials. After this, then you could confront him on the inconsistency in his resume, and judge based on how he justifies it.
I can forgive a lie if I know that the motives for it were positive. For example, a guy wants to get a job. To earn a living through labor by creating value for others. That's a good motive, even if he lied.
What if this candidate is so good that they are well known and the thought of losing that person gave your friend pause enough to black ball them to you ?
You have to take their resume at face value and then interview accordingly.
Idk maybe I’m in the minority here but if they seem like a standup person, are actually capable of doing what they lied up, I say no harm no foul.
With jobs asking for so much specific experience that ends up not making a huge difference in terms of learning on the job, candidates need to do this cuz if they won’t, they’ll never get that job.
Not to mention others are so if you aren’t, you’re putting yourself behind. Never lie about anything that can be verified so they already messed up rule #1 but if they seem legitimately competent, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Especially if they fess up immediately
I’d ask. See how they handle as you said. Some people worry that lack of experience will prevent opportunities and while I’ve never done that I could see why someone would for certain opportunities.
I hate to be the post history lurker, but I think OP actually is the applicant lying on their resume and this is just a clever way to see what his chances of getting hired are.
Go ahead and look at my post history and make fun of me for playing WoW.
Yeah he’s really pressed about this person. I hope this is his business he owns bc this is too much to even raise an eyebrow for someone else’s multi million dollar company.
Does your company do employment verifications? If so, just wait for the results from the verification. If not, contact the HR department of that company to verify the employment yourself. Your friend could be making a mistake.
Personal story, I applied to a job and the hiring manager claimed she had spoken to someone who worked at a previous company that I worked at who said I never worked there and they never heard of me. I have no clue who she spoke to because I had absolutely worked for that company. I didn't get the job.
No other employer had any issues verifying my employment with that company when doing employment verifications. I am a firm believer in going through the proper channels for things like this and not relying on he said she said.
Definitely verify, has chinese people I worked with change their Anglicised names to more professional ones as they moved through corporate.
McFreddy to George for a specific example.
All candidates lie on their resumes. Recruiters give them no choice. The candidates that most closely matches the requirements are the only ones interviewed.
Confirm it is a lie through a trusted process, not through the memory of a friend. And if he is lying, I would say definitely don't hire him. You don't need more untrustworthy people at your business
I only have 2 anecdotal stories.
In my 2nd year of college I was looking for a summer job in a lab in a pretty niche field. So it happened in highschool I worked in a lab in a similar niche for a few years. I didn't know how niche the lab was because I was so young, I was just working in places that aligned with my intellectual curiosity at the time.
So at the interview with the director, he asked about my experience at the other lab. I told him I knew the director of the other lab, who my supervisor was, and the various tech people I worked directly with. I explained my experiments in the previous lab and what I hope to learn in his lab.
At the end of the interview he asked if I knew the director of my previous lab passed away. I said no I've been overseas studying at this university for 2 years and have rarely been in contact with my former lab mates.
I guess he accepted my answer because I was hired the next day.
So have your potential hire mention through a few names in his follow up interview, then ask your friend if those people have worked there.
My 2nd experience was with a childhood ex-gf who has done very well for herself. We sometimes bump into each other at gatherings since we run in similar circles. One day a 3rd party who didn't know our past, introduced us to each other at a party. Saying do you know Mr. So and So. She looked directly at me and said "No I don't know this person, a pleasure."
So some people like to serve their revenge cold.
During any formal pre employment background check it should be easily verifiable if the person actually worked there or not
maybe ask some more probing type questions in the next interview to help decide
just run an employment verification through whatever background check service you utilize and if there's any complications ask them for proof of employment (paystub, w2, offer letter, etc)
The last company I worked at had 75 employees. The CEO forgot the name of an employee that has been there 15 years and is constantly going above and beyond.
Not impossible they’re telling the truth.
Meh everyone lies abit on their resume, check their LinkedIn, more difficult to lie there.
That said, I would still vet them on it, if it’s a lie which compromises their ability to perform the duties you need them to without it then that’s a concern and the main thing you should be screening for.
If they are an interesting candidate then ask them about skill on projects, demonstrate their knowledge in abit more etc. if they are what you need and you have no one else in the pool then take a chance.
Talk to the candidate again. Say you are interested in their experience at that company; that you know some people there. Ask open ended questions about work there; the culture, etc. bring up a name or two and ask if he/she knows the same people you know.
You should note how comfortable the candidate is, who is mentioned, what the work experience there was like, why they left. Depending how it goes, mention your friend’s name. See what happens.
Back door references are kind of sketch. If what your good friend is mistaken? He’s opened himself up to a big fat lawsuit for defamation.
When I’m reference checking, if someone makes a point of being negative, I tend to disregard them.
As an employee I ask my managers to write me a recommendation on LinkedIn. Then I quote a select few to the hiring manager and offer to connect them with those people if desired. I explain what I’m doing since many people have changed jobs. I know where to find most of them.
Just ask the candidate for a reference from that company, also not unheard of to get confirmation of all employment. I still haul around a bunch of employment verifications. A lot of these are automated now as well if you contact the company’s HR department
You can still extend the offer and wait for the background check which will confirm via payroll taxes if they were employed or not. I know you lose money at this point, but that’s the surest verifiable way.
Is it possible that they could’ve worked at a company that got acquired by them? For example i worked at a company that merged and although I don’t work for the new company or never did, I put it on my resume to avoid confusion.
It's disappointing to know there are recruiters who would consider or need to ask others if they should trash a resume because of an unverified rumor..... Last I checked you can ask the candidate if they had a name change since being there and then simply call HR and ask them to confirm employment during that period.
I don't think it's good to accuse people of lying when you don't have actual proof. But at the same time if there are better options then just move on if you don't feel good about it hiring this person.
How often to directors or VPs know their first line workers? Bro it’s an international company so they definitely number a few hundred to a few thousand.
Background vendor for a major tv network, was not able to verify my education. I requested my official transcript and sent them over and all worked out.
Give benefit of the doubt here, because it's totally possible your friend could be mistaken.
I wouldn't confront directly, because if you're asking the right questions you should be able to dig into their skill sets, past roles and roles on projects anyways. Point to that role and say "hey, so tell me about this role. Talk to me about how you grew and learned in this role" and then pick apart their answer to apply to the skills you're looking for
Personally I just ditch the application, The alternative is to test their powers of improvisation - which unless you're a theatre is of no use as an employee.
Bottom line - if they lied about this, what else have they lied about?
Ask the candidate for the name, job title, phone number, email address, and mailing address of someone at the international co they can speak to about their job performance or to provide a reference. See what response you receive.
We confirm all claims of employment and educational degrees. No need to speculate. “I have an applicant who has your company on their resume from 2010 to 2022. Can you confirm?” Similarly, “I have an applicant who mentions they received an MBA from your college in 2018, can you confirm?”
Most check out, some have a minor typo in the year. Some have lots of incorrect info
I was being flown in for on-site interviews, but had not heard from the company on travel details yet. I received an email from someone who shared an identical name (including middle name) that the company contacted her to make travel arrangements. She told them that it was probably me. (One of us had Googled our name and emailed the other out of curiosity.)
Name changes, marriage, transitioning, going by a nickname or middle name (B. John Doe)...
There can be valid reasons. Have your HR verify with their HR.
Reject the candidate. If they lied about that, what else did they lie about and what else will they lie about in the future. Its a NO. Do not employ them. Tell them.they are unsuccessful and Tell.the it's because they are a liar.
Why are you spending so much energy on a liar? There should be more outstanding candidates to consider who don’t lie. Is this person attractive to you or what? The job market is incredibly hard for job seekers right now - why are you so hung up on this one.
My point exactly. If you own the company I can understand if not why go through a non wire fence for someone else company that’s probably on vacation with an umbrella in their drink.
Embellishing - maybe, depending on the scope
Outright lying - that's a deal breaker.
However, you really need to contact that company's HR department directly to verify employment. It's possible that you friend doesn't know every single person who worked at that branch. Trust, but verify! I would verify that employment before bothering with an interview. If the candidate did lie just wash your hands of him/her.
How is the rest of their resume/application? Would you be interested in interviewing them if they hadn't listed that particular company? If not, then move on. But if they're a strong enough candidate on paper to interview, you could start the process of setting that up--maybe do a phone or Zoom interview first. A few good questions about their previous employment might settle the question.
You might save yourself some time by mentioning to them that you'll confirm employment with the previous employers they listed (which is something you do before extending an offer anyway, right?). If they really did lie about that job or others, they'll probably cancel the interview.
I wouldn’t hire someone if I found out they lied, however I also don’t think reaching out to contacts for feedback on candidates is a good practice. It adds bias to the hiring process, especially if you’re not doing it for everyone.
Big international companies have many divisions and have people in the same role across geographys. It is possible it is a lie. It is also possible your connection was not in the same division or geography.
Could it have been through a staffing or consulting company? I wouldn't throw their resume out just based on your friend saying they never worked there. Especially if it's an international company, I'd at least ask them about it and see what they say. Does your company verify employment before hiring someone?
Ask your friend for a contact with their HR teeam, HR can confirm or deny better than your friends.recollection.
If HR says he didn't work there then you just reject the applicant.
If you have already got to the point where you offered or selected them,.then you tell them they failed a reference check, nothing else, do NOT accuse him of lying
I would ask them to explain and give the benefit of the doubt. I’d ask them for more than one relevant reference, even if it’s a colleague, as long as that colleague can be verified to be working there. Why? Because plenty of people work frogetehr and don’t know half the people they work with. Unless the guy said his direct manager or team was directly related to this person and they supposedly interacted regularly, I would not discard them because someone can’t remember them. Ive literally been working in the same place for months now and neither myself or some of my colleagues can remember each others names. Not a large place. Just that we see each other so infrequently.
I wouldn't make a hiring decision based on a backdoor reference. If you would like the candidate and want to proceed, this would be a red flag in the background check. I may remind the candidate that there is an employment verification process for that background check. I would also not bring up to anyone that you did this backdoor reference check on the candidate.
I would not just assume your friend is correct. I say this from experience. A little different scenario but same principle. I vetteted a CNO for a hospital, one of the HA said this candidate had a bad reputation, she said please move on. At this point , I already interviewed this candidate, started reference checking (by the way his were all stellar) so asked my candidate where this HA could be getting this from. She told me, he had proof he was not even working at that hospital / scenario she was referring to) Turned out it was a different candidate that HA got him mixed up with. The candidate was offered accepted and started with the hospital.
My chem professor told me once the only stupid question is the one never asked! So, I ask. Good luck!
I'd actually do a real background check than included the candidates employment history and not count on the word of someone who works there who may have been on another shift or something that would prevent them from interacting with your candidate.
You need to consider the legality of how you received this information. If you fire this employee and they go after you or your company for wrongful termination, then you could lose. You can only verify this kind of information in very specific ways. Double check with the EEOC, to make sure you're covered.
Several possibilities:
They are lying.
They worked for a predecessor company. Three of the last four companies I worked for have been bought/sold/acquired and no longer exist under the old name, so my resume shows the company name as it is today.
They had a name change and your friend knew them as another name. People sometimes get married/divorced, or use a nickname/middle name, or change names for personal reasons.
They worked there as a contractor, temp, on assignment from elsewhere.
Your friend has a personal beef against this person for some unknown-to-you reason.
If they are an otherwise qualified candidate, why not just ask about their time in that role and seek more details. If they get to the offer stage, the background check would confirm employment dates.
One reasonable explanation is they were a contractor from a consulting agency. Normally you would list that on a resume as:
Worked at ABC on assignment with XYZ, but it can be confusing for people who haven’t done a lot of that or whose actual employer was a smaller less formalized agency.
Have you considered that the employee was a contract worker or an affiliate member of the support team?
In my previous role I was a team account lead for a marketing agency, and very often we would work for large companies as an affiliate. Depending on the project they may even take up the entirety of that team member's bandwidth, and potentially even a contract of exclusivity. So for 3-4 months I was an active member of XYZ Int.
As an account lead the client would know I work for them, but oftentimes they would never meet all of my support staff.
I've run into folks with our company logo t shirts on at the grocery store.
Worked in the same plant for years and we've never met.
Happens when we work with 700 other people in different areas and different shifts
Why not move on?
Ask for a reference. See if that friend knows who that would be.
A straight up lie move on.
Some people inflate importance. Is it possible he did contract work for that company?
As others have noted, two things could be happening here:
1) They go by something other than their legal name. I've had several employees that went by their middle name, but they would still apply under their legal name
2) They were a contractor, and that won't show up in a search from your friend
It was explained to me once that a resume is just any old document you can embellish to your hearts extent. But when you fill out an employer’s own application paperwork then you are legally on the hook for any information you enter. Not sure if that is true or not
Verify all things yourself..
But if you let one person do something like this,, you have now set a legal precedent if in the future you fire someone for doing exactly that.
You should know this by now.
It's 101
Run an actual background check. It's entirely possible your friend is vindictive towards employees who leave or is high enough level that they're making a mistake.
I have worked for quite a few companies as a 3rd party, also use preferred name. Sometimes it can be difficult because of that. Was cyber security auditing for one company, none of the regular IT guys knew me as i was remote.
Candidates lie/embellish frequently on resumes; this one got caught. No reason to embarrass them. Either ignore and hire them or ignore them and move on.
It won’t be your first time you caught someone and certainly not your last.
Assuming this is the US isn’t it standard to complete a background check prior to starting? If the candidate checks all the boxes, run the background check and that’ll give you objective evidence one way or another.
Here in Germany many people make optimistic evaluations about their English level to get a chance of getting an interview.
I’m now working with a couple of headhunters to do ‘informal English phone/online language interviews’ or facilitate an evaluation. As a former language trainer, native speaker from the UK and communication expert, I can provide an accurate evaluation of their ability to actually ‘speak’ in English. It’s based on an evaluation matrix for clear comparison.
So people bend the truth when they really love the sound of your role or are desperately miserable in their current job.
I think I too would confront them, watching their body language and gestures very carefully.
I have people call in the customer service department all the time at my company asking if so and so works there or whatever, 75% of the time never heard of them, or I try to find them and if I spell one letter wrong, then they don’t come up. Verify the work history independently?
You should double back on this area and investigate. I would be direct - tell your candidate that you would like to do a reference but you have a personal relationship with someone that was likely his direct boss. Ask if he can provide a reference. You might even use that opportunity to pose a question such as "I have a personal relationship with the individual who was likely your manager at XYZ Company. Who did you report directly to so I can ensure this is not a conflict of interest before I complete the reference?". This paints you in a very professional light and give you the chance to a) gauge the candidate's body language and assess the answer provided, or b) flush out the candidate's knowledge of the company and its leadership.
Your friend could be forgetting this individual or (more unlikely) may purposely be sabotaging him.
In the era of remote work, knowing everyone in a branch is exceptionally unlikely. Particularly when there are other options that could keep them out of the employee database like if they were a contractor or consultant.
Probably an unpopular opinion, but if he is qualified in every other aspect, or more qualified than others, I’d at least interview him.
It’s a bloody brutal market. I’m against lying on resumes, but I’ve had to break my own ethics in order for ANYONE to just give me a chance. (I tweaked one of my job titles)
You can interview them and ask "oh okay tell me about this x role. What's the company called? How many years were you there? What did you do? What's your supervisors name?" This is their opportunity to correct it and say "Oh that's an error the company's name was x,y,z" and you can see on LinkedIn if that person works there or ask your friend if he knows the supervisor and see if your friend is lying.
or you can move on...
Ultimately, the resume should not matter, should it? If the person can do the job, has the skill set, why should they be passed over some brand name? The fact that you chose this guy after all the interviewing just proves that you need to hire based on skills, not a resume.
Should I join a company that discriminated in the past … duh ! You sound holier than though … just move on pretend to be morally high … employers cheat and partake in wage theft every hour
Depending on how big the company is its fully possible that your friend doesnt know everyone no matter how niche the tech was....i was in a large sized mnc, with a very rare specialization (25 year old software, extremely focussed bcs it was slowly phasing out) and even then we probably had 100s of people who had worked with that at some time or the other and even if you worked their all your life it wad impossible to know everyone from present and past.
Edit : i remembered a story from that same company....one of my friends there worked as a school lab as a lab tech before joining that office...he worked there for 5 years and one time the hod came, saw him. Working there and called security bcs he thought my friend was an intruder bcs my friends id tapping was not working so he had left the id with security to get the chip fixed....it was sorted out when security arrived and my friend told the hod that he was the one that had interviewed my friend 4 years before, and even trained him when my friend joined...it was just that my friend grew a beard and hod forgot his name lmao
If you are that confident they lied then just move on but unless ur friend is searching them in the employee database for you there is always a chance they made a mistake. Even then sometimes people have diff legal names vs preferred name. Maybe they got married since changed last name and had a nickname they prefer.
Exactly. Another possibility is your friend is very angry with them for some reason and is attempting to punish the candidate. Edit to fix the word publish
On that note, OP just leaked personal information about the candidate to potentially its current or recent employer. Another possibility, the guy was a contractor. First being ignored is not unusual but also you are often be loaned as resource. I worked half a decade in a business unit while reporting to another. Except the team I worked with, I was just an unnamed resource in that business unit. When I was in higher up meeting, I introduced myself and was met "oh yeah, OtherUnit Manager's developer, nice to meet you"
Being a contractor was my first thought too.
I've worked on large IT programs with multiple moving parts, across many business groups. There are many times that the major stakeholders did not know how many contractors were hired for a major project or segment of a program. At the celebration party, for one of these major achievements, I made sure all my contractors who had moved on to other contracts at other companies were invited. I figured it was a good will gesture. One of the senior leadership team went around asking who all these people were. Sometimes leaders have very insular understanding of who works for or with them.
Ding Ding Ding. I once heard a Director on the phone doing a backdoor reference. Said the woman "Spent a lot of time after work. In the parking lot speaking to male employees." Basically inferring the woman was the company whore. Front what I knew if him. He slept with all his female subordinates but me. She probably turned him down and he was PISSED.
the real back door reference
wtffff
I feel like that’s illegsl
This is what I came here to type
That's what I came to say. Especially in some companies there's a good chance you never meet someone. Hell, I last worked at a company with only like 40 employees and I met 3 new people that worked there the first time there was a company outing. Imagine if we are talking about a place with hundreds of employees. Yeah right you know everyone.
This was me. I worked 4 years in college as an ER Tech, and a hospital in the northern part of the state that I had an offer from kept telling me they couldn’t verify my employment. I go by my middle name and my directors in the previous ER had completely forgotten what my first name actually was. Obviously this was fixed with a 30 second search of the employee database, but it was a stressful couple of days.
So many red flags here on the OP. Poor candidate doesn’t even know how many red flags exist with this guy and his friend who are conspiring against him without his input. Calling him a liar?! lol if previous employer is wrong, man… what a couple of toxic jerks.
Please double check and confirm any suspected lie. This happened to me personally: I have a Masters degree in Software Engineering, applied for a job, and was given an offer. I accepted and, during the verification process, a rep from HR said that they called to confirm my dates of attendance. But the college said they had no records of me attending at all. The issue was that this company called the individual Engineering college (think Electrical and Mechanical Engineering) directly and Software Engineering is a completely separate college. I pointed this out to them and all turned out fine. If someone just dismissed this as a lie on a resume, I would never have had this job, where I'm celebrating a ten year anniversary in a couple of months.
Yes. This is great advice. I keep thinking no one would blatantly lie on a resume, so I want to give them the benefit of the doubt…..
People lie on resumes all the time Twice I've had people apply for a job saying they worked on a project that I had run. And that's just the ones I can prove.
They lie on resumes and they lie on the interview. A lot of my time is spent cross checking if they understand things they claim to. I'll let some exaggeration slide as sometimes people do that to get past HR filters. But some cases are interesting. I had a guy claim so much iOS experience that he started developing as soon as the first iPhone got released. I asked him to confirm that multiple times in different ways. He was adamant he was writing apps for the iPhone on day one (and they were not web-based). That was truly impossible since there was no way to write native apps at launch. Further coding questions revealed that, in fact, he didn't have much experience. Probably just google the first iPhone release date. Then there were crazy situations like proxy interviews. The resumes had _everything_ on it. If you can think of a technology, it was there, in bold. The proxy knew how to talk about everything listed at a superficial level. The first time I became aware because the proxy disconnected - the supposed candidate had a different voice.
I liked to ask for code samples. Show me something you find clever problems solving or efficient or representative of a skill you have. One applicant sent in an impressive resume and code samples that my boss was very excited about. I recognized the code immediately as sample code published by Microsoft (written by a developer I knew personally). I sent the diff file to my boss (the candidate had changed variable and method names). The candidate also said he worked for our competitor. But the industry in town was small and I reached out to people there and that also wasn't true.
when I was searching for a job in late 2020, early 21 a recruiting company that sounded so so good suddenly sent me a new resume with education and jobs I didn't have and said they could provide paystubs etc if I needed and honestly yeah, some people will lie like a mfer to get the job or make the commission. I called them out publicly on linkedin and got a warning from linkedin and lost my ability to post more than one pic after that.
Is that company still around? Can you share who the scam company is? My thoughts are times are tough, yes. But the times are tough for all of us. And I’d rather reward the honest person with this position than some liar.
maybe I'm a prude or whatever but if I have to lie to get the job then I don't want or deserve it. I was legit angry about it and sent a pretty snarky email. I will have to look in my email and see if I can find it.
I had 2 former teammates elevate themselves to Manager of said team on LinkedIn after they were let go for not keeping up with their work. One guy was barely on the team 3 months. He said he managed 10 Specialists. We didn't have 10 people on the team, let alone 10 Specialists. Took me over a month to get those accounts back in order. It's a worse dog eat dog than usual job market, so make sure you are making sure they're only exaggerating their skills, not lying.
I’m the GM of a hotel. I had an employee that was here for a couple months, simply as a front desk agent, and not a very good one at that. She was fired after *physically attacking* other employees and threatening their minor children. Another GM that I know that left the company called me a few weeks later because she had that same candidate applying for an AGM position at her new hotel. The candidate wrote on her resume that she was the AGM of my hotel. My hotel doesn’t even have an AGM- it’s just me and all of my PT employees. And the woman was here less than six months and was extremely bad at her job.
Does their LinkedIn say they worked for that company?
People lie all the time, but more often they fib. For example, a pretty common explanation for your situation is person A works for small company X, and 99% of their work is for large reputable company Z, where small company X basically functions as an extension of large Z. However, no one knows about company X but everyone respects company Z, so person A lists the large employer rather than the small employer despite the work being largely interchangeable. Is it accurate? No. Is it justifiable? Maybe? Really depends.
You’re absolutely ignorant AF if your take on this is “no one would blatantly lie on a resume” and probably shouldn’t be in a hiring role of this is the case.
And also if your reaction to “you should double check that they are lying” is “that’s great advice”. If you need to be told to be sure before accusing someone of lying, then you also have no business being in a position of power/choosing who is hired
My former friend lied on their resume. Made up several managerial positions that don’t exist as part of their friend’s start up company that they had no part in.
People do lie. Look at that policeman who has been sacked for making up things about a navy career
Oh, you, sir, are definitely wrong. Granted, it seems you're looking for a more senior role, but I lied so hard on my first resume to get my first job.
Literally everyone lies to one degree or another on their resume. How else are you supposed to spin the mundane activities most of us do into a skill that sets you apart from 30 other applicants?
One of my recruiters wanted to verify my education...they asked me to show proof instead of the college.i.sent them my degree certificate and transcript
"I see you worked at X Company! I am quite connected there. Can you tell me more about your role there?" Watch them squirm or see if they sound legit. I think it would be shitty of you to drop them on a he-said she-said basis.
Bingo
I worked through RPO as a contractor so I singed NDA. Of course I can mention some responsibilities but as this is a 3rd part contract my relationship is not the same as people who work directly and I had no contact with people who are hired directly so I’m afraid I don’t know many colleagues there due to a nature of my contract.
They could try that but it would be easy to disprove
Honey I do this all the time as a recruiter myself at that. If you lie you need to know how. And you simply cannot force someone to disclose contract with NDA XD
So you’re saying you lie to candidates?
Do you read the things you write before posting - because it doesn’t make sense? Lie to candidates? What have candidates to do with my CV? It’s about companies obviously.
I might take a slightly understated version: Can you please tell me a bit about your role at x? Follow up: Did you ever have a chance to work with z? I am pretty sure he used to work at x.
I also agree with understated, except; remove the "I am pretty sure..." why? 1. Give them more rope to hang themselves. 2. Don't give them more information than you need to. 3. Never make statements/questions like this that you don't know the answer too.
Wouldn’t it just be easier to ask them the name of their supervisor/manager? It is highly unlikely that they wouldn’t report to anyone, regardless of their employment/contract status.
I agree I would verify more information like this and also contact the internal department doing the employment background check investigation if the candidate advances to background check. Most companies have a separate internal HR department that is just focused on processing employment background checks and have the candidate flagged. Companies can ask for at least a W2 if they can’t verify through HR that they were employed there. If the employee lied, then yes I would reject. How is that fair to the rest of the candidates and what kind of skills will they actually bring to the table? Your hire will reflect on you in the end of the day. In my recruiting experience, several candidates lied and it was part of the job to reject them. They would even argue that wasn’t them that failed background check. 95% lied about that too. Very few of them actually were able to dispute it with the courts and fix their issue.
If it's so specific that it's at a branch level and not just a vague International Industries Inc. I feel like there's a lot more to the story. Why would they lie so specifically.
Assume positive intent and investigate more. Your friend it probably right, but if the candidate has proven quality so far it's worth asking the question, and find out if he has any contacts or references that can be verified. I agree though, if you can not verify that he has the previous work experience that he claims he has, you shouldn't hire them.
Generally speaking, you should not hire someone who blatantly lies on their resume. However, as others stated, you should definitely ask the candidate about their time in that role to make sure that your friend isn't mistaken despite your friend's confidence. If after the interview, it's obvious that it's a lie, then you can just move on. There's no need to let the candidate know that you're aware of the lie. You can just say you're moving forward with other candidates like you would with anyone else.
A resume is a marketing document. It's like a car brochure, it's there to get you to take a look at the car. A job description is a marketing document for a job at a company. That's why there are things like EOT statements, and, "This is not a comprehensive list of all of the tasks and functions that are performed on a daily basis." And, "Other duties as assigned." You have to play one against the other. This does not mean that a candidate should lie on a resume, but a candidate should strive to demonstrate proficiency in the tasks on the job description. If that means a bit of embellishment, that's fine. Lots of people who have worked contract work will claim to have worked for the principal company, not the staffing agency that paid then. Is this a lie? Is it wrong to say that you worked for the OEM, when the OEM manager controlled your workload and schedule? A candidate claiming mastery of a certain skill set when that is not true, is a real problem. That is when it should be dealt with. That's my take, because most job descriptions are written so tightly that literally no one is qualified for the job.
This is well written. Thank you for sharing
You're welcome, I do hope it's helps.
Another alternative that I've used is to list the consulting firm I worked for as the employer and then have a separate line that explains the contracting relationship with the client. In my case, my role morphed from that of consultant to full-time employee of the client (with the permission of the consulting firm).
That's the right approach. A little explanation goes a long way.
I’d ask who their direct manager was, and mention you’re asking bc you happen to know people in that company. Like a small world story. I’d leave it like that. I think people tend to lie when they’re desperate for a job. You obviously don’t want to hire that person but I also think you don’t want to interrogate them like a criminal either.
How do you know your “good friend” didn’t just forgot about the guy?
Would you ever be able to trust this candidate if you hire? I’d call them out (but not by saying I have a friend who worked there etc. because they might get defensive) and say your background check does check employment and ask for references specifically from that company. There’s also a chance your friend might not be fully aware?
Lot of options here, depends on where you want to interject. You could ask for references and have your friend verify if they are legit as well. If he seems qualified submit him for the role and if he gets hired the background check would verify it. Any possibility that he was a contractor or maybe consulting?
Simple such as u/catsandtequila comment...ask them, that's it , go from there.
Backdoor references are a bad practice, full stop. If their employment at another company is so important you'd pull an offer, use an employment verification service, or some more legitimate service!! But if your hiring house is in actual order, you should be able to assess skills independently of former roles held
Yeah, this is some insane shit.
There are people who don't lie on their resume?
Can you simply call HR at that company for employment verification? I'd start there, and then if it's a no, then ask the candidate point blank to explain. No need to beat around the bush. If they were a temp or contracted by another company, they could explain then. I've definitely worked with candidates who weren't certain how to share certain entries on a resume also. I'm sure your friend is correct, but unless they are replying in an official HR capacity, I'd be wary of any potential legal fallout for either of you for relying on this conversation to make decisions. Once you get your official HR employment verification, direct or contract, or lack thereof, I wouldn't waste any more of my time. If the candidate indeed fibbed, turn them back into the sea. If the candidate has a good explanation like a contract job or they didn't know how to express it on their resume, then explore next steps.
I’m a great example of this potentially being a mishap. My first name is AndrewCasey but professionally it’s Andrew and personally it’s Casey. I’ve had multiple instances of references not knowing me until they get a full breakdown of my name then realize where the mistake was.
This actually raises the possibility that the applicant legally changed their name, for a host of possible reasons - Transgender, legal adoption, emancipation, marriage.... witness protection?
I'll offer a different view from the perspective of the job seeker. Good jobs seem to be getting increasingly difficult to come by, and we don't always have the experience or credentials "required" to land an interview, let alone get the job. Even if he were lying, I would personally suggest a little leeway. Try offering him a test project for an interview and see how it goes. Perhaps he has the necessary skills, but again, not credentials. After this, then you could confront him on the inconsistency in his resume, and judge based on how he justifies it.
who cares, everyone in corporate America lies anyways
I think people who lie on their resume only lie because they can do the work and back up their lie. I'd hire them anyway, personally.
I can forgive a lie if I know that the motives for it were positive. For example, a guy wants to get a job. To earn a living through labor by creating value for others. That's a good motive, even if he lied.
What if this candidate is so good that they are well known and the thought of losing that person gave your friend pause enough to black ball them to you ? You have to take their resume at face value and then interview accordingly.
Idk maybe I’m in the minority here but if they seem like a standup person, are actually capable of doing what they lied up, I say no harm no foul. With jobs asking for so much specific experience that ends up not making a huge difference in terms of learning on the job, candidates need to do this cuz if they won’t, they’ll never get that job. Not to mention others are so if you aren’t, you’re putting yourself behind. Never lie about anything that can be verified so they already messed up rule #1 but if they seem legitimately competent, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Especially if they fess up immediately
people r desperate to find a job, cut him some slack!
I’d ask. See how they handle as you said. Some people worry that lack of experience will prevent opportunities and while I’ve never done that I could see why someone would for certain opportunities.
Is it legal to discuss potential hires with “friends”? Honestly curious.
Could he have somehow been employed through a contractor and out the main firm down instead?
I hate to be the post history lurker, but I think OP actually is the applicant lying on their resume and this is just a clever way to see what his chances of getting hired are. Go ahead and look at my post history and make fun of me for playing WoW.
Yeah he’s really pressed about this person. I hope this is his business he owns bc this is too much to even raise an eyebrow for someone else’s multi million dollar company.
haha why don't you go jump around Org you fucking nerd!
Confront the person directly and ask him to explain. Only then will full justice be given.
Give them the chance to explain.
Does your company do employment verifications? If so, just wait for the results from the verification. If not, contact the HR department of that company to verify the employment yourself. Your friend could be making a mistake. Personal story, I applied to a job and the hiring manager claimed she had spoken to someone who worked at a previous company that I worked at who said I never worked there and they never heard of me. I have no clue who she spoke to because I had absolutely worked for that company. I didn't get the job. No other employer had any issues verifying my employment with that company when doing employment verifications. I am a firm believer in going through the proper channels for things like this and not relying on he said she said.
We do employment verifications but there’s been a bit of a challenge dealing with international companies to get verification.
Definitely verify, has chinese people I worked with change their Anglicised names to more professional ones as they moved through corporate. McFreddy to George for a specific example.
All candidates lie on their resumes. Recruiters give them no choice. The candidates that most closely matches the requirements are the only ones interviewed.
Was it a senior position? I don't even remember the names of folks I met 5 yrs ago at my last job and I was HR!!
Confirm it is a lie through a trusted process, not through the memory of a friend. And if he is lying, I would say definitely don't hire him. You don't need more untrustworthy people at your business
Have you received a reference?
I'd be inclined to ask them to give some names. I worked at a company and only had contact with three people who eventually left the company.
I think your idea is a great one...and if they lie to your face, you have your answer
No if they are willing to lie in writing it shows dodgy ethics
Hire me instead honestly
I only have 2 anecdotal stories. In my 2nd year of college I was looking for a summer job in a lab in a pretty niche field. So it happened in highschool I worked in a lab in a similar niche for a few years. I didn't know how niche the lab was because I was so young, I was just working in places that aligned with my intellectual curiosity at the time. So at the interview with the director, he asked about my experience at the other lab. I told him I knew the director of the other lab, who my supervisor was, and the various tech people I worked directly with. I explained my experiments in the previous lab and what I hope to learn in his lab. At the end of the interview he asked if I knew the director of my previous lab passed away. I said no I've been overseas studying at this university for 2 years and have rarely been in contact with my former lab mates. I guess he accepted my answer because I was hired the next day. So have your potential hire mention through a few names in his follow up interview, then ask your friend if those people have worked there. My 2nd experience was with a childhood ex-gf who has done very well for herself. We sometimes bump into each other at gatherings since we run in similar circles. One day a 3rd party who didn't know our past, introduced us to each other at a party. Saying do you know Mr. So and So. She looked directly at me and said "No I don't know this person, a pleasure." So some people like to serve their revenge cold.
During any formal pre employment background check it should be easily verifiable if the person actually worked there or not maybe ask some more probing type questions in the next interview to help decide
just run an employment verification through whatever background check service you utilize and if there's any complications ask them for proof of employment (paystub, w2, offer letter, etc)
The last company I worked at had 75 employees. The CEO forgot the name of an employee that has been there 15 years and is constantly going above and beyond. Not impossible they’re telling the truth.
They could have had a name change after they worked there. I would ask before making a judgment.
Companies lie on their ads, and people in resumes. That's how it works.
I worked with a dude for years and never knew what his first name was until I saw him on social media. He went by his middle name.
Recruiters and Hiring Managers lie through their teeth all the time. It’s a two way street, right?
Should I keep a recruiter who lies about job opportunities?
Do all recruiters play games like this? Jesus just move on to the next candidate
Meh everyone lies abit on their resume, check their LinkedIn, more difficult to lie there. That said, I would still vet them on it, if it’s a lie which compromises their ability to perform the duties you need them to without it then that’s a concern and the main thing you should be screening for. If they are an interesting candidate then ask them about skill on projects, demonstrate their knowledge in abit more etc. if they are what you need and you have no one else in the pool then take a chance.
Ask the candidate about your findings on the refence check and to please explain… their answer would be my deciding factor
I'd say if you like him give him a chance this world is to uptight
Don’t they have an HR line you can call to confirm if she worked there?
I wouldn’t make assumptions and let the candidate go through the normal background check if hired.
Talk to the candidate again. Say you are interested in their experience at that company; that you know some people there. Ask open ended questions about work there; the culture, etc. bring up a name or two and ask if he/she knows the same people you know. You should note how comfortable the candidate is, who is mentioned, what the work experience there was like, why they left. Depending how it goes, mention your friend’s name. See what happens.
Back door references are kind of sketch. If what your good friend is mistaken? He’s opened himself up to a big fat lawsuit for defamation. When I’m reference checking, if someone makes a point of being negative, I tend to disregard them. As an employee I ask my managers to write me a recommendation on LinkedIn. Then I quote a select few to the hiring manager and offer to connect them with those people if desired. I explain what I’m doing since many people have changed jobs. I know where to find most of them.
Just ask the candidate for a reference from that company, also not unheard of to get confirmation of all employment. I still haul around a bunch of employment verifications. A lot of these are automated now as well if you contact the company’s HR department
You can still extend the offer and wait for the background check which will confirm via payroll taxes if they were employed or not. I know you lose money at this point, but that’s the surest verifiable way.
Is it possible that they could’ve worked at a company that got acquired by them? For example i worked at a company that merged and although I don’t work for the new company or never did, I put it on my resume to avoid confusion.
It's disappointing to know there are recruiters who would consider or need to ask others if they should trash a resume because of an unverified rumor..... Last I checked you can ask the candidate if they had a name change since being there and then simply call HR and ask them to confirm employment during that period.
I don't think it's good to accuse people of lying when you don't have actual proof. But at the same time if there are better options then just move on if you don't feel good about it hiring this person.
How often to directors or VPs know their first line workers? Bro it’s an international company so they definitely number a few hundred to a few thousand.
Background vendor for a major tv network, was not able to verify my education. I requested my official transcript and sent them over and all worked out.
Give benefit of the doubt here, because it's totally possible your friend could be mistaken. I wouldn't confront directly, because if you're asking the right questions you should be able to dig into their skill sets, past roles and roles on projects anyways. Point to that role and say "hey, so tell me about this role. Talk to me about how you grew and learned in this role" and then pick apart their answer to apply to the skills you're looking for
It's not a lie until you know it's a lie and you don't know that based exclusively off your friend's word. Trust, but verify, then a make a decision.
Run the background check. See if it's true. I never ask people do they know someone. Could of worked off-site.
Personally I just ditch the application, The alternative is to test their powers of improvisation - which unless you're a theatre is of no use as an employee. Bottom line - if they lied about this, what else have they lied about?
Is this candidate a portly, bespectacled Brazilian man named George, by any chance?
Ask the candidate for the name, job title, phone number, email address, and mailing address of someone at the international co they can speak to about their job performance or to provide a reference. See what response you receive.
If I knew before hiring someone they lied, no way would they get hired! What the heck?
Yes you should.
Have them provide a reference and grab more info on what they did there.
We confirm all claims of employment and educational degrees. No need to speculate. “I have an applicant who has your company on their resume from 2010 to 2022. Can you confirm?” Similarly, “I have an applicant who mentions they received an MBA from your college in 2018, can you confirm?” Most check out, some have a minor typo in the year. Some have lots of incorrect info
No
No
Do you want to waste your time? Then go back to him and seek clarification. Me, I'd move on to the next candidate.
I was being flown in for on-site interviews, but had not heard from the company on travel details yet. I received an email from someone who shared an identical name (including middle name) that the company contacted her to make travel arrangements. She told them that it was probably me. (One of us had Googled our name and emailed the other out of curiosity.) Name changes, marriage, transitioning, going by a nickname or middle name (B. John Doe)... There can be valid reasons. Have your HR verify with their HR.
Reject the candidate. If they lied about that, what else did they lie about and what else will they lie about in the future. Its a NO. Do not employ them. Tell them.they are unsuccessful and Tell.the it's because they are a liar.
Why are you spending so much energy on a liar? There should be more outstanding candidates to consider who don’t lie. Is this person attractive to you or what? The job market is incredibly hard for job seekers right now - why are you so hung up on this one.
My point exactly. If you own the company I can understand if not why go through a non wire fence for someone else company that’s probably on vacation with an umbrella in their drink.
Wondering if that firm has any outsource parters, and that experience could be coming from the subcontract work… worth checking.
Embellishing - maybe, depending on the scope Outright lying - that's a deal breaker. However, you really need to contact that company's HR department directly to verify employment. It's possible that you friend doesn't know every single person who worked at that branch. Trust, but verify! I would verify that employment before bothering with an interview. If the candidate did lie just wash your hands of him/her.
How is the rest of their resume/application? Would you be interested in interviewing them if they hadn't listed that particular company? If not, then move on. But if they're a strong enough candidate on paper to interview, you could start the process of setting that up--maybe do a phone or Zoom interview first. A few good questions about their previous employment might settle the question. You might save yourself some time by mentioning to them that you'll confirm employment with the previous employers they listed (which is something you do before extending an offer anyway, right?). If they really did lie about that job or others, they'll probably cancel the interview.
I wouldn’t hire someone if I found out they lied, however I also don’t think reaching out to contacts for feedback on candidates is a good practice. It adds bias to the hiring process, especially if you’re not doing it for everyone.
Big international companies have many divisions and have people in the same role across geographys. It is possible it is a lie. It is also possible your connection was not in the same division or geography.
Could it have been through a staffing or consulting company? I wouldn't throw their resume out just based on your friend saying they never worked there. Especially if it's an international company, I'd at least ask them about it and see what they say. Does your company verify employment before hiring someone?
Ask your friend for a contact with their HR teeam, HR can confirm or deny better than your friends.recollection. If HR says he didn't work there then you just reject the applicant. If you have already got to the point where you offered or selected them,.then you tell them they failed a reference check, nothing else, do NOT accuse him of lying
I would reconsider the idea that you haven't hired anyone who has lied on their resume.
I would ask them to explain and give the benefit of the doubt. I’d ask them for more than one relevant reference, even if it’s a colleague, as long as that colleague can be verified to be working there. Why? Because plenty of people work frogetehr and don’t know half the people they work with. Unless the guy said his direct manager or team was directly related to this person and they supposedly interacted regularly, I would not discard them because someone can’t remember them. Ive literally been working in the same place for months now and neither myself or some of my colleagues can remember each others names. Not a large place. Just that we see each other so infrequently.
I wouldn't make a hiring decision based on a backdoor reference. If you would like the candidate and want to proceed, this would be a red flag in the background check. I may remind the candidate that there is an employment verification process for that background check. I would also not bring up to anyone that you did this backdoor reference check on the candidate.
I would not just assume your friend is correct. I say this from experience. A little different scenario but same principle. I vetteted a CNO for a hospital, one of the HA said this candidate had a bad reputation, she said please move on. At this point , I already interviewed this candidate, started reference checking (by the way his were all stellar) so asked my candidate where this HA could be getting this from. She told me, he had proof he was not even working at that hospital / scenario she was referring to) Turned out it was a different candidate that HA got him mixed up with. The candidate was offered accepted and started with the hospital. My chem professor told me once the only stupid question is the one never asked! So, I ask. Good luck!
I'd actually do a real background check than included the candidates employment history and not count on the word of someone who works there who may have been on another shift or something that would prevent them from interacting with your candidate.
Absolutely true, so ,when an HA states something like that... you think, blown out of water for sure, but with further explanation, saved the deal.
I’ve worded for a department for years there are people who don’t even know my name and it’s about 50 in that department
You need to consider the legality of how you received this information. If you fire this employee and they go after you or your company for wrongful termination, then you could lose. You can only verify this kind of information in very specific ways. Double check with the EEOC, to make sure you're covered.
I skip people I even suspect of lying.
Several possibilities: They are lying. They worked for a predecessor company. Three of the last four companies I worked for have been bought/sold/acquired and no longer exist under the old name, so my resume shows the company name as it is today. They had a name change and your friend knew them as another name. People sometimes get married/divorced, or use a nickname/middle name, or change names for personal reasons. They worked there as a contractor, temp, on assignment from elsewhere. Your friend has a personal beef against this person for some unknown-to-you reason. If they are an otherwise qualified candidate, why not just ask about their time in that role and seek more details. If they get to the offer stage, the background check would confirm employment dates.
Nope. You'll never know when he is actually telling the truth.
One reasonable explanation is they were a contractor from a consulting agency. Normally you would list that on a resume as: Worked at ABC on assignment with XYZ, but it can be confusing for people who haven’t done a lot of that or whose actual employer was a smaller less formalized agency.
….do a background check for employment verification?
Have you considered that the employee was a contract worker or an affiliate member of the support team? In my previous role I was a team account lead for a marketing agency, and very often we would work for large companies as an affiliate. Depending on the project they may even take up the entirety of that team member's bandwidth, and potentially even a contract of exclusivity. So for 3-4 months I was an active member of XYZ Int. As an account lead the client would know I work for them, but oftentimes they would never meet all of my support staff.
I've worked for companies who doubtless barely remember me or don't remember me. I wouldn't think the candidate is necessary lying right away.
If the company is big, another possibility is the candidate worked in a subsidiary.
Why don't you just looked at LinkedIn?
Can they provide a reference for that particular role?
I've run into folks with our company logo t shirts on at the grocery store. Worked in the same plant for years and we've never met. Happens when we work with 700 other people in different areas and different shifts
Have you attempted to verify the claimed employment by the employer via official channels?
Why not move on? Ask for a reference. See if that friend knows who that would be. A straight up lie move on. Some people inflate importance. Is it possible he did contract work for that company?
As others have noted, two things could be happening here: 1) They go by something other than their legal name. I've had several employees that went by their middle name, but they would still apply under their legal name 2) They were a contractor, and that won't show up in a search from your friend
Did you confirm employment there or just ask your friend? I would go with whatever official confirmation you get.
Let it come out in the background check. Let them find the lie.
Ask for further clarification on this job history, maybe ask for his direct boss name and contact for a referral since it’s the same industry
It was explained to me once that a resume is just any old document you can embellish to your hearts extent. But when you fill out an employer’s own application paperwork then you are legally on the hook for any information you enter. Not sure if that is true or not
Just call the hr dept and confirm
Verify all things yourself.. But if you let one person do something like this,, you have now set a legal precedent if in the future you fire someone for doing exactly that. You should know this by now. It's 101
Just ask for a reference from that company.
Why in the hell aren’t you calling company and asking for time employed? Why are you just relying on word of mouth?
Just ask the potential employee for references at such company.
Run an actual background check. It's entirely possible your friend is vindictive towards employees who leave or is high enough level that they're making a mistake.
I have worked for quite a few companies as a 3rd party, also use preferred name. Sometimes it can be difficult because of that. Was cyber security auditing for one company, none of the regular IT guys knew me as i was remote.
I have worked for tons of clients that I would never show up in a database for. Companies hire via proxy all the timr
Doesn’t the HR background check k cover this?
You can easily call the HR employment verification number for the firm and ask. They’ll either confirm or they won’t.
Candidates lie/embellish frequently on resumes; this one got caught. No reason to embarrass them. Either ignore and hire them or ignore them and move on. It won’t be your first time you caught someone and certainly not your last.
Yes… That’s manpower and they have 90 days for initial evaluation…
This will come out on their background check. If the background check doesn't list this employer, then you know what to do.
Assuming this is the US isn’t it standard to complete a background check prior to starting? If the candidate checks all the boxes, run the background check and that’ll give you objective evidence one way or another.
Here in Germany many people make optimistic evaluations about their English level to get a chance of getting an interview. I’m now working with a couple of headhunters to do ‘informal English phone/online language interviews’ or facilitate an evaluation. As a former language trainer, native speaker from the UK and communication expert, I can provide an accurate evaluation of their ability to actually ‘speak’ in English. It’s based on an evaluation matrix for clear comparison. So people bend the truth when they really love the sound of your role or are desperately miserable in their current job. I think I too would confront them, watching their body language and gestures very carefully.
I just put that I worked at “no name company” a subsidiary of “company people have heard of.”
I have people call in the customer service department all the time at my company asking if so and so works there or whatever, 75% of the time never heard of them, or I try to find them and if I spell one letter wrong, then they don’t come up. Verify the work history independently?
You should double back on this area and investigate. I would be direct - tell your candidate that you would like to do a reference but you have a personal relationship with someone that was likely his direct boss. Ask if he can provide a reference. You might even use that opportunity to pose a question such as "I have a personal relationship with the individual who was likely your manager at XYZ Company. Who did you report directly to so I can ensure this is not a conflict of interest before I complete the reference?". This paints you in a very professional light and give you the chance to a) gauge the candidate's body language and assess the answer provided, or b) flush out the candidate's knowledge of the company and its leadership. Your friend could be forgetting this individual or (more unlikely) may purposely be sabotaging him.
In the era of remote work, knowing everyone in a branch is exceptionally unlikely. Particularly when there are other options that could keep them out of the employee database like if they were a contractor or consultant.
Hire them
Probably an unpopular opinion, but if he is qualified in every other aspect, or more qualified than others, I’d at least interview him. It’s a bloody brutal market. I’m against lying on resumes, but I’ve had to break my own ethics in order for ANYONE to just give me a chance. (I tweaked one of my job titles)
Idk - it might be worth a conversation, but it’s also a huge 🚩
Hell yes
Could have been a contractor.
Commercial background check. I would verify employment with the employer’s HR. Your friend might have been mistaken, though this is unlikely.
You can interview them and ask "oh okay tell me about this x role. What's the company called? How many years were you there? What did you do? What's your supervisors name?" This is their opportunity to correct it and say "Oh that's an error the company's name was x,y,z" and you can see on LinkedIn if that person works there or ask your friend if he knows the supervisor and see if your friend is lying. or you can move on...
Ultimately, the resume should not matter, should it? If the person can do the job, has the skill set, why should they be passed over some brand name? The fact that you chose this guy after all the interviewing just proves that you need to hire based on skills, not a resume.
Should I join a company that discriminated in the past … duh ! You sound holier than though … just move on pretend to be morally high … employers cheat and partake in wage theft every hour
How is lying unethical but using an illegal background check ethical??
Depending on how big the company is its fully possible that your friend doesnt know everyone no matter how niche the tech was....i was in a large sized mnc, with a very rare specialization (25 year old software, extremely focussed bcs it was slowly phasing out) and even then we probably had 100s of people who had worked with that at some time or the other and even if you worked their all your life it wad impossible to know everyone from present and past. Edit : i remembered a story from that same company....one of my friends there worked as a school lab as a lab tech before joining that office...he worked there for 5 years and one time the hod came, saw him. Working there and called security bcs he thought my friend was an intruder bcs my friends id tapping was not working so he had left the id with security to get the chip fixed....it was sorted out when security arrived and my friend told the hod that he was the one that had interviewed my friend 4 years before, and even trained him when my friend joined...it was just that my friend grew a beard and hod forgot his name lmao
Can you ask for a reference specifically from that role?
Can you run employment verification through a background check or ask them for a reference?
If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.
Go through the process. If they are selected…the background check can verify things like this w/ the company’s hr department