You’ve finally found a candidate who seems like a great fit for your job. But when you go to check references, you find out they lied about their last position. What do you do? Do you call them out on it, or just eliminate them from your short list of candidates to consider?
As one of the leading staffing agencies in Dade County, Future Force can tell you that there’s no set rule here; it’s really up to you. But one of the following approaches will certainly work:
DON’T contact the candidate.
After all, why spend the time and energy if you know they lied during the interview process. You’re definitely not going to hire the person – because they lied – and you shouldn’t have to take time out of your day to explain to them why.
DO contact the candidate.
For instance, you can give the candidate a call and or send them an email and explain exactly why you’re not moving them forward in the hiring process. You can say something like:
“I called your last employer and they told me you were simply an associate. You listed your job as a manager and told me you had management experience. In light of that, I can’t consider your candidacy for this position.”
If you do contact the candidate to tell them why they didn’t get hired, be direct about the situation. Don’t get angry, or express your disgust. Just be matter of fact. They’ll get the message that what they did was completely unacceptable.
However, if you’re not 100% certain that a candidate lied, then address the issue with them directly. After all, you could be wrong about the situation and have lost a great candidate as a result.
So reach out to them and let them know there’s a discrepancy on their resume, or with the information they gave you. Then simply ask them for an explanation. Sometimes something might seem like a lie, when it’s really not.
Do you need help hiring honest, hard-working people for your team? Call the staffing experts at Future Force. As one of the leading staffing agencies in Dade County, we’ve helped thousands of clients find and hire the people they need, where and when they need them. And we can help you too! Contact Future Force today to learn more.