Applicants Who Lie, part III: References

Applicants Who Lie, part III: References

Many employers refuse to call the references listed by applicants because they assume they’ll be useless.  However, that’s certainly not the case!

At VerifyProtect, we’ve done our fair share of reference checking… and if you think that all reference checks are created equal, you’re mistaken!

Recently, we had these jaw-dropping, shaking-your-head-in-disbelief experiences:

  • Many references have phone numbers that are “disconnected” or incorrect.  (Think that’s a mistake?  Probably not.)
  • Many references claim to have no knowledge of the applicant.  (Again, this shows how bold some desperate job hunters are!)
  • One reference we contacted was for a funeral director.  When we talked to the funeral director, the director said the applicant “had been to a few funerals”.  Thus, he could give no reference.  (Guess who didn’t get the job?)
  • Another reference we checked was for an incarcerated man.  The man had been in jail for two years.  (He couldn’t be reached…)

Applicants think you’ll be lazy about checking on them and therefore won’t catch them in their lies.  And they’re right… but only if you don’t do reference checks.

If you want to make sure you’re getting the workers you deserve, it’s critical to take advantage of reference checking.

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