May, 1996
WHAT JOB CANDIDATE has not walked on water, or at least parted the Red Sea?
The normal modesty with which most people comport themselves flies out the window when they enter the job market. Resumes become shining examples of creative writing, with loyal foot soldiers in the corporate army morphing into field commanders. Candidates not only put their best foot forward, they also keep any embarrassing information tucked deep inside their pockets. Like political candidates, they seek to put the most favorable spin on their careers.
There are, of course, varying degrees of truth and falsity. It's one thing to take a little more credit than any single individual deserves for a $10 million sales increase - and quite another to claim a Harvard degree when the person failed to graduate from high school. The problem is that, in any given situation with any given individual, it is difficult to know what's truth, what's fiction and what may fall somewhere in between.
Let's say that Paul Jones is under consideration as an outside candidate for an important management position and that the first priority of the new manager will be to bring new leadership to a demoralized department. Paul has had the title of "manager" at two previous employers, and his resume is full of action verbs such as "managed," "directed," "led" and "supervised" - just like all the self-help books advise. Paul seems to be a likable guy, and the company is thinking of extending an offer.
In one scenario, Paul's file is sent to a personnel clerk with the instruction, "Check references." The clerk dutifully calls the two previous employers to inquire about Paul's background. Both companies confirm his dates of employment and job titles, while another phone call confirms his graduation from college. The clerk lets the hiring manager know that Paul checked out okay, and he is offered the job.
In another scenario, before Paul is even provided the opportunity for a face-to-face interview, the employer's outside recruiter asks him for the names of three business references. The recruiter then calls the first and explains Paul is under consideration for an important position.
"Do I understand you worked with Paul when he was raw materials purchasing manager?"
"Yeah, he was a good guy. Sorry to see him leave."
"Well, do you recall how many people he supervised in that position?"
"He had a secretary, if that's what you mean."
"Actually, I was interested in how many people reported to him in his role as a manager."
"Oh, I see why you're confused. Our company has two kinds of managers - those who manage people and those who manage projects or functions. Paul was in charge of raw materials purchasing, but he didn't have any people. It was pretty much a one-person job."
"Thanks for clarifying that. If you were considering Paul for a new position, would you put him in charge of lots of people, or is he best suited for hands-on kinds of jobs?"
"I think the company had him pretty well pegged. He always seemed happiest when he could just roll up his sleeves and do the job himself. Paul's a real doer. If you need any kind of written reference, I'd be happy to send a letter."
"Not at the moment, but I do appreciate your time. You've been very helpful. Thanks much, and have a great day."
At the very least, a warning flag has been raised. If the next two phone calls paint a similar picture, Paul will be removed from active consideration for the position. He may indeed be a "good guy," but his experience is overstated for the job at hand.
If one were to check each and every assertion in a resume or employment application, the seasons might come and go before completion of the task. The key is to decide, up front, what counts.
In general, the information-gathering process can be divided in half. One half deals with factual verification, while the other half deals with qualitative validation.
Factual verification includes such matters as education, past employment, credit history and absence of a criminal record. There are large companies, such as Equifax, that can verify almost any kind of information at a reasonable cost.
Unless you want to spend needless money, however, look at the "what counts" factors in any particular job. If you're hiring an outside sales representative, by all means verify the candidate's driving record. This may be of little or no significance, however, if you're hiring a senior executive. Similarly, you probably don't want a corporate treasurer who's filed for personal bankruptcy, but you may not care about the credit history of a lab technician.
Two situations do, however, warrant extra thoroughness:
Gaps in employment. If significant time elapsed between one period of employment and another, find out why. Was the candidate unemployed, in jail or what?
Lies and fabrications. People who fudge the truth once may be inclined to do so repeatedly. If, for example, routine checking determines that the candidate falsified his or her educational background, dig further - regardless of whether the falsified information you discovered has any significance to the position opening.
While factual verification is relatively straightforward and easily accomplished, qualitative validation is a process of discovery that tends either to confirm and enhance the initial impression of a candidate or to raise questions and concerns.
Hoping to avoid libel suits by former employees, many companies have adopted formal policies that limit their cooperation with reference-checking - normally to confirmation of employment. Personnel offices and human resources departments are unlikely to answer questions dealing with past performance or reasons for termination.
As in the hypothetical conversation earlier, there are ways of asking questions and obtaining information that avoid the problems companies fear. In many cases, a search consultant may ask the candidate to call the references in advance to request their cooperation. (What the candidate doesn't know are the questions the recruiter plans to ask.) In any event, one always wants to obtain the candidate's permission to check references, since this is the best insurance policy against a future lawsuit.
If the position is being filled through an executive search firm, it is generally desirable to have the search consultant check references. For one thing, a reputable recruiter is skilled in how to ask the kind of tough-but-delicate questions that complete a candidate's portrait. For another, a recruiter can check references in a way that avoids identifying the client company or revealing confidential aspects of the position itself.
Reference-checking and related factual verification can increase the comfort level that a candidate is indeed as represented, but they cannot guarantee future performance or behavior. All things considered, it's probably better to buy a mutual fund that has performed well in the past, but funds that have outperformed the market for ten years running can take a nose-dive tomorrow. The same is true with candidates.
Will information-gathering keep you from hiring a first-time embezzler? No. Can information-gathering help you avoid hiring someone who has embezzled in the past? The answer to that is yes.
If you work in a large, multi-unit organization, others – including the corporate Human Resources and MIS Departments – might appreciate copies of this issue. These can be ordered from your Sanford Rose Associates search consultant.
©1999 SRA International, Inc. All rights reserved, including electronic reproduction or alteration. This SRA Update is published for the clients of Sanford Rose Associates.