How to identify the FAKE CANDIDATES

There are candidates who tend to show fake experience to get into a corporate. There are also companies that are providing fake experience certificates. So the idea here is to list the accident prone zone (Instances which could lead to a fake resources) and suggest some ways to avoid it.

Identifying Red Flags on the Resume

Reviewing a resume closely is the first place you can find potentially falsified information:

Important Details are Missing: Candidate’s last name, phone number, important dates such as a graduation date

Different resume author: While some individuals do use resume services, a different author on the resume may indicate that the information is falsified. In MS Word, click File and the Author information is on the right-hand side of the window.

“Canned” Responses: The roles and responsibilities listed on the resume are the same bullet points over and over again.

Hard to track experience:

o  Resumes containing experience in another country for several years, prior to coming onshore to the US.

o  Unusual career moves with unusual job titles or jumps up in title that do not make sense.

o  Company names that are difficult to track and validate or look unusual

o  Unknown or rarely seen university/ college names

o  Lots of contract based work listed under the end client company name

o  Short project timelines 1.5 to 2 years

o  “Job jumping”

o  Previous employers are “out of business”

Company name does not match industry provided. Some candidates include the company industry on their resumes. If this is not a match, the resume may be fake.

Unusual resume formats

Unexplained Gaps or Periods of “Self-Employment”

ATS Soup: If the resume looks like a ATS keyword search, the resume is most likely fake. Candidates are wise to the fact that ATS are widely used in our industry and they take advantage of that. If the candidate only includes skills and daily tasks and no work accomplishments in their resume, the resume maybe a fake.

Identifying Red Flags when Speaking with the Candidate

Candidates often say or do things that may tip you off on issues with their authenticity.

 H-1B or L1 Visa issues: The candidate may be pending an extension or claims to have come here on a Visa with a company that is difficult to verify.

Interview Scheduling Difficulties: If the candidate provides availability, but is unable to accept a request for interview when speaking with you, the candidate may be “fake.” Candidates who are unable to commit to short notice interviews that fall within their availability, may need extra time to schedule with their “proxy.”

References: The references provided are close colleagues at the current employer or candidate firm only. The candidate provides no supervisor references.

Working Student: The student claims during their last two years of schooling they started working a full-time position. These “extra years” allow the candidate to reach the required years of experience.

 “I don’t want to talk about it”: The candidate avoids conversations related to why they left a previous position or is very vague. The candidate dodges questions which may invalidate their authenticity.

What else can you do to avoid submitting fake candidates?

Check the Web!

o  View the candidate’s social media presence: Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or even a Google search on the candidate can provide useful information. If anything looks unusual or is missing, it may be an indicator that you have a fake candidate.

o  Search unusual information in the resume such as company names, industry types, universities, etc. with Google.

o  Look up mentioned supervisors or project managers on Linkedin.

Face to Face Meetings: Candidates can have someone take an interview call on their behalf or have someone coach them as the interview is being conducted on the phone or through skype. Face to face meetings allow you to validate the candidate against identification documentation in addition to getting to know them better. If face to face must be done through Skype or another video service, look for unusual eye movements, which may indicate they are reading a cue either on the computer or in the room, or pauses in speech.

 Reference Checks: Reference checks can be an easy way to validate experience and company authenticity.

Check a company register: Every state maintains a company register of companies that operate in their state. To locate, search “{State Name} company register.”

Validate the University or College Experience:

o  Search the school and view their website.

o  Search the U.S. Department of Education at www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation

o  Visit the Council for Higher Education Accreditation at www.chea.org which includes links for national and international searches.

o  Check to ensure the school is not a “diploma mill” at www.osac.state.or.us/oda.

o  View a copy of the highest degree obtained.

Verify Identity

o  Use https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do to validate a candidate’s I-797 on the USCIS site.

o  Use https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/request.html to validate a candidate’s passport on the department of Homeland Security’s site.

o  Cross check dates on identification documents against the resume.

o  Look carefully at any provided identification: Visas, Driver’s License, or Photo IDs for tampering or modification such as changes in background colors, font size/style, and unusual formatting.

Skills Testing on Site. Provide the candidate an opportunity to display their skills while visiting the agency for their interview.