PeopleCheck recently conducted an Employment Verification that revealed double discrepancies in more ways than one!
PeopleCheck were engaged to undertake verification of employment of a candidate’s former employer. The candidate advised that the company was a small company and there was no dedicated Human Resource department. The candidate assisted us by providing us with the name and direct contact details of her former manager, who she alleged was also the former Office Manager.
The PeopleCheck Researcher responsible for the case followed PeopleCheck’s standard process and contacted the company directly using their direct advertised telephone line, rather than using the information provided by the candidate. Enquiries with the company revealed that the Office Manager had worked with the company for a significant period of time and the company had never employed the candidate. However, the Office Manager confirmed that the nominated manager provided by the candidate had in fact previously worked for the company, but not as an Office Manager. Further, our research revealed that the candidate’s alleged “former Manager” turned out to be the candidate’s twin sister!
The candidate initially denied the facts of our research when presented to her, but later admitted that she had mis-lead our client. Our client subsequently withdrew their employment offer.
This case study reveals the importance of investigators “digging deeper” when things just don’t seem right. This involves verifying all information provided by candidates, even basic contact details. It is PeopleCheck’s standard practice to contact a previous employer via their direct/advertised company contact details when undertaking an Employment Verification to ensure that information provided by candidates is not fabricated, and that the details obtained are as accurate as possible.