How to Identify a Fake Candidates

Fake Candidates During Interview:-

In IT recruitment industry we face a lot of challenges but one of the most frustrating is when you get to know that the candidate you hired is a fake resource.

To put it in a simpler term, the guy who cleared the technical interview is not the one who joined the company. There are candidates who tend to show fake experience and state having the required expertise and technical knowledge to get into a company. They have someone who attends the telephonic screening for them, and once the telephonic screening is done and they clear it they come for the personal round. There are also companies that are providing fake experience certificates to the candidate to help them in securing jobs in good companies.

We need to accept the fact that this cannot be eliminated completely and we have to be prepared to tackle such instances.

Resume Screening:-

This is when the recruiter first talks to a prospective candidate. Apart from regular screening please take care of the below danger zones.

Candidate Profile:

1: Too many skill sets and various types of roles and responsibilities mentioned in the resume. This is generally to get the attention of recruiters. Please question the candidate and find out what are his strong points and core skills.

2: Contract resources are highly prone to show fake experience. Candidates generally claim to be working in Tier 1 companies through contract. So check for the name of the contract company and do a little research on that company.

3: In general ask them questions like technologies used, projects, team size, reporting manager, about their previous company, training details, about the size of the team etc.

Personal Details:

1: Most of the fake resources don’t mention their clear identity. Often it’s their contact number and mail id which is visible on their resume. So ask them more about their personal details like permanent address, date of birth, father’s name, etc.

2: Remember even a fake education is a problem. So it is better to make a note of their educational background something like University, Regular/Distance, year of pass out, etc.,

3: Alternatively you can also check their Year of pass out and match it with their professional experience (For example, year of pass out is 2004 but total experience greater/lesser than the number of years from the current year) then ask for their reasoning.

Professional documents:

This could be something like past offer or experience letter, relieving letters, Form16, identity card

This is not the time to collect documents from them, so a mere question will do the trick.

Final Discussion:-

This is when the candidate is selected and proposed for the second level of interview.

Now a day’s most of the companies have made it mandatory to have at least one level of face to face (F2F/Webcam interview). If not please insist for a F2F because it helps in identifying a fake candidate.

Before scheduling the interview for a candidate please gather the following information:

1. The company:

1: If your candidate is from a less known company/ contract resource Google their current company name and check the credibility (Only for Contract resources). Please check for the company website - do not obtain this directly from the candidate. My reasoning behind this is that an average company will invest in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and make their company list on top.

2: The company name should show up in the first three links or at least in the first page of the Google search result.

3: Also read any current discussion about the company that is available in the search results.

There are some fake company lists available in the net where you can cross check the company name with the list on Blogs.

2. The candidate:

Search for the candidate in Social Networks preferably LinkedIn – A middle or a senior level resource should be present in their LinkedIn profile. Then match their professional experience mentioned in LinkedIn with their resume. (Example current company, earlier companies) also his “Viewers of this profile also viewed...” Link because predominantly this would show their colleagues profile which is a good sign. Also check whether he has received any recommendations for his work.

About to Schedule a Face 2 Face Round:

When you call the candidate for the F2F there are lot of pointers or a behavioral changes which can help you to identify a fake candidate.

Flag 1: Changing their contact numbers - please insist the candidate to carry the same mobile that they have used while clearing the initial rounds.

Flag 2: Hesitant to go for an F2F interview – Make a note of the excuses and reasons.

Flag 3: No Show and No intimation.

Flag 4: Change in the voice (the person who you spoke to earlier is not the one you are speaking to now) - I don’t know how far you can remember their voice but if you are doubtful then please be cautious.

Flag 5: Ask them to carry their resume with a photo. Always ask them to carry a photo id proof while going for a F2F interview which you can cross check.

Please make a note that after doing all these, still there can be mistakes or misunderstandings. You should also give the candidate an opportunity to explain and then use your common sense and experience while selecting them. 

If you still feel that the candidates is playing around then just tell them politely, “WE WILL GET BACK YOU.”