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Lessons from a BM: Always check references

Puzzled9401's picture

Submitted by Puzzled9401 on Tue, 10/31/2017 - 12:45pm

Every now and then I find chestnuts of wisdom in my dealings with BM. One of the most memorable: always check references. I learned this not from my BM, but from another BM that I know of. This woman lied to her DH during their entire marriage about having a masters degree in accounting (when in reality all she has is a 2-year book keeping degree). In any event the truth came out during their divorce and the husband was shocked. How is this possible? How can you be married for a decade and cover something like this up? Do employers really not check references these days? From what I hear she is now overseeing an entire accounting department at a new startup company probably with her resume full of lies.

Comments

Pharlap's picture

Submitted by Pharlap on Tue, 10/31/2017 - 12:50pm

Always go back and read the text messages you sent full of lies before sending any new messages that contradict the earlier ones

justkeepstepping's picture

Submitted by justkeepstepping on Tue, 10/31/2017 - 1:20pm

We've had several people apply and be hired at the company I work for who lied about everything on their resumes. They never call past employers or references, yet they wonder why our turn over is so high. :? It's because you're hiring under qualified people.....

B22S22's picture

Submitted by B22S22 on Wed, 11/01/2017 - 7:23am

In this litigious day and age, hardly any organizations will give "references" - they might, on a good day, confirm dates of hire/termination, and answer the magical questions, "If given the opportunity, would you re-hire this candidate?" But most will not confirm nor deny anything.

I deal with that now, and I work in an occupation that for the last 7-8 years has gone from traditional office setting to remote (working from home). It's a freaking circus. Employees will spend more time trying to game the system, cheat payroll, and figure out how NOT to work yet still get paid, rather than just doing the job they were hired to do. And when they get caught (because in an electronic age, there is always a 'footprint'), there is no remorse... they just quit and move to the next remote company. Later, rinse, repeat.

And the resumes I see... with YEARS of experience, yet when I audit their work product, it's pathetic.

As a director, I have seen many employees come and go, and I can think of only 2 occasions where I've been called about a prospective employee who previously worked for me.