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I Got Catfished by a Candidate

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Re: I Got Catfished by a Candidate

#3

Does being a catfish really matter if they passed the rest of the interview process?

Well, blatantly lying in the very first meeting / discussions is a huge red flag... If they were so knowledgeable / likable, why the ruse? Why all the extra effort to create a fake past?

Re: I Got Catfished by a Candidate

#4
You'll never be able to trust a candidate who lies.

Blatantly lying to a potential employer will never work out well in the long run. Just don't do it.

Programmers are lucky in that they can take code they've written, and say "see, here's my proof that I can do the job".Other types of jobs (like sales), however, are reputation based, and you damn well better make sure the opinion of the person who is vouching for your candidate is legitimate.

Re: I Got Catfished by a Candidate

#5
post #3

Does being a catfish really matter if they passed the rest of the interview process?

Well, blatantly lying in the very first meeting / discussions is a huge red flag... If they were so knowledgeable / likable, why the ruse? Why all the extra effort to create a fake past?

I partially agree, but at the same time there is a certain level of cargo culting going on in tech hiring, and if you didn't work at the right places or get the right degree from the right school, the deck is stacked against you even if you are fully capable of doing the job.

Re: I Got Catfished by a Candidate

#6
post #3

Does being a catfish really matter if they passed the rest of the interview process?

Well, blatantly lying in the very first meeting / discussions is a huge red flag... If they were so knowledgeable / likable, why the ruse? Why all the extra effort to create a fake past?

I imagine these actions are the logical conclusion of someone who can pass an interview but doesn't have the credentials to get their foot in the door interview.

The tech industry has a similar problem in over relying on the school you've graduated from to filter out candidates.

Re: I Got Catfished by a Candidate

#7
Maybe the author should evaluate _why_ they got catfished.

Recruiting processes are so convoluted and hard to break through, that someone who apparently otherwise would have been a great candidate, had to lie to get an interview. Was a good candidate really only one that had worked at the managers previous employer?

How many great candidates are companies missing out on because of arbitrary filters?

Re: I Got Catfished by a Candidate

#9

Maybe the author should evaluate _why_ they got catfished. Recruiting processes are so convoluted and hard to break through, that someone who apparently otherwise would have been a great candidate, had to lie to get an interview. Was a good candidate really only one that had worked at the managers previous employer? How many great candidates are companies missing out on because of arbitrary filters?

Yes. This particular candidate should definitely not be hired, but there are probably some other great candidates who can "discuss the pros and cons of MEDDIC" or whatever but aren't getting an interview.

Re: I Got Catfished by a Candidate

#10
I really hate the so-called term “catfished” it’s a completely contrived word that came from a 2010 movie that probably 50 people actually saw. “Ghosting” is another one, but at least you can use context to sort of figure out what people are actually talking about.

A bit off topic, but this adulteration of language — from an obscure pop-culture reference, is a bit silly.

Obviously the author agrees that most people don’t know what the term means or he wouldn’t feel compelled to explain what the heck catfishing actually means in the second paragraph.

Urban dictionary != real dictionary. I guess in another life I must have been a member of the Academie Française. Or maybe just too old to be cool.

It’s so fetch apparently that I and a large number of non-Buzzfeed aficionados just don’t get it.

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