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I Got Catfished by a Candidate

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Re: I Got Catfished by a Candidate

#41

Post by paulgb »

djhworld wrote: post #15

The thing about checking social profiles for number of connections etc is strange to me, although maybe it makes sense in the sales world. I have a LinkedIn but rarely log into it, most LinkedIn emails get filed into spam. Missing good opportunities? Maybe. I dunno, it's just never been my thing. I hope recruiters, at least for developer roles don't use LinkedIn profiles and connection count as some sort of metric in…

I deleted my LinkedIn over a year ago and haven't looked back. It might be handy for sales folks but as a developer it's a cesspool of spammy content and dark patterns.

Re: I Got Catfished by a Candidate

#42

Post by coupdejarnac »

dewiz wrote: post #12

I was hoping to find out from the story why this catfish lied in the first place. If they passed the interview so well they must be someway good.

I would guess he lied because he needed a job, and he figured it would have no bearing on his performance on the job.

Re: I Got Catfished by a Candidate

#43

Post by cascom »

gumby wrote: post #31

> backdoor reference checks aren’t always considered kosher by everyone ?? These are the most important references. Many excellent candidates won't have a back connection but when they are possible they can make an important difference two ways: One is the way described here (or, "this person was OK but doesn't sound like they would work out for the kind of thing you want -- that was where they failed with us too.").…

It is generally understood that candidates must consent to have their references checked.

In what part of the application process did the candidate consent to you letting anyone you choose know they are looking for a job?

Re: I Got Catfished by a Candidate

#44

Post by sigstoat »

amorphid wrote: post #19
Willson50 wrote: post #2

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

If you're going to outright lie to my face & get caught, you'd better have a proof that you had discovered a brain tumor after having told the lie, pictures of the tumor being removed, and a doctor's note explaining "healthy now - no more liar liar pants on fire".

it sounds like they were trying to get a sales job. maybe the doctor's note should read "healthy now - much better at lying, won't be caught next time"?

Re: I Got Catfished by a Candidate

#46

Post by hfdgiutdryg »

amorphid wrote: post #19
Willson50 wrote: post #2

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

If you're going to outright lie to my face & get caught, you'd better have a proof that you had discovered a brain tumor after having told the lie, pictures of the tumor being removed, and a doctor's note explaining "healthy now - no more liar liar pants on fire".

Why? Management lies to employees constantly. Sales lies to customers constantly. Why the sudden insistence on honesty?

Re: I Got Catfished by a Candidate

#47

Post by bduerst »

lkrubner wrote: post #21

On the upside, the person who was trying to get a job seems very good at selling. Certainly, they seem good at selling themselves. If this is for a sales job, then the energy they showed should count in their favor, and the work they put in, as well as the easy social graces that charmed everyone. I've known honest salespeople, but generally sales, as a profession, does not reward complete honesty. The important thin…

Why? They'd eventually deceive the new customers just to make the sale, even going so far to fabricate facts and people just to do it. That's not the type of person you want bringing on new accounts at your company.

Re: I Got Catfished by a Candidate

#49

Post by rb808 »

The real question is how many people normally get the job with embellished resume's, fake recommendations and friends as references. I think its quite a high percentage. I'm always honest but I think I've missed out on a lot of jobs I could easily do because I don't meet the "requirements".

Re: I Got Catfished by a Candidate

#50

Post by notyourday »

crescentfresh wrote: post #33

The place I'm at now forbids employees from being references for past employees (or current employees discreetly seeking other employment). Is this normal? It would have prevented "Jim" or anyone else at ACME Corp from being a reference to catfish-er, so requests for a reference from the company would have been denied right off the bat. That would have made it harder to spot the fake.

It is fairly standard. Most of the companies would only verify if someone worked between the two dates and what was the position to avoid lawsuits.
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