Tracking a bad employment track record
Introduction:
The previous employment record of a candidate who was almost on-boarded was found to be unfavourable on more than one parameter.
Employment history, and a candidate’s conduct at an earlier employer, are significant indicators of their suitability for employment.
Challenge:
Many unethical and unsuitable candidates are able to get away with unclear or downright false employment histories. The reasons can range from forgery to underhand arrangements with previous colleagues, to lack of availability of data from the ex-employer.
Solution:
Evaluatioz reached out to the HR department of the candidate’s previous employer for information on the candidate’s tenure at the company. However, the department confirmed a number of discrepancies.
Date of Leaving Discrepancy: The date the candidate provided for leaving their previous job did not match the date recorded by the HR department.
Absconding Status: The HR department confirmed that the candidate absconded from their previous job – they left without notice or fulfilling their responsibilities.
Pending Recovery Amount: There was an outstanding amount that the previous employer is seeking to recover from the candidate,
Rehire Eligibility: The HR department stated that the candidate was not eligible for rehire due to unprofessional behavior.
Forged Experience Document: The HR department verified that the experience document submitted by the candidate was forged and not genuine.
Results/benefit
The candidate was rejected and blacklisted for multiple violations and exhibition of unethical practices.
The company reinforced the necessity for rigorous verification processes in background checks as a policy. The case also highlighted the requirement to continuously monitor industry trends and adapt verification methods to address emerging fraud techniques.
Unmasking fake qualifications
Introduction:
A leading client of Evaluationz raised a request to verify the B.Sc. degree document from GITAM University Andhra Pradesh that was submitted by a candidate.
Falsification of educational qualifications is the bane of organizations that hire for specific skills and knowledge. The risks arising from candidates with falsified or fake educational qualifications are manifold. For the organization, it could lead to employees being deployed in mission-critical projects where their skills and knowledge are inadequate, This, in turn, can lead to project delays and failures. Additionally, companies could be opening themselves to legal consequences from clients who have been misinformed.
Challenge:
Companies worldwide are facing a rise in the number of cases of fake educational qualifications being submitted by candidates. The situation is exacerbated by remote hiring and the requirement for faster onboarding of new employees.
The sheer number of colleges and universities, their wide geographic spread, and the absence of a centralized database of education records compound the problem.
Solution:
Evaluationz multi-pronged verification process includes digital database checks and well-formed networks with educational institutions.
On completion of the verification process (within just yyy days) Evaluationz received written confirmation from GITAM University stating that the B.Sc. document provided by the candidate was fabricated and did not match their records.
Results/benefit:
The situation was derisked by red-flagging the candidate and ensuring they were not a part of the organization.
The company reinforced the necessity for rigorous verification processes in background checks as a policy. The case also highlighted the requirement to continuously monitor industry trends and adapt verification methods to address emerging fraud techniques.
Ensuring a drug-free workplace
Introduction:
The company suspected that an employee was compromising their anti-drug use policies, which could have serious repercussions on their client relationships.
Challenge:
Anti-drug use policies can be very company-specific. Unlike historical event-based information like educational qualifications or employment records, drug use can occur at any time and requires constant vigilance,
Solution:
The drug report revealed a positive test for cannabinoids/THC/marijuana. Evaluationz communicated the result to the client. Any positive drug test result for banned or forbidden substances presents a critical issue that needs to be handled according to the employer’s policies and legal guidelines.
Results/benefit:
The case progressed to its natural end with the withdrawal of the offer to the candidate. The case created an opportunity to highlight the importance of following a structured approach and maintaining clear communication with all parties involved to make informed decisions and ensure compliance with established policies.
Non-disclosure of criminal charges
Overview:
A leading microfinance company needed to fill the position of Manager – Cash Collection. The role had a direct impact on the finances of the company and demanded the highest integrity.
Context:
The candidate was shortlisted and an offer was imminent. The background verification had to be done on very tight deadlines.
Solution:
Evaluationz conducted the verification using the BlueG platform, utilizing the componentized features.
Results:
When the results came back, it was found that the candidate was a respondent in a case filed under the Code of Criminal Procedure and IPC. He was charged for cheating and the offense of criminal intimidation. His address also showed up as unverified.
The results came back in time to avert a negative outcome.
Employment and reference falsification
Overview:
A finance company was looking to fill the position of a Senior Manager with the requisite experience in the finance industry across large companies and microfinance organizations.
Context:
The potential candidate claimed employment in a large BFSI company, with 1 year of prior experience in a microfinance company, and 4 years in a large company before that. He provided an experience letter and references from previous employers.
Solution:
Evaluationz conducted the verification using digital and manual methods.
Results:
Upon detailed verification with the earlier employer, it was found that the experience letter was completely forged. Also, the ‘earlier manager’ who was cited as a reference (and who ‘testified’ over a phone call) was a bogus/decoy reference, was just an acquaintance of the employee, and was never associated with the earlier employer.
On detection of the falsification, the hiring company was able to avoid hiring a dishonest candidate.
Integrity and Salary fabrication
Overview:
The company was in the process of hiring a salesperson in the IT space
Context:
The candidate submitted an appointment letter from the previous employer showing a salary of Rs. 8 lakhs. He negotiated a salary of Rs. 10 lakhs from the hiring company.
Solution:
Evaluationz conducted the verification using digital and manual methods.
Results:
Upon detailed verification –the previous employer confirmed there was an Integrity and Disciplinary issue of the candidate.
It was also found that the salary details on the appointment letter had been doctored to show the higher salary, while the actual salary was only Rs. 5.5 lakhs. So, the falsification of salary enabled him to get an 81% increment!
By spending a limited amount of money on the BGV, the hiring company saved a few lakhs in the overpayment of salary and avoided hiring a dishonest employee.
FNF Pending and Performance issue
Overview:
Candidate was being evaluated for the position of Analyst in an IT company
Context:
The candidate claimed to have worked as an analyst for a large IT company and had provided an employment letter from the previous company.
Solution:
Evaluationz conducted the verification using digital and manual methods.
Results:
Verification with the previous employer brought to light that the candidate had been put on PIP twice for performance issues. The candidate had also been warned multiple times for short hour logging, unplanned leaves, and low productivity during remote working.
The employer confirmed that the candidate’s FNF (full and final) settlement had not been completed for more than 3 months.
The BGV helped the hiring company steer clear of hiring the wrong candidate.
Processing large volume of BGC cases from multiple locations
Overview:
Leading IT/Blue Collar company was struggling in managing BGC initiation because of a wide range of projects and demography – day-to-day cases transaction from more than 30 locations and 50+ different projects.
Context:
Though the process was managed online, there were delays. There was also a high level of dependency on people and chances of cases being missed, large size attachments, and so on when cases were initiated on email.
Solution:
It was recommended to integrate Evaluationz online tool with the company’s HRMS (Human Resource Management System) application.
Evaluationz pioneered a real-time API reference architecture to ensure API calls were processed as close to real-time as possible. For example, when the candidate was joining and filling forms in the HRMS portal, cases were getting pushed to BGC online tool in real-time.
When the case got completed, reports were pushed to the client’s HRMS tool with colour codes.
Results:
API management solutions helped the client reduce manual intervention and helped them to locate cases in real-time. TAT was slashed by 5days. It also led to 100% control of data leakage.
Thought paper
Unmasking Interview Impersonation: Securing Hiring
Emerging Technologies in Verification and Their Impact on Businesses
