How a late reference check exposed false marketing experience

A company interviewed and hired someone for a marketing role without checking their reference. After the person joined, it became clear they lacked the experience needed for the work. A call to the former employer exposed the mismatch between the experience presented and the role they had held.

Illustration of an HR professional making a reference call while reviewing an application — Illustration

The hire was made before the reference was checked

The company completed the interview and offered the candidate a marketing position. The supplied reference remained unchecked when the person started work.

Once the employee joined, the company found that they did not have the experience required for the role.

What the former employer confirmed

The company then called the reference. The former employer confirmed that the person had left three years earlier and had worked in sales. The vacancy they had just been hired to fill required marketing experience.

That call exposed the false impression of relevant experience. It also established when the person had worked for that employer, giving the company facts it could compare with the account presented during recruitment.

Where the Employee Bundle fits into the process

VerifyNow’s Employee Bundle brings ID verification and available screening context into one report. It can return Home Affairs ID photo verification together with core identity details and employer-related information where available.

The employer can compare the returned identity details with the applicant’s information. Available employer evidence gives the recruiter another source to review when checking the employment history supplied.

Employer information in the report is screening context and may be incomplete or out of date. A reference call confirms the employment dates and the work the person performed. In this case, that conversation established the earlier sales role.

Questions to resolve before making the appointment

For a role that depends on previous experience, the recruiter needs to establish what the candidate did in the earlier job. A job title can conceal differences in responsibilities, so the reference conversation should cover the work relevant to the new position.

Employment dates need checking as well. If the application and the former employer’s account differ, the recruiter can ask the candidate to explain and provide supporting information before deciding whether to appoint them.

The contact used for the reference also matters. The recruiter should establish that they are speaking with someone at the former employer who can confirm the employment, then keep a record of the response with the authorised screening information.

Why the timing of the checks mattered

The false claim about relevant experience came to light after the employee had started. At that point the company was assessing someone already in the role, with the hiring decision behind it.

Using the Employee Bundle during screening gives the recruiter identity information and available employer context to examine before appointment. Completing the reference call at that stage brings the former employer’s account into the same decision.

The reference was decisive in this incident because it confirmed the previous role. The Employee Bundle supports that review by helping the recruiter assess the applicant’s identity and the employer information available for comparison.