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The dirty end of HR

It’s not fun, but it’s something HR peeps occasionally need to do.  I hate liars (I’ll start there).  I want friends who will tell me if I look fat in those jeans (in a really nice, sweet way).  I want a boyfriend who will tell me if he’s in need of a boys-night-out (again, in a really nice sweet way).  I want people around me I can trust.  Including employees.

Part of my job is recruitment for one of the teams here.  I’ve hired three peeps for them in the last 6 months, and am working on my 4th hire.  I initially met with this candidate last week.   Today, they came in to meet with someone who potentially could be their boss.  After the interview, the potential boss comes over to me and asks if the candidate has their BA.  I say, yes, from (insert Ivy League college here).  I then pull out the resume/cover letter, and my notes.  She laughs and says, uhm, actually they admitted toward the end of the interview that a temp agency once told them to fudge that, and they did.  They admitted to me that they only went there for two years and never graduated, but they thought they should be clearer about it.  (The resume states they attended for four years, and that they were awarded a BA - what is unclear?!). 

I write this story down in hopes that it serves a greater purpose.  Be honest on your resume.  A lot of places check that stuff out.  If they find that you lied, you’re definitely not getting the job.  If they hire you and later find out you “fudged” something, it’s immediate grounds for dismissal, without any hope of collecting unemployment.  Had the candidate stated they did not have their degree, but rather went to school and had X credits, they might have had this job.  Now I have to call them and tell them why they’re not getting the job.