Book Takeaway Post: Verify the Story

Don’t expect to see someone’s true personality on a first date

An outside HR consultant once told me, “There are three places where you can’t always see someone’s true personality: on a first date, at church, and at a job interview.” This year, a Wall Street Journal article stated over 1 out of 10 people lie on their resume. When it comes to recruiting talent, as the saying goes, “trust but verify.”

Verifying a job candidate’s history is a key part of the interviewing process. Increase the odds of hiring someone whose personality, values, and work ethic match your own by thoroughly checking them out before extending an offer of employment. At Intertech, we do multiple verifications/assessments:

Candidates complete an online personality assessment to determine fit to the job and our culture. My experience shows, “People are hired for skill and fired for personality.”
Reference checks are done for the three past employers. When performing reference checks, be sure to ask the questions correctly. For example, don’t say “Frank said he was your top salesperson… is that true?” Instead, ask, “How did Frank stack rank compared to your other salespeople?” Just like in a casual conversation, open ended questions get better answers.
Near the final stage of the process, we perform a background check. The Small Business Association has a complete list of background check options along with defining what’s legal for employers to screen.
For salespeople in particular, we request W2 copies for the past three years. We match up what they said with what the W2 shows. If there are discrepancies, we pass.

Consistently doing the above, helps us assess someone’s “real” personality. If you’re reading this and still in the dating scene, try one or more of the above steps and let me know how it goes!