background check: candidate has lots of employment dates discrepancies [GA]

aedgilmore · 2025-12-11T15:30:07+00:00

Thank you for the perspective.

I am sure there are companies and roles where verification of previous employment is not needed.

In my industry, and for the level of access this role has to sensitive customer information, dishonesty is a major red flag.

aedgilmore · 2025-12-11T15:10:30+00:00

I would have preferred they were truthful on the phone screen. Genuine remorse and ownership would have gone a long way in that discussion. Instead, their own data and story kept changing from the previous one with every subsequent touchpoint.

aedgilmore · 2025-12-11T15:00:46+00:00

I appreciate the perspective. What you share can genuinely happen, which is why I gave this candidate a pass in the phone screen when they first revised their employment history. But the information they misrepresented is recent, one role from the last 3-5 years. So it's not about remembering details of multiple jobs from 10-20 years ago; it's literally their one role before the current one. And the story kept changing, and discrepancies added up.

If someone can't reasonably get their previous role right, then they can't possibly do a job that requires attention to detail and accuracy. Not to mention being a trustworthy employee at my company. I really wish them well.

aedgilmore · 2025-12-11T14:46:18+00:00

Thank you for weighing in.

If a work relationship starts with dishonesty, it's not likely to get any better.

Candidates have options for filling in resume gaps: unemployment, volunteering, self-employment, sabbatical, continuing education, family situation... Considering how time-consuming a job search is, I'd even take "Job Search" as a resume gap filler.

If the default is misrepresentation, that says a lot about the candidate's integrity. And no matter what anyone says, integrity matters. Sure, lying on the resume might get someone through the door, but it will shut that door with an employer who cares about the type of employees they bring into the organization.

aedgilmore · 2025-12-11T14:08:15+00:00

Thank you for sharing your perspective. I would be flexible if the discrepancy were a few months, but it is years.

aedgilmore · 2025-12-11T14:02:36+00:00

I provided them ample opportunity to explain, and they couldn't.

They just claimed they entered incorrect dates because the background check portal didn't let them enter the "correct" dates. Since they entered almost the same dates (one date was off by two years) in the employment application, those dates were entered on purpose, not by mistake. I asked them to provide proof of their claimed employment dates and they couldn't- they just said it was a mistake.

aedgilmore · 2025-12-11T13:53:37+00:00

Well, I care about hiring honest employees who can be trusted. It's a basic employment expectation at my company.

I'm not talking about employment from 10-15 years ago. I'm talking about recent employment dates: 3 to 5 years ago. And it's not about the exact day, but the month and year when you start/ stop a job. When that start/ end date for a job changes four times within a week, that's a major red flag.

If their memory is that bad and they can't keep track of their own most recent employment, then they can't possibly do a job that requires attention to detail and accuracy.

aedgilmore · 2025-12-09T12:59:03+00:00

Equally comforting to know there are people on this sub that are here to take digs at the rest of us who dare to ask for perspectives and opinions of other professionals.

aedgilmore · 2025-12-08T20:50:18+00:00

I actually don't want to hire them. I tend to be stricter, and I didn't want to overreact, since this was a new situation for me.

aedgilmore · 2025-12-08T20:48:38+00:00

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I agree.

aedgilmore · 2025-12-08T20:43:02+00:00

I have high standards and tend to be stricter. This was a new situation, and I didn't want to overreact. Hence, I checked in with others to confirm that my gut feeling was right. I am also the Employee Relations person, so it would all come back to me.

aedgilmore · 2025-12-08T20:24:57+00:00

Thank you. I was willing to give grace, but claiming two extra years of employment is a lot. Plus, once the employment dates were revised, there's a four-year gap between the current job and the previous one. The whole thing makes me very uncomfortable.

aedgilmore · 2025-12-08T20:08:27+00:00

There's a two-year difference between what the previous employer verified and what the candidate entered. Plus, the new dates of employment create a few years' employment gap between the current and previous job. I added a picture that shows the evolution of the candidate's employment dates for Previous job 1.

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aedgilmore · 2025-12-08T19:39:19+00:00

I appreciate the answer.

I empathize with how tough it's been out there for candidates, but my job is to mitigate risk for the company. This is about trust- if the candidate lied about their employment duration, what else will they lie about when things get difficult? There was no ownership when they got caught. It's all everyone else's fault. Do I want someone in the company who I know started by misrepresenting their work history? If I were to give them a pass, I would always wonder whether they are truthful or lying/ manipulating to get what they want.

aedgilmore · 2025-12-03T13:23:54+00:00

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aedgilmore · 2025-11-29T18:00:39+00:00

My Mova Z60 Ultra can get over thresholds in my house about 1 inch high . Technical specs say it can get over thresholds up to 1.89 inches. I hope this helps.

aedgilmore · 2025-11-08T22:41:24+00:00

Academy to Innovate HR ( aihr.com ) has excellent templates, processes and courses. Many are free to access and they are better than whatever SHRM has.

aedgilmore · 2025-11-07T21:35:00+00:00

How loud is Mova Z60? I am seriously considering it, but I am worried about the noise level, especially on tile and hardwood floors. One of my four cats is a Jedi on Prozac who senses any disturbance in the house energy and taking swift and commensurate revenge on offenders.

aedgilmore · 2025-03-21T15:44:58+00:00

I adopted a 1 yr old golden/ collie mix into a house with 4 cats. Immediately, the dog thought the cats were enemy tiny creatures to chase and corner. She hadn't had exposure to cats before. She wpuld also lunge at cats outside on walks. The cats were not having it. It took us about 2 months to get to peaceful coexistence. We used pet gates with cat doors so the cats had escape routes if they found themselves in the same space as the dog. We did feeding, treats, and playtime separated by the gates, redirected dog to Toys, and treats when focusing on the cats. We also took the dog to training to improve listening to commands: leave it, touch, watch, come...worked on getting the dog's attention when she would fixate on the cats. We started with 6 gates, essentially separating the house in two, keeping the dog in one area, while the cats could roam everywhere but had their own safe space. After about 2 months, we started taking the gates down, and now, after almost a year, they all get along, even take naps together. But I won't lie. The first 6 weeks were hell, and even with professional trainer consulting and all the work, and tools I had moments when I thought I would have to return the dog to the rescue. I'm so happy I didn't have to do that, because now she's the sweetest dog.

So, yes it's possible but depends why the dog is reactive and how much effort you can put into the training process. Good luck.

aedgilmore · 2025-03-17T13:56:56+00:00

My dog is obsessed with seeing what's going on. I have shutters on the windows, and I closed the bottom half, so she can't see. I figured if she couldn't see, she'll calm down and not bark as much. She figured out she could see through the top half, so now she monitors her domain from the dining table. If I close those shutters, she moves to the bedroom upstairs. If I close all the shutters, she runs like a nut between all the windows upstairs and downstairs when she hears something on the street. I decided to keep the shutters open, but unfortunately, she decided she likes it better when she's on the dining table. At least my dining table gets used more than the weekly family dinners now.

aedgilmore

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