1. The Catfish
Avoiding a bad hire at
the workplace

2. The Catfish – Avoiding a bad hire
Introduction
• In the recruitment
industry there are many
challenges that we face
but our most frustrating
one is when we find
out that the candidate
we hired is not what he
said he was and has
falsified his credentials.

3. The Catfish – Avoiding a bad hire
Introduction
• Unfortunately, there are candidates
who tend to exaggerate or fake their
background and experience in order
to get a position with a company.
• They pretend to be someone they are
not even to the point of presenting
that they may be technically
stronger in some areas than may be
true so they would appear to be able
to assist a company.

4. The Catfish – Avoiding a bad hire
Where does the ‘catfish’ come from?
• There is an MTV reality show
named Catfish.
• It follows internet couples who
have never met … It is all filmed
in typical MTV reality format.
• The twist, of course, is that one
of the people involved is
fake, probably operating several
Facebook accounts and generally
being a massive conman.

5. The Catfish – Avoiding a bad hire
Where does the ‘catfish’ come from?
• Another possible reason, and
perhaps more applicable origin
for the term “catfish” could lie on
the restaurant side of seafood.
• Some restaurants serve patrons a
cheaper fish labeled as a
different, more expensive
species, and charge them for the
fancier seafood serving instead
catfish.

6. The Catfish – Avoiding a bad hire
Definition
A catfish is someone who
pretends to be a person
they're not using even
social media to create false
identities, impressions, and
professional experience in
order to pursue create
deceptive advantages.

7. The Catfish – Avoiding a bad hire
Why do candidates show fake experience?
• The reason is simple as to why
people falsify their curricula
and history... they want to work
at a higher position with higher
salary even if they’re not
qualified or capable for a job.
• These types of candidates
always look only for shortcuts
in life but almost always get
caught in the end.

8. The Catfish – Avoiding a bad hire
Main features of a catfish candidate
The resume looks good.
(Remember...if it looks too good
to be true...it probably isn’t.)
The HR assessment is
according to your company
expectations.
His job interview test was ok.
The candidate seemed to
interview well, he said all the
right things.
Unfortunately,
afte
r you made the hire you
realized you made a big
mistake.
What went wrong?

9. The Catfish – Avoiding a bad hire
Main consequences
• Companies lose more than
time, money and effort by hiring and
training people who perhaps shouldn't
have been considered in the first place.
• They must also deal with the havoc
that the "wrong" employee can create:
– a bad individual interaction with
customers , other employees and
suppliers,
– extra costs when an employee needs to
repeat procedures that were handled
ineptly and
– pressures on other employees who will
share poor department performance.
Bad apple

10. The Catfish – Avoiding a bad hire.. How to
spott a Fake candidate - Main red flags
Unexplained gaps in employment.
A reluctance to explain the reason
for leaving the last job and desire
to not have their old boss
contacted.
.
Unusual periods of
self-employment.
Exaggerated educational history
Unfamiliar school names.

11. The Catfish – Avoiding a bad hire
Strategy 01 – Profile your ideal candidate
• Often we start the recruitment
process without truly
understanding what we are
looking for.
• Job descriptions are essential since
they define job
requirements, responsibilities, edu
cation, work experience and tasks
that the new hire will be required
to perform.

12. The Catfish – Avoiding a bad hire
Strategy 02 – Know where the candidates are
• Successful fishermen know
where and when the fish are
biting.
• Ask yourself, if I'm looking
for an engineer, where would
I find a good one?
• The answers could be: your
own company; your
competitors; professional
associations; engineering
schools, etc.

13. The Catfish – Avoiding a bad hire
Strategy 03 – Interview techniques
• Prepare for the interview with a set
of questions.
• Formulate questions beforehand that
explore ability, potential and fit.
• Ask behavioral-oriented
questions, which are questions that
require a response based on actual
experience.
• Listen to what the candidate says
and how he says it.

14. The Catfish – Avoiding a bad hire
Strategy 04 – Resist the temptation to fill the job quickly
• Don't hire until you are sure
you have the right one.
• Trust your gut.
• Listen and watch for red flags
(those signs that tell you
something is not right here).
• People hiring decisions are
significant because they can
affect the employee
morale, culture and capacity of
the organization.

15. The Catfish – Avoiding a bad hire
Strategy 05 – Always check references
• It is important to be aware
and check all of the
provided references since
we can learn a lot from
previous employers or even
personal references.
• Listen to what is being said
and how it is said to avoid
any false information and
“take notes”!

16. The Catfish – Avoiding a bad hire
Strategy 06 – Make your final evaluation
• Ask yourself:
– Can he do the job?
– Will he be accepted by
the other employees ?
– Will he fit the corporate
climate and culture?
– Is he interested in the job
or just looking?
– Will outside factors or
their past interfere with his
performance?

17. The Catfish – Avoiding a bad hire
Our References
• Appreciation for Editorial
Assistance by William R.Z. Kush:
– billkush1965@gmail.com
• The following are referenced in this
presentation:
–
–
–
–
–
Team We Pow http://explore.wepow.com/blog/how-toavoid-a-bad-hire
Rick Dacri http://www.dacri.com/art_badhireavoid.htm
MJ Helms http://www.sbnonline.com/component/k2/2atlanta-editions/23686#.Uq4-__RDtK0
Scott Kleinberg http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-0124/features/ct-tribu-social-media-teo-catfish20130124_1_social-media-privacy-settings-manti-te-o
Jonathan Rajewski
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-rajewski/how-toavoid-becoming-a-v_1_b_2507220.html

18. The Catfish – Avoiding a bad hire
Our Business Contacts
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www.licoreis.com
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licoreis@licoreis.com
licoreis@licoreis.com.br
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Skype: roberto.lico