Is Your Co-Worker a 'Workplace Catfish'? An Expert Explains How to Uncover the Truth — Before You Pay the Price. The rise in remote work and virtual interviews can make it difficult to catch job seekers with bad intentions.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- Many Americans feel unqualified for the jobs they want, so they're getting creative with their resumes.
- Natalie Boren, senior vice president of recruitment and advisory firm Career Group Companies, reveals how hiring managers can protect their companies.
If you find the job hunt daunting, you're not alone: 39% of Americans actively searching for a job fear potential employers would deem them underqualified for the roles to which they're applying, according to a study commissioned by Adecco Group and conducted by OnePoll, per Talker Research.
So, some job seekers are taking matters into their own hands, stretching the truth (or obscuring it altogether) during the hiring process.
It's a phenomenon that's become known as "workplace catfishing," and it's increasingly easy to get away with an era where remote work and virtual interviews are the norm, and AI shortcuts are on the rise.
Natalie Boren, senior vice president of recruitment and advisory firm Career Group Companies, tells Entrepreneur that some of the most common resume lies include inflated job titles, exaggerated achievements and overstated skills.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Career Group Companies. Natalie Boren.
"For instance, candidates might claim they managed a team when they were merely a contributor or list advanced proficiency in software they've only dabbled with," Boren explains. Applicants may also list degrees they never completed or extend employment dates to hide job gaps, she notes.
Related: AI Is Standing Between You and Your Next Job — Here's How to Get Your Application Into Human Hands
If a workplace catfish manages to land a job and becomes your co-worker, it probably won't be long before things go awry. Among "the ripple effect of negative outcomes" are performance gaps that might include missed deadlines and subpar work, according to Boren.
"Co-workers may find themselves picking up slack, leading to resentment or a negative work environment," Boren says. "Beyond immediate productivity issues, these hires can damage a company's reputation if clients or stakeholders notice a decline in service quality."
Fortunately, hiring managers can use a few smart strategies to catch a workplace catfish before they become a co-worker — saving themselves and their team a headache down the line.
"Asking targeted questions during interviews that require candidates to demonstrate their knowledge, rather than simply talk about it, can expose gaps," Boren says. "Video interviews can also help verify identity and gauge body language cues."
Related: How to Tell You're About to Get Fired — Plus 4 'Typical' Reasons for It, From a Career Expert
Additionally, Boren suggests hiring managers look for inconsistencies in a candidate's career history, cross-referencing resume claims with LinkedIn profiles and using background checks to validate credentials.
