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Colleague lied on CV/at interview and got job - do I say anything?

137 replies

Waferbiscuit · 07/03/2024 16:28

A member of my team, who I will call 'Dave' applied for a role as a Senior Mgr in a different arm of my organisation. I sat on the interview panel (but not the chair) so was 1 of 4 people reviewing and scoring the applications. Panel members scored Dave highly and he was invited to interview.

Dave has been in my team for 5 years in a relatively junior/asst role. He is very good and we get along well. In the last 3 months he was upgraded to a management post, which was a big jump. So to be clear he worked for 4 years 9 months in a Asst role and 3 months as a Manager.

On Dave's CV he stated that he worked as a Manager the entire last 5 years. He never stated that he was an Assistant, he just put Manager on his CV with dates covering the last 5 years. I was very surprised to see this on his CV as it suggests he's much more senior than he is. However, I didn't want to 'out him' to the whole panel as a liar (because it would have repercussions on his reputation and future opportunities) and so I asked to talk to the Chair privately about it after the interviews. Dave did well in the first interview but came in tied for 3rd so I didn't think he would progress further. However I still asked the Chair for a conversation in private.

The Chair didn't contact me despite me asking for a call a few times, specifically saying that I wanted to talk to him about Dave. And as agreed the Chair set up second interviews with different panel members. Turns out a number of people pulled out of the interviews and Dave ended up being invited to interview and was their first choice. Dave got offered the job. Dave agreed to the job, contract is signed and Dave has resigned from his current post.

I can't change that Dave has been offered the job but (a) do I say something to the Chair or (b) do I say something to Dave? I appreciate that it's a done deal but I do feel lying isn't on and doing so put me, as a panel member and his manager, in a difficult position.

OP posts:
Riva5784 · 07/03/2024 16:31

What outcome are you hoping for?

OhItsOnlyCynthia · 07/03/2024 16:32

I sat on the interview panel (but not the chair) so was 1 of 4 people reviewing and scoring the applications. Panel members scored Dave highly and he was invited to interview.

Does this mean you were on the panel when he first joined the company five years ago, or for his recent promotion?

GinForBreakfast · 07/03/2024 16:34

Why on earth didn't you speak up immediately you saw Dave's CV??

SuncreamAndIceCream · 07/03/2024 16:35

Why didn't you speak to Dave about his CV?

TBH I think you should have raised at interview. He knew exactly what he was doing. I appreciate it's awkward though.

Mmhmmn · 07/03/2024 16:35

Nah, if it’s important he’ll get found out through lack of competence. And it would be on him. Also, an assistant manager is a manager so 🤷🏻‍♀️

DreadPirateRobots · 07/03/2024 16:37

This is on you more than a little bit. You knew there was a major factual inaccuracy on the CV and you prioritised saving Dave's face over giving your fellow panel members the information they needed to make a decision. Then you faffed. You wasted every panellist's time, essentially.

So congratulations, Dave's face is saved.

StevieNicksWannabe · 07/03/2024 16:38

DreadPirateRobots · 07/03/2024 16:37

This is on you more than a little bit. You knew there was a major factual inaccuracy on the CV and you prioritised saving Dave's face over giving your fellow panel members the information they needed to make a decision. Then you faffed. You wasted every panellist's time, essentially.

So congratulations, Dave's face is saved.

This.

It was a Dave problem. Your lack of action has made it a You problem.

Waferbiscuit · 07/03/2024 16:38

It was a Dave problem. Your lack of action has made it a You problem.

I'm not sure what you mean by that.

OP posts:
Waferbiscuit · 07/03/2024 16:39

Also, an assistant manager is a manager so 🤷🏻‍♀️

He was an assistant, not a manager.

OP posts:
TheShellBeach · 07/03/2024 16:40

Waferbiscuit · 07/03/2024 16:39

Also, an assistant manager is a manager so 🤷🏻‍♀️

He was an assistant, not a manager.

Well, almost a manager then.

Meadowfinch · 07/03/2024 16:40

You need to speak to HR, or to the Chairperson. It could be that you were the only person on the panel who know he lied, and it could look like you are conspiring with him to mislead your employer.

For goodness sake say something, if only to protect yourself.

DreadPirateRobots · 07/03/2024 16:41

Waferbiscuit · 07/03/2024 16:38

It was a Dave problem. Your lack of action has made it a You problem.

I'm not sure what you mean by that.

They mean that if you'd spoken up at the time, the problem of Dave lying would have been swiftly and effectively addressed. You failed to do that and now your behaviour is a problem because it's made Dave's behaviour a much bigger problem for your company.

Waferbiscuit · 07/03/2024 16:42

Why on earth didn't you speak up immediately you saw Dave's CV??

I didn't initially notice it as his was one of 100 CVs and I skimmed through it more than others as knew his background experience (I hired him 5 years ago). It was only in the interviews when I looked at it again that I saw the error. I then said in the interview - he is more junior than he lets on in his CV but didn't point to the actual error. I guess I felt it was something that was probably better discussed in confidence with the Chair as up to him to decide whether to discount Dave or continue to consider him.

OP posts:
OhItsOnlyCynthia · 07/03/2024 16:42

I can't think why you'd let it go so far. This makes you look really incompetent and complicit in a lie that could cost the company a fair bit of money and time.

Waferbiscuit · 07/03/2024 16:44

Well, almost a manager then.

A few grades below a manager, so no, not a manager.

OP posts:
Changingplace · 07/03/2024 16:45

Waferbiscuit · 07/03/2024 16:38

It was a Dave problem. Your lack of action has made it a You problem.

I'm not sure what you mean by that.

Because you should’ve raised this immediately when you were shown his CV, not ignored it to save his embarrassment.

You’ve done yourself no favours here OP, if I was the hiring manager I’d be questioning your integrity as much as his, it could be viewed as you covering up his lie because you knew him.

If this is all in the same organisation surely other people will also be aware?

rookiemere · 07/03/2024 16:45

You tried to reach the chair and he didn't respond. I would make one more attempt to contact him and explain the situation or email what you have put here.

itsmylifeitsnowor · 07/03/2024 16:46

As his manager you definitely should have spoken to him immediately about it and then the chair immediately prior or after his interview

Waferbiscuit · 07/03/2024 16:46

I am fully aware that I look like an ass here but I have never dealt with a colleague in my team who I know well lying on their CV. Yes, I probably should have been more direct in the interview/to the panel but I was also aware that I was making quite a big claim that would have repercussions on Dave's career and future in the organisation, so that's why I asked to talk to the Chair outside of the meeting.

OP posts:
OhItsOnlyCynthia · 07/03/2024 16:46

Was there no post-interview conversation amongst the panel? No sharing of opinions or doubts?

Waferbiscuit · 07/03/2024 16:48

You’ve done yourself no favours here OP, if I was the hiring manager I’d be questioning your integrity as much as his, it could be viewed as you covering up his lie because you knew him. If this is all in the same organisation surely other people will also be aware?

You're right, I should have said something immediately. But I genuinely didn't think he would be offered the role as he was a middling candidate and I wanted to keep it discrete rather than having it blow up for him - especially if he wasn't going to get the job.

OP posts:
DreadPirateRobots · 07/03/2024 16:49

As to what you should do now - you need to talk to the panel chair, so either get a meeting in with them asap or send them a message that says "URGENT - We need to talk about Dave - he's been significantly untruthful about his experience". If the chair doesn't respond or you can't meet with them tomorrow then you need to go to the next person.

The subsequent conversation will be as embarrassing as hell for you, because they will rightly want to know why the fuck you didn't say so before job offers went out. This wasn't information to sit on while you waited to see if the chair would get back to you.

Waferbiscuit · 07/03/2024 16:49

Was there no post-interview conversation amongst the panel? No sharing of opinions or doubts?

I said that Dave was more junior and that I had concerns about his ability to do this job. He was scored 3 out of the 5 candidates.

OP posts:
Waferbiscuit · 07/03/2024 16:50

The Chair of the panel seemed fairly desperate to get the role filled so even if I had been clearer about Dave's experience I'm not sure if it would have made a difference.

I suppose one question is, should I say something to Dave?

OP posts:
Itslegitimatesalvage · 07/03/2024 16:53

You don’t sound like you’re qualified to be on interview panels if you let it get this far without going and speaking to someone, or even sending the chair an email with the correction to his CV.

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