Someone I have never met used my Company as a Reference. What to do?

[littleprince]

I do some web development with some friends part time.
I've been contacted through our main website by another company doing reference checking on a candidate. I have no idea who this person is.

Of course I'm about to have a fun chat with the manager of the company, but I find it very offensive that people do that kind of thing.

Is there anything else I can do? Like search through Workopolis and get that person killed?

 

[imported_Phil]

Telling him that he never worked for you is punishment enough.

 

[doze]

If you wanna screw the guy over tell them he was a terrible employee

 

[Looney]

Yeah, tell him he stole, got caught masturbating, had a gas problem, and dressed up in drag on Fridays.

 

Tell the company that he is a registered sex offender.

 

[Perknose]

Why don't you personally contact the applicant first and ask them how/why they think they are related to your company?

 

[spidey07]

"He never told us about all the felonies for assault and armed robbery"

 

[littleprince]

Originally posted by: Perknose
Why don't you personally contact the applicant first and ask them how/why they think they are related to your company?

That's a conversation I'd enjoy as well. But I don't have that contact information.

And no, telling the other employer that their lying SOB's is not enough. Because they will continue fradulent activities to gain employment. They'll just put the next company they find on their list and hope they don't get caught.

You'd have to be stupid to put a random company on your reference list.

 

[spidey07]

equally as stupid to not call the reference and tell them you're using them as a reference.

 

[SSP]

"He is a suspected child molester."

 

[imported_Phil]

"He was caught molesting the Xerox machine."

 

[dirtboy]

I'd be careful about what you say. To the best of my knowledge, the only question a person can ask in my state is, "Would you hire this person again?" Keep in mind people have been sued over references in the past. While the person lied, you don't want to create a situation that could come back to haunt you.

 

[Bryophyte]

Tell them that you do not know the person and he never worked for you. Say that you'd personally be very leery of hiring someone who would lie on their job application (what else will they lie about?)

 

[ChiBOY83]

However, employment laws will allow you to say that he never worked for you. You "COULD" get in trouble if you say he "molested the xerox machine", but i doubt that would get out in the open

 

[Bryophyte]

Originally posted by: dirtboy
I'd be careful about what you say. To the best of my knowledge, the only question a person can ask in my state is, "Would you hire this person again?" Keep in mind people have been sued over references in the past. While the person lied, you don't want to create a situation that could come back to haunt you.

I think that the fact that this person has never worked for the OP's company would affect that. Not that I think it's a good idea to blatantly lie about the applicant. The truth is plenty damning.

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: Perknose
Why don't you personally contact the applicant first and ask them how/why they think they are related to your company?

Yeah, maybe there's been some honest mistake. Like he DID work for another company with a similar name etc.

Anyway, I'd just say the truth. E.g., I don't remember him/her and can't find any evidence of their employment here in our payroll records. Perhaps there's been a mistake.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Bryophyte
Tell them that you do not know the person and he never worked for you. Say that you'd personally be very leery of hiring someone who would lie on their job application (what else will they lie about?)

yeah why make a story up? the truth is far worse then anything else. just tell them you have never had anyone by that name work for you and you have NO idea who they are or why they have you as a referance.

that will get there application thrown away.

 

[Legendary]

Originally posted by: Fern

Originally posted by: Perknose
Why don't you personally contact the applicant first and ask them how/why they think they are related to your company?

Yeah, maybe there's been some honest mistake. Like he DID work for another company with a similar name etc.

Anyway, I'd just say the truth. E.g., I don't remember him/her and can't find any evidence of their employment here in our payroll records. Perhaps there's been a mistake.

Generally wouldn't you put a name to go with the company for a reference?
A company name getting mixed up I could believe, but similar names too?

 

[dirtboy]

Originally posted by: Bryophyte

Originally posted by: dirtboy
I'd be careful about what you say. To the best of my knowledge, the only question a person can ask in my state is, "Would you hire this person again?" Keep in mind people have been sued over references in the past. While the person lied, you don't want to create a situation that could come back to haunt you.

I think that the fact that this person has never worked for the OP's company would affect that. Not that I think it's a good idea to blatantly lie about the applicant. The truth is plenty damning.

Really?? I disagree. If you tell someone I'm a child molester then that is slander. I might have gotten that job on my own merit, but because of you, people are now going to think otherwise. The interviewer mentions they won't hire me because you said that... bam, lawyer knocks on your door.

We don't know why this situation occured, but the OP has no reason to bad mouth this person.

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: Legendary

Originally posted by: Fern

Originally posted by: Perknose
Why don't you personally contact the applicant first and ask them how/why they think they are related to your company?

Yeah, maybe there's been some honest mistake. Like he DID work for another company with a similar name etc.

Anyway, I'd just say the truth. E.g., I don't remember him/her and can't find any evidence of their employment here in our payroll records. Perhaps there's been a mistake.

Generally wouldn't you put a name to go with the company for a reference?
A company name getting mixed up I could believe, but similar names too?

Good point. Unless his name is John Smith etc it would be a stretch to find a similar person's name.

So, to the OP - did he specifically mention your name?

If so, and he's unknown to you I'd be curious how he got your name? Course, in some cases that wouldn't be difficult.

 

[timswim78]

Do you know if the company doing the backgroun checks is legit? To me, it seems kind of weird that they would go through a website. In my experiences, most employers check references via the phone.

 

[littleprince]

In my area, maybe even all of Canada you can only be asked if you would rehire this person. The person not ever working for me probaly puts a different spin on things. The truth is condemning enough to the potential employer. I wanna do other fun stuff! =) It's been a boring day.

By the way. why do you all say HE? Its actually a girl... from what I've found in Google born in 1990 gymnist.

 

[littleprince]

Originally posted by: timswim78
Do you know if the company doing the backgroun checks is legit? To me, it seems kind of weird that they would go through a website. In my experiences, most employers check references via the phone.

I would say by phone is normal.
But I doubt she has my phone #. And I don't list it because I hate junk calls.

 

[PokerGuy]

You can tell them the truth and say you would not hire someone who was not truthful about their references, but do not under any circumstances provide information that is not truthful. You can be held liable for making false statements regarding this person -- that would be defamation.

 

[KarenMarie]

Originally posted by: Perknose
Why don't you personally contact the applicant first and ask them how/why they think they are related to your company?

I agree. He may have made a mistake. or he may be someone that is known by someone in your company and their name is just not remembered.

in any case, even if he is a dope who did this on purpose... some of the suggestions here are quite harsh.