For Managers Only: An Ethical Dilemma – The Resume

This morning as I was scanning the various posts here at b5media Business Channel, I saw one that caught my eye from BossHatch: Oh Crap Situation 16: The Resume. It was the resume portion that got my attention. I wondered about the situation.

Here it is:

Frank is your go-to guy in sales. You recently hired him after you decided to expand your business. His résumé was put together incredibly well and he had a long list of references. With his charismatic approach and a long list of credentials, you hired him. About one month later, you decided to do a little searching. You find out he lied on his application… not just one lie, but 50% of his references have never met him, and he had only minimal experience in the sales industry.

Before you pull him aside to talk, you have a few things to consider. This guy is ranking top in sales… granted, you don’t have many employees; but he has potential. Then again, he has only been working for about 2 months. Should you continue his employment if you can’t fully trust him? Should you terminate him? Where should you draw the line?

Here are some additional questions for you to consider:

1. Who is responsible for this mess?

2. If Frank should be terminated, how should the owner handle that conversation?

3. If you decide that Frank gets to keep his job, what consequences do you recommend to ensure that he works within your organization with integrity?

4. The manager made the offer without doing his homework, is he ethically required to allow this employee to continue working?

I am really curious about what you think of this situation. I will share my thoughts tomorrow. Go ahead, scroll down and leave your thoughts.