An IT Solutions company almost employed a top-level hire with a fake IIM-A degree

The Case

A leading IT solutions provider made use of our solution – AuthLead™ – to conduct background verification on the prospective CXO. The feedback on the CXO included lack of professional communication skills despite an illustrious career boasting global exposure and education from top institutions. The objective behind screening the incumbent’s background was to investigate and highlight any red flags in his profile. AuthBridge was provided with the incumbent’s resume as well as documentary proof of address, education, and identity.

AuthLead™ solution, designed specifically for hiring at the top, gives a 360-degree view of the identity and profile of the person being verified.

The Procedure

Of all the checks conducted on the prospective CXO, extensive web and media research, reference check and education check were the three checks that raised few red flags.

•  Extensive Web and Media check unearthed multiple resumes and profiles with two different names. Post the discovery, both profiles were collated and compared to reveal gaps and overlaps in employment and educational qualifications
•  In-depth reference check, which involved reaching out to the previous employers, helped in validating information about tenures, roles and overall conduct, among other details
•  Education verification revealed that one profile had a mention of education from Harvard University. Another profile included education from IIM-A which, when verified, came out to be fake.

How AuthBridge used AuthLead™ to help the business

Red flags like the ones above raise doubts over a candidate’s competency for a given job. As observed by AuthBridge, almost 10% of the offers extended to candidates for high impact job positions are withdrawn or re-negotiated post an AuthLead™ report. The percentage may seem to be small but when compared to the possible damage these 10% cases can cause serious harms to the respective organisations. Leadership Screening Services, like AuthLead™, prove to be worthwhile investments.