Hiring Lessons from Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong

This week marks the 15th anniversary of cyclist Lance Armstrong's first of seven consecutive Tour de France titles (July 25, 1999). As most people know, he was stripped of all his titles and banned from the sport in 2012 for his involvement in a doping scandal.

So what can a hiring manager learn from this unfortunate story? Lots, actually.

I'm sure that the cycling world wishes it had done some more due diligence in checking out the validity of Armstrong's claims and not simply taken his word for it, regardless of how impressive his resume or how convincing his arguments.

Steven D. Levitt, the coauthor of Freakonomics and an economics professor at the University of Chicago, cites research suggesting that more than 50% of job applicants lie on their resumes. Cover letters are notorious for embellishment and exaggeration.

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Seven tips to avoid making a bad hire:

​1. Understand the most common resume misrepresentations (and be prepared to challenge them) during an interview:

• Stretching dates to cover any potential gaps in employment history (go through the resume thoroughly and ask specific questions around dates in the interview)
• Enhancing job titles, level of authority or their salary (these can be confirmed during reference checks)
• Embellishing job duties and achievements (ask behavioural questions to clarify what they actually did and which successes were individual or part of a larger team)
• Inventing past employers (a quick Google search is good idea)
• Listing falsified or non-existent degrees or certifications (you may request proof of the certifications)

2. Always, always, always perform reference checks for every hire:

• Use a consistent list of questions for each person
• Speak with at least 3 references (possibly include others than those listed in the candidates references, such as former direct supervisors, for more objective feedback)
• Listen for subtle cues such as a hesitancy to speak about the employee's performance, as some employers are cautious about being sued if they say anything negative (they may even limit their reference to confirming that the individual was in their employ during the period in question)
• If you are uncomfortable doing reference checks or do not have the time, outsource this to a 3rd party but don't skip this step!

3. Make good interviewing choices:

• Use a consistent set of questions, customized to the position
• "Dig in" for more specific details, don't allow vague answers
• Ensure that you are not persuaded by a likeable personality or your own bias (they went to my alma mater, therefore they must be good)
• Conduct at least 2 interviews with anyone you intend to hire (Ideally have them meet with more than one individual in your company. This can be an opportunity to dig deeper into any areas of concern or get a more indepth understanding of the person's qualifications.)

4. Ask the candidate to participate in a mock work requirement simulation or test them for proficiency in required skills:

• If the position requires a high aptitude with technology or a software like Microsoft Excel, ask them to perform some tasks on a computer in your office or utilize a third party skills testing service
• Ask them to write a short blog or marketing message on a topic of your choice (either to check out their writing ability or their industry knowledge)
• Request that they prepare a "case study" based on a real world example from your business and present their results to select members of your team
• Ask for writing samples or other work examples

5. Create a "Zero Tolerance" policy for lying or exaggerating on your credentials:

• Provide each candidate with a form to sign stating that everything they have stated is accurate
• If you find the candidate has lied or exaggerated credentials in any way, remove them from the list of potential candidates
• If you discover a current employee committed any type of fraud during the hiring process, investigate, and then terminate the person’s employment 

6. Perform an internet search on the candidate:

• Perform a Google search on your candidate, including details from their resume (such as schools attended or companies worked for). You may also include social media tools such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook
• If you come across content that concerns you, give them the chance to address it during an interview

7. Weed out some potential "bad apples" by creating obstacles to overcome during the hiring process:

• If may seem counterintuititve to get few candidates for a position, but it is better to concentrate on a smaller group of people who are serious about working for you than a larger one that includes people may not ultimately be a good fit
• Rather than simply submitting a resume or an online application, require your applicants to take an additional step such as leaving a phone message and answering three simple questions or to come in and participate in a group interview. You would be amazed how many people will de-select themselves from the process.

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Bottom Line

Hiring the right person for the position and your company is incredibly important. Using these steps can increase the likelihood of making a good choice.

Would you like to learn more best practices for hiring employees? Attend our workshop "Hiring and Firing Effectively" on September 25th in Cambridge, ON. Click here to learn more.

If you have any immediate questions, contact Anna at anna@clearpathemployer.com or call (519) 624-0800.

Related posts:

• Five Mistakes Interviewers Make
• How I Hire: LinkedIn Thought Leaders

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