I was working for a privately held multi-state company run by four extraordinary people. We were recruiting to fill a high turn over receptionist role and found an excellent candidate – at least until the reference checking phase of the process. Upon calling her last boss, who gave a glowing reference, things just did not feel right. So, I called the company’s CEO to verify the reference. As it turned out, the candidate had given her boyfriend as the reference, and he was covering up the three year period of time when the candidate was in jail for dealing drugs. The CEO knew this and shared the information with me. Now, this is where most of us would expect the story to end….. Sharing the dilemma with one of the principles of the company, his perspective on the situation was different than most. He summed it up by saying, “What do we have to lose, and what does she have to gain”? We gave the candidate an opportunity to tell us the truth, she did, and she was hired. She was incredibly grateful, very dedicated and worked many years until the company was sold. They treated all their employees incredibly well, even the convicted criminals.
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