What Recruiters look for Part Two – Honesty and Integrity
Have you been watching the Channel 4 series “SAS Who Dares Wins”? This is where a group of ex-British Special Forces operators put a cohort of very fit civilians through their paces to see if they are tough enough to pass through a mock up of SAS selection. Ant Middleton heads the Staff, all of whom seem to have overcome personal trials and demons in order achieve the pinnacle of serving in Special Forces. This resonated with my previous blog which focused on how much recruiters value candidates who have overcome adversity in their lives and in their careers, and how this quality is often a hallmark of business leaders and entrepreneurs.
In a recent episode we saw how the Staff not only read the Recruits’ CV very carefully but they also corroborate the claims by scouring Social Media. Here’s a possibly unsettling insight: good recruiters ‘vet’ candidates in a similar way. It is not so much a case of sending out for references, but cross checking facts using social media, online news articles and – sadly – Law Gazette court appearances. When clients employ recruitment agents they rightly expect the very highest calibre of worker at any level of employment so proper research and due diligence is an increasingly key part of the hiring process. Our personal plea to work seekers: be minded that you leave an imprint on social media; please make sure that imprint is positive.
Ant Middleton
In the same episode Ant exploded with rage. He carried out his due diligence on a recruit who had claimed on his CV that he has served with the Parachute Regiment. Social media suggested that this was a lie, he had actually voluntarily withdrawn from training and had no serving history with this elite regiment. The Special Forces team were incensed with his lack of honesty as this shortfall in integrity is disrespectful to the people who have sweated blood and tears for the military. All employers are looking for team players. Honesty and integrity are virtues of a team player. Boasting and exaggeration can be detrimental to morale. We have to have every confidence in our colleagues. They have our back in a crisis and we must be able to trust them implicitly. Be sure that your CV presents a truthful and honest account of your achievements without recourse to arrogance.
