Should Someone Who Lies About Their Education Be Fired?

[Nessa 23]

POLL !!!!

[britty 1]

If he is doing a good job, and is making a difference I don't see an issue. If he was a good fit for the role, and had the required experience, I don't see how his education is an issue. I have hired people in the past who have only completed high school and they proved to be excellent. I think for certain jobs, people put too much emphasis on education.

[Teacher Mark 53]

There's a cottage industry in the alibi industry:

http://www.alibinetwork.com/index.jsp

They'll verify references, route calls through far flung places for businesspeople, etc.

[Old Dominion 26]

If the person lied to qualify for a job that required advanced degrees, he should be terminated.

[William33 110]

This is an integrity issue. Therefore, today is your last day!!

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

A conversation came about after reading about a VP of a company who was outed for saying he had a masters degree when he in fact never even had a bachelors! Do you think someone should be fired if it is found out much after hiring that they lied about their education? Even if they have been doing a great job?

yes.

Agreed. It's plain and simple: you falsify a company record (your application), you're gone. Done.

[Teacher Mark 53]

A conversation came about after reading about a VP of a company who was outed for saying he had a masters degree when he in fact never even had a bachelors! Do you think someone should be fired if it is found out much after hiring that they lied about their education? Even if they have been doing a great job?

yes.

Agreed. It's plain and simple: you falsify a company record (your application), you're gone. Done.

It depends on how bad a company needs your services though. I know of people that have been caught lying and they just got a verbal warning.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

A conversation came about after reading about a VP of a company who was outed for saying he had a masters degree when he in fact never even had a bachelors! Do you think someone should be fired if it is found out much after hiring that they lied about their education? Even if they have been doing a great job?

yes.

Agreed. It's plain and simple: you falsify a company record (your application), you're gone. Done.

It depends on how bad a company needs your services though. I know of people that have been caught lying and they just got a verbal warning.

As a company, you either fire for falsification of records or you don't. Otherwise, you'll have lawsuits coming your way.

[William33 110]

Does anyone care about the integrity of people around them? I sure as he!! do. Geez, I did not realize people were so forgiving to misrepresentation, lying and so forth.

[doodlebugg 10]

isn't the reason they request people to have a degree in order to be hired an insurance that the person will do a good job performance? I'd take someone with a high school degree and 10 years in the business over a fresh out of the college know nothing but what's in the books person.

ojk insurance is not the word, assurance? blah!

But the probelm (i believe) is that they lied on a requirement for the position. Anything to get the job is ok?

to be super honest, imho, yes. I have a bachelors and am a cpa and have had both educated (college) and uneducated BUT experienced and driven people under me. To me, if the person who is uneducated is driven enough to suceed he will blow doors off of the college educated person BUT the rub is that if he doesn't lie on his resume he won't even get a foot in the door. Is THAT fair? I don't think so. I've seen so much bullcrap go on in business where people get jobs based on who they know, not how well they do, that I've finally thrown up my hands and agreed that one should do whatever it takes to get the job. Once their in the job, however, they had best kick azz and prove themselves. If they do then so be it. If they don't then they get fired.

Take a guy working ten years at a company. He worked his way up to manager status and is going for a vp position. If at that point he's found out for some reason then I would suggest not firing him because he's one of the best employees we have, but telling him that he needs to go back to school in order to get the vp position. If he's good enough we'll even fund it.

People lie on their resumes all the time. If I had a nickel for every time I met someone who lied on their resume I wouldn't need to work anymore.

[Ban Hammer 13,335]

Does anyone care about the integrity of people around them? I sure as he!! do. Geez, I did not realize people were so forgiving to misrepresentation, lying and so forth.

here it's a quick ticket to a pink slip.

[William33 110]

Does anyone care about the integrity of people around them? I sure as he!! do. Geez, I did not realize people were so forgiving to misrepresentation, lying and so forth.

here it's a quick ticket to a pink slip.

Seriously though, I can sympathize with some of the issues raised, but dishonesty will get burn you eventually.

[Ban Hammer 13,335]

Does anyone care about the integrity of people around them? I sure as he!! do. Geez, I did not realize people were so forgiving to misrepresentation, lying and so forth.

here it's a quick ticket to a pink slip.

Seriously though, I can sympathize with some of the issues raised, but dishonesty will get burn you eventually.

we had a guy who got a pink slip because he couldn't get a clearance. apparently, he lied on a few things and got caught too. he was gone within a few days.

[William33 110]

Does anyone care about the integrity of people around them? I sure as he!! do. Geez, I did not realize people were so forgiving to misrepresentation, lying and so forth.

here it's a quick ticket to a pink slip.

Seriously though, I can sympathize with some of the issues raised, but dishonesty will get burn you eventually.

we had a guy who got a pink slip because he couldn't get a clearance. apparently, he lied on a few things and got caught too. he was gone within a few days.

Setting aside my F'up English above (Jack Daniels induced), I certainly understand that point. Typically, interviewers can screen out those that will not qualify for security clearances, by delving into an applicants past enough to reveal any disqualifiers up-front. However, a few do pass that stage and are eventually let go, because something turned up that could not pass the adjudication process.

[msu17 0]

I think it also depends on the job. If you are hired for instance as a doctor or a lawyer and lied, then absolutely. Though I'm sure it would be hard to fake that. If you are hired for a job where the education is needed as it gives you experience in the field and knowledge of the theory behind things/recent technology, then it wouldn't make as big of a difference. However the integrity issue is still a big hurdle. It would have to be considered on a case by case basis, but most often I think should end in termination.