Yahoo’s announcement this morning that CEO Scott Thompson will resign comes as no surprise. Earlier this month an outside investment firm discovered an “anomaly” in Thompson’s bio, where a degree in accounting suddenly became a degree in computer science. The loss is a hardship to Yahoo, where the door to the CEO’s office has become somewhat of a revolving door, but serves as a great lesson for other business owners reviewing the credentials of candidates at every level of the organization.
In every tough market, candidates become more willing to do whatever it takes to ensure their resume comes out on top of the pile. It’s our job, as your provider of professional reference checks and background screens, to ensure that their proclaimed accomplishments meet the sniff test. Educational verifications are a very straightforward service offering and one that should be included in the evaluation of candidates for every position where a degree is required. With educational verifications, we can capture not only attendance information but degrees completed and certificates awarded, sometimes revealing the important difference between simply “being present” and actually completing the program.