Reference no: EM133183022

You Make the Call

Situation 1

While trying to find a new accounts receivable person for his Chicago-based postcard printing business, Javier Gomez decided that he had surely found "Mr. Perfect." On paper, this applicant had the right background, and he was asking for less money than Gomez was willing to pay. The interview went well, the reference check was positive, and the drug test came back clear. A few odd twists in Mr. Perfect's story, though, have created some questions for Gomez. First, Mr. Perfect was asked during the hiring process to show his driver's license, but he could produce only an Illinois state I.D. card. (A driver's license is needed to operate a motor vehicle legally, but the state also issues I.D. cards to help Illinois residents prove their identity when banking, traveling, and in other situations.) Second, Mr. Perfect stated that he had worked for his previous employer for 12 years and thus could provide only one appropriate reference. Gomez always asks for three references so that he can contact them all and look for patterns of behavior. Finally, Mr. Perfect mentioned in passing that if he were hired, he would like to perform tasks beyond those listed in the job description for the position. Specifically, he wondered if he might be asked to drop the company's mail off at the post office as needed. Gomez has had plenty of employees ask if they could take on new responsibilities, but doing post office runs was never one of them.

As Gomez pondered his hiring decision, he kept coming back to the fact that if Mr. Perfect were hired, the accounts receivable job would give him access to cash, blank checks, and financially sensitive information. And if he were allowed to take the company's mail to the post office, he would have access to that, too. In so many ways, Mr. Perfect seemed to be exactly what Gomez was looking for, but given the strange details of his story, Gomez is wondering if hiring him for the position would be wise.

Question 1 With the information available at this point, do you think Gomez should hire Mr. Perfect? How much weight should be given to the fact that he doesn't, for example, have a driver's license?

Question 2 How important are reference checks in the hiring process? Should having only one reference cause any concern? Why or why not? What potential problems can you see in this?

Question 3 Mr. Perfect seems to be just the person for the job in so many ways. Does it make sense to think about restructuring the job (for example, limiting access to cash and blank checks as much as possible) to minimize the concerns that have surfaced because of his story? Should a job ever be structured for any single individual?