Concerned About a New Hire's Lack of IT Experience? Here's How to Talk to HR

Hi, I believe a person who joined my team doesn't have any IT experience. Please let me know how I can inform HR about this.

Thanks.

Appreciate your effort to inform your HR timely. However, before proceeding, I would want to understand that your doubt is based on facts which will remain unchallenged no matter how deeply it is examined.

Understanding Your Role

Hence, please allow me to begin by asking your role in the team. Are you the reporting manager to the new hire? If not, are you a team member, and how is your team structured? What is the role in which this person is hired? A little background on your role would help us guide you correctly.

Evaluating the New Hire's Experience

About your doubt regarding the experience claimed by the new hire, how did you detect his or her incompetence? From your statement, it sounds as if the new hire has the education in place but not the practical experience. How did you arrive at this conclusion? Is your doubt based on a factual incident where work was allocated to the new hire and he or she couldn't deliver? Are you sure there was a conducive environment for performance? How close is the skill required to deliver the job compared to what any other new hire may have? Have you tested this person on the basic skills? At times, basic skills differ from those required in the delivery phase. For example, a programmer may know a computing language very well. However, developing a product could still remain light years away. Product knowledge often requires many more addendums on the threshold skills.

Considering the Learning Curve

Given the fact that every new hire will bring his or her own learning curve, did you take that into account? Are you sure the learning support is in place to bring a new hire up to speed? Every answer to these questions will help build your case stronger.

Handling Fraudulence Claims

Please keep in mind that the new hire has gone through the same interview procedure that every other employee working in the role went through. Hence, the opportunity for error would be minimal. When you claim fraudulence, please be assured that you might ruffle a lot of feathers. The new hire might not be anyone's favorite, but proving a gap in the hiring system might backfire. Therefore, please pre-wire that first. Talk to your superiors to understand how such cases were handled earlier.

Maintaining Professionalism

Your effort to save your team from a bad hire must not be misconstrued. Hence, make sure you are rightly understood by your reporting managers. Please keep none of your personal agendas around it. In no case should you try to get any limelight or credit out of this situation. Stay focused on serving your organization and none of your personal gains.

Raising a red flag during the probationary period would help your team. Wishing you all the best in your effort to save your firm!

Really? Then all you need to do is speak to the HR team, who will then decide on the next steps. The appointment letter usually has a clause or clauses that state the offer is being made on the basis of information provided by the candidate, and any incorrect information can lead to termination, etc. If they have a similar clause, then you should have no problems at all.

Irrespective of the clauses that state the offer/appointment will be revoked if incorrect information is provided by the candidate, the action of termination can't be taken until and unless a domestic inquiry is conducted. Here, I would like to explain that the candidate shall have the right to bring a lawyer for his/her defense. Moreover, an appointment is a kind of contract between the employee and the employer, as per the Indian Contract Act, 1872. Hence, a detailed investigation within the boundaries of the law is required. Therefore, the question asked by (Cite Contribution) is very important and relevant.

Thus, HR can be informed, but HR has to be very careful while taking actions. The mere fact of claiming that a candidate doesn't possess sufficient IT experience cannot be considered sufficient evidence for termination. If any suppression of facts has happened regarding relevant experience by the candidate during the interview, then the entire procedure/process of hiring has to be checked first within the boundaries of the law.

Hence, detailed facts within the light of very strong and proper evidence must be examined within the boundaries of the law, and only after that, something concrete can be suggested for the future line of action.

Thanks and Regards,

Sovik B

Ms. (Cite Contribution) has advised you perfectly. It's good to caution your HR; however, take care that your judgment is sound and based on facts and figures, not purely on gut instincts.

Regards,
Vineeta

Dear Maheshram, (Cite Contribution) has raised very pertinent questions and given you sound advice like others. So, let me make a point or two before making a general request to our members.

The Importance of Facts in Legal Matters

In law, just your belief is not enough. You have to state facts, and based on that evidence, investigations should be conducted. I know for a fact that sometimes people are appointed based on other considerations; for example, people belonging to the same club like Free Masons, a member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (UK), etc.

Appeal to Members for Detailed Responses

I take this opportunity to appeal to members to give details of the scenario by answering questions that (Cite Contribution) has expressed. This will save a lot of time for members that respond and motivate others to give precise answers.

Many a time, people will not respond to questions that do not provide enough information.

Regards

Thank you so much. Thanks to all for your replies. Excuse me for the late reply.

This is just for clarification. Is it fair if I complain about my colleague to HR (knowing the candidate is fake)? Will HR have a bad impression of me? Please let me know your thoughts on this. I will proceed further based on your reviews.

Thanks,
Mahesh

Employer's Right to Terminate Based on False Information

The courts have upheld that any information provided by the candidate, if found incorrect or exaggerated, can lead to fair termination by an employer, especially when the employer has stated it in the 'Employment Contract'. Flagging an employee concern to HR is right—it's HR's responsibility to verify and determine action. If you are castigated for it, then you should just bring in a new HR team. Lawyers? *gasps* Needless complication.

Regards.