How Should HR Handle an Employee Who Used Fake Experience to Get Hired?

I work in a private limited company as an HR professional. In our company, one of the sales executives used fake experience of 2.5 years to secure the job. When I inquired with the employee, he admitted that he did it to secure the job and negotiate a better salary. This issue has been escalated to the top management, and they are requesting me to take action against the employee.

Please advise on what steps should be taken to discipline the employee. Should I terminate the employee or file a police complaint against them? I appreciate your valuable opinions on this matter.

Regards,
Ashish

Please provide more information so that our members can offer you an appropriate reply.

Questions to Consider

1. Since when has he been working with you?
2. How is he performing his duties?
3. Have you assessed his sincerity and dedication towards his targets?
4. How did you come to know he submitted a fake experience certificate?
5. Is he a major contributor to your organization? Why is management not getting involved and just instructing you to take action?
6. What will be the impact on sales if you terminate him?

Please respond to these questions.

Ask the employee for an explanation by issuing a show-cause notice. Based on the answer, further course of action can be considered.

Hi Ashish,

Lodging an FIR will ruin the candidate's future. Instead, you can ask for a resignation from the employee. If he doesn't comply, then he can be terminated with immediate effect.

Regards,
Amit

Sir, nowadays, fakery is prevalent because employers are making abrupt decisions without prior notice. They inform the employee that the current day will be their last. After some time, if the employee fails to secure a new job, they resort to creating counterfeit certificates. This is due to the fear that if the individual states they are still job hunting, no new employer will consider hiring them. The question is, what can be done about this situation? The fault does not lie solely with the employee.

Handling Candidates with Fake Experience

This is a common situation, and recruiters often encounter candidates who falsify their work experience. Some candidates omit companies they previously worked for if they were terminated, while others exaggerate their years of service or positions held. If a recruiter lacks the experience to detect falsehoods during an interview and the person is hired, it's crucial to assess their performance.

If the individual can work and perform well, consider issuing a written warning. However, if they cannot perform, ask them to resign or proceed with termination.

An employee who has been found giving fake experience should be quietly given an exit. Whether he is good at work or not is not a question. The ethics of such a person will be in question. One cannot get away saying, "I have given fake experience" only once. No compromise with dishonesty should be the principle.

Boss2966 (Bhaskar) has raised relevant questions, and Nathrao has given you sound advice. You need to set an example that fraud (submitting fake experience, qualifications, etc.) will not be tolerated. However, you need to go through the process of dismissal. For example, see how a bright academic was sacked for falsifying by MIT.

[Link to the article](https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/list-of-research-fraud-grows-as-mit-star-is-fired-for-faking-data/199479.article)