There’s a new scam in town
Since the pandemic we have seen an increase in remote personal interactions of all kinds. While this has been beneficial in many ways, there has been an unwanted effect.
Bait and Switch
There have been incidences of what might be called “bait and switch” in the staffing industry. Both employers and staffing agencies can be hurt in these scams.
One example of this type of scam is when a person is seeking a job that they may not be qualified for. They send in a different person to pretend to be them at an interview. Different people perform different steps in the hiring process.
Steps of the hiring process can include one person applying for an appointment or placement with the staffing firm, interviewing with the staffing firm or its client for work assignment, on boarding as an employee contractor or candidate of the staffing firm and performing the customer’s work assignment or accepting the job.
An employer or staffing agency could be vulnerable to this type of scam at any point in the hiring process.
Who is affected
While these tactics seem to affect only the employment opportunity itself, there’s a possibility that some could be even more problematic by giving the scammer the ability to gain physical access to valuable client information or assets.
A staffing firm who falls victim to one of these scams could be faced with legal issues, customer relations issues, as well as contractual indemnity claims.
Helpful tools
It has been suggested to have staffing firms require their applicants to review and sign a document that describes the seriousness and illegality of having anyone other than themselves participate in any part of the hiring process. This document could also include a statement that indemnifies the staffing firm for it’s costs that it or its customers might incur to handling a scam in which the applicant participates. A simple agreement such as this would protect a staffing agency from a tangle of financial and legal issues.
Customers who hire temporary or permanent employees through a staffing agency should also be asked to confirm the employee’s identity when they report for the job.
More protections
While chances are remote that you will encounter this problem, it doesn’t hurt to take precautions.
Working with a staffing firm who uses videoconferencing for applicant interviews is an additional way to protect both the firm and its customers from having a worker show up with insufficient qualifications.
A progressive staffing agency who uses the lates technology, such as AI, video interviews, and video conferencing can eliminate most problems before they get a chance to start.
Cynthia Becker
Life Coach/Wellness Coach
NLP Master Practitioner and Trainer
Professional Psychic
Ad-VANCE Talent Solutions has been helping people move into exciting new professions for over two decades. This ranges from varied and exciting seasonal work to temp positions with the potential to become full-time. We’ve created staffing partnerships with a number of industries in the governmental, healthcare, and hospitality sectors. Perhaps if you’re interested in hospitality jobs Sarasota has the answer.