Imposter syndrome? Be sure to do all

Imposter syndrome?

CHRISTINE ANDERSON

Be sure to do all the necessary checks to ensure a job candidate is who they say they are.

In May, Engineering New Zealand published a disciplinary decision about Prajna Singh. Ms Singh was disciplined for holding herself out for several years as having an engineering degree (when she didn’t) and being a Chartered Professional Engineer (when she wasn’t). By the time Ms Singh’s deception was uncovered, she had held several senior roles within the industry. With such a tight job market, it is more important than ever that consultancies ensure they are getting quality candidates. There are checks you can and should do to ensure the candidate is who they say they are.

Check credentials. If you’re using a recruiter, ask them about their credential checking processes. Do they validate the candidate’s degree and carry out reference checks? If you’re unsure, or if you’re doing the recruitment yourself, do your own due diligence. Ask your candidate for a copy of their qualification (and if they’re a new graduate, their transcript). Candidates from Australia and New Zealand should be able to provide you with verified qualifications through My eQuals. Most New Zealand universities have a searchable database of graduates for at least the past 20 years. You can ask international candidates to have their credentials checked through Te Ao Rangahau. You can also speak to us about other ways to verify international qualifications.

Check references thoroughly. Don’t assume a written reference is legitimate – make contact with the referee to ask questions. If your candidate hasn’t provided a reference from their last employer, ask if you can contact them. If the answer is no, it would be wise to dig deeper. If you’re interested in a candidate because they’ve told you they worked on a particular project, don’t take their word for it: find out for yourself.

Test your candidate’s knowledge. Ask them to go back to first principles and solve a problem. You can either prepare a test yourself or find a resource online.

For recent graduates, you could ask them to convert a simple problem into a free body diagram in front of you. For more experienced engineers, you could give them a project of the type they would be working on that contains errors. Ask them to find the errors and correct them using first principles and rules of thumb, no calculators or computers allowed. You could then ask them how they would resolve the issue if the project had already been completed.

In July, Te Ao Rangahau initiated a project to share problems found in disciplinary decisions as a learning tool for engineers to use. They encourage engineers to think through problems and may provide examples for you to use.

Ask your candidate if they’ve ever dealt with a complaint (either formal or informal) and how they worked to resolve it. Any engineer can be the subject of complaint; it doesn’t automatically mean they’ve done something wrong. Complaints can be a valuable learning experience and hearing how someone responds to their own mistakes can give you valuable insights into their character.

We can’t disclose information about complaints unless they are upheld and name suppression is lifted. The only exception to this is where we consider a member may pose a risk of harm to the public. We can then disclose relevant information to their current employer and relevant agencies. Formal complaints that have been upheld by Te Ao Rangahau can be found on our website.

Most people are honest about their qualifications and work experience. Unfortunately, the financial, legal and reputational damage you may suffer as the result of employing the wrong person is too serious to be able to simply take people at their word. Christine Anderson (pictured) is Legal Manager at Te Ao Rangahau.