Talener cuts through the candidate application noise. We are screening candidates, qualifying them, and building a relationship before we ever send their resume to you.
This screening process is becoming increasingly important as the entire hiring process is being inundated with AI generated resumes, embellished experiences, or fake profiles. These resumes often belong to someone – just not the person you think you are interviewing.
If you are going at the hiring process alone, you need to be able to spot these application red flags.
Incomplete or Generic Profiles
You would expect a graphic designer to have a portfolio, a developer to have a GitHub, and any serious job seeker to have a LinkedIn profile. Look for missing profile pictures, vague job titles, or empty about sections.
Mismatch Between Resume and LinkedIn Profile
Cross-check work history, job titles, and education. If the resume lists experience at Google LinkedIn shows no such history (or the company doesn’t exist!), that is a big red flag. It is suspicious if they have no connections from their former company, especially at a large corporation.
AI Generated or Stock Profile Photos
Reverse image search the profile photo. Fake candidates will use stock images or pictures pulled from other places online.
Unrealistic Career Progression
A candidate who became a global CTO in 2 years is probably too good to be true. Is it likely that a 2024 graduate has 10 years of professional development experience? Probably not. On LinkedIn, view the “skills” and “endorsements” section to see if others vouch for their claims.
Inconsistent Contact Information
Watch out for email addresses that look autogenerated or are mismatched with the applicant’s name (e.g., johnsmith1234567@gmail.com for someone named John Smith). Also, check if their email domain is consistent with their claimed job history (like using a personal Gmail for a C-suite role).
Review Activity
Real candidates have connections, commenters, likes, and potentially endorsements. A profile with zero interaction, vague recommendations, or connections from only one region (e.g., connections are all in one specific country but all work experience is listed in another country) is suspicious.
Lack of Digital Footprint
Google the applicant’s name, previous companies, or published work. A completely blank digital footprint for a senior-level candidate is a red flag.
Interview Red Flags
In live interviews, fake candidates may struggle with real-time communication, rely on scripted answers, or show poor understanding of their claimed experience. Asking spontaneous, technical, or situational questions can help reveal inconsistencies.
When you use Talener, you can bypass most of this noise. It is our job to deliver real candidates who are interested and committed to the interview process.
