Pre-employment background investigation : when vigilance pays off

In May 2025, a growing Quebec company specializing in the development of management software, which already had 85 employees, had just landed a major contract with a European multinational. To support this expansion, Alain, the president, decided to recruit a new director of operations, a key position requiring rigor, integrity, and expertise.

After a rigorous selection process, three candidates stood out. Among them, a certain Benjamin made a strong impression: a McGill graduate with twelve years of management experience, glowing recommendations, and natural drive. During the final interview, he won over the committee with his strategic vision and in-depth knowledge of the sector's challenges.

When instinct raises doubt...

Despite the general enthusiasm, a small voice inside Alain urged caution. He recalled an incident a few years earlier, in which a recently hired manager had mentioned fake degrees, falsified by simple computer graphics skills. This mistake had cost the company dearly, both financially and in terms of its reputation.

This time, Alain decided to leave nothing to chance. He contacted us with the aim of conducting a thorough pre-employment investigation on the candidate in question.

The investigation begins...

As soon as the mandate is received, we get to work. We begin by checking the candidate's criminal record, academic background, and professional experience. A few things quickly raised red flags.

We first contact McGill University. Surprise: there's indeed a file in Benjamin's name for the specified period, but he never graduated. It turns out the diploma presented was a fake. A practice more widespread than one might think in the competitive world of job hunting.

We then contacted the references Benjamin had provided to Alain, indicating that these were his last three employers, who allegedly had nothing but good things to say about him. However, in two out of three cases, the numbers provided led us to cell phones, and when we asked specific questions about Benjamin's duties at the company, the people we spoke to responded evasively, confusedly, and sometimes contradictorily. So I took the initiative to contact the headquarters of the said companies and received another surprise: no one named Benjamin or the names of the men given as references had ever worked at these places. A typical case, in our humble opinion, of a candidate who gives the name of his brother-in-law and mandates him to play the role of a former boss. This time, however, the tactic didn't work.

The letters of recommendation attached to the application described a model employee, punctual, efficient, and dedicated. But analysis of the documents in question revealed that they shared the same layout, the same syntax, and vocabulary too similar to be legitimate. Plagiarism detection software quickly confirmed that our suspicions were well-founded: these letters had been written based on a template found on the Web.

A hint of truth…

After searching LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Tik Tok, and Instagram, we didn't discover anything suspicious, unhealthy, or critical.

A check of the candidate's driver's license confirmed to us that Benjamin was telling the truth about his age and identity.

Checking his college diploma also revealed that he had sprinkled some truths among his lies when he wrote his resume .

It turns out that the Benjamin in question also had no criminal record nor had he been the subject of any civil proceedings or proceedings before the Administrative Housing Tribunal.

A shocked but relieved business leader

Following the investigation, we provided Alain with a detailed report. The conclusions were clear: Benjamin had falsified his CV, both in terms of his most recent diploma and his experience and references.

Alain was frustrated, but admitted to being relieved:

"I had some doubts, but I couldn't explain why. He seemed like a good guy, hardworking, intelligent. I really came close to hiring him. I relied on his resume and his integrity. I can't even imagine what a long-term problem he could have become for the company. Someone who is capable of lying like that to his future boss's face, we agree that it won't knock even the most honest employee off the floor!"

Without this investigation, Alain would have entrusted the reins of his operations to an imposter, with all that this implies: access to sensitive data, management of large budgets, etc.

The pre-employment background investigation: a practice that guarantees peace of mind

Alain thanked us greatly and since that day, with each new hiring process, he covers his back and verifies that the candidates he intends to hire are flawless and worthy of his trust by carrying out a diligent pre-employment background investigation.

"According to the figures, at least 20 to 50% of application files contain potentially inaccurate, or even downright misleading, information", said François Bernard Malo, a full professor in the Department of Industrial Relations at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Laval University, in an interview with the newspaper Le Soleil.

Hiring a candidate based solely on their good faith, relying on the contents of their resume, and failing to conduct a thorough background check on their statements risks jeopardizing everything the company and its leaders have built over the years. It's easy to be fooled by a skilled candidate, even in a structured selection process.

A pre-employment background investigation isn't an expense; it's an investment in the security and sustainability of your business to avoid costly mistakes. In short, when it comes to recruitment, it's better to conduct a investigation than to clean up after a while!

For all your pre-employment background investigation needs, Némésis is your ally. Don't hesitate to contact us for a free, no-obligation personalized quote.

Némésis offers criminal profiling services, polygraph testing, investigation, and investigative analysis to Quebec police forces, legal professionals, as well as any entity or citizen requiring specialized expertise in private investigation.