Although it is easy to assume that a person who does not remember his or her employment dates is living in a fabricated world, there are some highly intelligent applicants who just cannot recall this type of information. In some cases, these individuals can show dazzling ability to recall technical data in their areas of expertise, not unlike the classical "absent-minded professor."
Although this applicant may be faking everything about his background, that is not likely. In fact, the more common finding is that applicants who are true fakes tend to paint a perfect picture in terms of every date and detail of their make-believe backgrounds. Such applicants tend be likable, persuasive, and charming as they weave their seamless stories.
If you believe that your applicant has the knowledge, skills, experience, and other criteria needed for the job, and your only reservation is his confusion over employment dates, you should do some reality testing by taking references on him. Even if you are only able to verify his dates of employment, that would be extremely helpful.
Obviously much will depend on the position you are trying to fill, but instead of knocking this applicant out, some verification may reveal that he is actually a knockout.
|