"At least I know I was able to help someone get a paycheck and provide for himself and his family," the Ohio man told ABCNews.com.
Schmidt, 46, is the founder of... a Web site that says it can fill in gaps on your resume by pledging to "act as your past employer" and provide job references, complete with working phone numbers and people on the other end of each line ready to answer questions posed by prospective employers.
Schmidt, who started the Web site after being laid off from his job as a human resource manager in February, said he got the idea after perusing posts on the micro-blogging site Twitter. He was surprised, he said, by how many Twitter users were asking strangers for job references.
"I saw tons of them when I searched it," he said. "That's where I saw the need for my service."
Schmidt said that while some may have "moral issues" with his company, he feels good about what he does. He said he, along with a part-time partner who helps him answer phones, have helped at least 20 people successfully secure work.
"Many people have told me right now that looking for a job is like fighting a war," he said. "There is a great feeling when I get people who call me back and send me an e-mail, saying hey, they got hired, they got the job."
Bad Economy Creates Job Reference Market
While it's hard to verify whether Schmidt's service -- which charges customers $64 per year after a three-day free trial -- has actually benefited anyone, he's not the only one claiming to help people lie to secure work in a tough economy. The Web site Alibi HQ also advertises fake job reference services.
A man identifying himself as Mark Stevens, an Alibi HQ spokesman, told ABCNews.com that the company, which also offers fake landlord references and fake doctor's notes, has been operating for several years. He said customer interest in employment references skyrocketed over the last year, with calls from people seeking Alibi HQ's services quadrupling -- a trend Stevens attributed to the increase in job seekers left unemployed by the recession.
"We have an abundance of incoming phone calls and every month, it's surpassed the month before," he said.
View full article at ABC news
BackCheck is Canada’s leading pre-employment screening provider. Our quick and convenient services are available to give insight into who your prospective employees truly are, and what risk they pose to your business.
BackCheck is Canada’s leading pre-employment screening provider. Our quick and convenient services are available to give insight into who your prospective employees truly are, and what risk they pose to your business.
Most companies have policies requiring reference checks on every new hire. BackCheck's highly trained and experienced interviewers will ask the right questions and probe appropriately for clarification to extract detailed information on each candidate’s punctuality and quality of work. With 4 levels of reference checks (suitable for entry-level through executive hires), we can customize a program that works for your organization.
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Employment Verifications collect factual information about your candidate’s work history directly from Human Resources and Payroll. We compare your candidate’s employment claims with what was documented in their personnel file and alert you of discrepancies.
Thorough, Fast, Unbiased Results
• Unbiased information directly from Payroll or Human Resources
• Identification of gaps in a resumé or job application
• Comparison with information obtained through reference interviews
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• A consistent, auditable process
• Online, real-time results within 2 to 3 business days
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We act as an extension of your HR Department so you can dedicate time to other important issues. Our proprietary database of employment verification policies reduces turnaround time as we know who to contact, how to contact them and when to expect results. Every day, clients rely on BackCheck to obtain fast, accurate results and deliver them as soon as they are available. Employment Verifications are relatively inexpensive and offer a great deal of investigative value as the results can be cross-referenced with reference checks.
Collect the Facts
Employment Verifications collect factual information about your candidate’s work history directly from Human Resources and Payroll. We compare your candidate’s employment claims with what was documented in their personnel file and alert you of discrepancies.
Thorough, Fast, Unbiased Results
• Unbiased information directly from Payroll or Human Resources
• Identification of gaps in a resumé or job application
• Comparison with information obtained through reference interviews
• Compliance with industry requirements and guidelines
• A consistent, auditable process
• Online, real-time results within 2 to 3 business days
Partner with the Industry Leader
We act as an extension of your HR Department so you can dedicate time to other important issues. Our proprietary database of employment verification policies reduces turnaround time as we know who to contact, how to contact them and when to expect results. Every day, clients rely on BackCheck to obtain fast, accurate results and deliver them as soon as they are available. Employment Verifications are relatively inexpensive and offer a great deal of investigative value as the results can be cross-referenced with reference checks.
