I referred a candidate and got difference in our words

Question

I referred a friend to a position in my company. When HR asked me how I know him, I told them that he was my co-worker in a previous company. However, I later came to know that during the interview, he(my friend) told them that he was my friend during college.

Note:

1. We worked for same company but in his resume he didn't mention that company but some other company name he worked later.
2. He is not my college friend this can be identified by checking our resumes
3. My present company accepted him.

Will this contradiction affect my career in the company, and how do I handle this situation?

Answer 1

You worked with him in a previous company. You told HR the truth. Whether or not he listed that company in his resume is his problem, not yours.

He is not your college friend and this can be identified by checking your resumes, both his and yours. Again, this is his problem, not yours.

It is his responsibility to explain to the HR how he knew you in college if the HR ever questions the inconsistency between your story and his. Until then, focus on your work.

In response to the the question : Will this contradiction affect my career in the company, and how do I handle this situation?? You already have an established position in your company. You cannot be held responsible for lies told by others. As long as you have told your company the truth, no one would take action against you. If no one questions you the inconsistency, keep quiet. If anyone questions the contradiction, tell the truth again. And tell them you don't know why he would lie. I think this incident would hurt your creditability a little bit. But, it's not fatal by any means. Next time, be careful when you refer a friend.

Answer 2

Will this contradiction affect my career in the company, and how do I handle this situation?

As long as the incorrect information was supplied by your friend, and not by you, this almost certainly won't affect your career in the company.

If you are asked why you and your friend had different answers, you can simply say "I don't know. Perhaps he was just nervous or confused."

You should probably have a quick chat with your friend and make sure you are both on the same page with future referrals.

Answer 3

In many companies they offer incentives to current employees to recommend candidates for positions. They are looking for resumes of people that have not recently applied for positions in the company. They do hope that the recommendation is truthful and based on qualities and skills you have seen in either a previous work environment or in a non-work situation.

They are less interested in your actual words, and are more interested in being able to get a person that was otherwise unknown to them to apply for a position. They want to expand the pool of qualified candidates.

In a small company it is possible that the disconnect in your stories may seem weird, and somebody involved in the hiring process could talk to you. In the larger company the hiring team may not even be aware that a candidate was recommended by someone, nor would they see the nature of the recommendation.

Answer 4

Offering a slightly different opinion:

There is clearly a discrepancy in the two stories and that needs to be resolved. HR may not care but you should. If you are correct this means that your friend is either very sloppy or outright dishonest. If he gets hired and he behaves badly, than this will reflect badly on you since you referred him, you knew about the problem and you didn't do anything about it.

I would first talk to your friend. Find out why his story is different from yours. If the answer is bad, than you should go to HR or the hiring manager and tell them "I referred the guy since I knew him, but I can't really recommend him". Than you have done due diligence and rest is up to the hiring manager.