Use a consistent verification process that checks relevant facts and gives candidates a fair way to resolve discrepancies. Keep identity verification, assessment of technical work, and employment eligibility as separate steps with appropriate owners. A smooth video call does not prove all three.
The FBI's public advisory on remote-work applications documents complaints involving stolen personal information and manipulated audio or video. It establishes that the risk exists; it does not establish how common it is in your applicant pool or justify treating technical problems as evidence of deception.
Define what you need to verify
Start with the question, then select a proportionate method. Avoid collecting identity documents simply because they might be useful later.
| Question | Appropriate process owner | Useful evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Did this person do the work described? | Qualified interviewer | A coherent project explanation and relevant follow-up |
| Can they perform this assignment? | Technical evaluator | A bounded work sample with explained decisions |
| Is an important résumé claim accurate? | Recruiting or HR owner | A consented, appropriately scoped verification step |
| Are required identity and eligibility checks complete? | Authorized HR or verification provider | The approved process for the relevant jurisdiction and stage |
| What access should a new starter receive? | Security and system owners | Role-based access approval and onboarding controls |
Use your approved HR process for formal checks. This guide describes process design; it does not replace applicable hiring, privacy, or employment requirements.
Make interviews useful without making them invasive
Explain whether tools are allowed, what work will be discussed, and how the assessment will run. Ask the candidate to reason about an example, explain a tradeoff, or modify their approach when a requirement changes.
Do not demand access to private repositories, personal accounts, a home tour, or former-employer systems. A candidate can demonstrate technical understanding with a permitted example or an exercise you provide.
Offer an appropriate alternative when the interview format creates an accessibility or connectivity problem. A camera issue, accent, appearance, or unfamiliar location is not a finding of fraud.
Handle a discrepancy as an unresolved question
Record the specific mismatch, who observed it, and why it matters to the role. Ask a neutral clarification question. Separate verified facts from interpretations.
Fictional example: A profile describes ownership of a deployment system, but the interview initially suggests responsibility for a small component. The interviewer asks the candidate to describe the boundary of their work. The explanation may resolve ambiguous wording; it may reveal a material inconsistency. The next step should follow the evidence, not an accusation made in the moment.
Use an authorized reviewer for unresolved concerns. Restrict access to the record and avoid circulating speculation among interviewers or external partners.
Keep formal checks and system access controlled
Where formal identity or employment checks are required, use the approved secure channel at the appropriate stage. Do not ask candidates to email documents into a general recruiting inbox or upload them to a shared interview scorecard.
The person who assesses a coding exercise should not need access to every document collected by HR. Store the minimum useful status in the hiring workflow and keep sensitive material in the authorized system.
After hiring, issue individual accounts and permissions appropriate to the work. Recruiting verification does not replace normal access controls.
Use the résumé scope review and AI-assisted coding interview policy to make the evidence rules clear before evaluation begins.