During the hiring process, the firm only relied on two reference checks, including one from the vendor who recommended the candidate, without any expertise in this process.

The failure to conduct thorough checks led to undesirable consequences, Manpower Korea said. Refusing to come on-site for work at first, the newly appointed CFO later allegedly demanded payment amounting to six months salary or said sensitive data would be sold.

The candidate’s past engagements as a corporate blackmailer was unveiled after Manpower Korea’s comprehensive blind reference checks.

In the other case, a prominent Korean organization was seeking a new HR director. While the candidate passed three rounds of interviews, the company skipped the expert-led reference checks.

However, what appeared to be a successful hiring process led to unexpected results, the company said. The new director filed complaints against his colleagues, claiming psychological distress in the workplace, the firm said.

Through inquiries with the former employer of the candidate, it was later revealed that they had interpersonal issues in their previous job, too.