Show Notes
What do you do when two employees are days away from full-time offers… and instead of waiting for their background checks they steal company mascot costumes, hop on a golf cart, flip off every security camera, and disappear forever?
In Episode 23 of The Bad Hire, Ken, Nathan, and Emma react to some of the strangest listener-submitted hiring disasters yet — from drug test cheating schemes to candidates who vanish without a trace.
This episode covers everything from bizarre workplace behavior to deeper lessons about hiring judgment, accountability, and the surprising ways candidates can sabotage their own careers.
You’ll hear: – Two contractors who torched their careers in mascot costumes – Employees trying to microwave pee at a gas station to cheat drug tests – A coding bootcamp grad demanding a $140K salary with zero experience – A perfect candidate who disappeared… and resurfaced months later launching a startup – A salon employee who tanked team morale and had to be fired – An engineer who claimed he built “all of it” — but never wrote a single line of code
These aren’t just ridiculous stories — they’re reminders that hiring decisions shape culture, risk, and the success of your entire team.
💸 Think you’ve seen worse? Submit your story at TheBadHire.com for a chance to win $10,000.
Key Takeaways: • Bad decisions can erase great opportunities overnight. • Confidence without competence eventually gets exposed. • Hiring mistakes rarely stay isolated — they affect the whole team. • Ghosting happens on both sides of the hiring process. • A great résumé doesn’t always equal real experience. ⸻
Connect with Us: 🌐 Website: TheBadHire.com 📧 Email: [email protected] 📱 Instagram: @thebadhirepod 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/thebadhirepod 🎵 TikTok: @thebadhirepod 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/thebadhire
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Sponsored by BChex:
Need better background checks? BChex makes hiring safer, faster, and simpler. From visitor management to employee monitoring—BChex has you covered.
www.bchex.io
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🎙️ Submit your own bad hire story for a chance to win $10,000 at TheBadHire.com
More from The Bad Hire Podcast
The company was growing fast. Startup to millions in revenue in about a year. So they hired a CFO who looked the part: glasses, résumé, all of it. One month in, the credit card bill showed $2,800 in auto repairs. New tires. His car. When they asked him about it, he wasn't sorry. He said he thought they'd want the points. In Episode 53 of The Bad Hire, Ken and Nathan are joined by special guest Allen Darby, founder and CEO of Alaris Acquisitions, for a round of unbelievable workplace stories involving a job seeker who screamed at recruiters before she ever applied, a receptionist with a company card and a ceramic cow collection, a CFO who mistook the company card for a rewards program, a new hire who made a pass at a visiting director, and a cashier whose whole identity was borrowed for exactly one shift. You'll hear: • A job seeker yells at recruiters for weeks without ever submitting an application • "Terry" the receptionist hides the AmEx bill and buys ceramic cows on the company card • Why her last employer never warned anyone, and what references really tell you • Allen's CFO story: $2,800 in tires and "I thought you'd want the points" • Why hiring is a skill, and why résumés predict only 10% of success • The paid, two-day working interview that sold both sides • A new hire turns every task into a grievance, then corners a married director at the coffee station • Allen on Alaris Acquisitions and leading M&A with compatibility instead of price • A cashier with a borrowed Social Security number walks out with $4,000 • Why "How much is your background check?" is the wrong question Key Takeaways: • Hiring is a skill. Liking someone isn't the same as them being right for the job. • Résumés are a weak predictor of success. Watch how people actually work. • Employment verification confirms dates, not character. • Fit first. When both sides want it, the outcome gets better. • Not all background checks are equal. Know what yours actually covers. 💸 Think you've heard worse? Submit your Bad Hire story at TheBadHire.com for a chance to win $10,000. ⸻ Connect with Us: 🌐 Website: TheBadHire.com 📧 Email: [email protected] 📱 Instagram: @thebadhirepod 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/thebadhirepod 🎵 TikTok: @thebadhirepod 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/thebadhire — Sponsored by BChex: Need better background checks? BChex makes hiring safer, faster, and simpler. From visitor management to employee monitoring—BChex has you covered. www.bchex.io — 🎙️ Submit your own bad hire story for a chance to win $10,000 at TheBadHire.com
Four months of searching. Three prior CFO roles. References that held up. On his first day, he came in early, got his badge photo taken, and sat down with the quarterly numbers. Around 10 in the morning, four federal agents walked into the lobby and asked for him by name. He'd been in the chair for less than three hours. In Episode 52 of The Bad Hire, Ken, Nathan, and Kylie break down another round of unbelievable workplace stories involving a retirement question nobody saw coming, a cold call to the company's biggest client on day three, a résumé skill learned on YouTube, a self-review two weeks in, an eleven-minute trip to the parking lot, and a CFO who didn't make it to lunch. You'll hear: • A six-day employee asks the CEO when she's planning to retire • A new sales hire finds the client list and cold calls a top ten account on day three • Mackenzie, CEO of Sacramento Splash, on trusting your gut and hiring slow, firing fast • A new hire's CRM "proficiency" turns out to be six hours of YouTube • Ken on Good Job, BChex's behavioral assessment that finds the hidden gems • A two-week employee submits his own performance review and rates himself exceptional • A former manager calls HR after the hire is already made • A first-day hire walks $100,900 out to the parking lot • A fast food new hire gets sent home after three hours and takes it online • Four federal agents walk the brand-new CFO out of the building on day one Key Takeaways: • Every word you say to leadership carries an implication. • Moving fast is not a defense for accessing data you weren't given. • Résumés are a weak predictor of success. Behaviors are a strong one. • Trust your gut, hire slow, fire fast, and keep the documentation. • A standard background check doesn't include federal court records unless you ask. 💸 Think you've heard worse? Submit your Bad Hire story at TheBadHire.com for a chance to win $10,000. ⸻ Connect with Us: 🌐 Website: TheBadHire.com 📧 Email: [email protected] 📱 Instagram: @thebadhirepod 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/thebadhirepod 🎵 TikTok: @thebadhirepod 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/thebadhire — Sponsored by BChex: Need better background checks? BChex makes hiring safer, faster, and simpler. From visitor management to employee monitoring—BChex has you covered. www.bchex.io
The job posting said Atlanta. The offer letter said Atlanta. The onboarding paperwork said Atlanta. The welcome email even included a parking map for the Atlanta office.
She worked a nine-hour first day for $28. Not $28 an hour. $28 for the whole day.
She interviewed well, got the job, showed up for her first day… and then asked one very important question: