Show Notes
What happens when an armored truck employee steals $200,000 on his very first shift?
In Episode 39 of The Bad Hire, Ken, Nathan, and Emma react to another collection of unbelievable hiring disasters—from massive payroll fraud and fake résumés to executives who should’ve never passed a background check.
This episode proves that one bad hire can cost a company hundreds of thousands of dollars… sometimes before their first week is over.
You’ll hear:
A 19-year-old who stole $200,000 on his first day driving an armored truck A payroll employee who forged 281 fake paychecks totaling over $205,000 A maintenance supervisor fired after one week for harassment and inappropriate content A candidate who blamed his criminal history on his “twin brother” An HR employee secretly working six full-time jobs at once A hospital executive whose federal fraud conviction slipped through the hiring process A recruiter whose candidate disappeared during lunch… and started another job A fake Buckingham Palace chef who fooled an entire restaurant A candidate who claimed their college had “closed down” to avoid an education verification
These stories aren’t just entertaining—they reveal why hiring, screening, and trusting the wrong person can become incredibly expensive.
💸 Have your own hiring horror story? Submit it at TheBadHire.com for a chance to win $10,000.
Key Takeaways:
One bad hire can create massive financial losses. Background checks only work if you’re running the right searches. Confidence on paper doesn’t always translate to integrity. Employment verification matters more than most companies realize. Honesty is always easier than trying to cover a lie.
⸻ 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
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: