Why I Fired a Programmer After 15 Days: Lessons on Resume Fraud and Hiring Decisions

As a CEO of a small startup with just over 20 employees, I find firing staff emotionally challenging, especially when I know them personally.

Based on over 300 interviews, I estimate that 50‑60% of candidates lie on their résumés; a Checkster survey even suggests 78% of job seekers fabricate information during recruitment.

Resume Fabrications

The programmer in question misrepresented his experience and projects, claiming entrepreneurial achievements that were not his own, and presented references that were likely fabricated.

How He Passed Our Tests

Although he performed well enough for a junior backend role, we were seeking a senior backend developer.

Our three‑step technical hiring process includes:

Screening ten candidates per position.

Administering a short 10‑20 minute test to filter out roughly half.

Conducting an interview to assess passion and cultural fit.

After the second step, two strong developers remained; the other candidate scored higher on the test, but I chose this programmer because I believed he would thrive in our startup environment.

Why I Hired Him

I evaluated him on three factors: work enthusiasm, technical ability, and cultural fit. He demonstrated strong enthusiasm, appeared technically competent, and had prior entrepreneurial experience, which I valued for a startup.

Why He Was Fired

Problems emerged from day one. Within three days, the CTO reported that he could not complete simple tasks and lacked basic project knowledge. After giving him additional time, he still failed to guide junior developers and struggled with basic assignments, confirming the résumé lies.

After 15 days, I informed him of the termination, which he seemed to accept.

Attempted Help and Process Improvements

Despite his deception, we tried to help him by offering a junior position and providing resources to improve his skills. The CTO also discussed his shortcomings with him.

To avoid future incidents, we added an extra verification step to our hiring workflow.

Consequences of Resume Fraud

Falsifying a résumé can damage personal reputation and lead to termination. Common fabrications include overstated work years, dishonest job history, and fake reference material.

Inflated work experience.

Misleading reasons for leaving previous jobs.

Fabricated portfolio or reference projects.

Final Thoughts

Transparency throughout the interview and work process is essential. One’s goal should be to become a valuable employee, not just a programmer, and honesty on résumés is crucial for long‑term career success.