Job hunting can be stressful enough without the added concern of falling victim to an employment scam. To help you navigate the job market, we asked Cherreka Kiel, Vice President, Talent Acquisition at Stride, Inc. to answer some of the most common questions about how to spot potential scams and protect yourself from bad actors posing as recruiters or hiring managers.
Q: What best practices can job seekers use to protect themselves?
A: Start by doing your homework. Research the company that contacted you and ensure the website in the outreach matches the official company website. It’s also important to verify the security of the site before applying. Look for a secure “https://” in the URL and a padlock icon next to the address.
Q: What red flags should job seekers look out for?
A: Several warning signs can help you spot a scam:
- Receiving unsolicited outreach from a “hiring manager” or company leader who quickly extends a job offer, often without an interview.
- A hiring process where you don’t speak with a company representative, whether by phone or in a virtual interview.
- The absence of a company website or the presence of obvious misspellings and grammatical errors on the site.
- Employee emails that use generic domains like Hotmail, Gmail, or iCloud, instead of a company-specific address.
Q: How might a scammer try to gain a job seeker’s personal information?
A: Scammers may use various tactics to obtain your personal information:
- Be wary of applications asking for excessive information, such as your date of birth, social security number, and your physical mailing address.
- Scammers often use a sense of urgency, pressuring you to act quickly and provide sensitive details.
Q: When applying for a job at Stride, Inc., where should job seekers apply, who can they expect to hear from, and how will they be contacted? Will Stride ever request payment during the application process?
A: You can always find legitimate job postings on Stride’s official careers page at stridelearning.com/careers.
If you’re applying for a position at Stride, you’ll always be contacted by a recruiter or coordinator with a verified k12.com email address. Additionally, their LinkedIn profiles will be up-to-date. At Stride, we never make job offers without a thorough multi-step interview process, which always includes at least a phone or video interview with a live person.
Stride, Inc. will never request any payment during the hiring or onboarding process.
Q: What should a job seeker do if they suspect a job listing might be a scam?
A: Trust your instincts. If the process seems off, the pay is unusually high, or you receive a job offer with little to no effort, it might be too good to be true. A trustworthy company will always take the time to address your concerns. If you’re ever unsure, reach out to the company directly to verify the legitimacy of the job offer.
Unfortunately, scammers often target people when they’re feeling vulnerable, but taking the time to verify a company’s information and following the best practices outlined above can help protect you. Remember, a legitimate employer will never rush you through the process or ignore your concerns.
Stay vigilant, and best of luck with your job search!
