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Ask HN: What to do when you suspect your interview is with a state operative?

19 points puppycodes | 2 comments | 29 Aug 25 00:26 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source

I'm curious what HN thinks is the best course of action when you are reasonably certain you have interviewed someone who is attempting to gain access to your company from a certain place that is famously totalitarian.

Let's assume they are a state actor, Here are some things that crossed my mind:

- Citizens from this region of the world are forced to do this and it amounts to slave labor. I have empathy for their situation. What is a responsible way to report things like this?

- I try to avoid communicating with law enforcement in general, is the FBI or other US agency the only avenue to warn others?

- Without hiring this person, what exposure should we worry about? What precautions are worth taking in the future?

Thanks for your insights :)

1. matt_s ◴[29 Aug 25 13:16 UTC] No.45063719[source]▶
What gave you the impression during what I would assume is a 1-2 hour interview that the person applying for a job is foreign agent?

Do the behaviors exhibited also align with other somewhat common candidate behavior like not being competent in what they say, being nervous, etc.?

replies(1): >>45070455 #
2. puppycodes ◴[29 Aug 25 23:13 UTC] No.45070455[source]▶
I think determining whether they are or are not is very hard and full issues like bias toward english proficiency, culture and a whole bunch of stuff that could be problematic to screen for.

Thats why I phrased the question as assuming they are a foreign agent because the due dilligence one must do is probably particular to the job and company.

The evidence however seems like it will always be more or less circumstantial unless you have the time and resources to devote to a thorough background check.