Vice President and National Director of Sales
Due to the current economic climate creating jobless rates nearing double-digits, candidates are finding themselves in ever-more competitive situations. The end result is far more candidates are stretching the truth in a variety of ways on their resume. Like it or not, people lie on their resumes!
According to a Careerbuilder.com survey, 57 percent of hiring managers say they have found lies on candidates' applications, with only 5 percent of those candidates actually admitting to it. Some of the most common resume lies are:
- Lying about College Degrees
- Hiding gaps in employment
- GPA falsification
- Lying about past salary and titles
- Claiming false experience, proficiency or accomplishments
As an employer there are a number of ways to combat the aforementioned situations, including the following:
- College degrees, Certifications and GPA - Employers must perform proper due diligence when checking into the background of potential employees. You should request copies of all degree certificates, certification credentials and transcripts. In addition, verify a candidate' s educational background. Most institutions have a standard policy in place for verifications and requests can also be made from employers or background screening vendors.
- Employment Lies - An all-too-common mistake employers make is failing to contact references prior to extending an offer of employment. The only time it is not acceptable to call and verify employment, is if the applicant specifically requests that you not (the person may currently be employed but seeking a different job), otherwise this is a must.
- False Experience or Proficiency - Aside from directly contacting previous employers, the best way to detect these types of resume lies is to adequately test applicants before you hire them. This should be a standard step in your hiring process and a growing trend you should consider is behavioral integrity testing to evaluate candidate's propensity to lie, steal, or use illegal drugs.
Becoming actively involved in your hiring process and allocating resources to properly screen applicants is the only way to gain back control. In addition, more than likely your existing background screening vendor offers more detailed and deeper searches than you are currently utilizing. Consider leveraging these resources as they should be an important component in any hiring process. In conclusion, know what you are looking for in an applicant. By preparing a holistic hiring strategy in advance, you and/or your vendor will be far better equipped to detect lies and subsequently hire the right person.
When seeking to fill an open line or staff position, nearly all HR professionals are very comfortable with running a full suite of background tests against candidates meeting the minimum criteria:
- Employment verification
- Education/Certificate verification
- Criminal History
- Civil History
- Credit Check
- Drug Test
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It seems that fudging the truth about out past work lives has been a very popular thing to do these days. With so many adulterations to the facts it's become harder to spot the truths amid so many lies.