subject: Resume Fraud: Top 10 tips to spot that fraudulent resume [print this page] They say that lying comes naturally to humans; so it's of no surprise that resumes will lie as well! It has almost become an epidemic of sorts. One never knows where it may originate from; and there seems no ways of finding a vaccine and curing it forever. As an individual looking to get hired, you can differentiate yourself by making it clear that your resume has integrity, such as by getting a Crederity seal. As a hiring HR professional or recruiter, it is very important to make sure to background check and verify the resumes of the individuals you express interest in, lest it be based on false information.
A few examples and numbers of resume fraud
In February 2006, David Edmondson (President and CEO) of RadioShack Corp.a leading electronics retailer of USwas forced to resign for putting up false credentials in his resume.
VERITAS, the international software giant, sacked its former CFO for having falsely claimed a Stanford MBA in his resume.
In the UK, 39% of organizations admit to have gone through situations, ending up hiring people who has supposedly lied in their job application.
According to BBC Risk Advisory Group 2004 study: two-thirds of the resumes they received had discrepancies! Of the various statistics: Women in their 30s were the worst offenders
55% of CVs had employment discrepancies
36% changed academic details
and a very interesting caught-in-the-act instance!
The Port Authority of New York, in the late 90s, published an electricians with experience in using Sontag conductors required' advertisement. Almost one-third of the applicants claimed they had experience in using a Sontag conductor. The catch? A 'Sontag conductor' didn't exist!
The 10-point formula to catch that dishonest resume
Check for inconsistencies slip-ups in dates, contradictions between job titles and duties, etc.
Make interviewees fill out applicationsand compare this with the resume! Thanks to various "professional resume writers", most applicants do not even realize what is on their resume. Some recruitment agencies juggle information between various resumes, creating fraud (with the approval of candidates).
Test the applicant's skillsthrough on-site, hands-on tests; check if claims of proficiency in a program or skill are true.
Check references, then ask for moredo not be satisfied with the references in the resume. They're obviously good' sources. Ask for details of a colleague/supervisor/ex-employee and follow up on them.
Make sure institutions existcall the college admissions office, verify degrees and other claims.
Investigate deep into "self-owned business" claimsnames and numbers of past clients. Try to get their details / samples of the work done for them.
Don't confuse referrals with referencesthoroughly check candidates referred by co-workers or friends.
Don't blindly trust your hiring consultantsone never knows if they have passed on a well-screened resume. Do your own verification checks.
Analyse why the applicant left his previous companythe situations; and if the firm had been liquidated firms, try and understand what role the applicant played towards the company's fate.
Do not be biased against a set/group of peoplecome out of the stereotyped thought that only youngsters stoop to such frauds; reports show that 49% of the perpetrators were above 40.
And finally verify the potential employee's background using the world-wide-web. Probe deep into any mismatch with the details given in the resume.
At Crederity, we're trying to make it easier to accomplish some of the steps above and others to assess the authenticity and credibility of credentials and identity, to benefit both job seekers and employers, as well as people from all walks of life outside of the employment context.
What happens during a bad hire?
It is estimated that in the US, a single bad hire can bring losses of $25,000, in the case of a entry-to-mid-level position, and close to $1 million or more for an executive position. A bad hire can also mean an estimated loss to companies of approximately $40,000 in severance pay, training, wasted human resources time, possible search firm fees, loss of productivity, and impact on employee morale.
In today's rat-race job market, many people are ready to go to any means to make the recruiter believe that they are the ones the company needs. And if you thought it happens only in small-scale institutions, where the chances of a background check may be perceived to be less likely, well you've already read what happens in big, multinational companies!
Pre-employment screening, though an added step, is a smart idea; you only stand to benefit! Accept it: the expense of a bad hire far outweighs the cost of a background check.
Resume Fraud: Top 10 tips to spot that fraudulent resume
