Member Article

How to guard against CV liars

It is relatively easy to spot blatant mistakes and omissions on a CV, such as spelling errors and gaps in employment history. But what about the information that at first glance may seem completely plausible, but in reality is not entirely what is seems?

People are sharing more information about themselves online than ever before, meaning that many CV lies are easily uncovered by a quick scan of LinkedIn or Facebook. However, a recent analysis of a sample of 3,000 CVs by The Risk Advisory Group found that in spite of the amount of easily accessible information that now exists online, 63% of CVs contain discrepancies, representing a rise of 15% in the past decade. The findings can perhaps be explained by the fact that an increasing global talent pool is making competition for jobs greater than ever. Coupled with tuition fee rises in the UK, many workers are feeling compelled to fabricate their qualifications in order to get ahead.

While some of these discrepancies are most likely accidental errors, others can be elaborate and calculated. For instance, one candidate, a senior compliance applicant, created a fictional employment history to cover up time served in prison for stealing client money.

Not all inconsistencies on CVs are as extreme or pronounced as this. But even relatively minor lies or discrepancies can make an employer question whether they are getting what they expected, and cause them to think twice about taking on a member of staff. At worst they can mislead them into making the wrong hiring decision for their business to the detriment of their reputation and their bottom-line. The CIPD has gone as far as to estimate that recruiting the wrong person can cost as much as £12,000.

However, there are measures that businesses can take to ensure that the people they employ are right for their business, with the correct qualifications and expertise. Here are some of the key ways to avoid hiring candidates who misrepresent themselves on their CV.

• Mitigate the risk from temporary workers & contractors

Contractors and temporary workers can pose a risk to your business if they aren’t verified in the same way as permanent staff. Protect your company by screening all of your employees to the same level – don’t assume that the temp agency you use has already done so or works to your standards. Run spot checks to ensure that the screening carried out by the temp agency is sufficiently thorough.

• Vive la différence

Recruiting from an increasingly global talent pool can present challenges when it comes to verifying a candidate’s background – either because the information isn’t readily available or because it involves communicating with non-English speakers. Be aware of what is legally permissible and ensure you have the applicant’s full consent to overcome obstacles. Clearly having the language skills and cultural understanding to converse with referees and academic institutions in their mother tongue can facilitate the whole process – and if you don’t have these skills in-house ensure that the screening partner you work with does.

• The devil is in the detail

One way to validate a candidate’s experience is to delve into the detail of their previous roles at the interview stage. Quiz them not only about what they were good at and what they liked about their previous job but also what some of the challenges were and where they think they could improve. In our latest CV analysis we spotted a growing trend for people to embellish their job titles. Check if people have the managerial skills they claim to have by asking them about their leadership style and some of the issues they faced.

• Don’t be fooled by fakes

Some candidates will stop at nothing to secure the job – and that sometimes means producing certificates that aren’t worth the paper they are written on. Just this month a Chinese website selling fake degree certificates from UK universities hit the headlines, and I recall one candidate using a friend’s degree certificate and a touch of Photoshop and passing it off as his own! This is a particular problem when hiring candidates from abroad as you may not have come across the university they have, or claim to have, graduated from. Never take certificates or references at face value – always validate the source.

• Verify and verify again

It is surprising how few recruiters and employers check candidates’ ID at the beginning of the recruitment process – and then again on the first day of employment. This is really important, particularly when you are hiring in large groups. There have been instances where the person who attended the recruitment day and secured the job was not the person who showed on the first day.

In an increasingly digital world, employee screening is becoming a more and more automated process. But what is clear is that there can be no substitute for human insight and analysis when identifying some of the most damaging CV lies. By staying vigilant, and closely evaluating all of the information in a potential candidate’s CV, you can be more confident that you are bringing on board the right people for your business.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Michael Whittington .