June 25, 2010
Two-thirds of the country’s employers have interviewed prospective employees with misrepresentative CVs, according to new research.
With so many job seekers desperate for income following a painful, still widely evident recession, more than a third of employers believe that lying to secure employment is having a large impact on their business.
The research, by background screening company, PeopleChecking, found that small businesses in particular felt that CV misrepresentation was an expensive problem due to the relatively high cost of sourcing suitable employees.
Research shows that job candidates are most likely to lie about their educational qualifications, with 78% of employers noticing inflated degree classifications, A level results and GCSEs.
One in five respondents said they had experienced candidates who claimed to have attended a more prestigious educational establishment than they actually did, while 68% claimed false or misleading references are also alongside commonplace websites which aid unscrupulous candidates.
“Fraudulent qualifications are becoming increasingly difficult to detect,” commented PeopleChecking’s Mathew Armstrong. “Previously, checking directly with the educational establishment was pretty foolproof but we’ve recently witnessed the rise of internet-based companies which, for a fee, offer fake qualifications and/or fake work histories.
“These companies come complete with sophisticated websites with manned contacts which provide false verification of qualifications and work history. Unless the verifier is used to dealing with large volumes of verification data and can spot the early warning signs, these websites are extremely difficult to detect.”
When asked “what was the biggest issue for their business in vetting incoming staff”, 35% stated referencing, and 16% experienced difficulty in checking that candidates had not oversold themselves on their CVs.
Employees looking to pull wool over the eyes of their next interviewer should note that employers are becoming increasingly aware of the measures some will go to for a regular wage.
Lying about qualifications and competencies can result in criminal action against misrepresented jobseekers. Avoid legal pitfalls by operating a policy of honesty with prospective employers, who will appreciate trustworthy candidates during trying times.
