Check Resume Fraud by Checking References By Michael Smith and James Soutouras Many job candidates, from recent college graduates to top-level executives, commit resume fraud. Most do it to move up the corporate ladder faster and farther than their competitors, while others do it just to get their foot in the door. Every thing from slight exaggerations to an outright lie is passed off as fact. Job candidates are willing to gamble their resume embellishments will go unnoticed, as companies grow increasingly burdened with the cumbersome task of recruiting and hiring. How widespread is resume fraud? The numbers are significant. The American Society for Personnel Administration reports that 25 to 75 percent of all resumes are embellished. An informal survey of more than 1,200 job candidates conducted by Smith James Group found at least one misrepresentation on 21 percent of the resumes sampled. According to the FBI, approximately half a million people in the United States falsely claim to have college degrees. Perhaps you’ve seen the television commercial in which the job candidate admits, "I added the MBA [to my resume] this morning." The interviewer confides, "I used to add a Ph.D." The commercial is entertaining, but if you interview candidates for your company and overlook inaccuracies in a candidate’s resume, your company may be vulnerable to litigation for negligent hiring. How can you protect your company from resume fraud? Thorough extensive employment verifications and reference investigations, you can make sure your company is hiring candidates whose qualifications match those stated on their resumes. Always obtain the candidate’s written authorization to check references and verify the following information: education degrees and verifiable formal certificates; employment and credit histories; and criminal and driving records. If your company does not have an explicit authorization section on its application, you should provide a separate form or make sure the company includes one in its application. Once you have the written authorization, contact the registrar or records office of the schools listed on the candidate's resume. Be sure to contact the correct campus of the institution. Provide the candidate's full name (used at graduation), social security number and date of birth. Proceed by contacting the candidate’s previous employers and confirm dates of employment, the candidate's responsibilities, job titles and key accomplishments. Contact each reference supplied by the candidate. A fair list should include at least one former supervisor, one peer, and one customer or client. Make sure you express the importance of the reference check and assure the reference that all information provided will be confidential. At the end of each call, ask the reference to recommend someone else to contact. These additional contacts will provide the unbiased verification of the candidate’s qualifications. When performing reference checks, avoid asking questions that require a yes or no answer. Open-ended questions such as the following will reveal patterns in the candidate’s performance:
Remember that reference investigation is one of the most important steps in the hiring process. This information will minimize the risk of hiring an unqualified candidate, and reduce your company’s exposure to legal and financial liability. >>>>>>>> Smith James Group, Inc. performs detailed reference investigations on a cost-effective basis. For a limited time, we will perform your first reference investigation FREE so you can experience the value of the service. For more information, call Michael Smith or Jennifer Harris at 770-667-0212. >>>>>>>> Smith and Soutouras are Senior Partners with Smith James Group, Inc., in Roswell, Georgia. The firm specializes in direct recruiting for executive and professional positions throughout the United States. |