| The next time you find the "ideal" candidate
for a critical position, do not hire that person. That’s right, do NOT hire them!
That is, not until you have someone go through his or her background with a fine-tooth
comb. Chances are, the person is lying. Experts now estimate that as many
as one in every three job applicants lie about some aspect of their resume. These include
not just harmless exaggerations, but also deliberate misrepresentations, such as
claiming degrees never earned and positions never held. This trend, perpetrated by
everyone from recent college graduates to seasoned executives at the pinnacle of their
careers, has serious implications for companies. Hiring an individual who is less than
qualified or |
hiding a criminal past can prove costly, dangerous and
can subject your company to potentially devastating lawsuits. How the
Mighty Have Fallen
When a prominent person gets caught fabricating their past, it’s often
front-page news. Consider the former U.S. ambassador who created a false military
background, a lie that was discovered only after he was dead and buried in Arlington
National Cemetery. His body was later removed. There’s also the recent case of the
federal judge who withdrew his nomination for promotion after he admitted lying about
being related to a young boy slain during the Civil Rights movement. For every case that
makes the papers, thousands go undetected. |
For better of for worse, society has come to expect a
certain amount of embellishing in the resume process. But as the job market tightens and
competition for positions grows more intense, more and more people are deliberately
falsifying their background to gain an unfair advantage. They are willing to bet that the
employer will never bother to verify the information on their resume. Unfortunately, they
are often correct, as overworked Human Resources departments find it increasingly
difficult to follow up on every reference and background checks are conducted spottily at
best. If you know what to look for, you will reduce the likelihood that you will fall
victim to this type of fraud. (continued on page 2) |
