| applicants
in today’s job market. The responses were varied, but apparently the needs and
experiences of these individuals were very similar. Do most applicants lie?
This was a tough question for most of those surveyed.
Perhaps the problem exists more in the definition of what it means to "Lie" on a
job application. Some respondents felt that lies were of a serious nature. For example,
claiming to have a job that you never held, claiming you were never arrested when you
were, or claiming to hold a degree or certification which you in fact did not possess.
When this was the criteria, the answer was "no". Most applicants are relatively
truthful on their applications. As one respondent noted "How stupid would you have to
be to say you held a job which you didn’t, when it is a known fact that most
companies call and verify this information before hiring a new employee."
So, was it the fear of being found out that kept the
applicants on the straight and narrow? This could be the reason, since when we |
broadened
the terms of "lying" the response was much different. We asked if applicants
tended to "stretch the truth" when completing these applications or
during creation of their resumes. The answer was much different. Yes, it appears many of
our Human Resource professionals surveyed admitted that exaggeration ran rampant through
the resume and application process. One of the Directors of Human Resources we
spoke with had this to say, "It is probably rare to find a resume that is 100%
truthful. Most applicants feel the need to build up their background, education,
experience, and salary to compete in this very competitive job market. We as Human
Resource professionals are aware of this and therefore often must delve deeper into the
resumes we receive to weed out the exaggerations from the truths." Do you ask for proof to back up claims of possession of degree or
certification, which are made on the resumes?
The response to this question truly amazed us.
We found that although most of the human resources professionals we spoke with deal
primarily with the hiring of individuals possessing graduate and post-graduate degrees, |
few required
physical proof from the applicant. Of the respondents questioned only one firm informed us
that no formal offer would be made to a prospective employee, who was in possession of a
college degree, without having them first present the physical degree. Several others were
diligent in calling the university in question to confirm that the individual had earned a
degree, but the majority took the word of the applicant as law, without so much as a phone
call for verification. Why was this, we asked. The response was trust. Or perhaps better
stated, the desire to trust an individual and believe what they say at face value.
However, in |
Skeletons
In The Closet today’s world
cases are emerging everyday which prove that to protect your company’s reputation and
possibly even future survival, you must not blindly trust any individual with claims of
which you cannot see verifiable proof.
Credential fraud was another major issue
among the Human Resource Personnel. Apparently, in positions requiring licensing to
perform a particular duty the searches were carried out thoroughly, but if an individual
was hired for a position which was not governed by a state or city agency the situation
was much more lax.
(Continued on page
5) |
| Below you will find a listing of websites
pertaining to the subjects of Diploma and resume fraud. In some cases, with a simple click
of your mouse you can find yourself at a site that will provide you with a Bachelors,
Masters or even a Ph.D. Some are legitimate, but others require only the transfer of your
credit card numbers and you can call yourself a college graduate. |
http://www.degree.net/ This site is for Bear’s Guide to earning a college degree non-traditionally.
It lists the good, the bad, and the disgraceful.
http://www.detc.org/
Website of the distance education and training council. This site provides a listing of
accredited programs to help protect you |
