What are the most common lies told by job applicants?

Every employee has the potential to impact your company’s performance, culture and bottom line. That makes it crucial to avoid hiring the wrong candidate, which could result in a costly and even critical mistake. Those costs often result from failing to identify falsified information on the candidate’s CV.

Job seekers sometimes exaggerate, falsify credentials and even lie outright on their job applications. Even if a candidate’s embellished CV does not constitute actual fraud, an employer’s reliance on inaccurate or inflated information may result in a poor hiring decision. For this reason, businesses should consider comprehensive background checks designed to uncover false or exaggerated information on CVs and job applications.

When Should You Perform Background Checks?

While sometimes considered a common practice of large organisations, background checking is also vital for small businesses. Job candidates are likelier to lie to small businesses because they assume that the companies are less likely to perform background checks on their candidates. Although increasingly small businesses are performing professional, enterprise-quality background screening today, job seekers still try to get away with it.

Identifying job candidates who lie on their CVs can be tricky and time-consuming. Hiring a company to perform background checks can uncover applicants who submit false information when applying.

What Tactics Can Background Checks Detect?

• Exaggerating dates of past employment Candidates often stretch the truth to cover gaps in their work history that they may not want to explain. Sometimes discrepancies result from an honest mistake, but employers should always verify employment dates.

• Falsifying qualifications earned – A candidate will sometimes claim that they earned a particular degree when they only took some relevant classes, or their CV might exaggerate a grade, making them appear more qualified for the job. Other candidates forge diplomas, claim degrees earned by family members, or purchase degrees from diploma mills. The latter can be challenging, but knowledgeable background checking firms compile detailed databases to identify fraud.

• Inflating job title and salary – It’s hardly surprising that a candidate might exaggerate these essential facts to get a better job or a higher salary. That’s why companies typically contact previous employers to verify candidates’ positions. Salary verification can be more difficult. Many companies will not reveal this information. Some may confirm the salary range for a particular job or class of employment.

• Hiding a drug habit – Whether an employer supports a drug-free workplace or is required by regulatory agencies to perform drug tests for certain positions, employers should be aware of the tactics some candidates employ to hide a drug habit. Some drug users go to great lengths to beat these tests. Today’s drug tests are sophisticated and can generally identify true positives and negatives.

• Concealing a criminal record – A fundamental reason why many companies perform background checks is to maintain a safe workplace or to mitigate risk. Compliance is also a key reason why some companies do background checks. Some industries require employers to obtain criminal background information on applicants, often by job type.

While everyone wants to present themselves in the best possible light, most candidates are truthful. However, with so much at stake, it pays for employers to check that applicants are being honest. It’s for the good of your business, your employees and your customers.

A little extra checking of references and qualifications during selection could save you a lot of trouble.