Accuscreen

Napbs


 
 

Press Releases

Resume Falsifications On the Rise, Likely to Worsen With the Economy, Reports Accu-Screen, Inc.

Tampa, Flor. (PRWEB) July 28, 2008—Resume falsifications are on the rise, including some outrageous resume lies, according to internal company data from Accu-Screen, Inc.

We’re seeing that the problem is bigger than has been previously reported We’re also seeing an increase across the board on the most common incidences of lying on resumes. One and a half million college students have been recently unleashed into the job market, many of them are still looking for jobs We want to get the word out to employers and job-seekers Employers need to be especially vigilant during these periods. Job seekers must know that more employers than ever use rigorous background screening procedures to vet the information contained on their resume.
Accu-Screen, a leader in employment background screening, has kept records for 14 years on resume falsification data and has noticed “spikes” correlating with economic downturns and weak labor markets. Moreover, according to company data, 43% of all resumes and job applications contain falsifications. This statistic challenges the findings of many industry studies which place the falsification rate at one-third or less of resumes and job applications.

“We’re seeing that the problem is bigger than has been previously reported,” says Kevin Connell, chief executive officer and founder of Accu-Screen. “We’re also seeing an increase across the board on the most common incidences of lying on resumes.”

Read

 

Is Your Applicant’s Resume “Too Good to Be True”?

Why do people lie on their resumes? Usually it is because they feel that their skills or experience are inadequate for the job they are applying for. When people search for jobs they read the area where the employer has listed the education and/or experience required for the job. Sometimes, the job seeker determines that they are not up to par on paper but could definitely do a good job if given the chance. With the economy downturn and the rise of unemployment, the job market is saturated with people looking for work. Resume lies have become more and more common as people try and steal their way to the front of the pack.

According to Forbes magazine, lying on a resume is one of the most frequent lies that people tell. Even the most honest of people have fallen into the trap of stretching the truth to get the job. Resumes are the first impression that a person has to make and if it’s not a good one, or an impressive one for that matter, the applicant takes the risk of not getting considered for an interview. How do hiring managers help catch these falsifications? Well, job seekers beware; Accu-Screen is the go-to source for human resources when it comes to catching these types of resume lies!

As a result of ever-increasing false resume information, human resource professionals have spent more time than ever before deciphering what’s truth and what’s a lie. For employers, it is a huge risk to hire an unqualified person. In jobs where a person’s very life depends upon whom is caring for them, such as in the medical field, it is especially crucial to know when someone is fully able to do the job properly. In jobs where lying on a resume doesn’t necessarily put someone’s life at risk, when the person is caught the decision must be made whether a dishonest person like that is best suited for work your business. The smartest thing you can do as a hiring professional is to do your due diligence and screen potential candidates.

So what are the most common lies told on a person’s resume? According to Forbes Magazine, adjusting dates of employment to hide gaps is the first most common falsification. This is especially typical in women who have chosen to stay home with their children for an extended period of time beyond standard maternity leave. Other reasons for lying about dates could be that they were fired for some reason after only a short time and they wish to hide that job to avoid questions. Other deceitful information such as false college degrees are pretty common, even with the prevalence of services like Accu-Screen, where employers can verify if someone really has earned a degree.

Another resume lie to look for is the omission of information such as the year they earned a degree or taking large portions out of their work history to appear more youthful. Although this may seem like a minor offense, honesty is something most hiring managers are looking for and it doesn’t say much about an applicant who lies. Other lies told include better-than-reality skills or accomplishments such as increase of sales for a company, how many people they managed, and higher than actually earned salaries. At Accu-Screen, we help you catch the big lies as well as the “white lies” so you know the truth about a job applicant.

Does “Padding” a Resume Count as Lying?

Some would say that it is acceptable to stretch the truth on a resume to hide events such as gaps in employment, a job stint that resulted in getting fired, or a degree that does not exist. Resume falsifications can be any of these things and more. With statistics showing that over 90% of college students say they would lie on a resume to get the job they want, it’s becoming more important than ever to verify information on a job seeker’s application. For positions such as executives, it is almost negligence on an employer’s part to not do the proper research before hiring them. At Accu-Screen, alert you of inconsistencies and we’ll provide the information to you in easy-to-read reports that are accurate and thorough.

Recent events such as the fall of Enron, mortgage companies approving applicants with poor credit, and irresponsible advice on investments have brought a bigger need for being more scrupulous prior to accepting a person’s claims. Major indiscretions have been uncovered in recent years such as accepting kickbacks, inflating earnings, and not having earned an MBA. For soon-to-be executives of publicly owned companies, not only does a prospective company need to know that their next CEO is on the up-and-up…the investing public needs to know! According to Slate magazine online, “executives who fudge their resumes may be more likely than other bosses to play games with their numbers”. This is likely not the type of person you want at the helm.

Why do so many people embellish their accomplishments? Our society may actually be feeding into this temptation to lie. Our nation’s printed, radio, and television media reports mainly on the uber-successful and, as a result, this nation treats these individuals as idols; a vision of what to strive for. With the media constantly reporting on where so-and-so was seen, what they have and what they were wearing, having a large paycheck now equates to being a “star”. When you combine this emphasis on money with basic human nature, sometimes a monster is created. But in the executive world, resume falsifications are something to think twice about.

Let’s take a look at a real-life example that admittedly got out of hand. The New York Times reported in April of 2002 that Fox News Channel had discovered its senior Afghanistan reporter was not who he claimed to be. He had purported to be a Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel, had won the Silver Star for valor in the Vietnam War, and had been part of the now-famous failed attempt to rescue hostages in 1980 from Iran. It is hard to believe that he was able to fool people for as long as he did, but after four months with the news media giant he was found out. He had never reached any of the military ranks he had claimed and had, in fact, only served 44 days in boot camp and been honorably discharged as a Private First Class. This reporter had used his stories of battlefield glories to make professional connections, get hired for jobs, and rise through the ranks to Senior Reporter at Fox News.
So here’s the question: Is it really lying when someone pads their resume a little here and there? The answer is an emphatic “Yes!” As a hiring professional, you need to be sure that your potential employees are qualified to do the job to avoid major repercussions. Whether an applicant could potentially be driving children to and from the hospital, divulging profit and loss information to NASDAQ, or reporting on the War on Terrorism, it is vital that due diligence be done on someone’s background. At Accu-Screen we find the truth, the lies, and everything in between.

What May Be Lurking “Between the Lines” of Your Applicant’s Resume

According to the most recent surveys, nearly 3% and 7% of all job applicants have either a misdemeanor or felony criminal record, respectively. This can be disastrous for employers looking to hire people to fill sensitive positions. These types of careers might include health care workers, CEO’s, childcare professionals, police officers, and accounting personnel. Whether someone pads their resume or leaves something out, we find them out. At Accu-Screen, we do thorough background searches and run detailed reports on your job seekers to provide you with most accurate and timely information. We equip you to make the very best decisions about whom to hire.

What happens when an employee makes an egregious error on the job? For a nanny with a past child abuse conviction, it becomes critical to a child’s well being to know this beforehand. For a hospital, it could mean a costly lawsuit for errors made by a nurse who has a prior drug conviction and did not complete the required rehabilitation. An accountant with a history of misappropriating funds or skimming off the top for themselves is a risk too big to take. Unfortunately, these situations are realities in today’s job market. People make mistakes and before giving someone a job, it’s necessary) to know their criminal history prior to hiring them. It’s really the best way to protect yourself, your company, and your clientele from hiring a person who could potentially be dangerous.

With the downturn of the economy and unemployment reaching its highest level in 16 years, more people are leaving out parts of their past that may disqualify them from the job. There are fewer jobs to go around and more people saturating the job market. Competition is stiff and many people are resorting to resume falsification in order to get ahead. What advice can be given to former criminals who are trying to get an honest job and start over? The first advice is to be honest! According to a senior federal probation office in Arlington, VA, the next best thing to do is to prepare for a job while still in prison by participating in a job-training program. Another recommendation is to have a birth certificate and Social Security card on-hand so there is more to show than a prison ID card.  

Employers have the task of deciding the next steps when someone comes back with a less-than-desirable past. Whether it is a DUI, prior burglary charge, or a minor drug possession charge, knowing the information in the first place is the key. Once you know that there is a criminal past, you can make an informed decision regarding whether or not to proceed with the interview and hiring process. When interviewing those who have a criminal past, it is important to consider whether they have completed job training programs while incarcerated, what their past employers have to say, and if they have completed rehabilitation courses required. These will be deciding factors for hiring that individual. With Accu-Screen, resume falsification is no longer under the radar. All of the screening information you need to verify before hiring someone is available in a friendly, accurate, and timely manner.

 




To Receive the Complimentary White Paper on  "Resume Lying",
enter your  information below
Contact Information
First Name *
Last Name *
Email *
Other Information
     
What types of services do you use now?

We will never share your information with anyone.
We dislike spam as much as you do!
* =Required Field

 

Home | About Us | Articles | More Articles | Contact Us | News | Newsletter | Privacy Policy | Search | Training | ©2008-2009 Accu-Screen, Inc., All Rights Reserved
5303 S. MacDill Ave. Tampa, Florida 33611, Phone: 800-689-2228.