Detect Falsified Resumes with Comprehensive Background Checks

Falsified resumes are common, since anyone applying for a job, especially when there could be a lot of competition, will be tempted to exaggerate their experience or qualifications. Sometimes that temptation is just too much because most jobs worth having these days get hundreds of applicants.

Employers don?t actually need to receive hundreds of applications, since it the perception or belief that this is the case that triggers someone to be less than completely truthful, and there have been some high profile cases. Kenneth Lonchar, CFO and executive vice president of Veritas Software lost his job when it was discovered that he did not hold an MBA from Stanford as claimed in his resume. Many people are guilty of lesser exaggerations.

However, there is a world of difference between exaggeration and falsification which could be used in terms of length of employment to cover a period of imprisonment, for example. Falsifies resumes can be ferreted out by means of effective employment and criminal background checks.

It is frequently possible to cover up a poor criminal record by moving from state to state, since there is no effective national criminal records system. The only way to carry out a reasonably accurate comprehensive criminal background check is to check out the individual county court records. Some counties send their records to a state database, but not all, so a particular individual can only be properly screened if the records in each county of residence are examined.

If that individual has submitted a falsified resume, it will be difficult to do this unless a full residential check is carried out. This involves verifying each address given for the period you are interested in and filling in any blanks. Once you have established a full residential history for the past seven years, you can then check the court records in the counties concerned. Seven years is recommended since there is generally a statute of limitations whereby records more than seven years old are considered lapsed.

There are companies that specifically specialize in this type of background check and the fees charged are well worth the security that a proper pre-employment background check gives you against falsified resumes. Many resumes are falsified, not only to claim a higher level of suitability for a particular position, but also to cover up past criminal activity, or behavior, that could result in negligent hiring were a company to take them on.

It is very important then, that your pre-employment screening is adequate enough to detect any falsification. A failure to detect falsified resumes could cost you dearly. Apart from adequate background checks, one way to detect falsified resumes is to have them provided to you by post prior to interview. You can then ask each candidate at the interview to complete a job application including a history of addresses and past employment.

When people lie, they frequently do so without a great deal of thought, and find it difficult later to remember the precise lie told. A comparison of the application with the resume that you have previously received could show up differences which could then be queried during interview. On the basis of better safe that sorry, any suspicious or less than satisfactory answers, could result in you opting for another candidate. There are genuine reasons sometimes, but the interview should be able give you an idea if the differences were deliberate or accidental.

Once you have spotted an anomaly, your pre-employment screening should pay special attention to it if you still decide to go ahead. Without adequate screening, you are statistically certain to employ someone who has falsified resumes to hide something in their past, frequently a criminal record or a dismissal for theft or violence. It is believed that up to 40% of applicants submit falsified resumes, and over 10% of job applicants have a criminal record.

While everybody may deserve another chance, they should not be given one if they are lying to cover up. The only way to adequately protect yourself from a negligent hiring lawsuit is to carry out sufficient background checks to demonstrate that you have done all you could reasonably be expected to do to avoid it.

Advanced Research http://www.arsbackgrounds.com is made up of a team of experts in HR, Risk Management and Legal Investigations. We provide a free consultation to assist you in mitigating your potential hiring risks