How many people fess up to fabricating details on their resumes? According to a study by the Society of Human Resource Managers and ADP, more than half of resumes contain partial truths and flat-out lies. People continue to stretch the truth, even as big-name CEOs, such as Yahoo’s Scott Thompson, get outed, fired, and sometimes even imprisoned. Here’s what people are lying about, and steps companies can take to catch lies early-on:
What People Are Lying About On Their Resumes
Job seekers are most likely to lie about duration of employment, past accomplishments and skills, and titles and responsibilities, U.S. News reports. Instead of explaining gaps in employment history, for example, some prospective candidates change the dates. U.S. News explains, “Reasons [for lying on resumes] vary greatly, from an applicant with a criminal record who’s afraid his history would prevent him from being hired to someone looking to cover up an employment gap. Or maybe the job seeker simply doesn’t have the required education or skills that a job requires, yet still feels he’s qualified.”
Large Corporations Teaming up With Private Investigator Services
Uncovering blatant lies can be awkward for everyone involved. Workers are not the only ones who are likely to feel the consequences; failing to unearth large discrepancies until years — or sometimes even decades — later can also significantly hurt a company’s reputation. The Food Network, for example, was forced to find a new star and host for Dinner Impossible in 2008 after learning that Robert Irvine did not design Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ wedding cake.
For that reason, more large corporations are teaming up with private detectives or licensed private investigators to help streamline the interviewing and hiring process. Private detectives can easily investigate the validity of candidates’ resumes and references and perform any required background checks. Detectives are able to do this in a much more timely and efficient manner than busy senior management.
Don’t get caught up in a scandal. Consider hiring licensed private investigators to keep your hiring process clean and avoid airing any dirty laundry years later.
More like this.