We found this article awhile ago on Inc.com —
Study: Almost Half of Résumés are Bogus
From: Inc.com By: Ted O’Callahan
A new six-month review of résumés found that a surprising number contained “major misrepresentations.”
Feb. 28, 2006–While much attention has been focused on performance-enhancing drugs in the sports world over the past few years, a new study shows that the business world may be suffering from even more cheating — at least when it comes to résumés.
RésuméDoctor.com, a South Burlington, Vt.-based résumé-counseling company, spent six months verifying dates of employment, job titles, and educational background on more than 1,000 résumés, and found that 42.7% had one or more significant errors. The study, which was the company’s first, looked a résumés for positions ranging from entry level to executive.
“I was shocked at how many people include a major misrepresentation in their résumé,†said Mike Worthington, co-founder of RésuméDoctor.
There is certainly no shortage of high-profile résumé flaps. Just last week, RadioShack CEO Dave Edmonson resigned after admitting misstatements on his résumé. Michael Brown, the embattled former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, faced scathing criticism after Hurricane Katrina over the thinness of his résumé. And George O’Leary lost his job as Notre Dame’s head football coach four years ago for inventing a master’s degree on his résumé.
But, Worthington said, such fabrication is not exclusive to just high-level executives, and impacts companies of all sizes.
Linda Brandenberger of Oklahoma City-based Partners Human Resources said that many résumés take a “most poetic license†with the truth. “Inaccuracies are a huge problem,†she added.
Brandenberger said she believes that people exaggerate because they want to cast themselves in the most positive light, even though “just giving an honest picture†may actually do more to get a job.
Brandenberger, who has been an HR director for 20 years, said the trend continues to grow, citing many examples she has seen of certifications, degrees, and jobs that were completely fabricated. “You have to verify everything now,†she said.
Todd Springer, a managing partner at Footbridge, an Andover, Mass.-based engineering and IT staffing firm, said he has seen many instances of title inaccuracies and date discrepancies. “A résumé is designed to be a selling tool,†he said, noting that it is an employer’s obligation to then verify that sales pitch. Interviews, he has found, are an essential part of the vetting process.
At the same time, contacting references is key, Springer said, recalling a résumé he once came across where the candidate was actually covering up prison time with bogus information. He suggests cold-calling references, especially if the employer has pre-existing relationships with someone in a company listed on an applicants résumé.
RésuméDoctor’s Worthington said that the fear of lawsuits makes many companies reluctant to do thorough résumé checks.
Okay, so for most Human Resource Managers I’m sure it’s not secret that people like on their resumes. There may well be, as the article states, litigation dangers as a consequence of checking out resumes. But think of the consequences and the dangers to your business if you put the wrong person in the wrong position under the misguided belief that they are actually qualified. Most businesses, after all, don’t die exactly from natural causes. Businesses die from screw ups and miscalculations, substance abusers and incompetent personnel.
In the age of moral relativity, let’s face it, more than a few don’t see the harm in lying about their education degrees, past jobs and responsibilities. Therefore it is essential to separate the puff aspects and embellishments from the out and out fabrications. It’s may be arguable that your candidate supervised as many projects as he said, and it may be arguable that he was instrumental increasing revenue by a zillion percent. However there is no arguement concerning actual skill sets and degrees that he earned.
Since we are a background checking company we realize that many of our clients have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to lying. You can admit misdemeanors and even some felonies or tell them up front you didn’t quite get your Bacherlor’s Degree, but if you lie about it your candidacy is automatically rejected. It is a good policy, sound in ethics and logic. If you enter into a job lying, chances are you are going to be lying on the job as well.
We know we are predjudiced but we truly believe you have to be crazy not to run background checks on your employment candidates. For the few bucks it costs you should run education verification checks and past employment verification as well as criminal checks and for certain positions credit checks and DMV screening as well. You could be paying a lot more than you think for someonewho is ill equipped or lacking in skill sets to occupy a pivotal job in your company.
Education background checks will put an end to any doubt or considerations about a candidate’s scholastic achievements. Employment verification will help clarify your candidate’s resume. Pre-employment screening is your only counter against lying candidates and bogus resumes. Background checks will help eliminate any rude surprises.
So do yourself and establish a steadfast policy for your HR deparment that they conduct pre-employment screenings along with education and employment verification background checks. You will save money, time and a whole lot of aggravation.
Check Them Out Before You Hire!
