Fraudulent Education and Employment Claims Increase Background Background Checks

Fraudulent claims from international employment candidates, especially from China, have necessitated an increased in employment and education verification background checks for employers looking to recruit applicants from these regions.   Many employment screening services have reported that the growing problem of academic and work qualification fraud in China has lead to increased business from background checking agencies.

For a long time international candidates made fraudulent claims and for the most part they went uncontested. Staffing agencies and employers for a long time accepted the information on CV’s and resumes pretty much at face value.  But no longer.

According to an article in the greatreporter.com, ” The latest Q4 Hudson Report on Employment and HR trends in China surveyed over 1,500 employers across Asia, and found that more than two-thirds (68%) of business respondents across all sectors had encountered candidates being dishonest about their background or experience in their resumes in China, a far higher proportion than in the other markets surveyed in Asia.   The report maintained that media and public relaitons candidates were the most prone to exaggerate their experiences.   Of the candidates interviewed, over 90% admitted to falsifying claims.   The second industry where claims of experience were grossly exaggerated waas the technology sector.  Nealry two thirds of those interviewed admitted to telling those little fibs that made them look better than they actually were.

There are falsified claims in just about every industry.   Everything from education history to work experience may be prone to hyperbole.   Chinese educators say the culture of cheating takes root in high school, where the entry into the better university is highly competitive and those without high marks don’t have a prayer of getting in.  So, I suppose, the next best thing is to lie about getting into the better schools.  While China’s  Ministry of Education ordered back in the 90’s two major antifraud campaigns in the 90s, the results were, to be kind, modest.   Not to besmirch another culture, but even in intelligence practices the more stealthy episodes of life are generally accepted as common practice.  In many cases efforts are even rewarded.

Corra Group has recently started to assemble a wall of shame, neatly framed copies of bogus degrees our client’s candidates offered as “proof” of their graduation.   Not only did some fail to graduate, but more than a few never even attended the college or university.   In terms of employment claims or  the inherent experience one would expect, things are not what they first appear to be.   Sometimes employment mills are used to fill in the gaps when a candidate wasn’t working. And sometimes they either just lie about it or try to stretch the duration of one job so that it ends commensurate with another, thus avoiding any gaps.

With background checks you can verify domestic and international education and employment.   In some cases, especially in the cases of the more senior executives further investigation is required to properly discern the realities of their proclaimed achievements.  A necessity as

Fraudulent claims from international employment candidates, especially from China, have necessitated an increased in employment and education verification background checks for employers looking to recruit applicants from these regions.   Many employment screening services have reported that the growing problem of academic and work qualification fraud in China has lead to increased business from background checking agencies.

For a long time international candidates made fraudulent claims and for the most part they went uncontested. Staffing agencies and employers for a long time accepted the information on CV’s and resumes pretty much at face value.  But no longer.

According to an article in the greatreporter.com, ” The latest Q4 Hudson Report on Employment and HR trends in China surveyed over 1,500 employers across Asia, and found that more than two-thirds (68%) of business respondents across all sectors had encountered candidates being dishonest about their background or experience in their resumes in China, a far higher proportion than in the other markets surveyed in Asia.   The report maintained that media and public relaitons candidates were the most prone to exaggerate their experiences.   Of the candidates interviewed, over 90% admitted to falsifying claims.   The second industry where claims of experience were grossly exaggerated waas the technology sector.  Nealry two thirds of those interviewed admitted to telling those little fibs that made them look better than they actually were.

There are falsified claims in just about every industry.   Everything from education history to work experience may be prone to hyperbole.   Chinese educators say the culture of cheating takes root in high school, where the entry into the better university is highly competitive and those without high marks don’t have a prayer of getting in.  So, I suppose, the next best thing is to lie about getting into the better schools.  While China’s  Ministry of Education ordered back in the 90’s two major antifraud campaigns in the 90s, the results were, to be kind, modest.   Not to besmirch another culture, but even in intelligence practices the more stealthy episodes of life are generally accepted as common practice.  In many cases efforts are even rewarded.

Corra Group has recently started to assemble a wall of shame, neatly framed copies of bogus degrees our client’s candidates offered as “proof” of their graduation.   Not only did some fail to graduate, but more than a few never even attended the college or university.   In terms of employment claims or  the inherent experience one would expect, things are not what they first appear to be.   Sometimes employment mills are used to fill in the gaps when a candidate wasn’t working. And sometimes they either just lie about it or try to stretch the duration of one job so that it ends commensurate with another, thus avoiding any gaps.

With background checks you can verify domestic and international education and employment.   In some cases, especially in the cases of the more senior executives further investigation is required to properly discern the realities of their proclaimed achievements.

Long gone are the days when you can take employment candidates at their word.  As noted earlier, in some cultures, lying about accomplishments and falsifying records is viewed as a pragmatic means of advancing one’s career.   It is considered in some cultures that you should not be punished for falsifying information, you should be rewarded for ingenuity.

So when recruiting new candidates, be careful with your approach.    Sometimes the supposed bargain international student or world experienced executive is in actuality under trained with gaps in that experience and with a  resume or CV peppered with bogus information.   And when you get “proof” of his education, have it verified through a legitimate background checking service.   The vaunted degree literally may not be worth the paper it is printed on.

Long gone are the days when you can take employment candidates at their word.  As noted earlier, in some cultures, lying about accomplishments and falsifying records is viewed as a pragmatic means of advancing one’s career.   It is considered in some cultures that you should not be punished for falsifying information, you should be rewarded for ingenuity.

So when recruiting new candidates, be careful with your approach.    Sometimes the supposed bargain international student or world experienced executive is in actuality under trained with gaps in that experience and with a  resume or CV peppered with bogus information.   And when you get “proof” of his education, have it verified through a legitimate background checking service.   The vaunted degree literally may not be worth the paper it is printed on.