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; AccuScreen 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 AccuScreen, 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 AccuScreen, we help you catch the big lies as well as the “white lies” so you know the truth about a job applicant.
