With today’s unemployment rate at an all -time low, candidates are getting more creative in the fight to stand out from the crowd in an impressive pool of resumes. But to what extent will a candidate go to get the job.
Take Cindy White for example. She applied for a human resources manager position with Diversified Foods and Seasonings (Popeye’s) and was hired in September 2015 with a starting salary of $95,000 per year. In February 2016, Cindy White was promoted to senior human resources director and received a new salary of $105,000 per year.
When company executives noticed a lack in performance by White, they decided to dig deeper into her personnel files. This is where they learned the truth. Cindy T. White was not a graduate of Tulane University as listed on her resume. In fact, company officials learned White not only copied the credentials from a Linked In member, but she also stole the social security number and driver’s license number she purchased on the dark web.
“A new survey from CareerBuilder of more than 2,500 hiring managers found that 56% have caught job candidates lying on their resumes.”
In this office alone, we have come across candidates that put incorrect dates in for employment, have used credentials from diploma mills, and even have people pretend to be a previous boss.
So how do you weed out fake resumes?
- Not only conduct criminal background checks, but also conduct employment and education verifications.
- When conducting employment verifications, do a little research on the company before you make the call. Don’t assume the phone number provided by the applicant is correct. Nine times out of ten, it is a cell phone number.
- Keep the same protocol for every applicant.
- Request references.
Not all applicants give false information, but some do. It is important you know who you are hiring before you make a commitment.