In today’s age of instant access to all types of information both public and private, I’m always surprised by the number of people who make the decision to embellish, delete, create, and fabricate information on their resumes.
I get it. Looking for a new job is stressful and you want to come across as the best possible you that you can be, but is lying really the way you want to go?
Dan Heiman recently talked about this phenomenon in his post “What You Need to Know About Today’s Job Market.” In the last few months, we’ve had a couple of instances where candidates have falsified information on their resumes…and not in a small way.
One was a completely fabricated education history to include homemade transcripts bestowing not only a Bachelor’s degree but also a Master’s degree. The other situation involved a guy who was totally creative, going so far as to make up employment and have friends pose as references!
Both of the candidates made it through the initial process but were discovered through background verification. We encourage all of our clients to complete a detailed background verification and reference check before making an offer. Or, at the very least, make the offer contingent upon the successful completion of all necessary verifications. Our firm uses Validity Screening Solutions and, given today’s technology, verifications are thorough, fast and can be tailored to meet specific criteria based on the needs of the client.
This is a cautionary blog for both clients and candidates…
CLIENTS: Always complete due diligence. Have trust but “tie up your horse” as the saying goes. Verify, verify, verify…measure twice/cut once…you get the picture.
CANDIDATES: Regardless of your background, be honest on your resume. If there’s something that you’re concerned about, address it in your cover letter, make a notation on your resume and explain it when you talk to the search consultant. This is an integrity issue. Honesty is ALWAYS the best policy. If you’re dishonest on your resume, this says more about who you are than anything that you would choose to omit or fabricate.
