Protect Your Business Against Resume Fraud

Resume fraud is surprisingly common among job applicants, yet sometimes it is very hard to detect. This article will provide you ways to protect your business against resume fraud and make sure that your candidates have the experience they say they do. Whether you're an executive, a manager or a team leader, the following information will be beneficial to you.

The Internet is a wonderful tool for business as well as for individual use, but there are always a few people who will take something good and use it in a bad way. High school and college students who are inclined to cheat have found Internet sites where they can download someone else's work, an essay or thesis, and turn it in as a class assignment. Job seekers trying to beat the system have found Internet resources for committing fraud as well.

Those who fear failing a drug test can find hundreds of Internet "services" that promise foolproof methods for beating the system. Likewise, there are numerous "services" that will bestow the Ph.D. of your choice and provide a bogus work history that makes an unqualified candidate look like an employer's dream come true. When you hire, be aware of the fraud some job candidates are willing to commit to gain employment.

The firms that perform verification services for employers have discovered inaccuracies, misrepresentations, and out-and-out fraud in about half the resumes they check. Resumes often claim college degrees that have not been earned, job responsibilities the candidate never had, and even dates of employment designed to mask years of incarceration in a state or federal prison.

A disturbing study of resume fraud indicates an increase in the number of people willing to use unethical, even criminal, means to secure a job or a promotion. The methods they employ are getting more sophisticated too, making it more and more difficult for employers to separate honest job applicants from those who are not. As an example, an applicant can list fictitious past employer on a resume, complete with a supervisor's name and phone number. The phone number is actually to a so-called verification service that will confirm anything their client, your job candidate, has paid for. There have also been reported cases of hackers who break into a college's computer system to change grades or add names to class lists.

To protect your firm against resume fraud, subscribe to an employee background check service. For nominal fees, they will verify the credentials of job candidates. These professional services try to keep a step ahead of the scammers, so it is usually easier for them to spot a fake college degree or false claim of employment experience because they do their homework and are aware of the latest methods used by fraudulent job seekers.

Another way to protect your business from hiring dishonest people is to use a pre-employment assessment. They can help you identify people with integrity and work ethic who are reliable and drug free.

People who will use fraudulent means to gain employment can cause costly problems for employers. They can increase a company's liability risk in legal actions and are more likely to steal money, property, proprietary information, and trade secrets. Employers must be ever vigilant and protect themselves against people who, in the long run, can do far more harm than good.

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