CV's and lies

Almost 100,000 job applicants have lied about their qualifications in the past three years…..
A staggering figure, and the question has to be ‘why?’ when the likelihood of being found out is highly probable. Attracted by salary, status, progression, benefits, candidates will occasionally apply and succeed in securing a new role when they do not have the relevant qualifications to carry out the position satisfactorily.
Worryingly, almost half (48%) of HR professionals in the UK do not rigorously check the validity of an applicant’s qualifications.
The study by AXELOS found that almost a third (30%) of organisations admit to bypassing checks if the candidate has previous experience in the role they are applying for, and one in ten will waive checks if the candidate has been recommended by someone senior in the business.
However, dressing up qualifications such as degree results or modules can have serious consequences, with 37% of survey respondents saying they would dismiss an employee if they discovered qualification results had been exaggerated.
This increased to 54% if a job applicant has lied about holding a qualification they do not have, and is later found out.
Most organisations only realise staff have lied on their applications after starting work, with 14% of HR professionals saying they have come across at least five incidences within the last three years of employees not holding the qualifications they had claimed – equating to around 100,000 jobseekers.
Improper candidate screening proved costly - nearly 40% of companies spent over £10,000 in the last three years rehiring staff after employing someone who wasn’t properly qualified, with nine per cent of respondents revealing they had spent more than £40,000.
The survey also found that under half 47% of HR professionals think you should check a candidate’s qualifications compared to 62% who believe references should be checked.
John O’Brien, Head of Membership at AXELOS, comments: “In an increasingly competitive jobs market, there are clearly many people who are willing to exaggerate or lie to win that much sought-after role. So it’s hard to believe so many organisations do not routinely check the qualifications of job applicants.
“Lies can quickly get out of hand – it can soon become apparent that the individual is having difficulty meeting the expectations set out in the new position. While the employee could face their contract being terminated, the employer has a lot to lose, both financially and in terms of its reputation.”
Taken from the Recruitment Grapevine