Half a truth is often a great lie
“Half a truth is often a great lie”
-Benjamin Franklin
According to HireRight’s 2017 Employment Screening Benchmark Report, 85 percent of employers caught applicants lying on their resumes or job applications. Candidates, even at the highest levels, are embellishing their resumes.
What are candidates lying about and are they getting caught? According to Glassdoor’s article “Lying on Your Resume? Here’s How You’ll Get Caught,” it’s easier than ever for a hiring manager to discover that a candidate is not telling the truth. One of the most common lies on a resume is claiming to have a degree or certification when in fact all the coursework wasn’t completed. Employers can easily verify education with services such as the National Student Clearinghouse. Another common fib we see is adjusting employment dates to cover a gap. A quick call to past employers can confirm dates of service. A great way to verify skills listed on a resume is to give an on-the-spot quiz.
At Risch Results, we take our time and thoroughly vet all candidates. Our team is trained to spend time processing what’s on the resume and developing specific interview questions to confirm the facts and unveil discrepancies. For example, how did you reach that goal? What were the steps you took? Have you thought of ways to improve the process? Tell me about problems you worked on and how you solved them?
When a candidate is speaking the truth, words will flow freely and confidently. If they are lying, they will be unable to back-up claims. We also do background and reference checks for any candidate we present to a client.
It’s important to verify what you are told and what’s on a resume by spot checking as much information as you can. Look for quantifiable achievements and avoid resumes that read like a job description.
If this sounds like a lot of work, we can help! Give us a call today and we’ll be happy to help you find your next best employee.