Recent research by Kroll Background Worldwide has indicated that increasing numbers of jobseekers are fabricating their CVs in order to find work.
A 115% rise in CV discrepancies was reported in the past 12 months, with more than two-fifths of CVs containing some form of inconsistency in 2010.
The most popular areas job hunters lied about were:
• employment history;
• education;
• directorships; and
• professional qualifications.
With employers receiving increasing numbers of applications for every post it will become even more important to take candidates through a thorough selection process to ensure that employers know exactly who it is that they are hiring.
Employers can also protect themselves by making job offers conditional on proof of identity and qualifications and receipt of satisfactory references. Employers must also follow up on any requests to ensure that they get the information, and proof, that they require.
And last but not least, if a candidate appears too good to be true, they probably are.
Helen Eden, Hillyer McKeown Solicitors Helen.Eden@law.uk.com
