How do you spot 'CV lies'? - Sue Rees Associates can help...
When budgets are tight it’s tempting to take short-cuts in our recruitment processes to try to save both time and money. However, a survey recently highlighted on the legal website, Out-Law.com, suggests that this carries big risks for employers.
The Problem
A survey of nearly 4000 CVs, carried out by Shell Technology and Enterprise Programme, revealed that one graduate in six lies to get a job in financial services. 17% of applicants for jobs in the financial sector lied at least once. What does this mean for recruiters in financial services? As the survey revealed a 30% increase in the number of people lying on CVs, we need to be more thorough than ever in our approach.
The Solution
Firstly, we need to understand what people are most likely to lie about. The top 3 areas are:
- the dates on which they held certain jobs
- their qualifications and
- directorships held.
It is also useful to have an idea about who is most likely to lie. The survey showed that the university which graduates attended had a major effect on their likelihood to lie in CVs. There seems to be a correlation between attendance at lower ranked universities and the likelihood of discrepancies on a CV.
While a professional recruitment service can never guarantee that a candidate is ‘squeaky clean’, experienced interviewers are skilled at spotting discrepancies in candidates’ CVs. That is why Sue Rees Associates interviews every candidate and we strive to qualify all CV’s prior to submission to our clients. We are fully committed to providing a personal and professional service to every one of our clients to ensure that you get honest, reliable individuals who you can trust with some of your organisation’s most important roles.*
N.B. Whilst lying on a CV is not a criminal offence should the offender manage to secure a paid position it would be considered deception and fraud.
Because we are independent and professional we are able to bring an experienced and objective view to your recruitment. If you would like to talk to us about your recruitment plans, please call 01865 292141 for a free, confidential discussion.
Regards,
The Team at Sue Rees Associates
January 2009, Issue 5
* Whilst every reasonable precaution is taken to minimise risk, Sue Rees Associates cannot accept liability for any candidate giving any misleading information.
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