Screening Employees
Hire Right: Reviewing Resumes for Accuracy
By Julie Gerstein
Dec 26, 2005, 21:53

Hiring the right people for the job is a critical component of running a successful business. Unfortunately, even when you think you’ve found the right person, you may be wrong: More than 25 percent of resumes contain some kind of lie or misrepresentation. And, as the job market becomes increasingly competitive, potential employees are more likely to misrepresent their skills and experience on a resume. Just because a prospective employee says he has relevant experience, doesn’t mean he‘s telling the truth.

Many resume misrepresentations go unnoticed, claims a recent article in the Lincoln Journal Star, because less than 15 percent of employers bother to thoroughly check resumes. In order to maximize your business’ performance and minimize frustration, it’s imperative that you thoroughly review resumes for accuracy and truth.

In a study done by Challenger, Gray and Christmas consulting firm, the following five resume areas are most likely to contain some lie or misrepresentation:

• Education. Candidates may list degrees from universities they never attended; others may fudge academic awards and honors.

• Job Title. Resumes may list inaccurate job titles or job descriptions, which inflate the skill-level and stature of potential employees.

• Compensation. In order to garner a higher wage at a new company, candidates may inflate previous salaries or benefits.

• Reason for Leaving. Often, candidates may be vague or misleading about why they left a previous firm, substituting being laid off for being fired or let go.

• Accomplishments. Some resumes exaggerate past awards, honors or on-the-job accomplishments.

Taking time to check your prospective employees’ resumes for accuracy will minimize frustration in the long term.

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