Identifying Resume Fraud with Adequate Background Checks

Background checks are a must in today's business climate.   It is your company's responsibility to know the employee as thoroughly as possible.  If not, you open yourself to a number of potential consequences, some of them very costly.  Below is a list of a few of them:

• Workplace Violence
• Employee Turnover
• Job-related Accidents
• Employee Fraud/Theft
• Liability for Negligence|Litigation

The worsening economy may result in an increased frequency of résumé fraud making it more important than ever that your company does its due diligence in conducting thorough background checks.  As they say, desperate times lead to desperate measures.  Surveys from Kroll Inc., suggests a fair number of job applicants misrepresent their credentials estimating that about 20% of job seekers and employees undergoing background checks overstate their educational backgrounds.  Other common discrepancies can be found in reasons for leaving a previous post, results and accomplishments, and past job responsibilities.

With the US unemployment rate at 9.5%, a large number of people are searching for jobs and becoming increasingly desperate to land them.  Hiring managers need to be on the lookout for potential résumé fraud.  You’re company is under too much risk of embarrassment and litigation if something is missed.

Many business owners think that their company can’t afford the cost of a good background screening program.  Experts in the field believe that kind of thinking is a penny wise and a pound foolish.  It is less expensive to do a comprehensive background check than deal with possible disruptions to the work place, liability issues, and the potential financial loss that may result from hiring the wrong person.