Small businesses are being warned that many of the CVs they receive from applicants will contain major discrepancies or even downright lies.
Over 50% of CVs presented by job applicants will include at least one inaccuracy, a new study suggests.
The survey, conducted by employee screening specialists The Risk Advisory Group (TRAG), checked over 3,700 CVs in 2006 and found that candidates’ misrepresentations of themselves are becoming more serious.
One in five of the CVs examined contained significant lies regarding academic qualifications or omissions of highly relevant information, such as dismissals from previous jobs.
TRAG are urging employers to check references and verify information wherever possible to avoid running into potential problems with new employees.
Sal Remtulla, head of employee screening for The Risk Advisory Group, said: “The serious nature of these discrepancies emphasises the need for heightened attention during the recruitment process.”
In one situation, a financial services candidate claimed on his CV that he had resigned from a position in Japan after three months in order to return to the UK.
After checking his references, TRAG discovered that the candidate had been arrested and charged with shoplifting and assault and had subsequently been forced to leave the country.
Sal Remtulla said: “This year’s results have yet again brought to our attention how unscrupulous candidates can be when applying for jobs, and highlight their apparent lack of conscience towards potential new employers.”
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2006
