Did you know that work history is one of the most common lies on CVs?
A significant proportion of job applicants embellish or distort information on their CV about their background and experience. According to a study by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, as many as 43% of Swedish employers have discovered untruths in CVs that were so severe that the person was no longer considered for the job. One of the most common forms of misrepresentation is lying about one’s work history, such as exaggerating one’s role in previous jobs, claiming to have worked on projects or tasks that were never actually carried out, or giving false periods of employment to cover up gaps in one’s CV.
The most common untruths in CVs
Embellished skills – 57 %
Exaggeration of responsibilities – 55 %
Dates of employment – 42 %
Job titles – 34%
Academic degree – 33%
Previous employment – 26%
Rewards and awards – 18%
A simple step towards detecting lies in CVs before it is too late is to carry out a thorough background check, including work experience.
Watch out for these 5 factors in reference check
Many employers use reference checks to verify work experience and how the candidate has performed in previous workplaces. But even when contacting references, there are different types of cheating. Both the jobseeker and sometimes the referee may try to manipulate the process to make the candidate look more favourable. Here are some common types of fraud that can occur:
1. Fake references
The most obvious cheating is when a candidate provides fake references. This can involve creating non-existent people or companies, or using friends or family members who pretend to be former bosses or colleagues.
2. Prepared answers
Candidates can sometimes prepare their references for what to say. This can mean giving them specific answers to possible questions or even creating a narrative that highlights the candidate’s strengths and hides any weaknesses.
3. Omission of relevant information
Sometimes a reference may deliberately avoid mentioning negative aspects of a candidate’s work performance or behaviour. This can be particularly common if the referee has a personal relationship with the candidate or feels obliged to present them in a positive light.
4. Exaggerated qualifications or experience
Candidates may ask their referees to exaggerate their qualifications, experience or contribution to previous projects. This can lead to the employer getting a false impression of the candidate’s abilities.
5. Use of “professional reference services”
There are services that offer to act as positive references for job applicants for a fee. These services may give excessively positive ratings that do not reflect the candidate’s real work performance.
How can you avoid cheating when taking references?
A work experience check allows you to find out the candidate’s period of employment (to the exact day) and whether the position indicated matches the one in the CV. All in all, you can be sure that your candidate’s previous employer is real and that the company exists. To avoid fraud when taking references, Validata always checks employees’ work experience directly with the source. We contact the references or the HR department.
As an extra security measure, the candidate must provide contact details of active employees and enter their company email to ensure that the references are reliable and accurate, and do not, for example, provide a friend as a reference.
Contact us to find out how we can help your organisation with (potential) employee background checks.
Combining other background checks with work experience
Background checks are a vital part of the recruitment process and aim to give you an overall picture of a job applicant’s background and reliability. What is included in a background check can vary. We recommend that you conduct a thorough screening of the candidate that is proportionate to the job position and responsibilities.
Here are some of the elements commonly included in background checks:
Identity check
This is essential to confirm that the candidate is who they claim to be. An identity check includes verification of name, age, address and more.
Education check
This check confirms the academic qualifications that a candidate has listed on their CV, such as degrees.
Criminal record check
This check reveals any previous criminal convictions and is particularly relevant for positions that require high integrity or involve working with vulnerable groups, such as children or the elderly.
Credit check
For some positions, especially those involving financial responsibility or management of company finances, a credit check can provide important information about an individual’s financial stability and sense of responsibility.
Protecting candidates’ personal data with GDPR-safe background checks
The GDPR places strict requirements on how personal data may be handled during background checks, which means that employers must ensure legality, transparency and fairness in the process. Validata has developed a GDPR-safe screening software that protects the candidate’s personal data and ensures that everything is handled in accordance with the GDPR.
You can quickly and easily perform screening on a large scale and feel confident that everything is done according to current laws and regulations. The results of the background checks are then presented in a digital report that both you and the candidate in question have access to.
Want to know more about our background checks and how we can help you make safe recruitment decisions?
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