The Most Common Lies Told On Resumes, and How to Spot Them
Looking for the perfect candidate for an open position can be a tiring task. You have to sort through dozens of resumes and, sometimes, be able to spot discrepancies in the information being shared. Unfortunately, some applicants will overstate their accomplishments or, even worse, lie. Here are some of the most common lies told on resumes and how you can spot them during your candidate search.
College Attended
To appear more qualified for the job, some applicants may fib about the university they attended. Even if they went to college, they may think it would make them seem more attractive as a candidate if they graduated from somewhere more elite. Because many employers don’t follow through with checking this information, candidates feel they can lie about it. However, any false information on an application should be taken seriously.
One way you can combat this is by checking this information. Ask for a copy of their transcripts or the degree they earned. You can also contact the institution to verify that they were once a student there.
Academic Degrees
Another thing to keep an eye out for is candidates lying about their degrees or certifications. Some candidates may overstate the degrees they earned, citing additional minors or majors that they did not accomplish. Believe it or not, some applicants may lie about receiving a degree altogether. Again, this isn’t something many employers follow up on checking, so they may feel it is easier to lie about.
Similar to checking on the college they attended, you can check the degrees and certifications they have earned. Get the name of the institution where they earned the accolade and verify the details. Generally, you can do this through the admissions office at the college. For certifications, ask for the paperwork and the name of the school where they were certified so you can check the information.
Foreign Language Fluency
Surprisingly, many applicants also try to lie about foreign language fluency. Because multilingual people have become more marketable, it is a tempting thing for many people to fib about. If you are a business that deals with clients in other languages, this can be a huge problem.
The best way to determine if a candidate is lying about this is to test their skills. You can do this through an assessment or perform part of their interview in the language they have claimed to be fluent in. Both of these things will help you determine if they are actually fluent or not.
Employment History
Many candidates will embellish or leave out information about their employment history to seem like a better fit for the position. More specifically, they will leave out job gaps or jobs where they were fired. They may also list positions they didn’t work at all.
If you’re worried about this, inquire about any job history gaps and gauge their response. You should also ask detailed questions bout their duties at each job listed. This will help you weed out what is true and what’s not. You can also check their references to be sure what they’ve listed is accurate.
Sifting through resumes can be a huge time suck for your business. So, why not leave it to the professionals? Contact The Bradley Group to see how our team of recruiters can assist you in finding your next placement.
