What is Resume Fraud?

Resume fraud occurs anytime someone intentionally provides false information on his or her résumé, presumably with the hopes it will make him or her more likely to be considered for a job. And, this often also encompasses application resume fraud which is the same idea, but it occurs anywhere in the application process.

There are even business services out there that will knowingly assist candidates with changing their résumé in this way. Furthermore, some will even provide fake transcripts and fake letters of recommendation.

Here are some examples of resume fraud:

• Significantly inflating previous responsibilities, indicating the individual has much deeper experience than he or she does in reality. But listing all years worked there—implying, incorrectly, that the individual held the most senior position for longer.

• Covering employment gaps by misrepresenting which years the individual worked at previous organizations, or simply listing more years to appear to have more experience.

• Listing a degree or certification that was never attained. And, sometimes this can be a complete fabrication. And, other times it may be that the individual was indeed enrolled in such a program but simply never finished.

Employers clearly are in a position to be harmed by resume fraud. An employer may unwittingly hire an individual who isn’t actually qualified to do the job. Furthermore, such an individual may end up costing the company a lot in terms of lost productivity, mistakes, lost customers, extra training, and lots of administrative time.

What Can Employers Do to Combat Resume Fraud?

While it may be almost expected that a large percentage of people will embellish their accomplishments, the real risk is when there are outright falsehoods anywhere in the application process. And, here are some steps employers can take to minimize the risk:

• Be specific when asking questions: Look for specific answers from the job applicant, rather than overly vague responses. Be wary when someone won’t provide specific details about former employment. Ask for examples of accomplishments or for more details to confirm that individual’s knowledge and skill level.

• Be serious about background checks. if you’ve had a high incidence of résumé or application fraud, consider hiring a third-party service to conduct a more thorough check to confirm all credentials are correct. Furthermore, employment screening services may have more current knowledge of what to look out for.

• Be strategic when calling references. This allows a layer of verification that the person is who they say they are. Additionally, consider seeking out your own references to call in addition to the ones provided.