February 2009

 

Firms warned about ‘lying, cheating job hunters’

 

Employers are being warned to ensure that they properly vet job seekers, after a new survey reveals the extent to which people are prepared to lie on their CVs.

 

A new report by BackCheck, the employment screening company, based on its internal statistics, suggest that job-hunters lie, cheat and steal to get jobs, and never more so than in times of recession.

 

The company says that 30% of job applicants lie about their employment history and 20% lie about references at interviews. Other areas where fib telling is common are education and credit history, which applied to 10% and 24% respectively.

 

More worryingly the survey found that 15% had lied about their identity and 5% about criminal convictions. The report’s authors suggest that this is of particular relevance for employing illegal workers have soared in recent years.

 

The threats of not knowing who you are employing are huge, from being prosecuted and facing jail for employing illegal workers to putting your clients, other staff and business at risk by employing someone who has lied about their educations, employment and criminal history, said Chris Hawkins of BackCheck.

 

Our own research shows that a high percentage of prospective employees are prepared to lie to get a job and the only way an employers can be sure they’re employing who they think they are is to run a check.