Blaggers are bagging better jobs than honest workers because of slack hiring policies in British businesses, warn employment experts.
A report* by the CIPD revealed a quarter of employers in the UK withdrew at least one job offer in the last year after discovering someone had lied or otherwise misrepresented their application. And 23% of employers do not always take up candidates' references.
Vicky Bennett, head of employment at law firm Heatons, says companies should do more to expose the CV cheats.
"Too many employers and honest job candidates are being outwitted by cheats,” she says.
“Weeding out the blaggers is essential if businesses are to hire the right people for the job. Too much emphasis is based on first impressions and often there is scant regard for following up references.
"Too many companies supply a meaningless reference with little more than confirmation of dates worked and job title which doesn't help employers assess a candidate's skill and competencies. Rigorous pre-employment checks will help companies avoid being a soft touch for cheats who want to get work or advance their careers.
"If you use a recruitment agency, they must reference candidates adequately or they break DTI guidelines and consultants face individual fines. Until this law is applied to all employment practices, businesses will still suffer. The best recruitment agencies embrace best practice in this area by offering their clients a full referencing service."
Vicky Bennett, head of employment at law firm Heatons, offers eight key steps to help businesses catch out the CV cheats:
1) Always check out references. Phone them and speak to referees; don't rely on a fax or email.
2) Don't rush the recruitment process.
3) Ask for evidence of exam grades – and ensure you see the certificates.
4) In second interviews, repeat a question from the first and monitor the response.
5) Look closely for gaps in a CV.
6) Use Google to double check credentials.
7) Ask for payslips to see evidence of their existing salary.
8) Ensure your offer letters and contractual documentation state that if any information provided by prospective employees is found to be incorrect this will lead to dismissal.
* Taken from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's annual Recruitment, Retention and Turnover Survey 2005
