How to evaluate the veracity of candidate’s resume?

Candidates applying for a job resort to lying on their resumes because they do not get many offers. Some candidates about their skills, proficiencies, word experience and qualifications. Few lie altogether submitting a bogus resume. The reason could be range from an inferiority complex that they are not good enough for the company to being desperate to land a job risking their whole future career.

Lying on a resume is not a criminal offense unless they lie about their educational qualification. Resume is not a legal document where candidates are legally obliged to be truthful. But as an HR, hiring the wrong person might risk costing your organization’s reputation as well as incur financial losses.

Here we share two kinds of tips. One is about finding if the candidate is lying and the other is about hiring tips all HRs should focus to prevent candidates from lying on their resumes in the future.

1. Be aware of the lies that are common in resumes

Candidates who have less work experience extend the dates of their job to cover up gaps in the career. Now, we need to understand why the candidate has to fill up a gap by lying?

It is because in the previous jobs he had applied, either his profile was screened out citing gap as a reason or the interviewer stressed on the gap in the career. It is understandable that a gap in the career might seem as an obstacle for a smoother transition to your organization. But that is valid only if the gap is prior to joining your organization.

Most interviewers stress on the gaps the candidate had in their career several months ago just for the sake of asking stressful questions. This leads the candidate to lie in their resume. Other lies such as academic degrees and other educational qualifications are pretty common which can be checked by contacting the respective universities/institution.

Some candidates lie about their job titles and salaries. They might possess commendable knowledge on the job they are applying for but as most companies give pay raises with respect to their previous salaries or job titles, they tweak their title and salaries.

Fast-growing companies value skills and talent over job titles and salary. Traditionally, HR negotiates salary based on the previous salary or job title. This impedes talented candidates to enter the organization.

In this modern age, individuals learn really fast and want to move forward the career ladder fast. Hiring through thorough skill tests and interviews will ensure you hire the right candidate. This will give not only provide organizations the right talents but also prevents candidates from forging their job titles or salaries in their resumes.

2. Use skill tests and quizzes while screening

Recruiters who are weary of the candidates’ credentials introduce a new round in the interview process where they include skill tests and quizzes to determine whether the candidate possesses the skills mentioned in the resume.

This would be the deciding factor whether the lie in the resume is a small white lie or a fraudulent claim. Many candidates manipulate their resumes to suit the job description and requirements for the post provided by the company. To gauge their specific skillset through the interview is too difficult and screening the right candidate out is a lost opportunity.

Placing the candidates in skill tests will give HRs a better idea of how much the candidate has lied and also gives them confidence if the candidate performs well in the test.

3. Social media reveals more about the candidate

Leveraging social media to know more about the candidate is necessary in today’s modern world.

Recruitment has changed. Most employers ask LinkedIn profile links from the candidates while accepting resumes. This is done to cross verify whether what they have mentioned in the resume is true.

Going through profiles on all platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter might reveal more truth about the personality of the candidate than resume would ever do.

A candidate might have updated the lie given in the resume on LinkedIn but must have forgotten to update on Facebook. He/she might have mentioned volunteering at animal shelters in the resume, but he/she might have promoted animal abuse on Twitter.

If social media is properly used as a tool to survey the candidates, the veracity of the resume can be known in a jiffy.