Resume falsifications - How do I know if an applicant is being honest in his resume or not?

It is quite difficult to determine if an applicant is being honest in his resume or if he is one those many people who resort to resume falsifications just to get a job. But as an employer there are certain preventive measures you can do to avoid these kinds of people.

For one, you can conduct a employee background check on a potential candidate. Background checks reveal a wide variety of information including personal data (age, address and Social Security Number), educational background, employment history, criminal records, vehicle registration, driving records, incarceration records, sex offender listing, medical records, character references, military records, drug test records and so. This list of information can help you confirm if what are stated in the resume are true or not.

Also, during the interview, you can ask the applicant about the information stated in the resume especially those that have to do with educational background, work experience, and skills and qualifications. Ask probing questions that will let you know if the applicant is telling the truth. For instance, if he stated in the resume that he graduated from a top university, which you happen to have gone there yourself, you can ask about things that only people who came from this school know about.

With employment background, you can ask him to tell you stories about his previous jobs. If something does not add up, then he is probably lying about the information in his resume. You can call up the applicant’s previous employers to further verify these pieces of information that you have gathered from the interview.

Lastly, do not forget to make the applicant take written and practical examinations that will test his knowledge and skills he claimed in the resume that he possesses.

People who lie in their resume are not the kind of people you can trust so it is best that you do not allow your company to have anything to do with them.