Don’t Be a Fool This April! 4 Common Lies Job Seekers Tell

As an employer, you want to hire the best candidates for your Twin Cities company. This includes doing your best to verify whether the information on a job seeker’s resume is factual.

Although you likely talk about the details during a job interview, you should take additional steps to verify whether the information is accurate. Because many job seekers inflate their education, skills, and experience, you need to be able to distinguish between fact and fiction.

Here are four of the top lies job seekers tell and how you can determine whether your candidates are telling the truth.

Fictitious Degree

Job seekers may list earning a degree when they simply took some classes. Or, they might forge a diploma, claim a degree earned by a family member, or purchase a degree from a diploma mill. This may be because the job seeker wants to appear more qualified.

Be sure to conduct a thorough background check before extending a job offer. You need to know whether the job seeker has the necessary knowledge and skills to fulfill the role responsibilities.

 

Extended Employment Dates

Many job seekers claim to have worked for companies longer than they actually did. This may be because the job seekers would rather cover gaps in their work history than explain them.

Although the employment discrepancy may be an honest mistake, verify the dates with the former employers. Discrepancies in employment dates may indicate a more significant problem, such as being fired from a job or serving time in jail.

 

Exaggerated Job Title or Salary

Job seekers may claim to have had a higher title or earned a more significant income than they did. This could be because they want a position with more responsibility and a higher salary.

Be sure you contact the previous employers to verify the roles that the job seeker held. You also may want to ask the job seeker for their previous W-2 forms to determine their prior income. This can uncover whether or not the job seeker is qualified for the role and should earn the desired salary.

Hidden Criminal Record

Some job seekers neglect to mention they have been convicted of crimes and served time. They may change details such as the spelling of their name or date of birth to avoid detection.

While (depending on the role) a criminal past does not disqualify a job seeker from getting a job, it should not be hidden through deceitful tactics. This is why you should perform a criminal background check before making a hiring decision.

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