Like you, job applicants are aware that the job market is tight and the competition is tough. This leads more and more candidates to misrepresent, lie and cheat their way to a new job. Organizations are at risk of hiring individuals who are not who they say they are. Employers have to be aware of the latest forms of applicant forgery and how to protect their organizations from dishonest applicants. Here are 3 common ways applicants cheat their background check report and how prevent them:
Incomplete, purchased or no degree at all
The increase in a college education being a requirement in job postings has led to applicants misrepresenting their completed level of education. Applicants can misrepresent their degree in many ways:
- Represent that they were enrolled in a school with the length matching that of a completed degree.
- Purchasing and representing a degree from an unaccredited institution, most commonly a “Diploma Mill”.
- Stating that a degree was completed when they were never enrolled.
How to prevent: Ensure that your background screening provider verifies that the institution is accredited by searching the National Student Clearninghouse.
Providing a false date of birth to avoid a criminal record on the report
Applicants already know their criminal record history and will do their best to hide this from their report. Typically, criminal records are filed by name and date of birth. If a date of birth is falsely provided, the report that the employer receives will be inaccurate.
How to prevent: Request to copy of the applicant’s physical drivers license during the interview process. This will eliminate the chance for the applicant to lie about their date of birth during the screening process.
Forging professional experience with a fake employer
That may sound confusing, but that’s only because it is. Some applicants have gone to such extremes to hiring firms to create a company that only exists on the internet. One company, CareerExcuse, is not shy about their methods and success providing fake credentials to anyone that is willing to pay for them. Some of these firms so far as to create a working website, phone number and realistic physical business address.
How to prevent: Request copies of the applicant’s W-2s. This will confirm legitimate employment history.
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