Someone asked me why a well thought out background verification process is so necessary for employers.
Time.com reports that 56% hiring managers have found lies and 54% have spotted outright false information and stunning exaggerations on the resumes. 26.5% candidates have admitted to lying on the resumes at some point in time. I’m sure this data answers why a background verification is mandatory.
However, it made me wonder, with so many job applicants qualifying interviews every day, working hard to get through, how fair is an intense background check on them? And what can employers do to make background verification appear as a non-invasive part of the recruitment process?
Employers’ Expectations from Background Checks
In 2012, Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson had to resign after a mere four months in office. The reason- he had fabricated his education. Thompson never earned a computer science degree, yet he claimed to have one all through his career.
Here are the list of top lies people tell on their resumes.
- Salary history
- Job titles
- Educational qualification
- Employment history
An employer wants to see if the facts and the truth align, above everything else, when they request a background check. Questions for employees or applicants are mostly concerned with their employment experience and education because fabricating that information can harm the company.
Candidates are generally nervous about the background check. So are the employers. The former wants the job. The latter wants a candidate who won’t turn out to be a non-reliable liar. Being honest and upfront will work for the candidates. But, what about the employers?
What Defines a Successful Background Check Process?
Your background verification process is determined by many factors. The global reach of your organization, the number of employees you hire at a time, the frequency of your hiring episodes, workforce dimensions, etc. An effective program will consider all these aspects.
Then, any decent background verification program must include a few standard practices.
- A uniform policy for every candidate
- Backed up with an accurate background check vendor
- Easy interface
- Simpler to deal with
- Constructed in a way that makes the candidate feel welcome to the company and not being spied upon by you
Now, once you hire a vendor to create a comprehensive, possible automated, background check process for you, that takes a big part of the burden off your shoulders. But, as an employer, your responsibilities don’t end there.
Here’s what you can do to help.
- While sourcing candidates, scan every resume and cover letter with a questioning eye. Don’t take anything at face value. Only admit listed facts after you’ve seen any evidence about them
- Pick your questions carefully. You have to check the candidate’s claims, but you can’t accuse them or do it disrespectful ever
- When the candidate makes a claim you doubt, ask them about the instance during the phone screening or the interview
- Look for red flags, like a candidate refusing to answer many questions, or citing confidentiality reasons a little too frequently
- Take a good look at the candidate’s social media profiles
- Call the references if present
Also, use a no-tolerance policy. Don’t entertain candidates who lie, only to be revealed in the background verification check.
Multi Recruit offers background verification service to employers. Background check is very important when onboarding any new employee. Our trained and experienced professionals conduct candidate verification in the following areas:
- Education verification
- Employment history
- Address verification
- Criminal check
- Drug check
- Database check
- Reference check