Executives know that when they’re up for a position a background check consent for is par for the course. Screening of executives for top business leadership positions has tightened since the wave of scandals that hit the front pages of the business section last year. Multiple executives of well known corporations were found to have embellished their resumes when applying for positions.
How embarrassing for the executive recruiting firms that recommended those future CEOs hmmm? Equally embarrassing for the internal HR staffs and Boards of Directors who ultimately gave their stamp of approval on these decisions. To be completely truthful though, one survey at a major online job board indicated that more than 80% of respondents admitted at least some glossing up of their resume. It only stands to reason given what’s at stake – particularly when you can be uhhhh about 80% certain that your competition is doing the same thing.
Sad thing is – too many professionals fall for the phony resumes – going for the ’safe’ choice candidate with all the qualifications rather than taking someone likely more skilled and qualified but perhaps missing that ‘one’ thing that the eventual new hire lied about on his application. I think if we as HR professionals were all a little bit more skeptical we’d do a better job of hiring, and certainly be less gullible. We should be getting a background check consent form from each applicant and increase the level of scrutiny regarding applicants’ honesty. I meant think about it – by accepting a person who has lied on their resume, we are forcing that person to live a lie each and every day they work for us. That’s hardly humane, don’t you think? The kind of pressure to perform that creates can only spell trouble for everyone.
I can say this because I am as guilty as anyone else – as my firm just caught (after the hire) a person claiming to have been a high level technologist at a million dollar business when in fact the company he ‘worked for’ was run out of his home and did occasional site work. Needless to say he resigned.
We don’t have to go through this however because once we have a background check consent form in hand we have both the freedom and obligation to make good on that promise to investigate a persons claims on their resume. That means checking work history, credit history (in the case of executive screening) and criminal history. All is fair game when doing executive screening… perhaps a little less is needed for lower level applicant screening. Given that even executive background checks are pretty inexpensive… it’s pretty sad it hasn’t been a matter of routine.
Read more about how executive and employee background screening is done:
Executive Background Checks – Work History, Education, and Credit Risk
Pre Employment Criminal Background Check Companies – How to Use The Various Types of Search Agencies
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