The risks of CV fraud
Do you know the real recipe for Nutella or Coca Cola? The answer is of course no! If the complete list of ingredients were visible to everyone, these companies would lose their competitive edge.
The same applies to your products and/or services.
Your strengths and added value lie in your know-how, your business methods, and your operational processes. By hiring a candidate without carrying out the necessary background checks you could negatively impact the team, and company culture.
Imagine that you are hiring the son of your main competitor; you would have to limit their access to certain confidential information as you would be aware of the potential risks of technology capture.
This risk would obviously be detrimental to the day-to-day operations, and future development of your business.
The business stakes
Have you recently hired a sales manager for their proven skills in prospecting and portfolio development? It would be unfortunate to find out a few months after their arrival that they had embellished their previous experiences, and that they were in reality unable to generate new leads, and therefore unable to increase your company’s revenue.
Different jobs require different skills, but just when you think you’ve hired someone who can hit the ground running, you’re now going to have to put in place various training to get them up to speed.
Loss of reputation
Beyond the risks of technology capture and potential loss of revenue, hiring a candidate who is not qualified to carry out the tasks entrusted to them may lead to professional misconduct
Hiring a candidate on the basis of a lie or false documentation poses a real risk for your company: lack of trust from your customers, lack of confidence from your internal teams, and loss of credibility with your partners and service providers are some just to name a few! However, the Aubry law (December 1992) – states that it is up to the employer to verify the CVs of the candidates they receive.
So, how can CV fraud be avoided?
Before the interview
- Make your HR department and managers aware of the risks involved in the recruitment process
- Pay attention to the overall consistency of the CVs you receive and the accuracy of the information provided
- Use all available means (including social media) to confirm the details presented in the CV. One candidate claims to have spent 2016 in London as a PhD student to prove his level of English, yet their Facebook profile shows them in Paris during this period. What’s really going on?
During the interview
- Ask the candidate to summarise their background in a concise but detailed way
- Test the candidate’s knowledge through a practical exercise (technical, linguistic, IT literacy etc.)
- Ask competency-based questions to evaluate the candidate’s previous experience and knowledge
After the interview
- Ask the candidate for a copy of their qualifications
- Check the references provided by the candidate (personal and professional)
A CV is still considered “the best way to get an interview” so ensure you get straight to the facts.
Hiring someone comes with responsibility, and relies heavily upon the sincerity and honesty of the candidate. If you later learn that a candidate has lied to you, how much confidence can you have in them? And also, how much confidence will your team have in them? You risk losing credibility.
Following the above guidance can help mitigate these risks and ensure you do everything possible to spot a CV fraud.
Do you have any tips you use? Share them in the comments section below.
