Personal Advancement
Pre-employment checks: Employers want the truth and nothing but the truthWhen in doubt, check it out!One woman used cut and pasting skills she may have first honed in kindergarten to create a university degree she never earned. Had she not forgotten to include her convocation date, she might have landed a senior-level position. LINDA WHITE |
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 [ 2005-08-17 ] |
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One man applying for a school principal's job claimed he had 15 years' teaching experience and a university degree. But his claims didn't add up: the applicant had assumed a dead person's identity and was a seasoned criminal.
Then there's the employee who accepted a company car even though his licence was suspended for drinking and driving. Those are among the lies uncovered by Infocheck Ltd., a Toronto-based human resources consulting firm that specializes in reference and criminal checks.
Stretching the truth or including downright lies on a resume isn't anything new, but the commitment to discovering the truth has grown dramatically. "It's very common for people to stretch their education because most employers didn't check credentials in the past and applicants know that," says Vincent Tsang, a partner with Infocheck.
Like other companies that perform pre-employment checks, Infocheck noticed a marked increase in the demand for reference and criminal checks after Sept. 11. "Our company grew year to year before Sept. 11 ... but has spiked since then," Tsang says.
"Our clients want to make sure there are no skeletons in an applicant's closet that will impact their performance on the job," he says. "If an applicant has a criminal record, it may be something the employer wants to know about ... If someone said they worked at ABC company and they didn't, that's a problem."
BackCheck Ltd. has noticed the same trend. "Background checks are becoming more commonplace because our generation will reference Sept. 11 and because it is more beneficial to the person with a good history who can quickly remove any cloud of suspicion," says president and CEO Dave Dinesen.
"The industry is very mature in the United States. Canada is probably correcting to a similar status. In the U.S., I don't think you can get a job planting trees without a background check," Dinesen says from his Vancouver office.
He lists the following as among the benefits of pre-employment checks: reduced turnover, improved productivity, improved workplace safety and protection against negligent hiring litigation.
"It is quick and inexpensive. Why you would want to save money at that juncture -- at the possible detriment of the public, employees and your shareholders -- is simply not being tolerated," he says. "Imagine hiring an overnight supervisor with a history of sexual assault and the defense of the company when an employee sues it for negligent hiring is that it wanted to save $150. It just doesn't wash."
The Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario also sees the benefit of pre-employment checks. "I think credit and criminal checks are increasingly more important," says president Gerlinde Herrmann, owner of the Herrmann Group in Toronto. "We tend to do more of those checks in high turnover jobs and those who will have access to sensitive information."
Due to privacy laws, an applicant must consent to a pre-employment check. Still, that doesn't deter everyone from telling the truth. "We tell applicants we're going to verify it, which gives them an opportunity to tell us if they didn't finish a college or university program," Herrmann says. "We encourage them to make sure that's reflected on their resume. We have a small percentage where people have misrepresented their education."
But information obtained through a pre-employment check should be taken within context. "Someone might owe $20 for a magazine subscription, which could show up on a credit check," Herrmann says. "If they had a marijuana charge when they were younger, you have to decide if that applies. But if they have a fraud charge and are working in your credit department, that's relevant."
If you're responsible for hiring staff, be sure to check an applicant's educational background and the credibility of references. Ask open-ended questions and listen for inconsistencies, contradictions and hesitations in the applicant's responses. And don't forget the time-tested adage: When in doubt, check it out.
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