Recession Has Led to Dramatic Increase in CV Lies
-- Kroll has seen a two-fold increase in the number of CV irregularities
-- Employment is the most common section to contain discrepancies
LONDON, UK, February 2, 2011 – New analysis from screening provider Kroll Background Worldwide, a HireRight company, reveals that the number of discrepancies uncovered in employee CVs during 2010 increased by more than 115% compared with 2009.
The company, which undertakes background screening on thousands of prospective employees for its blue-chip client base, found that more than two in five (42%) CVs screened contained an inconsistency between the information provided by candidates and Kroll’s own verification checks. This compares with just 19% for the same period in 2009, and represents a 115% increase in inaccurate CVs.
The type of CV discrepancies that Kroll turned up predominantly related to previous employment (41%) followed by education (19%). Although employment and education have consistently remained the sections of the CV where discrepancies have been most likely to crop up over the last three years, Kroll also reported seeing a wider variety in the type of checks containing irregularities in 2010, such as directorships (4%) and professional qualifications (2%).
Type of irregularities in screening during 2010:
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Employment: 41%
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Education: 19%
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Non-employment: 15%
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Directorship: 4%
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Professional qualification: 2%
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Other: 17%
“The dramatic increase in CV irregularities that we have identified could be due to the current economic climate,” said Alexandra Kelly, managing director of HireRight’s EMEA region, including Kroll Background Worldwide. “The pressure of the recession on the job market seems to have led to some applicants believing that they should lie or embellish their resumes in order to stand out from the crowd.”
During 2010 Kroll’s clients not only undertook more screenings but also increased the depth of their screening, with a 6% jump in the number of components per screening in 2010 compared with 2008.
“Screening techniques have become more sophisticated and widely adopted, meaning that CV embellishments can be more easily identified to help organisations ensure they are hiring the most honest and appropriately qualified candidates,” explained Kelly. “With 44% of fraud committed by employees it is critical that employers know who they are hiring to manage their risk.”
Editor’s notes
(1) Analysis of all screenings undertaken by Kroll Background Worldwide in EMEA during 2008, 2009 and 2010.
About Kroll Background Worldwide
Kroll Background Worldwide, a HireRight company, provides employers all over the world with employment screening programs and services designed to help them make informed choices and reduce workplace risk. Together, Kroll Background Screening and HireRight serve in excess of 40,000 customers through 15 global offices and capabilities in more than 200 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.krollbackgroundscreening.com.
About HireRight
HireRight is a leading provider of on-demand employment background screening, drug and health screening and employment eligibility solutions that help employers automate, manage and control screening and related programs. Many companies, including more than one-third of the Fortune 500, trust HireRight because the company delivers customer-focused solutions that provide greater efficiency and faster results. HireRight also provides pre-integrated employment screening services through enterprise e-recruiting solutions from top providers such as Oracle, Taleo, Kenexa, SAP, ADP/VirtualEdge, PeopleAdmin, HealthcareSource and HRsmart. HireRight, Inc. is an Altegrity company with worldwide headquarters located in Irvine, California. USA and offices and affiliates around the globe. For more information, visit the company’s web site at www.hireright.com.
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Email: sarah.rowan@citigatedr.co.uk