Employers never want to find themselves in a situation where they have to deal with false resume claims after they hire a person. An even worse situation is discovering that a prospective employee is not actually who he says he is! There are potential and unfortunate consequences of such issues that are not always apparent.
Falsified Details are Detrimental
The usual way businesses hire employees is by placing ads and waiting for the resumes to roll in. Hiring managers then go through the resumes to find candidates that have the right qualifications. Traditionally, hiring managers would then call a prospective employee’s previous employers and references to vet the information given on the resume. While that system is still useful, former employers are not always reachable, and references may not provide the best point of view.
Illegal Workers
Just as it is possible to falsify experience on a resume, it is possible to falsify work authorization. People can get photo identification in most places with very little information, and they do not have to present a Social Security number to get one. When it comes to providing a Social Security number for employment deduction purposes, a person does not have to present the actual card. In fact, the Social Security Administration recommends that people do not carry the card around with them to protect the number from being stolen.
Most employers take prospective employees at their word when it comes to that information. However, there are hefty monetary penalties a business can suffer when they hire illegal workers. Not only are there fines, but when an illegal employee is caught, the business is down a worker and out the expenses it paid to train the employee in the first place. Additional problems arise when a worker has stolen another person’s identity, whether the person is a legal resident or not.
Using Employment Verification
A business can only go so far to verify the information an employee provides on a resume and on tax forms. The ability to dig deeper is not something most businesses have. However, using a background checking service like LexisNexis employment verification is a great way to ensure prospective employees are who they say they are. Not only will a background check suss out illegal workers, but they verify previous employment and reveal criminal records, if they exist.
Trust is important in business, so knowing a person’s history provides a company with peace of mind. It also saves time and money in building the best possible staff.
Article contributed by Jenna Smith