<p>There’s no doubt that CV fraud has perforated the majority of working industries worldwide. However, recent research has shown that some industries are more susceptible to receiving fraudulent applicants than others.</p>
<h2>What is CV fraud?</h2>
<p>CV fraud refers to any information provided on a CV or during the job application process which is fictitious or misleading. The severity of CV fraud varies; from the more tentative candidates making subtle enhancements and the irresponsible applicants who make claims which pose a significant risk or even danger, depending on their area of work. Instances, where there are slight inaccuracies such as small variances in timelines and dates, does not constitute CV fraud; these minor imprecisions are more likely to be a case of human error.</p>
<p>When CV fraud does occur, the exaggerations or misinformation is far more severe and therefore pose a far greater risk to the company that the applicant is seeking to join. Common cases of misinformation on professional documents include incorrect skills, qualifications and experience. </p>
<h2>Why do applicants commit CV fraud?</h2>
<p>Particularly in the distinctly bold cases of CV fraud, it begs the question – why take the risk? The repercussions of CV fraud include dismissal, legal action or, depending on the industry you work in, you could be banned from practising in that area entirely.</p>
<p>However, even potential legal action isn’t enough to deter applicants; many job seekers embellish their CVs with the intention of furthering their career prospects or due to growing frustration from those who are unemployed.</p>
<p>Job search giant, Monster, reported that nearly <a href="https://hiring.monster.ca/hr/hr-best-practices/recruiting-hiring-advice/screening-job-candidates/an-applicant-lies-on-their-resume.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">50% of CVs contained some form of ‘untruth’.</a> The majority portion of applicants committing CV only increases its prevalence as this leads to an ‘everyone else is doing it’ mentality.</p>
<h2>Which industries attract the most embellished CVs?</h2>
<p>In a study conducted by CareerBuilder, it was found that the industries most susceptible to CV fraud include financial services, leisure and hospitality, retail, IT and healthcare. Worryingly, many of these are deemed as ‘high risk’ industries, where the impact of an untrained or under-qualified employee could be catastrophic.</p>
<h2>How to avoid CV fraud?</h2>
<p>It’s no secret that hiring managers are incredibly busy, globalisation and technological advances mean that they now receive more applications than ever. It’s reported that those responsible for recruitment only <a href="https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/you-only-get-6-seconds-of-fame-make-it-count" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spend 6.25 seconds reviewing</a> each CV. This is barely enough time to cross-check their skillset with that of the job description, let alone verify that the information is correct.</p>
<p>In order to prevent serious repercussions as a result of CV fraud, each applicant’s details, experience and qualifications should be fully checked, screened and verified from the primary source – meaning the university, issuing authority, professional body or former employer. It may sound time-consuming, but it really doesn’t need to be if the correct technology is utilised.</p>
<p>To verify an applicant’s information and safeguard your company against CV fraud without holding up the application process, find out how TrueProfile.io can help. Our dedicated Business Partner’s area has everything you need to know about verifying a candidate’s professional background or you can email us on <a href="mailto:businesspartners@trueprofile.io" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">businesspartners@trueprofile.io</a>.</p>