One hundred and twelve resumes and an afternoon of weeding out the junk and you still have thirty-two qualified candidates to consider. On average you probably spent five to ten seconds on each resume to separate the possibles from the absolute rubbish. One hundred and twelve times ten seconds runs about twenty minutes, plus or minus coffee breaks and telephone interruptions. Now you will spend another two to five minutes on each to select the most qualified and end up with a list of, say, the ten best. Thirty-two times five, which is an additional one hundred and sixty minutes invested for a running total of three hours. Two ninety-minute interviews of each candidate depending on company policy. You have now invested eighteen hours, so make a decision.

Pick that one person out of the one hundred and twelve applicants who will be a perfect fit for the position, the department and the company. If you are right, great.

If not ...

You know your job, the candidate looks great, did really well in the interview, meets the educational qualifications and you are prepared to stake your reputation on him, right? Maybe you should check the references. You've been provided with three names and corresponding telephone numbers. You might as well call them up and see what they say. Ten minutes on the phone with each reference and not too surprisingly they all agree with you.

You have picked an ideal individual for the position.

Something just does not feel quite right.

Candidate screening and selection may be the most difficult and important task assigned to human resource personnel. The risks involved in making a poor hiring decision can impact heavily on a corporation in all areas from production to morale, and from public relations to sales and marketing. In most environments a manager or Human Resources specialist is as good as their last hire, and excuses just do not cut it when a system has to deal with a problem employee.

Worst of all the deck is stacked against the person making the hiring decision.

A recent survey revealed the following frightening trends,

• as many as ninety percent of those polled had offered close friends, relatives or irrelevant co-workers as references to their last employer
• nearly forty-five percent had exaggerated or outright fabricated educational qualifications
• eighty-six percent of responding employers had never checked educational credentials of an employee prior to making an offer of employment
• virtually none of the employers had a strategy in place for evaluating the credibility of the references they checked on candidates
• only one in three organizations had established a consistent format for checking references

The following are quotes from a University newsletter:

• "Almost all of us have told a little white lie on our resumes at one point in our lives. Whether it was a line or two about non-existent skills or giving a friend's name and number as a reference, we've all been guilty of stretching the truth."
• "I stretched a little on my employment, such as having a lot of computer knowledge, or maybe the length of time that I actually worked somewhere, if I worked there at all."
• "Last year, 30 first-year law students at the University of Toronto were caught lying about their grades on their resumes to get summer jobs with law firms."
• "I don't want to be limited in the near future. A little resume padding is all right, ... If I didn't pad it, I'm sure that I would not get the job, which wouldn't be fair."

In an employment environment as competitive as what we are experiencing in this new millennium, it is not surprising that applicants are enhancing their employability by misleading the potential employer during the interview process.

It is clearly understood by the applicants that the process of applying for a position is a competition, obviously one they want to win.

Employers must also realize that they are not the referee in this competition, but an opponent with far more to lose than the candidates.

So what weapons do you have in your arsenal? How do you protect yourself from being misled by a candidate?

First and foremost, consistency must be the foundation of any applicant screening process. It is imperative that standards be set and adhered to. Bad hires and wrongful hiring litigation can best be avoided by ensuring that a complete screening process be conducted on each and every new hire - without exception. Regardless of who recommended an individual, how well they did in the interview or how much pressure there is to fill the position immediately, the background check needs to be done.

Thoroughness is as vital as consistency. Simply calling a few references in order to confirm how marvellously bright you are and what excellent selection skills you possess will not protect you from making costly hiring errors. Establishing a format that can be followed for every reference interview will help to achieve a certain amount of objectivity, and ensure that each candidate is treated fairly through this part of the selection process.

A common negligence in checking references is establishing the credibility of the referee. We often find that an individual identified as a past employer is in fact a relative or personal friend. It is vital that a context be established in which to measure the statements made.

Remember why you are checking the references and establish a format that investigates beyond whether or not the person you are calling liked the candidate. Investigate areas relevant to the position, the culture of your organization and the skills and experience the job requires.

Using a Third Party Reference Checking Firm

Third party reference checking firms such as Inline Reference Check can be an excellent resource to Human Resource Professionals. As with outsourcing any Human Resource function, it is important to develop a strong working relationship with an employee screening firm to ensure that your organization's needs and expectations are met.

Over and above basic reference checking, many firms insist on completing credit reports, criminal background checks, education confirmation and driver abstract reviews. These additional areas of investigation are often considered to be a fundamental part of the due diligence required to complete the selection process.

Falsification of credentials is clearly increasing in frequency in Canada. University degrees are readily available on the Internet, and surveys indicate that the majority of job applicants who falsify their resumes firmly believe that no one will ever check. Once again, thoroughness and consistency are your best defence.

Recruitment is indeed more an art than a science; however, at least some of the mystery and the risk can be removed by ensuring that thorough background screening and reference checking is completed prior to making an employment offer.

Home Why Check References? What is Checked Newsletters About Inline Reference Check Reference Check Request Forms Kit Inline Privacy Policy Contact Us

Phone: (416) 410-4881 Fax: (519) 927-5371 Toll Free: 1-800-873-7577 www.InlineReference.com

1375 Cataract Rd Alton, Ontario L0N 1A0 Canada e-mail: michael@inlinereference.com