In the last post I wrote about finding the right employee for your business. Today, I wanted to share information on resume fraud and how to best avoid it.
The first step is to analyze your hiring practices. Do you depend solely on the interview and reference checks? If so, you may want to consider exploring additional options. Here are a few steps you can take in order to make sure you are hiring the person you believe to be hiring.
The Background Check
When performing a background check, it is important to do so legally in accordance to the U.S. Fair Credit Reporting Act. Make sure your hiring process includes using a licensed consumer reporting agency or employment screening service in order to ensure the candidate’s information is protected and that potential claims are subject to dispute resolution. As specified in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers are not allowed to disqualify a candidate based solely on the information retrieved from a background check. Note that rules concerning background checks vary based on federal, state, local, and job-specific laws.
Employment Eligibility
Once offered employment, an applicant must complete an I9 form in order to verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. You can use e-verify to check the documents, but note you must use for all future employees once you check an applicant’s information. The benefit to using this site is that it shows the photo registered to the person’s name helping to avoid the illegal use of someone else’s documentation.
The Credential Verification
Unfortunately, US background reports do not help verify a candidate’s credentials. You can, however, find agencies that specialize in verifying credentials in your particular industry or area of question. You can also contact the schools listed on their resume to verify graduation and the degree they received.
The Personality Assessment
Would you like to see the personality type/characteristics of your employees? You might consider implementing personality assessments in the vetting process. Although often considered to be one of the least effective tools, they have been found to work well when used in conjunction with cognitive ability or integrity tests. Ideally, these tests are meant to help you find the candidate who has the behaviors and problem-solving patterns that will fit in with your company culture and the position. Many employers use less obvious assessments within the interview process by asking the candidate to provide solutions to particular dilemmas.
Questions You CAN’T Ask
When conducting an interview, make sure to stay away from questions regarding religion, politics, race, age, disability, family and children, financial status, or habits like smoking or drinking. The best way to avoid accusations of discrimination is by making sure you are up to date on legal interview protocols.
Depending on the skills necessary for the position, you may need to incorporate additional measures. Pre-employment background screening is the single most cost-effective, due diligence tool available to employers. And if you don’t have the time and/or desire to do this aspect of the hiring yourself, there are resources available to assist with the search.
By following these steps, you have a good chance of finding the ideal candidate you are looking for. Good luck with the search!