According to a recent SHRM poll, 64% of HR professionals reported that during background reference checks, inaccurate dates of previous employment, as provided by employees, had the most impact on their decision to NOT extend an offer.
Why do employers conduct background checks? The answer is to ensure that they are hiring the right person for the right job. Employers also want to make sure that what they are getting in an employee is what they were promised. That’s why it’s so important to not embellish your resume. While you might think you are “enhancing” or “polishing” your resume, HR managers call it outright lying. And you can be sure that you will be caught, especially since nine out of ten large companies conduct thorough background checks on all applicants. You would be surprised at the depth and breadth of information that can be turned up in an employment verification check.
If you had a spotty record with a previous employer(s), instead of leaving that company off of your resume and “rearranging” employment dates, it’s best to list the company and focus on your strengths and achievements pertaining to that job. If you feel you do not have all of the qualifications for the job you are applying for, don’t lie and pretend you have those skills. It’s best to discuss related skills and how they can be used. Gaps in employment history worry employers. They don’t know what caused the gaps – college, time off to raise the kids, prison, fired from a job. There are a host of reasons. Be ready to discuss your reasons honestly with a potential employer.
But if you decide to lie, be ready for the snow ball effect. Once you lie on your resume, you will have to lie in the interview as you discuss your prior work experience. If you get past the HR manager and have a second interview with the department head, you will have to continue that lie. As you start discussing the nitty gritty of the job, you will eventually slip up and the department head will know you don’t have the work experience you claim to have. And even if you are able to win over the department head, your pre employment background check will surely uncover your true work experience through employment history and reference checks.
In the end, you will be embarrassed and jobless! Not a good place to be. And what about the damage to your reputation in your industry? There’s always that “inner circle” of people who discuss what’s going on in the industry. How do you recover when your colleagues realize that you lied about your qualifications?
The moral of this story is that it’s always best to be truthful on your resume. Focus on your strengths and achievements and how they will benefit the company you are applying to. Spend your energy learning everything you can about that company and how you can be an asset instead of wasting energy on thinking up ways to embellish your work record. Be as honest on your resume and be proud of your achievements. You worked hard for them! And don’t forget, most companies conduct thorough background checks and will find anything that you lie about.
