June 21, 2010
Buzz on lie detectors is all a lie, but looking for lies on your resume is still true
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NWjobs
In an article posted on the Washington Post, Jeff Stein points out that polygraph tests used by employers to screen candidates aren't reliable, however the appearance of the test itself can motivate subjects to confess.
While I have yet to run into an employer in Puget Sound that uses polygraphs in employment screening (have you?), I have seen many HR professionals use various techniques discussed below to find lies on resumes:
Employers check all current and previous resume submissions. Resumes submitted to companies are usually kept for 7 - 10 years. They are stored in the company's Applicant Tracking System (ATS). When you send a new resume one year later, it's easy to compare the two documents with the tools available to HR. Discrepancies that raise red flags are: dates of employment, education, job titles, and significant changes in responsibility.
Applicant Tracking Systems also compare your LinkedIn profile with your resume. Candidates seem to be more truthful on public sites such as LinkedIn than they are on their resumes. People tend to maintain their honesty with their former employer and colleagues by posting accurate dates of employment, title and education history on their LinkedIn profile. However when they're sending their resume to a handful of employers, they're more inclined to exaggerate qualifications or misrepresent employment dates.
HR managers use LinkedIn's Reference Search. This powerful tool allows employers to find out whether you truly went to University of Washington Foster School of Business or attended City University instead. They can also find out whether you were a business manager at Group Health or a project coordinator.
Not only will lying on your resume disqualify you from getting an interview, it can actually cause you to get blacklisted with the prospective employer. Once blacklisted, it becomes almost impossible to get an interview with them at a future date.
One of the main concerns I hear from job seekers today is their employment gap since their last layoff. They're worried that having a six month or one-year gap on their resume is getting them disqualified from being considered. I ease this fear by letting them know that "What makes you a great Project Manager doesn't necessarily make you a great job seeker." Employers understand this so staying truthful on your application is in your best interest.
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job hunt, LinkedIn, resumes
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Rod Mattson on June 25, 2010 4:44 PM | Reply
Paul,
I just started reading your posts a week ago and I find them well written and very informative.
Your point about being truthful on a resume is so important and you made your case beautifully.
We can see what is happening with a couple of guys back East, one said he was in Vietnam when it wasn't true--he was a USMC Officer in charge of Toys for Tots in the DC area. What is wrong with that? It is very honorable and I am sure he was successful. Why did he have to lie about being in a war? He uses different language though, to explain himself, "I mis-spoke."
And, another man said he received Intelligence Officer of the Year Award from the US Army when in fact his unit won a Unit award. Again, that is an honorable thing to be in a recognized unit. Why lie?
Both of these lies will cost these two men their dream jobs in the end as Americans do not like liars--unless they admit to it and say they are sorry.
In both cases they didn't. One "mis-spoke" and the other said, "Everyone embellishes their (sic) resume, let's get past it."
I don't think the American people will just "get past it."
I remember in the years before Dr. Sanford was head of Seattle Public Schools, the guy before him lied about having a PhD. He had a good track record and was, briefly, a strong Superintendent who eventually was fired because of the lie. The sad thing is the School Board didn't care about the PhD, he would have been selected without it.
Employers are more concerned with ability and fitting in than gaps of employment or awards.
You hit the nail on the head when you said just because someone is good in his/her career doesn't mean s/he is good at looking for a job.
Well done,
Rod Mattson
www.MattsonCommunication.com
Lisa on June 26, 2010 10:09 AM | Reply
Have you written about the growing trend in using credit reports to deny people jobs?
I think that is dreadful. Credit reports are being used for things that they were never intended to be used for. How many people have good credit that have been out of work for a year or two? Obviously they are in dire need of a job. Yet a bad credit report can cost them a job or even an interview. Are credit reports allowed to be a factor in Washington?