Recruitment firm issues warning over false career claims

Sanderson Recruitment has issued a warning to job applicants that increasing numbers of employers are now checking up on CV details such as employment history and qualifications.

The company noted that job hunters should also be aware that for as little as ten pounds, potential new employers can check out CV fundamentals and any career gaps. Moving up the scale, a few hundred pounds can buy the services of a referencing agency who will investigate your entire job history including interviewing your current boss – with or without the applicant’s permission.

Mike Beesley, Chairman of IT recruitment specialists Sanderson Recruitment, said: “If you haven’t told your current employer that you’re looking for a new job, then an investigative phone call such as this could cause a lot of problems, particularly if you’re applying for a job with a competitor. You could find yourself out of work altogether.

“In years gone by, employers would check only references with your permission, but there are now dozens of these agencies which offer firms a variety of background information on potential candidates. They act as if by applying for a job, your permission for them to verify your background is implicit.

“For an employer willing to offer a top salary and benefits package for a high-powered position, a few hundred pounds can be money well spent to protect them against recruiting the wrong person and even ending up liable for damages should their appointment get the company into trouble. But it can be very damaging indeed for the candidate.”

For the estimated one in four job hunters who are tempted to exaggerate or even falsify their CV to land a dream job - the advice is to stick to the truth. Exaggerated claims can easily be uncovered by employment reference checking agency, warned Beesley, who stressed that a CV was there to get applicants an interview, not the job, and that applicants need to remember that they should get the position on the strength of their real merits, not invented ones. Those who get a job on the back of a false or exaggerated CV stand every chance of being caught out. (SP)