Business owners 'need to check CV details'
Jun 20 2008
Small business owners have been warned to check the details on someone's CV before employing them.
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) says that a good interviewer should be able to spot holes in CVs or notice things which have been covered up.
Anne Fairweather, the REC's head of public policy, explains that simple measures such as checking with schools and universities that an applicant studied there and asking for original certificates can help identify those who have exaggerated about their qualifications.
She advises: 'Obviously people sometimes exaggerate what their responsibilities were in a job so check that through the references as well.'
Covering up gaps in employment is 'the classic one', she adds.
A survey of 3,800 CVs from the Risk Advisory Group has shown that more than half of job applications contain inaccurate information.
The poll found that those aged 36 to 40 were the worst offenders, with 62.9 per cent of CVs containing one or more discrepancy.
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) says that a good interviewer should be able to spot holes in CVs or notice things which have been covered up.
Anne Fairweather, the REC's head of public policy, explains that simple measures such as checking with schools and universities that an applicant studied there and asking for original certificates can help identify those who have exaggerated about their qualifications.
She advises: 'Obviously people sometimes exaggerate what their responsibilities were in a job so check that through the references as well.'
Covering up gaps in employment is 'the classic one', she adds.
A survey of 3,800 CVs from the Risk Advisory Group has shown that more than half of job applications contain inaccurate information.
The poll found that those aged 36 to 40 were the worst offenders, with 62.9 per cent of CVs containing one or more discrepancy.