It is no secret that job resume fraud has been on the rise in recent years. With the economic downturn in recent years, many desperate job seekers have resorted to “embellishing” their resume credentials. Their hope: that prospective employers will forego checking the dates and credentials offered on their resumes.
Unfortunately for these job seekers, many employers – also well aware of the prevalence of resume fraud – have redoubled their efforts to verify candidates’ resume data. In so doing, they invariably check the employment dates with the Human Resources (HR) contact of a candidate’s former employer. If the dates – or title – given by HR don’t match up exactly with those offered on the candidate’s resume, it is unlikely that the candidate will ever hear again from the potential employer.
This employer vigilance poses a problem not only for candidates intentionally “fudging” their resume data, but also for those who inadvertently offer erroneous data they believe to be accurate. Sometimes the formal title appearing in an HR data bank is different than the one offered up by the potential candidate who may be unaware of this discrepancy. Or, the formal start/end date of employment might differ, even slightly, between the dates offered by the candidate and by the former employer. In such instances, a persnickety prospective employer might elect to “draw the line” and withhold an employment offer (or rescind one that has already been made, contingent on a non-problematic reference check).
How, then, can a conscientious job candidate best ensure that what they are offering on their resume is consistent with input given by their former employer? They can conduct a reference check(s) on themselves by using a third party reference checking organization such as Allison & Taylor.com. In contacting HR at their former employer, the job seeker will not only be able to confirm their employment dates/title but may also be able to determine HR’s responses to questions like “Are they eligible for rehire?” or “Were they terminated from the organization?” While HR should not be providing responses to such questions, a candidate should never assume that HR is always following proper protocol. Also, non-HR employees – for example, former supervisors – are far more likely to offer revealing commentary about you than Human Resources. For this reason, it can be critical that a job seeker not only determine what HR will offer regarding their former employment, but former supervisors and other potential references within that organization as well.
In summary, it behooves any job candidate to ensure that their resume isn’t their “weakest link”. Use an organization like Allison & Taylor.com (which can also critique your resume to ensure that your content/format are optimally presented) to ensure that your current resume data is consistent with that offered by your former employers – and at the same time, to ensure they are not offering any commentary that could compromise your employment efforts.
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Question:
Will my employment references know that I am having them ‘checked out’?
Answer:
Absolutely not. At no time do we reveal who has hired us to do this research.
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Question:
Isn’t it illegal to ask about things other than title and dates of employment during a reference check?
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Answer:
No, and that is one of the interesting things about references. It is a private conversation between two people, your past employer and a prospective one. Anything can be said, regardless of what the laws are. Go to your local legislator’s office. They can find the most recent laws for you but remember, every road we drive on has a speed limit. When we are running late, if a police officer is not in sight, we speed. There is not a reference police officer watching over you past employer. Essentially, your past employer or reference can take 5 minutes on the telephone with a total stranger and either increase your chances of obtaining a new position or absolutely ruin them.
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Question:
Can I have additional or specific questions asked of my employment references?
Answer:
Custom reports are available for an additional fee. If there is any possibility of litigation, we suggest not to alter our normal course of business as this jeopardizes our unbiased research.
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Question:
Who should I list as a reference?
Answer:
When compiling a list of employment references, try to look at it from the prospective employer’s shoes. First, you need responsive people that can confirm that you worked there, your title, reason for separation and other basics. Additionally, you need to list people who can vouch for your level of responsibility and performance. Also consider any party to whom you reported. These individuals do not necessarily have to be named on your list of references, but be assured, if you reported to them, they are likely to be contacted by a prospective employer.
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Question:
What if my reference no longer works for my previous company?
Answer:
It is in your best interest to locate your previous supervisors and colleagues. We are not a detective agency, and neither are the prospective employers who will be considering you. Allison & Taylor can simply call your past companies and ask for forwarding information, just as a prospective employer would, but realistically this is likely to go nowhere. You could hire a private investigator or try to do this on your own. Call the company yourself, maybe someone you know is there and they would release the information to you. Can you call former colleagues or clients? The internet is a great source of information, try your own search. The bottom line is that in order for you to compare to your competition for other positions, you need to have your references and past supervisors in order.
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Question:
If my employment references are bad, what can I do?
Answer:
A bad employment reference can be strategically dealt with depending on what is actually being said and to what degree things are explained. You need to first determine what is being said before you can develop an appropriate strategy. Depending on what the research reveals as well as the laws within your state, you may be able to take legal action. We suggest taking our report to an employment attorney for proper legal advice. Allison & Taylor, Inc. will be available to supply our research evidence and to testify in support of your situation should the need arise. Although we will not make a referral to a specific attorney, we do suggest finding one through NELA – the National Employment Lawyers Association. Additionally, very good legal advice and information can be accessed at US Law Books.
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