Protect Your Business, Verify Past Employment

The fact that recent studies indicate that nearly 75% of all resumes contain some sort of falsification and that 89% are downright misleading means that a background check with a resume verification is in order for all pre-employment screening procedures.

An employer's lack of foresight can come back to haunt them. In fact, companies can be held liable for negligent hiring and retention. There can be public relations nightmares. All can be avoided by the due diligence, resume verification and education verification can head off wrongful termination lawsuits, it saves you time and money otherwise wasted by recruiting, hiring, and training the wrong applicants.

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Fake College Capital of the World - United States

Reports indicate that 810 diploma mills have been identified in the US and there are many more still under investigation.

California is the leading state with 134 diploma mills, followed closely by Hawaii and Washington state.

The report is a result of an 18 month international research project into diploma and accreditation mills.

The focus of the report was to provide employers with valid information about applicants' education to support them in hiring qualified candidates. The ability to spot a diploma mill helps companies avoid potential liability when clearing an applicant with a bogus degree.

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Dear Liberty....

"I had a great opportunity at a new company a week ago, but I realized the 6 month gap in my employment might look bad on my profile, so I extended the last position I had by 6 months and turned in my paperwork. I am a perfect match, this is a great opportunity, but the more and more I think about it, the more I realize this little lie could lose the deal for me!

What should I do? I lied and it was a stupid thing to do, but I'm not sure how to correct it. I might be able to contact the old company and ask them not to respond to any questions regarding my employment, or I can fess up and tell my prospective employer that I lied..."

Like the many hundreds of applicants who lie on their resumes or job applications, you're chances of doing nothing and seeing where the chips lie after the dust settles AND still getting the job are slim to none. The fact that you feel some guilt regarding this is a good thing.

You are very likely to fail an employment background check with the falsified dates. Even if your old employer agrees to not mention anything is also very likely to end up as a failed employment verification.

You should immediately contact your prospective employer. Tell them you realized you made an error on your application and that you'd like to correct it. Don't offer any further excuses, they will appreciate your honesty and likely not contemplate whether there was malicious intent behind the error or not. Good luck!

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Police Chief Lies about Criminal Past

Fired by the Lewisville, Minnesota City Council last Wednesday, former police chief Dave Kleinschmidt had a criminal past and lied about his previous employment.

He lied to investigators about a car crash 2000 when he was a private citizen - that an unknown person had hit his car and fled, however, the person was a friend of Kleinschmidt's.

He was convicted of falsifying a police report - a conviction that was later overlooked when he was hired in February 2008. He was named police chief a year later. City officials don't agree on whether he passed a background check, the standard for all city employees. They cannot determine if council members were aware of his conviction before they hired him.

"The council has found that Mr. Kleinschmidt was not truthful, honest and candid with the council," the board wrote in a resolution to fire the chief.

City officials are considering disbanding the troubled Lewisville police department.

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Real Advice about Falsifying Your Resume

Taken from the archives of "Dear Prudence" at Slate.com, Prudence offers Remorseful Job Applicant great advice:

Dear Prudie,
I've been out of work for several months and have had trouble landing interviews—I have children and really need a job. My résumé is fantastic, with excellent references, but I do not have a four-year college degree. Finally, I got desperate and edited one of my résumés to show that I had a bachelor's degree from a college I attended 30 years ago. I sent it out only once (and have since deep-sixed it). The problem is that I received an inside referral to a job with an excellent company, hit it off with everyone during the interviews, and landed the job—contingent on my passing a background check. This is where I sent my falsified résumé. I completed the background check truthfully. But now my stomach is churning and I want to call the company, tell them what happened, and resign the position. I've never done anything like this before. It may be the worst thing I've ever done in my life.
—Remorseful Job Applicant

Dear Remorseful,
Do not resign! Contact human resources immediately and tell them there's a mistake on your résumé and that it should say you attended, not graduated from, your college. Let them know the background-check form is accurate. That may take care of the problem. If your call raises questions, be succinct and truthful. Say you made this onetime mistake in a foolish attempt to improve your résumé, you regretted it the moment you did it, and whatever else happens, you are relieved to have put things right. It's much better for you to come forward first before the checkers find the discrepancy. Yes, there's a chance they won't, but that's a big risk. If they miss it, and you do get hired, every time anyone says, "Marvin, can I see you in my office?" your stomach acid will pour. If you get the job and this comes out later, it could be a firing offense. And if this is the worst thing you've ever done, take pride in having led such an exemplary life.

--Prudie

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Fake Job References on the Rise

As if there weren't enough side effects of the current economic climate, new companies are cropping up to help job applicants lie and get away with it. With the rise in unemployment, a more competitive job market is to be expected.

But new companies like Alibi, HQ are making it extremely difficult to weed out the falsifications. The company charges an extraordinary amount to provide professional references, employment verifications and other "discrete" services.

The success of these companies is unknown, but it isn't surprising that the market is headed this way. Many people are out of work and desperate for jobs. Desperate times lead to desperate measures.

Liberty is doing everything in our power to insure accuracy of our verifications.

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Hiring Mistakes Cost Companies

A recent survey by Occupational Health and Safety outlines the trouble hiring mistakes can afford small to mid size companies. Three out of four employers say they've hired one employee they wish they hadn't. Twelve percent of those respondents say that hiring mistake alone cost them about $10,000!

"The businesses we talk to say they are seeing more individuals lying on their résumés or exaggerating their skill sets in order to get scarce jobs. In a down economy, small business owners must be especially vigilant when they bring on new employees," says SurePayroll President Michael Alter.

Most mistakes are being made by negligent or poor hiring decisions. Skipping crucial steps along the way during the hiring process cost these business big:

• "We hired an employee without doing a background check, and then I caught her stealing."
• "We rely mainly on a strong 'gut feeling' to determine if the candidate seems qualified and references check out."
• "Our hiring errors have been largely due to time constraints--we needed to fill a position fast and quickly chose what appeared to be the best applicant from resumes received."

"For small business owners, the psychological and economic strain of making a hiring mistake can be a massive burden on the company," Alter says. "What's more, these kinds of hiring mistakes can be reduced or avoided altogether by implementing proper precautionary measures. Investing in pre-employment screening services is worth the small upfront investment."

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License Supsended for Resume Lies

A 60-day license suspension is being recommended for Garland Stillwell, a former attorney for Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman after it was discovered that he inflated his credentials on his resume.

He also charged personal expenses to the company credit credit card. Among other transgressions, he also used firm employees to send out a false employment verification for a friend who no longer worked at Pillsbury.

The suspension to some, seems like a slap on the wrist. But those wary of hiring somebody with a past like this need only use a Professional License Verification service to view the history of attorneys licenses. The suspension will appear on any verification during the 60-day period and will remain in the license history.

The report by the committee said a harsher penalty was not warranted because of mitigating factors. Stillwell had acknowledged the violations, reimbursed the firm, participated in counseling and had no prior violations.

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High School Principal Employed with Criminal Record

Oklahoma: Michael James Maples, principal at Memorial High School in Oklahoma City attested in his application that he had not been convicted of crimes other than traffic offenses to obtain his position as principal.

The laundry list of offenses Maples has racked up since 1980 include attempted larceny, alteration of public records, and wearing unauthorized badges and awards in a military court.

Maples claimed to be a military officer after he was demoted. He lied about being picked to teach at the United States Military Academy.

In 2008, he faced serious charges of stealing from an Oklahoma school district he once worked for.

How these crimes were able to remain hidden from district authorities is a mystery. Maples was convicted, yet again, on May 26 of making a false statement to obtain property or credit, and tampering with a government record. Maples will serve 10 years probation for his crime.

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Resume Lies Lead to Serious Injury in Dallas

May 2nd was a tragic day in Dallas, TX. The practice facility used by the Dallas Cowboys collapsed seriously injuring two players. One was left with a broken neck and the other with permanent paralysis.

The director of engineering on the project, Jeffery Lawerence Galland runs his own consulting firm but works with the firm, JCI who oversaw the construction of the facility in 2003 and the reinforcement that led to the collapse.

Galland falsified his educational creditionals on his resume. In a written summary, Galland states that he received a bachelors degree from Eastern Washington University. A education verification confirmed that he did attend the university, but did not receive the stated degree.

Galland also served federal prison time for drug trafficking.

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