Check your applications

June 13 2005 - A quarter of British employers withdrew one or more job offers in the last year because of lies or misrepresentations on applications, according to the CIPD's annual Recruitment and Retention Survey. 23% of employers also dismissed someone in post for the same reason.

The survey investigated the recruitment and retention experiences of 715 employers in the UK and also asked them how often they carried out various checks on applications. The results show that many employers are less than thorough in their applicant checking.

• 23% of employers do not always take up applicants' references (although 90% do so mostly or always);
• 20% rarely or never check on absence records, with a further 19% doing so only sometimes;
• 24% of organisations never (11%) or rarely (13%) check academic qualifications. A further 19% doing so only sometimes;
• Virtually all employers check on applicants' most recent employment history. A mere 6% never or rarely check this.

According to Rebecca Clarke, Recruitment Adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development:

"A CV is not the best place for modesty. There's nothing wrong with selling yourself when you're applying for a job. But lies or deliberate distortions could leave you out of a job, and limit your chances of getting a new one.

"Employers need to be careful. A strong economy and low unemployment means many employers are struggling to find applicants. But there are risks that go with rushing candidates into fill vacancies without pausing to make basic checks. If you don't have rigorous pre-employment checks in place, you risk being a soft touch for people who are willing to be dishonest to get work or advance their careers. On the other hand, if all employers carried out checks on a more regular basis, it's more likely those people who genuinely fit the criteria for the job will be successful.

"CIPD recommends that employers should always take up references to check facts such as qualifications gained and previous jobs held. However, employers should also take care not to rely on subjective opinion with regard to competence or performance."

A free fact sheet on references is available from the CIPD website.