Candidates making false statements on CVs has become a very real problem, occasionally it may be a genuine error but often it happens where a candidate wants to gain advantage at an interview.

With the prospect of higher unemployment and a tougher jobs market it is expected that there will be an increase in candidates making false statements to help them obtain a job.  So what can the employer do about this and what happens when an employee is hired based on false statements in their CV?

There is much an employer can do to verify the CV of an applicant, past employment roles, salaries paid, qualifications and professional memberships can all be verified using a company that provides employment screening services.  The range of screening provided can be tailored to the importance of the role taking into account the risks involved.  The cost for screening is not expensive and can range from tens of pounds upwards based on the depth of screening required.

So what happens when the employee has been hired based on false statements?

Firstly as an employer, you may be liable to customers and the public should an employee cause damage or loss that can be attributed to their falsely claimed experience.  A question for the employer in such a situation is did you exercise reasonable care to properly screen the employee before hiring?

Secondly, a civil claim for damages action could also be taken against an employee that has made the false statements to obtain employment, the employee could even be open to criminal charges under the Fraud Act 2006 (previously Theft Act 1968) for “obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception”.

The bottom line is that there could be serious consequences for both employer and employee where false statements have been made to obtain employment.  As an employer we would recommend the following actions to mitigate the risk:

• Make it clear to potential applicants that any qualifications and previous employments stated in CVs may be subject to independent verification.
• Ask an applicant to provide supporting information such as copies of qualification certificates and payslips to support their previous salary.
• Use a specialist company such as Credit Check Services to verify the applicant’s details.