Look for 5 Common Resume Lies to Find Honest Candidates

Every entrepreneur would love to have the right tools to spot a liar on paper before the interview happens. While normal fudging on a resume is to be expected, direct lying is never a good thing. Employers need to know the five most common lies and watch for them while they are busy trying to find candidates.

1. Falsifying Grades
This is the most common resume lie because graduates can easily bump their GPA up on paper. While many people will not list a fake degree, they will list a higher-than-real GPA. Require any potential employees or interviewees to supply transcripts before moving forward in the interview process.

2. Graduation Dates
As candidates age, it becomes tougher to stand up to the younger competition. The temptation to change the graduation year is very strong when it will place the candidate in the same bracket as the younger, fresher competition. Make sure to ask for those transcripts mentioned above.

3. Exaggeration in Job Experience
Some desperate candidates will bloat their work experience or job titles. This lie can be tough to catch when talking to candidates, but will come out through contact with references. It's also a good idea to get permission to speak with old supervisors to get the truth.

4. Language Fluency
Being fluent in a foreign language makes an applicant look better on paper, so this lie will come up on occasion. If there is any reason to doubt, learn a few phrases and try them out on the applicant. Better yet, ask a fluent friend to sit in on the interview. The lie will come out quickly and you will understand more about the morale of the candidate.

5. Technical Knowledge
As with language fluency, computer skills are very easy to fudge on a resume. Luckily, this lie is easier to test without the help of a friend. Ask a potential employee to take a free online test for the skills which they claim to have. You'll find out before the person leaves the interview if they can do what they claim.
If you need any further help with spotting a liar, or if you're interested in finding great employees, contact us today and we'll get you started.