Nearly two thirds (63 per cent) of job applications in the first quarter of 2015 contained errors, according to the latest research from HireRight the candidate due diligence company. In fact, the proportion of inaccurate applications is at its highest level since 2011.
HireRight’s latest quarterly Candidate Health Check survey finds that the level of mistakes has risen on all sections of CVs, with the exception of education. However education is still the area where candidates are most likely to include incorrect information and this happens in two fifths (39 per cent) of all applications.
More than a third (36 per cent) of applications contain errors about employment history, while in nearly three in ten (30 per cent) applications claims about professional qualifications and memberships are wrong.
Steve Girdler, Managing Director EMEA at HireRight, comments: “With slower growth forecast in 2015 than last year and the uncertainty a general election can create in the market, it is unsurprising that we have seen an increase in errors or exaggerations.
“To attract and recruit the most suitable applicants during this time of change, businesses need to balance carrying out due diligence that ensures candidates are qualified, with ensuring a positive recruitment journey.”
Trust me, I’m a director
The research, which takes into account analysis of more than 100,000 checks of 26,000 applications, goes on to reveal that the proportion of people making false claims about holding a director’s position has risen every quarter for 18 months.
The quarter (25 per cent) of job applications containing inaccuracies in this area represents a 40 per cent rise compared to the same period last year. In spite of this, the number of checks being carried out to verify such claims is falling.
Recent research by HireRight shows that in almost half (49 per cent) of large organisations it is often assumed that people applying for senior positions are trustworthy. Yet, people at all levels are equally capable of lies or embellishment: a leadership lie has been exposed by screening in more than a third (36 per cent) of corporates.
Steve Girdler adds: “No assumptions should be made in recruitment, even when hiring to a high-level role. Businesses need to ensure that the people they appoint to senior positions are capable of leading the company in the right direction and ensuring its success.”