A common concern when hiring a candidate is whether the applicant has told the truth about various aspects of their background. It is not unlikely for applicants to feel that they are more likely to get the job if they distort their age, cover-up gaps in their work history and claim to have educational qualifications they do not actually have.

While there has been relatively little research on the accuracy of applicant information, there is some evidence which can shed light on the facts. A study by a verification service in Minneapolis (U.S.), found that almost 33% of applicants' academic and employment records were inaccurate. An examination into 111 application forms submitted by people applying for jobs as nurse aids, found that forms were frequently incorrect for previous salary earned (72%) and duration of previous employment (57%). 15% of organisations cited by the applicants as being previous employers, had no record employing them. Click here to read more.


Amit Puri is the Managing Consultant at Sandbox Advisors. He has over 10 years of business and HR related experience, with companies such as Bain & Co, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup. Sandbox Advisors is based in Singapore and provides career management and HR consulting services in Asia.

Courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities, and posted on MN Headhunter.