The Impact of Lying on Organizational Efficiency and Culture
By Ashley Mazerolle, Marketing —
Lying is a plague that harms the efficiency and culture of an organization, especially when it comes from its most valuable asset — its employees. Employers must now be alert to the disturbing problem of candidates lying on their resumes. A recent report from First Advantage, a pre-screening employment company, reveals that 27.2 percent of its background verifications “uncovered inaccuracies,” with 32 percent of these being major discrepancies.
Education is a key area where candidates tend to exaggerate. Traci Canning, Senior VP and Managing Director of First Advantage, explains that most inaccuracies relate to candidates overstating their academic achievements, declaring incomplete degrees, and even covering up negative employment history. This deception is alarming and poses a significant threat to organizations. Hiring under-qualified personnel can result in substantial costs and inefficiencies for employers.
The competitive job market drives many candidates to lie as a means to secure employment. Research since 2012 indicates that 10.8 percent of all resumes contain major discrepancies in the education and employment verification sections. This has led to an increase in the use of pre-employment screening services provided by companies like First Advantage.
As employers become increasingly aware of the costs associated with under-qualified staff, they’re turning to pre-employment screening to mitigate this issue. First Advantage has seen a 25.1 percent increase in checks since 2011, demonstrating how companies are directing resources and attention to this common threat.
One tool that could play a significant role in this screening process is EyeDetect™. This technology provides a painless and non-intrusive test that examines an individual’s pupil dilation and other optical behavior while they answer a series of true or false questions. The results are encrypted in real-time to the cloud, calculated, and securely made available to the relevant authorities for evaluation.
By using such advanced lie detection technology, organizations can better ensure that they hire qualified and honest employees, thereby protecting their efficiency and culture from the negative impacts of deceit.
Photo by: 2H MEDIA