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The best policy

13th August 2009, Page 26
13th August 2009
Page 26
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Page 26, 13th August 2009 — The best policy
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

One in six job applicants is less than honest on their CVs. As an employer, how do you reduce the risk of hiring the wrong candidate?

Words: John Davies

It can be expensive to get recruitment decisions wrong. Apart from checking the skills of the applicant and the validity of their driving licence — if appointing a driver — you as the prospective employer want to be satisfied that the applicant is honest and that the information to support the application is credible and reliable.

Unfortunately, this is not something you can always be sure about.A survey conducted by Powerchex in 2008 found one in six CVs contained some form of discrepancy, usually related to dates of past employment, academic and professional qualifications and undisclosed appointments.

The Fraud Advisory Panel has come up with a plan to help businesses ensure they take enough precautions when recruiting to at least make sure applicants are not giving a false impression of their identity and background. This plan takes the form of a checklist that prospective employers should run through.

First, what should you be on the look-out for by way of recruitment fraud? The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and UK fraud prevention service CIFAS identified the following as the most common ways in which job applicants may seek to deceive potential employers: using a false identity; presenting a false status of immigration; providing false educational and/or professional qualifications; using false references; concealing employment records and history; concealing unspent criminal convictions; concealing an adverse financial and/or credit history.

The plan encourages firms to minimise the risk of falling victim to any of these frauds by carrying out pre-employment screening. This means taking steps to verify the information and undertakings given to you by job applicants before you offer them a job, and certainly before they start working for you.

Pre-employment screening

Carrying out a screening exercise should help you to ascertain the applicant is who they say they are, that they live at the address they say they live at, are eligible to work for you and have provided you with accurate details of their educational and employment history.

Screening can be undertaken either in-house or by using a specialist pre-employment screening company. Whichever method you choose will probably depend on the si7e of your business and the sensitivity and seniority of the post you are trying to fill.

If you do it yourself, there will he certain things you'll need to do. First, ensure all prospective employees are told they will be subject to pre-employment screening and that they sign a consent form and data protection statement. Also, ask candidates to sign a declaration to confirm that the information provided on the application form is correct and they understand that material falsehoods may result in the withdrawal of any offer of employment or, where employment has started, dismissal.

Keep accurate records to demonstrate that appropriate checks have been completed. Monitor, where appropriate, candidates' conformity with legal requirements, such as their right to work in the UK. Establish company policies to assess the results of the screening exercise.

To verify identity, it is usually advisable to ask for an original copy of a birth certificate, passport or driving licence. For married women, a birth certificate should be accompanied by a copy of the marriage certificate if the candidate has changed her name through marriage.

To verify an address, original documents such as bank statements or utility bills should suffice. Alternatively, specialist address verification services are available.

For educational and professional qualifications, while the certificates themselves will give prima facie evidence,

they should always he cross-referenced by contacting the awarding body directly.

To verify work history and references, you should first conduct a check to try to ascertain whether or not the firm referred to by the applicant actually exists. Assuming it does, you can then contact the firm to confirm the applicant's past service record. Unexplained employment gaps of more than three months should he checked out.

Eligibility check For entitlement to work in the UK, there is a dedicated section on the website of the UK Border Agency (www. ukha.homeoffice.gov.uk) on how to check that applicants are eligible to work in the UK.

To check criminal history, data may be obtained from the Criminal Records Bureau, Disclosure Scotland or Access NI.There are different levels of disclosure that are dependent on the role being applied for and the position of trust it entails.

To check a person's insolvency record (if any), the Insolvency Service wehsite (www.insolvency.gov.uk) allows you to search the personal insolvency register free.

It is a criminal offence under the Fraud Act 2006 to make a false representation with a view to obtaining reward. If you do discover, via a pre-employment screening exercise, that an applicant has made any such representation, you should be prepared to withdraw any offer of employment that has been made.

You should also consider reporting the matter to the police or other relevant authority. Where the applicant has come to you via a recruitment agency, you should notify it of the relevant facts. mi


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