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Background Checks, Why Bother? Don Schmitz / Human Resource Staffing Do you ever think background checks are just a formality? Ninety-three percent of managers will not hire a candidate they catch lying. Simply put, background checks verify that the candidate did what they said they did, and when they said they did it.  Inflated job titles, increased salaries and benefits, length of service and qualifications are the most common areas applicants will try to lie to get the job. Some lies caught in background checking include; Bausch & Lomb's chief executive, Ronald Zarella, was found to have lied about having a master's degree in business administration from NYU Kenneth Lonchar, finance chief of Veritas Software, resigned in 2002 after the company learned he misstated his educational credentials, including falsely claiming to hold an MBA from Stanford Sandra Baldwin, president of the U.S. Olympic Committee, left office in 2002 after admitting she lied about having a Ph.D. in English (she never actually completed her dissertation) As an HR Professional, your time is continually challenged.  Background Screening is one area that can effectively and efficiently be outsourced to those better suited and qualified to handle your screening needs.  A good third party Consumer Reporting Agency can not only help but is positioned to conduct this screening more efficiently. For liability reasons, if for no other, it is recommended that each candidate’s information provided in the interviews be compared with the references provide. Questions you may consider include; How would you rate the candidate’s skills in _____? Can you describe the candidate’s communications abilities? Can you describe the candidate’s attitude toward work? How well does the candidate interact with co-workers? Is the candidate a team player? How would you describe the candidate’s honesty and integrity? Can you describe the candidate’s key strengths and weaknesses? Given a description of the position the candidate is applying for, do you think the candidate is a good match? Can you describe the candidate’s leadership, managerial, or supervisory skills? Do you have any additional information or comments that might help us make a better decision about this candidate? Back to the library Reproduction of this article cannot be accomplished without the expressed consent of Human Resource Staffing. Don Schmitz is a popular speaker and writer on all aspects of HR and CEO of Human Resource Staffing. Don holds graduate degrees in Education, Administration and Human Development. Contact Don@HumanResourceStaffingInc.com 952 854 6040