Some interesting statistics from our friends across the pond
by Jason Morris
As the concept of checking one’s employees becomes more common in European nations these statistics will change. I would be interested in seeing discrepancy ratios and criminal record ratios to compare them to U.S. Screening companies.
Recruitment: Check to identify dishonest applicants
Many employers are still uncovering discrepancies, inaccuracies and lies in candidates’ job applications, according to Personnel Today’s sister publication Employment Review.
The study of 177 employers showed that applicants made dishonest claims about their experience, qualifications and criminal convictions (see table, right). This reinforces the need for thorough background checks - particularly for positions of trust.
Eight in 10 employers (79.1%) were found to conduct background checks for all their vacancies, while one in five (20.9%) did so for some of their posts.
More than eight in 10 (85.3%) use six or more vetting methods for positions of trust, some of which are likely to be reserved for specialist posts.
References are the most common background-checking method, used by 99.4% of respondents. However, the jury is out on how useful they really are.
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