Introduction
Background Checking means ascertaining the veracity of the contents of the various Resume circulated on line through the job portals. This is done by contacting the Referrals mentioned in the Resume, if possible the previous employer and conducting an informal Interview over phone.
Needs for Background Check
There are millions of jobseekers who are circulating their Resume over the internet through various trusted and fake job portals. Generally the job portal does not verify the truth of the content of these resumes and they clearly instruct that the onus of verification lies on the data miner and not on the company which publishes. First of all the employer has to ascertain that the job portal itself is genuine. According to a recent survey, seven out of ten candidates claim to possess the skills which they actually have not even heard of! Some people are very smart to explain their traits, abilities and accomplishments in vague subjective terms like “Sincere, successful project leader, motivated a team of people” and not in precise quantitative terms – like achieved a sales target of 10 million, etc. It is up to the reader to understand the psychology of the jobseeker and interpret the underlying hidden meaning. Six out of ten overrate their capabilities and skills and technical knowledge. Some people blatantly lie about their experience; for example “designed a web site; three years of teaching experience, worked as an Insurance Advisor for four years, five years as a theatre artist and stage performer etc”. they are very well aware that this information cannot be verified so easily; Five out of ten suppress vital information about their history and past employment Records - like whether there was a retrenchment, dismissal on account of disciplinary action, lay-off, compulsory retirement, or resignation, voluntary retirement, etc. Six out of ten exaggerate their accomplishments in order to grab the opportunity and with over confidence that they can somehow ‘manage’ after taking up the position. They are mentally prepared to quit if at all the truth is found out at a later date. Sometimes the truth is bound to surface by itself, when the employee is unable to deliver results as expected; When he miserably fumbles the employer gets the warning signal and then initiates serious probe into the matter to find out the truth that the employee was only a beginner in that field. By then half the damage is done already.
Modes of Checking
The employer contacts the persons of Reference given in the Resume, past colleagues and collect more information about the prospective employee before deciding to employ him. Enough prudence, common sense and past experience enable easy screening of the candidates. Many companies encourage their present employees to refer skilled, honest, talented, trustworthy and dependable candidates from their friends/known circle. Since both of them know each other they make a good team together and ensure smooth working atmosphere, and contribute significantly to the organization. So job-seekers increase their social networking and keep their old contacts alive. They fall back on one another and helpful mutually. It is a win-win situation for the employer and the job-seekers.
Identity Theft
A new method of misrepresentation is making its rounds. One candidate steals another’s Resume and poses himself as its owner. That is, A accesses B’s Resume which is freely available online from any job portal and claims that he is B. Referrals will definitely vouch for B’s credentials. Such a misrepresentation is very difficult to get nabbed.
Potential Dangers of Not Checking
1. The security and sensitive information of the organization will fall into the wrong hands and enable misuse of the same.
2.Loss of time, energy, money and futile efforts all done in vain.
3. More time is needed to correct and finish the incomplete project on hand than to do a new one, as the new employee has to collect the broken pieces and make them together.
4. Operations have to be suspended in between the project at a huge cost.
Conclusion
Especially now that the world itself has become a Global Village and Companies need to hire skilled and talented manpower wherever it is cheap, from different countries across the globe there is a lot of scope for misrepresentation and fraudulent activities. This highlights the importance of Effective Background Checking.
