“Everyone does it,” said one.

“I knew you wouldn’t consider me otherwise,” said another.

“Employers lie about the job, why should I be honest,” said yet another.

These are all explanations I’ve heard in reference to resume fraud. The most startling thing about resume fraud is that it must work because people continue to use it frequently. There have been several high profile cases and at least one worth mentioning (because it is one of my favorites):

George O’Leary was the football coach at Georgia Tech where he had built a successful program and the idea that GTU could have a consistently winning team. When Notre Dame was looking to fill the head coaching position, they tapped O’Leary who was coming off several very successful years. The best part of this story: apparently they asked for his resume. I guess that I had always assumed you get to that level and your reputation and results sort of speak for themselves. Of course, the Notre Dame athletic department did absolutely nothing with this information. It wasn’t until the worldwide leader (ESPN) exposed it that he admited the problem and resigned from his position.

What did he lie about? His level of education (claiming he had a master’s) and his time playing on the field (claiming he had lettered when he never played). Neither of these had to be concerns for Notre Dame (they were hiring because of his last seven years of coaching) yet it cost him the job because he lied about it.

So how do you know if you are getting the real scoop?

1. Ask the question - If something looks fishy, ask the question. Long gaps in employment, sudden swings in job responsibilities and differences between what was said in a cover letter can give you a hint. You have to ask the question to see how they respond.
2. Does their answer jive? - When you ask the question, does their answer make sense? If someone is telling you that their employer just randomly let them go, does that make sense to you? Dive deeper with follow-up questions.
3. Research - Ask them if you can call their former supervisors. Look up information using resources like LinkedIn. Talk to the institutions they worked for and went to school at.
4. Get it verified - Use third-party background checks to get into the minutia. Get a signed release from the candidate to verify their background. Many times, third-party background check company can
5. Have standards and follow them - If someone you like can’t make it through the screening process, it is time to go back to the drawing board, not find ways to get around your screening policy.

Following these steps can help you avoid resume padding and fraud.