Identifying Fake Resumes in US IT Staffing: How Do You Spot the Red Flags?

Hi friends,

I am working as an IT recruiter in US staffing. Please suggest how to identify fake resumes as we come across numerous profiles.

To ensure accuracy and professionalism in the hiring process, it is essential for candidates to undergo a thorough background check. This process helps the company or hiring consultants to verify the candidate's experience, qualifications, and suitability for the job. By conducting background checks, employers can make informed decisions and mitigate potential risks associated with hiring. Background checks typically involve examining a candidate's employment history, educational background, and any criminal records that may impact their suitability for the position. It is a standard practice in recruitment to conduct background checks to ensure the integrity of the hiring process and protect the interests of the company.

In resumes, it is difficult to find out fakes. If you think the candidate is suitable for the post, do the background verification once he serves for the probation period at the company. Nowadays, it is a challenge for HR professionals to identify fake resumes.

When the candidate comes in for a one-on-one interview, the HR can assess the individual based on their responses to questions. Even if candidates have undergone background verification by private detective agencies, most cases of deception will come to light. If not, only God knows.

Regards, Nelson Richard Kumar.S Chennai

Hi Mastan,

It is difficult to distinguish between a fake and a genuine candidate at a quick glance of a CV. However, if we have any doubts regarding a resume, we can promptly conduct a reference check or request their official email ID/last drawn payslip.

I would like to share an experience in this regard. Last week, one of my consultants was selected by a CMM Level 5 company. We issued the offer, and he accepted it. I provided him with the documents for the background check. Upon reviewing the documents, he did not cooperate with our process and did not share any of his certificates. I conducted a reference check and discovered that he had not worked at any of the companies mentioned in his resume. Therefore, we as recruiters need to be more vigilant during the offer/second-level interview stage to prevent such situations.

Regards,
Sita Srinivas
Mumbai

Hello,

If they are shortlisted, talk to them and keep them posted that a background reference check with the previous companies will be done by your end once the offer is made. Only if he/she clears the check, they will be given the appointment by the client.

Hi Mastan,

Since this pertains to US Staffing, you can take the contact number mentioned in the profile and input it into the various portals (such as Dice, Monster, etc.). If you come across different profiles associated with the same contact number, you should consider it as a fake resume. For the initial telephonic interview, do not schedule a specific time; simply call the candidates and ask them to describe their previous or current projects. If you do decide to set a time, ensure you can recognize the candidate's voice, as some individuals may have someone else speak on their behalf over the phone.

Regards,
Ganesh P

Hello,

There are many ways to identify a fake resume. You can ask for their official email ID, desk phone number, and request a brief explanation about their projects. Additionally, you can determine the authenticity based on their job title; however, this requires knowledge of the market. Lastly, consider the technologies they have worked with.

Cheers, Naveen

Dear Mastan, excellent suggestions given by all the experts.

There is no alternative to "Reference check" for any fake resume. On the face of a resume, an imposter is a master of his trade and is difficult to identify. A foolish person will make silly mistakes, which you can spot with experience, such as:
1. Back-to-back experience dates not matching.
2. Basic education passing year conflicting with working dates (exceptions exist for individuals working and studying).
3. You can always request certificates from candidates, but it involves a lot of paperwork.

These are just possibilities, but "Reference Check" is the best approach. Unfortunately, this is usually done after selection, by which time you have already invested time in the candidate. Best of luck! :icon4:

Regards, Ukmitra

Hi, Mastan,

I agree with what Ganesh said, but I have come across a few candidates who maintained different mobile numbers and even different email IDs for various years of experience (new phone number, new email ID for mentioned years of experience). So, by this, it's very difficult to trace them whether they have submitted a fake CV to us. One good method is to check their permanent mailing address along with passport number if they hold any.

I agree with most of the suggestions made. However, things are a little different in USA recruitment.

The best way to catch a candidate is by asking him all kinds of questions, like:

1) When did he come to the USA? If he says it's >= years, then you need to ask him if he has applied for the GC, as he cannot stay in the USA for more than 6 years without applying for GC. Most of the people get caught here as they don't know about this clause.

2) Ask them about the graduation and check for the overlapping dates, if any.

3) Check for the projects he has worked on and immediately collect as much information as you can (use Google, it helps). Check for some key information like the duration of the project, Delivery manager, or project manager, etc.

4) Check for other resumes posted in Job Portals with the same project name and check for the similarities in the resume. If you find two identical resumes, then it's better to reject both of them.

5) Go to his employer's website and check about his credibility. Most of the time, a shady employer has a shady resource as well.

Hope these points help.

At the end of the day, we are recruiters and we need to show some research skills as well. I don't think background check or reference check need a skillful recruiter.

Cheers and have fun.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. The problem with recruiters seems to be that they have never been employment-seekers.

Regards.

Hi,

Please conduct a check on their previous jobs and insist on two references from their former employers. There is also an issue with resumes. From my experience, when I submitted a genuine resume, they did not even consider me. However, when I made alterations (only elaborating on roles and responsibilities), I was offered jobs. Let's aim to uphold plain old honesty as it still holds its own value. Fudging and doctoring may work in the short run. Instead of hiring an employee who knows nothing but has successfully embellished their resume, look for a candidate with genuine knowledge. At least, you are aware of their limitations and can provide training. Another added advantage is that such a person is likely to stay with you for some time, learn, and then move on after maybe 3-5 years. This way, you achieve continuity rather than having new employees every 6 months or 1 year.

Hi Mastan,

As you mentioned that you are working for US staffing, here is one way to identify fake experience. First, give a call to the consultant and talk to him regarding his experience and educational background. Most of the people coming from India may have fake credentials. A simple way to identify this is to inquire when they started in the USA, details about their current project, and their last academic year completion date. By comparing these three points, we can determine whether the individual's credentials are genuine or not.

Cheers,
Ramu

Taz, India, and Raj,

A clarification is required for both of you.

The person did not mean the same person's resume on different job boards. Sometimes what happens is - people belonging to the same project or a group of friends try and copy the same resume for everyone in the team and post it on the web. I had such an experience where I found the resume of two people - in different companies though, having the same project title, same client, same kind of analysis done - and the best part was - it was like a copy-paste, not a single comma differed. So in this case, I knew that either of them would have copied or both of them would have faked their representation.

So this was the point mentioned by the person in the "Bold" statement.

Worse-case scenario, a person would have two to three different resumes of his own posted through different email addresses, but having different functions highlighted. For example, Candidate A will have two resumes - one that highlights only his HR skills, and another resume that highlights his marketing skills alone.

More than one person can work on similar projects - but it would be foolish to believe that each of them will have the same responsibility, same achievements....

Srionline:

That was a really good set of methods to identify a fake resume. This calls for a lot of pro-activeness on the recruiter's end. This is what makes a recruiter perfect! Good job - you reminded me of my basics when I joined an IT recruitment firm during the initial period of my career - that's where I learned about recruitment :-)

QUOTE from taz.india: "The above bold sounds foolish, can't a person have two resumes in two job sites or can't more than one person work on the same project??? :beatup::beatup:"

Dear,

As per our knowledge, we have observed that being educated is not the only requirement for a project, and one should not overlook the possibility of fake resumes. During the employee interview process, it is essential to inquire about the candidate's previous employers' contact information. Following this, contacting them for verification is advisable. Additionally, if you possess the ability to read facial expressions, it can be beneficial in assessing the candidate's truthfulness. If the individual is dishonest, they may avoid making direct eye contact.

Thank you!

Reference checks could be one way, but do not entertain any mobile numbers in the references. You can ask them to provide the landline numbers of the companies they worked for. Additionally, payslips can also be used as a way to verify information.

Regards,
Nisha

Hi Mastan,

The best idea to find out the fake candidate with a fake resume is to contact all the references he has provided.

Regards,
Lalitesh

Tez.india... sorry for being short in framing the sentance... But, I believed the exp HR here would understand the concept there....

However, I thank Asha Mathew for explaining the real stuff which was meant there... And this is what we see in most resumes which are posted in USA... they fake the resume and for that they need some or the other project from some where and guess what they try and copy the project from some other resume... People might argue that by rejecting n=both the resumes we might loose a good candidate, for us let it be- we cannot recruit a wrong candidate…

As a recruiter we need to update ourselves... improve the screening skills... have a complete information on what exactly is happening in the market (w.r.t our domain area)... Know the basics of technology if not coding and all. For example we work in the healthcare domain in USA and we have the complete information of the same. Like who are the major players in this field, how are they faring in their projects, what are the technologies they use, what are the projects they have already worked on… I mean all these things help you in screening the resume… and we are a CMMI L5 and there is no margin for errors…

These are the kind of things which differentiate between a passive recruiter/ a recruiter/ and an exceptional recruiter…

For us Background check is just a formality as this is the demand of our end client…

Every time I recruit a person, I keep myself in his shoes and try to pose all kind of questions to myself… then call the candidate… This is the most basic funda that every recruiter should learn… Keep yourself in the candidates shoes before you speak to him, in that way you will have a fair bit of idea on what to discuss with him…

Hope I answered all the questions… This is always a great place to get new ideas…

Several steps you can take:
- Have the applicant completely fill out the employment application and check the answers against the resume for differences. Ask for clarification of any discrepancies.
- Prepare a set of behavioral interview questions that will delve deeply into the character of the applicant.
- Conduct two interviews with each candidate. The first will be over the phone to determine if you want to spend an hour or more with the candidate initially. The second interview, if necessary, will allow you to compare answers from both interviews for consistency.
- Request the applicant to sign a waiver that permits you to conduct personal reference checks with their past employers.
- The best place to start running a reference check is the educational background. This area often contains more inaccurate information than any other section of the resume.

Good luck,
Dr. Marc
PS 63:7

Hi Srionline4all
I appreciate your meticulousness and the trouble you go through for being an active, exceptional recruiter.
I hope Indian recruiters emulate these qualities.

• As a recruiter we need to update ourselves... improve the screening skills... have a complete information on what exactly is happening in the market (w.r.t our domain area)... Know the basics of technology if not coding and all. For example we work in the healthcare domain in USA and we have the complete information of the same. Like who are the major players in this field, how are they faring in their projects, what are the technologies they use, what are the projects they have already worked on… I mean all these things help you in screening the resume… and we are a CMMI L5 and there is no margin for errors…
• These are the kind of things which differentiate between a passive recruiter/ a recruiter/ and an exceptional recruiter…

Regards.

Dear Ash,

With reference to your post:

Consider these facts:

- Many job portals have provisions for uploading 3 to 5 resumes.
- Many job-seekers change their functional areas, especially during the early stages of their careers.
- Many Business Schools offer dual specializations.
- Many job-seekers have multiple specializations, like Engineering & MBA, Computers & Cost Accounting, and even Medicine & MBA, etc.
- These days, many are taking sabbaticals or mid-career breaks to pursue academics in their chosen areas. On completion of the course, they may prefer working in the new area.

My questions are:

(1) Why should a candidate not post multiple resumes on a job site or different job sites?

It enables him to send separate resumes suitable for a particular position in a specific company. What is wrong with this?

(2) Why should people not change their specialization during their careers?

For example, Asha may have begun her career as a recruiter but may like to change to an HR profile later on. A Marketer who has dual specialization in HR and Marketing may later like to transition to HR. In these circumstances, she/he would definitely like to send a different CV that highlights the relevant deliverables. That is why I wrote earlier that "Recruiters seem to forget that they too have been job-seekers once."

I have some other tangential thoughts too:

(3) Recruiters, like admen, should not play God. At times, it is the company that makes or breaks people. I have seen good, bright candidates fizzle out in some unimaginative, orthodox companies, whereas mediocre candidates make it big upon making some smart career moves.

I hate to say this, but recruiters are no more than matchmakers; just like marriage matchmakers, who have no control over matrimonial heaven or hell, which the participants choose for themselves in due course of time, upon their own interaction.

Regards.

Dear Raj,

I do not personally worship the job boards or feel happy about the fact that they provide options for uploading more than one profile of the candidate - it's all business for them and results in an increase in the number of profiles. In fact, it's not just about recruiting from job boards anymore - but passive recruiting, which Employers are interested in.

Regarding your questions:

a) On why a candidate should not post multiple resumes.

Why can't he have all the information in one profile? Does he think he will not be selected if he includes everything in one resume? Does he know that he lacks certain qualifications or skills?

Professional resume writers are sought after by job seekers, not employers. The reason being, we don't want a candidate to submit a professionally written resume (which is often embellished). The profile we see and the candidate we screen over the phone are often quite different.

Sometimes, when phone screening is successful initially, the direct meeting turns out to be a complete "failure."

2) There is no harm in seeking a change in the career path. However, the person must not falsify his resume by including experiences and responsibilities that were not part of his portfolio. Instead, he can choose to emphasize his education in that area and his interest in pursuing specialization moving forward.

For example, Asha, as a Recruiter wishing to take on additional responsibilities in HR, can mention her experiences as "Possess experience in recruiting - as a consultant and as a Corporate Recruiter" along with details related to recruitments and methods used. Later, Asha can express her interest in taking on assignments related to Training and PMS (Performance Management System).

Asha should not fabricate her resume by claiming she has been involved in tasks she hasn't actually performed.

Once, my HR assistant uploaded her resume (in my previous company) with all the responsibilities of my Head HR and Manager. I couldn't help but laugh and called her to ask what it was all about. She felt embarrassed, and I later assisted her in preparing a resume that highlighted her skills and helped her progress to the next level - but without resorting to falsehoods.

Who said Recruiters are playing God? It seems that if a little more due diligence is done by the recruiting team, people just can't seem to accept it.

What's wrong with Recruiters being matchmakers between employers and employees? After all, marriages are not meant to be broken. Similarly, the employer-employee relationship (as perceived by a recruiter) is ideally meant to last for a few years at least.

The real question here is, "How to identify a fake resume?" Not why one may have different career aspirations.

Anyone can pursue a different career path, provided they do not provide false information on their resume or fabricate facts during interviews. It is the recruiter's responsibility to verify the truthfulness of the information provided.

"Call him/her God - Call Him/her Satan - A good recruiter must not compromise on the basics of screening... after all, that's what we are paid for."

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Adding to what Asha has mentioned above...

Comments made below are purely personal and might not be acceptable for all in the group.

• Many job portal has provision for uploading 3to 5 resumes.

• Many job-seekers change their functional areas esp. during the early stages of their career. (I would prefer highlighting the roles rather then maintain other resume altogether.

• Many Business Schools offer dual specializations. (Now does dual specialization mean maintaining two different resume, well I don't think so)

• Many job seekers have multiple specializations, like Engineering & MBA, Computers & Cost Accounting, even Medicine & MBA etc. (Same as above)

• These days many are taking sabbatical or mid-career breaks to pursue academics in their chosen area. On completion of course, they may prefer working in the new area. (Nothing wrong, but if you have multiple skills why not mention in one resume? Why maintaining multiple resumes)

My questions are :

(1) Why should not a candidate post multiple resumes on a job-site or different job-sites ??

What differences are you talking about. Lets talk this, you are a hiring manager and you have 3 to 4 different kinds of resumes in front of you talking about different skills and different career goal ect for the same candidate (resumes made to suite a particular company). Will you recruit that person?

(2) Why should not people change their specialisation in the course of their career ??

For example Asha may have begun her career as a recruiter, she may like to change to a HR profile later on.

A Marketer who has done dual specialization in HR and Marketing, may later like to change over to HR.

Under these circumstances, she/he would definitely like to send a different CV which highlights the relevant deliverables.

That is why, I wrote earlier that "Recruiters seem to forget that they too have been job-seekers once".

People have every right to change their specialization in career. But, end of the day it's the decision of the recruiting company, if it wants to give you that opportunity or not. Now what ever the circumstances may be, my point is: if someone is wearing multiple hats at his job, then why not mention the same in one single resume.

I have some other tangential thoughts too:

(3) Recruiters, like admen, should not play God. At times it is the company that makes or breaks people. I have seen good bright candidates, fizzle out in some un-imaginative, orthodox companies, whereas mediocre candidates making it big upon making some smart career moves.

I hate to say this, but recruiters are no more than match-makers; just like the marriage match-makers, who has no control over matrimonial heaven or hell, which the participants choose for themselves in due course of time, upon their own inter-action.

Well… I didn't get it. However, I kind of like the analogy that has been made. Yes indeed a in a vague sense “A recruiter is a match maker”. If a recruiter sees that candidate has got the skills the company is looking for and company can provide what the candidate is looking for, then obviously the match is made. This is what a recruiter is supposed to do, now does that make him GOD… so let it be…End of the day its their profession.

Cheers and have fun...:icon1:

Dear Srionline4all, Ash & Friends,

I think we are veering from the topic of "fake resumes," but nonetheless what is emerging seems interesting. I don't know if I can convince Sri and Ash on the multiple resume issues because for recruitment consultants, it sure poses a problem - imagine sending two different CVs of the same person to the company! 😄

I still stand by my multiple-resume theory.

Are not recruitment consultants the very same people to suggest to make specific CVs for specific roles (here CVs imply resumes and vice versa)?

Now, if I have an all-round (meaning covering the whole gamut) experience of, say, 20 years in HR, and the role is of a Training Head in a big MNC, won't I have a CV highlighting my experiences as a Trainer?

Or for that matter, if it's a Corporate HR position, then instead of beating around the bush, won't I talk about my Corporate HR experience?

Why should I make a single CV, which is a mix up of Jack-of-all-trades and lasts for 14 pages?

Are not you the same people who would say an ideal CV should not exceed 4 to 5 pages and a CV gets rejected within the first 120 seconds or less?

So why should I not make CVs for a particular role/assignment?

Yeah, I agree - all CEOs or prospective CEOs should have a single CV (because there is only 1 CEO in a company 😜).

But lesser mortals? - who are looking for any source of livelihood that comes their way...

That's why I say recruiters/consultants forget the days when they were job-seekers too (now they think they are born-recruiters... and God).

Watch this space - I have more to say - maybe next time! 😊

Regards.

Dear Raj,

Yes, you are completely out of the topic. If you have an HR profile with experience of 20 years and you have a strong T&D background, there is no harm in mentioning or highlighting that in your resume for the concerned position. We are discussing individuals who lack this experience but fabricate it to match their "real experience".

I was unaware that consultants would ask candidates to create fake profiles. I do not believe this is the case. Highlighting your experience is different from providing false information, such as fake assignments and achievements.

I never realized that not lying on your resume makes you a "Born God!!" If that is the case, then hey, I am God :-) Jokes aside, if you disagree, I would appreciate it if you could understand the focus of the discussion. It is about "putting false statements on the resume and creating a fake persona" and how one can identify this even before the candidate attends an interview with the Hiring Managers.

Dear Srionline4all, Ash, and Friends,

I think we are deviating from the topic of "fake resumes", but what is emerging seems interesting. I am not sure if I can persuade Sri and Ash about the multiple resume issues because it certainly presents a problem for recruitment consultants - imagine sending two different CVs of the same person to a company :-D

I still stand by my multiple-resume theory. Are not recruitment consultants the ones who suggest creating specific CVs for particular roles? Now, if I have a comprehensive 20-year HR experience and the position is for a Training Head in a large MNC, wouldn't my CV highlight my training experiences?

Likewise, for a Corporate HR role, instead of being vague, wouldn't I showcase my Corporate HR background? Why should I have a single CV that mixes various experiences and runs for 14 pages? Don't you advocate that an ideal CV should not exceed 4 to 5 pages and that a CV can be rejected within the first 120 seconds or less?

So why shouldn't I tailor my CVs for specific roles or assignments? I agree that all CEOs or potential CEOs should have a single CV (as there is only one CEO in a company), but what about the rest of us who are seeking any opportunity for livelihood?

That's why I believe recruiters/consultants forget their days as job seekers themselves (now they think they are natural-born recruiters and Gods). Stay tuned - I have more to share, maybe next time. Regards.

Everyone has given their suggestions. However, I will not agree with their points because candidates today are following various methodologies in order to get noticed by employers. Whatever it may be, one cannot survive in this industry without knowledge. There is no need to worry about fake resumes. I can say one thing: employers can easily see through a fake resume from the preparation itself.

Hi Mastan,

It's a good query.

1) If we try to make ourselves clear on the job requirements, the job description, and end-to-end activities of a particular job profile, then we can, to some extent, judge the profile received.

2) Keep updated with the blacklisted companies that offer fake experience.

3) Take personal as well as an official email ID in advance.

4) In most cases, candidates who are strong on technical aspects of their job and have true experience would have a concise CV without repetitions to enhance the CV size. They focus on the exact job profile of their current company, avoiding beating around the bush.

5) Along with the CVs, also maintain a database collection of payslips from various companies. This would make it easy for you to compare when a payslip is submitted by a candidate for your reference.

6) Try to maintain a list of names and contact details of managers from various companies in advance. When screening, mention these names, and the candidate who is being dishonest would fear, thinking you are familiar with the company. This can be a test.

All the best.

Thanks & Regards

CRK

crk.mbahr@yahoo.com

Strategies to Identify Fake Resumes

Call up the previous employers. Ask candidates a lot of questions about their previous jobs. Observe their body language.