How to spot fake resumes? Follow these steps.

Fake resumes are everywhere these days. With most job interviews happening online, it is easier for someone to fake their way to a job. 

Peggy Shell, founder and CEO of recruitment agency Creative Alignments, said that their recruiters are becoming highly skilled at noticing the red flags due to the growing number of fake resumes they receive.

She added that most fake resumes fall into these three scenarios:

• The candidates lack the required skills. 
• Applicants are going for a typical bait-and-switch scenario where they send another individual during an interview. 
• The fake candidate is applying for a job for nefarious reasons, such as gaining access to the company’s sensitive data.

To avoid hiring a fake candidate to the company, Shell said that hiring teams must stay on their toes, pay close attention to subtle discrepancies, listen to intuition, and be intentional about due diligence.

Recruiters should also use the following tips to single out fake resumes:

1. Cross-confirm details on candidate résumés through any social media or professional websites. 
2. Interview or meet in person as much as possible. In-person meetings are the bane of the existence of fake applicants. Leveraging this will scare off fraudsters in your company.
3. Confirm geographic details. Casually ask about the nearest big city to the location listed on their résumé.
4. Look out for “too perfect résumé.” Résumés that sound suspiciously like a direct response to your job description are a red flag.
5. Be careful of tag-team interviews. These are phone interviews where two or more applicants will take turns playing off each other. One telltale sign is an unusual pause or drops in background noise after you ask a question as the candidate mutes their phone or video. 
6. Listen for spotty reception. Instances like this make it difficult to understand the candidate and easier for fake applicants to fool their interviewers. 
7. Triple-check what candidates tell you. Conduct background checks, check references carefully, examine the person’s digital footprint, and talk to others who may know them to confirm they are who they say they are.
8. Trust your gut. If something feels off, investigate further.

In today’s hiring landscape, you cannot afford the time wasted to interview a fake candidate, let alone potentially hire and onboard. 

Be aware of application frauds and educate your hiring teams about how to vet authentic candidates for your company.

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