{"id":413,"date":"2015-05-16T02:48:04","date_gmt":"2015-05-16T02:48:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.southasiantimes.com.au\/?p=413"},"modified":"2015-05-17T15:52:40","modified_gmt":"2015-05-17T15:52:40","slug":"australian-jobseekers-among-most-likely-liars-in-asia-pacific","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.southasiantimes.com.au\/?p=413","title":{"rendered":"Australian jobseekers among most likely liars in Asia-Pacific"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"liar1\"<\/a>Australia is one of the most mature markets in the Asia-Pacific region when it comes to background screening \u2013 but this doesn\u2019t mean that Aussie employers are unlikely to discover that their potential new hires have lied to them.<\/p>\n

According to Matthew Glasner, managing director, South Asia-Pacific at First Advantage, employers in more developed markets such as Australia are more likely to find that a candidate has lied that their colleagues in emerging markets.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we see in the more mature markets is a higher instance of discrepancies, where candidates have withheld information or provided something other than the truth when applying for jobs,\u201d he told HC. \u201cThe biggest driver behind this is that there are generally more elements involved in the process than there are in emerging markets.\u201d<\/p>\n

For example, Australian employers are more inclined to delve into various aspects of a candidate\u2019s history, whereas employers in emerging markets may only look into one \u2013 if they screen backgrounds at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe deeper you look, the more likely you are to find discrepancies,\u201d Glasner continued. \u201cIf you conduct six or more checks, you\u2019re nine times more likely to find an inconsistency with what you\u2019ve been presented with on paper.\u201d<\/p>\n

Australia is among the developed markets wherein there are more checks conducted per case \u2013 other regions that fall into this category include Singapore and Hong Kong.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is really counterintuitive,\u201d Glasner said. \u201cIn emerging markets, the risks are higher.\u201d<\/p>\n

So although candidates applying for positions in mature markets are more likely to be flagged up for discrepancies, this is due to the fact that employers are more vigilant in looking into the credibility of their histories. In Australia in particular, there is an \u2018above normal\u2019 discrepancy rate.<\/p>\n

\u201cAustralian candidates are more likely to pad their CV,\u201d said Glasner. \u201cThis ranges from shifting job titles, changing the dates of a position to cover gaps or saying they left of their own terms.\u201d<\/p>\n

He gave the example of Aussie retailer Myer\u2019s former GM of strategy and business development, who infamously lied about his work history on his CV.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt goes to show that this can happen across all levels of your payroll.\u201d<\/p>\n

Serious consequences<\/p>\n

According to Glasner, the repercussions of failing to conduct appropriate background checks can be \u201cquite significant\u201d \u2013 particularly due to the increasing globalisation of the workforce.<\/p>\n

In an extreme case, a man who was wanted for questioning in the UK in relation to child sex offences landed a job in a Beijing school.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe consequences can be everything from reputational risk to serious implications,\u201d said Glasner. \u201cIt\u2019s a challenge that\u2019s created by the globalisation of business \u2013 and it\u2019s important to remember that there are a lot of international workers coming into Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnderstanding people\u2019s background internationally is a real challenge,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Competition a culprit<\/p>\n

According to Glasner, the need to conduct background checks is no longer limited to a select few industries.<\/p>\n

\u201cBackground screening is most prevalent in financial services, but now we\u2019re seeing it become increasingly common across the board,\u201d Glasner told HC. \u201cIn industries which are extremely competitive, candidates are more likely to embellish their CVs just to get through the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that many candidates attempt to get around the screening process by altering the information they provide.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they know they\u2019re being screened, the dates they give us might vary from the dates they gave to the hiring manager,\u201d he said. \u201cSo one of most popular checks now is CV comparison.\u201d<\/p>\n

CV comparisons look into the details given to the employer against the information given to the company running the checks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt comes down to integrity,\u201d Glasner said. \u201cMost employers would agree that anyone who is willing to lie on their CV doesn\u2019t have values that align with their company\u2019s. Unfortunately, the competitive nature of the employment market is what\u2019s driving this behaviour.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pointed out that in Australia, candidates for roles in the mining and energy industries \u2013 one of the most competitive sectors in the country \u2013 have the highest discrepancy rates.<\/p>\n

Ongoing checks<\/p>\n

Another method that is growing in popularity is \u2018infinity screening\u2019, which provides employers with updates on their workers\u2019 circumstances on an ongoing, periodic basis.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe find a lot of situational changes, such as employees\u2019 financial situations,\u201d Glasner told HC.<\/p>\n

But in the case of flagging up hidden attributes, it\u2019s worth screening employees from the beginning of the onboarding process.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re concerned about the integrity of employees then it\u2019s worth doing more checks upfront,\u201d Glasner advised.<\/p>\n

And it isn\u2019t only permanent, full time employees who are being regulated.<\/p>\n

\u201cEmployers are also starting to run more checks on third party employees, such as contractors,\u201d Glasner said.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, employers across Australia are increasingly recognising the value of background screening \u2013 and the potential consequences of hiring a liar.
\nSource: HC Online<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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