How to deal with dishonesty

How to deal with dishonesty during the recruitment process

In the last few weeks, there have been questions about the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, and the information presented in her LinkedIn profile which has led to wider questions around honesty within the recruitment process.

If a candidate is “embellishing” their skills and experience on their CV and LinkedIn profile, what does this mean about their qualifications and suitability for the role?

When faced with the prospect of lies during the recruitment process, and depending on the extent of false information provided, employers may choose to withdraw their offer.

However, to do so you would still need to have a clear, well-documented reason for withdrawal, even if the offer had not yet been accepted.

Where the offer has been accepted, but falsities in the candidate’s information are then identified, you can still withdraw the offer. However, you would need to evidence that the offer was conditional on certain qualifications.

If you identify any such deception during employment, you will need to address it through disciplinary action, needing a fair reason for initiating a disciplinary procedure and a fair process.

To ensure that you are more protected, you should consider the following in your recruitment process:

• Not to rely solely on LinkedIn and CV records of employment history and qualifications (this could be addressed by using references or screening calls to confirm employment timescales and asking for certificates/documentation of qualifications);
• Utilising different methods during recruitment to assess suitability, such as aptitude tests or scenario-based questions during interviews;
• Ensuring dishonesty (particularly during recruitment) is listed as an act of gross misconduct in the disciplinary procedure; and
• Issuing conditional offers of employment based on qualifications and the accuracy of information provided by the candidate.