Recruiters and hiring managers have always had to deal with candidates who embellish their qualifications or lie on their resumés, which is why credential verification is so important. As someone who has worked in human resources, I have yet to see a resumé that was completely honest. Expectant hires naturally want to put their best foot forward.

A New York City based security and investigations firm by the name of Kessler International performed a study of 1000 IT resumés back in 1999. The result of this study was an ugly indication of our country's workforce. According to their report, over 25 percent of the 1,000 resumés they examined contained false information or phony credentials, not even including embellishments. Over one-fourth of these applicants actually made up information about their background.

The Importance of Credential Verification

As you can see, credential verification is essential especially if you consider one out of every four resumés you receive contains false information. Many people have no moral qualm about lying on their resumés, seeing it as a necessary evil or a means to an end. To make matters worse, the courts have time and again ruled that employers are liable for the actions of their employees when their employees are at work.

The bottom line is, you had better know who you are hiring because you are liable for the actions of your employees. A credential verification check is an absolute must. You can't have people doing things they are not qualified to do. I'm sure you know that, but so do people who lie on their resumés. They typically know just enough to pull the wool over your eyes.