Posted March 12th, 2008 by cheesman

A little white lie on a resume can result in a blank space in your work experience. With an increase in pre-employment background checks, many applicants are learning the hard way that honest really is the best policy. Many employers have rules that bar fibbers from being hired, making full disclosure the bet course of action.

According to Kim Kerr, vice president for LexisNexis Screening Solutions, says that approximately one third of all resumes the company sees contain untrue statements. This is one of the major reasons that employers have begun to consider background checks a necessity. The goal of these investigations is to decrease company losses and law suits caused by dishonest employees. Background checks also decrease the likelihood of office place violence or sexual harassment by weeding out those who have a history of such behavior.

In some cases, full disclosure can cause anxiety for those who have criminal records. For the most part misdemeanors, unless relevant to the job, should not stop an employer from deciding to recruit an applicant. The real concern is felony charges. Nevertheless, being up front is still the best plan of action. Although many companies will not hire felons, those that are willing to will quickly change their mind if the applicant does not show that they are at least trustworthy by alerting the hiring manager of their situation.

Being the one to bring the situation to an employer’s attention, also gives one the chance to discuss the issue openly. This allows a hiring manager the opportunity to see an applicant’s remorse or change in attitude, which is much more favorable that a background check coming back to shed light on the shadows of their past.