Job seekers be warned.  It’s now more than your reputation on the line when you lie on your CV, with some employers enforcing hefty penalties for providing false and misleading information when applying for a job.

In an effort to crack down on the estimated 25% of applicants guilty of including embellishments and falsehoods in CVs, some employers are establishing fines and penalties when candidates are untruthful.

Local councils are among a growing number of employers who have had enough. In particular, Western Australia’s Local Government (Administration) Regulations have provided the state’s local governments with the authority to impose a $5,000 fine on applicants for CEO roles who provide false or misleading information about their qualifications in the application process.

Employment Office client Shire of Halls Creek, recently cited the legislation to deter any dodgy applications for their recently advertised CEO position.

Employment Office Managing Director Tudor Marsden-Huggins says a large percentage of CVs include some form of untruth, overstatement, omission of fact or inaccuracy, however the severity of the false information provided varies considerably.

“Sometimes it’s something relatively minor like changing the wording of a job title to make it closer to the role being applied for, but in other instances there are major discrepencies in the skills, experience and qualifications listed in the CV,” he said.

“We are seeing a steady rise in the number of employers requesting pre-employment screening, vetting and background checks to uncover any untruths.  Employers are definitely becoming more cautious about whom they hire, and with approximately a quarter of candidates putting false or misleading information in their applications, they have good reason to be wary,” he said.

Unreliable information in job applications often includes the embellishment of previous job titles and responsibilities, overstating the amount of time employed in previous roles and falsely claiming to have completed qualifications or educational courses that have only been partially undertaken.

It can cost a company anything from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars to hire a new employee.  For some high level positions, the on-boarding cost can even swell to over $50,000.  An initial investment in pre-employment checks can save employers from wasting their money, in both the initial hire and to hire a new candidate when the person’s deceit is uncovered.  It’s really no surprise that employers are taking action and looking to deter candidates from providing false information in their applications.

What candidates have to realise is that sooner or later, false information provided at the application stage will be tested against your practical skills and knowledge.  If an employer discovers you have lied to get the job, even months or years into the relationship, your employment can be terminated immediately.  Losing your job in these circumstances could damage your reputation irreparably, making it impossible to find work in your chosen field or location.

Even if your employer doesn’t fire you, you will still have to endure the embarrassment of your boss and possibly your colleagues knowing you lied.  In many cases this makes moving up the ladder exceeding difficult, and often the position can become untenable.

“The digital age we live in makes it relatively easy to dig up the truth about claims made by potential employees.  Considering the serious and far-reaching outcomes of lying to a new employer, it’s hard to believe anyone would take the risk, but more and more of our clients are concerned about the accuracy of candidate information, and want to safeguard themselves against it,” Marsden-Huggins said.

As a general rule, lying on your CV is not a criminal offence, however there are a few situations that could land you in hot water.  For example, it is fraud if you present false documents to back up claims of qualifications or educational standards.  It is also against the law to impersonate a doctor, a police officer, and various other occupations.

In one case, a worker in the UK received a six month suspended prison sentence for lying to her employer about having obtained a university degree, several college certificates and being part way through another course.  The worker was ordered to reimburse her employer for paying her fees and time off work to study for courses she was not attending.  She was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of community work.

Marissa Mayer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Yahoo!, has been in the news recently for making a significant change to the Yahoo! corporate culture by eliminating the option for employees to work from home or telecommute.  Many of Yahoo!’s employees joined the company based on their flexible telecommuting policies and, as could be expected, a large portion of these employees revolted because of the decision.  While the case of Yahoo! is the most high profile example of the debate surrounding telecommuting currently, other businesses and organisations sit on the other side of the fence and wholeheartedly support employees who wish to work remotely.

In Australia, the Federal Government is encouraging workplaces to investigate their options for telecommuting with Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, spruiking the benefits of telecommuting including lower costs, higher productivity, increased workplace flexibility, reduced impact on the environment and, importantly, expanded supply of skilled labour.

This increase in the supply of skilled labour is particularly important to employers across the country.  For every difficult vacancy that goes unfilled, there is a vast, untapped talent pool of candidates with the skills you need to grow your business who are not currently in the job market because of the (perceived or actual) lack of flexible working options.

How can you tap into this hidden talent pool?  The first thing you’ll need to do is make sure that your vacancy advertising explicitly mentions telecommuting or working from home.  If you’re using keyword optimised job boards such as Seek or CareerOne, ensure that these keywords are in the Short Descriptions and Search Result Title.  This will ensure that candidates who search using the keywords ‘telecommute’ or ‘work from home’ will find your vacancy quickly and easily.

Don’t forget to market the benefits of telecommuting to your potential candidates.  While using telecommuting as a keyword will boost search results for candidates exclusively looking for telecommuting opportunities, other candidates who are interested in your vacancy because it suits their skillset will still appreciate the flexibility that your organisation offers their employees.

There are also numerous benefits your organisation will enjoy by offering telecommuting to employees.  Peter Walton, Chief Executive Officer of Infoxchange and an outspoken advocate for telecommuting, often mentions the reduction in staff absenteeism, improvements in employee morale and the significant reduction in annual staff turnover.  Infoxchange employees performing call centre roles from home have less than 10% annual staff turnover while annual employee turnover in a call centre can be as high as 80%.

Telecommuting isn’t for everyone and it isn’t for every role but, if you’ve been struggling with a vacancy, it might be worth your consideration as an option to expand that reach into the candidate marketplace.  If you would like to learn more about developing a targeted recruitment advertising campaign that spans multiple advertising channels and widens your reach into the market, call Employment Office at 1300 366 573 and ask to speak with your account manager.

With smartphones becoming an integral part of people’s lives, it’s seems that almost anything can be done from the comfort of your mobile.  It has become an additional technological limb that people use to play games, keep updated on news, and even search for their next career.

US Technology research firm, IDC has predicted that users will access the internet on mobile devices more than desktop computers by 2015. More smartphone users are searching for jobs on their hand-held devices due to the accessibly of the internet at any time and any place. (Weber, 2013)

With the increase of smartphone users job hunting on their phones and tablets, employers are starting to develop mobile versions of their career websites, creating apps with interactive career content, and simplifying job applications which can be easily completed at any time. Australian employment website, SEEK found that mobile visits to their website have doubled since 2012, with their iPhone app reaching over 1 million downloads since its launch in April 2012. (Osborne, 2012)

The advantages for employers in mobile recruitment are the convenience and immediacy. Smartphones offer the same speed and capability as a computer, but with almost unlimited accessibility and the ability to respond instantly, which can give recruitment higher and faster responses. Mobile recruitment can also target particular candidates at a lower cost (compared to traditional advertising).

Potential candidates are also using their smartphones to search for careers on social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. This helps companies target potential candidates with skills that match their opportunities. Companies who contact potential candidates through these mobile social networking websites are more likely to get a higher and instant response.

Employers are taking advantage of the smartphone users who almost depend on their mobiles, in particular younger candidates. With companies competing for younger technology-savvy candidates, mobile friendly recruitment campaigns can make a company stand out to younger smartphone job seekers who are browsing on the go. If a company doesn’t accommodate for mobile viewing, they are losing the opportunity for younger candidates to research and apply at any time and any place.

Mobile recruitment can also target those workers who might be casually exploring their career options in their spare time. Some workers who may be already employed might go online and search for other potential options while sitting on a bus, or waiting for a plane. Having an effective career website which is accessible on smartphones can help engage those potential candidates who may not be searching for work at all.

Even with the increase of smartphone users utilising their mobiles to search for their next potential career, there’s still a small percentage of companies who have made their recruitment process mobile-friendly. Mobile career website, iMomentous found that only a third of Fortune 500 companies have mobile friendly career portals. Not having smartphone friendly websites may disadvantage companies as they are missing out on those technology-savvy potential candidates who could possibly be looking for career opportunities while on the move. (Newman, 2013)

Working In Papua New Guinea – why our skilled workers are considering employment at our northern neighbour

It’s no secret that during the past 12 months, Australia has experienced an economic hit, particularly in the mining, resources and construction industries, which has left many people unemployed and seeing work elsewhere – often at international locations.  As a result of this, Papua New Guinea is one such country that is seeing an influx of Australian expatriates flock to their shores, as the need for skilled workers from these industries is ever-increasing across the region.

One of the main reasons Papa New Guinea (PNG) currently needs skilled workers from Australia is largely because of the pressure on its resource sector from the Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) project that is currently being developed.  PNG’s Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill indicated towards the end of last year that he wants to see an increase of about 15,000 Australian citizens working in the country over the next two years.  Trade workers, project managers, construction managers and supervisors and estimators are examples of some of the skilled workers that are currently required in PNG.

Why are companies recruiting in Australia for PNG roles?

Companies all over PNG are looking to Australia to recruit skilled workers, as Australian expats often have a higher education along with significant experience and expertise in their respective fields.  Australian workers are also found to be more hands-on, especially in relation to their leadership and management skills, allowing them to effectively train and mentor PNG nationals in improving their skill-set.  It is also relatively easy for Australians to work in PNG as proof of a degree or trade qualification is the minimum standard for obtaining a work visa.

What’s the challenge of recruiting in PNG?

There are several challenges when recruiting skilled professionals to work in Papua New Guinea. For recruitment anywhere, one of the most common difficulties is finding the right candidates with the right skill-set that also have the right culture fit for the business.  From the candidate’s perspective, a common concern is the fact that PNG is a developing country faced with daily challenges around communication, technology, hot water supply and other services that are taken for granted in Australia.  Couple this with security issues in PNG, and it can often make for a very challenging recruitment process.  Other factors such as high cost of living and educational facilities for families wishing to relocate also contribute to finding the right skilled workers a tough process.

To overcome these challenges and fears, many companies offer fantastic benefits to entice skilled workers to relocate to PNG.  Typically, expats can expect to receive a housing subsidy or often supplied accommodation, relocation assistance, paid annual return airfares to point of hire, paid utilities plus a significantly high salary, which goes some way in putting many people’s fears to rest.  Workers are also supplied with security if necessary, so safety is rarely an issue.

And it’s working!

Employment Office has certainly seen their PNG client base increase significantly in recent times, and whilst recruiting for skilled workers doesn’t come without it’s challenges, as mentioned above, we have, over time, noticed a positive shift in attitudes surrounding working in Papua New Guinea and any stigmas associated with the country.

Certainly, Employment Office is seeing very positive results when assisting our clients with their recruitment campaigns.  Whilst hiring managers are given control and transparency of the recruitment process, EO offer a number of services including shortlisting, facilitating phone interviews and all client/candidate correspondence, and providing full briefings on potential candidates to the client.  These services go some way to ensure that our client’s recruitment campaigns are a much smoother and easier process than if they were to recruit directly from PNG.

What some of our key clients have to say…

“Employment Office have been supplying us with excellent candidates for the last 12 months. The recruitment team at Employment Office listens to our needs as a company and only presents candidates that match all of our criteria meeting our requirements. Employment Office are flexible, willing to help and offer expertise in employment. They have always provided me with professional services, handling my requests promptly and efficiently. The team at Employment Office don’t just talk the talk, but they also walk the walk resulting in providing the best service. The team are very approachable, professional and have helped achieve our company goal in providing excellent middle and senior level managers to our company”.

Shane Byrne
Human Resource Manager, PNG Forest Products

“I have found the access to all candidate documents online and in one place, exceptionally easy to use.  The shortlisting criteria that we set and the ability to listen to candidate interviews online, are incredibly powerful tools in trying to select the right candidate.

I would highly recommend the service that The Employment Office offers.”

Tim Madgwick
General Manager, TropicAir

Even in this current economy it’s important to remember that the strongest candidates are also likely to be in the process of exploring several job opportunities.  Because of this, it is imperative that interviewers form the best first impressions of their company when conducting job interviews.

In an interview, as well as trying to determine the best candidate, it is also gives the interviewer a chance to convey that their company is the best place for the applicant to work.  The chances of securing the right candidate can increase significantly by applying a few simple interviewing techniques that will ensure the job and the company is reflected in the best possible light.

Be prepared – Just as you would expect the interviewee to come prepared for the interview, make sure that you are also prepared to conduct the interview.  Make sure that you read through the candidate’s resume beforehand, so that you have an idea of their skills and experience enabling you to ask questions that are related to their job history, reducing the risk of rambling and going off on a tangent.  Additionally, you’ll need to make sure that you have prepared information about the history of your company, as well as information about what exactly the job is that they are being interviewed for and what it entails.  Nothing will set off alarm bells more to a candidate than the interviewer being vague about what the job title may be and what duties they will be expected to perform.  These actions can give the impression that the company may be unstable and that there may not be a position available at all.

Don’t read a script – Whilst it is always important for the interviewer to prepare a core set of questions, it is vital that you don’t just read from a script.  If you do this, you run the risk of making the candidate feel uncomfortable as well as feeling that their answers are not really being listened to.  If you just read question after question, the candidate may have already answered what you are asking, and will then have to repeat their answer, which won’t give you much credibility at all.  So, ask questions, listen to the answers and be flexible with the structure of your interview allowing you to build a good rapport with the candidate.  Remember, you are providing the first impression of the company that you potentially want this person to work for.

Watch the clock – No doubt you will have a few people to interview, and often these interviews can run back to back.  If this is the case, make sure you stick to your schedule, and allow sufficient time for each interview, keeping 5-10 minutes up your sleeve – just in case.  Just as you would not be impressed if an applicant turned up late to the interview, it does not paint a good picture to your potential new employee if you are running late to conduct the interview.

Make contact when you say you will – Most interviews tend to end with the interviewer informing the candidate when they can expect further feedback.  And, this rule is simple – follow up when you say you are going to! If you indicate that you will let the candidate know if they are successful by the end of the week, make sure you communicate with them giving them feedback by the end of the week.  Failing to do so can potentially lead to the perfect candidate thinking that your company is unreliable and unprofessional, which may mean they will seek other opportunities.  You also run the risk or receiving ‘bad publicity’ as the candidate may relay their experiences to several people.

Conducting effective interviews do require time and effort, however when done correctly they can be of great benefit to both the company and the candidate.  By following the tips mentioned above, it will provide assistance to ensure you are hiring the best person for the job and your company.