The Close Brothers Business Barometer, a poll of SME owners and senior management across the UK and Ireland, has found that one in three small and medium sized companies in Ireland have received fraudulent references from a potential job candidate.
A further 56% of those have said that it has happened between one and five times over the past five years, while 6% claim it has happended upwards of ten times in that time period. The survey also shows that 50% of the most commonly fraudulent references are for low or entry-level work and 44% for mid-level positions.
Harry Parkinson, managing director of Close Brothers Commercial Finance said that the scale of reference falsification across Ireland is quite surprising but also alarming.
Parkinson said, "An artificial reference could be used to exaggerate experience, cover up breaks in employment, or to conceal an otherwise poor recommendation from a former employer. It’s not difficult to imagine how hiring someone who has in some way deceived you about their work history could potentially cause serious issues down the line."
??The Business Barometer also found that 58% of Irish employers did not know that there are websites that offer false references for a fee. Parkinson said managing the risk of employee fraud should be high on the list of priorities for all businesses and it merits attention in a firm’s overall risk management strategy. "The important thing is to be aware that this type of dishonesty exists so that you can take the necessary steps to protect your business."
© 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Genna Patterson
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