Employers are too trusting during the recruitment process and shouldn’t take information at face value, says The Risk Advisory Group.

The global risk consultancy’s warning follows the news that London PA Gabrielle Yinka Saunders stole £17,000 from her employer after hiding a previous workplace fraud. The case’s judge noted that she had kept this information to herself during the recruitment process but The Risk Advisory Group says that deception on behalf of an employer is not an excuse for hiring a rogue candidate.

Michael Whittington, head of employee screening at The Risk Advisory Group, said:

“It’s no surprise that job candidates will aim to hide details they’d prefer a potential employer not to know about – whether that’s a minor detail or in this case something very significant.

“But it’s a two-way process. Employers need to be aware of these vulnerabilities when putting people into positions of trust and conduct thorough background checks to ensure they are hiring the right person.”

“Don’t take any information at face value; delve into the detail and then verify it. And then verify it again. This story is proof that failing to validate a candidate’s credentials can have both a financial and reputational impact on your business.”

Recent analysis of a sample of 3,000 CVs by The Risk Advisory Group found that despite a society that reveals increasing amounts of personal information online, 63 percent of CVs contain discrepancies – a rise of 15 percent in the last ten years.

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Steff joined the HRreview editorial team in November 2014. A former event coordinator and manager, Steff has spent several years working in online journalism. She is a graduate of Middlessex University with a BA in Television Production and will complete a Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Westminster in the summer of 2015.