Little lies, white lies, half-truths—you may have a different names for it, but this does not change that fact that a lie is still a lie. Ever since childhood, we have been taught that lying is a bad thing but still many of us grow up stretching the truth about just anything.

It is true that practicing honesty at all times can be quite challenging. But even though lying may seem to be the more convenient route, this does not make it right. It is not any different with writing a resume.

Resume falsifications are notoriously on the rise and many employers are alarmed with this fact. Employers find it difficult to distinguish genuine resume from not. Some lie about their educational background and claim they graduated from a premiere university even if they did not. Some make up fake companies, which they claim they have worked for.

Some would even create phony references that do not exist and if you tried calling this reference, you would probably get an answer from the applicant’s friend who will go on to pretend and tell you all sorts of wonderful things about the applicant.

There are also instances when applicants claim they have the skills, knowledge or certification required for the job just so they would fit the job description and they would get accepted. Because of this, employers often end up with employees not suitable for the position or those that lack competency and skills to do the job well.

Fortunately, there are ways on how an employer can avoid these terrible scenarios. Here are some tips you would find very useful:

1. Examine the resume with a critical eye.

When looking at the resume of your applicants, be sure to examine them carefully. Take note of lapses in employment dates. A lapse can be an honest mistake but it can also be a sign of resume lie.

In addition, check to see whether the companies stated in the resume sound legitimate or not. If you think they seem rather bogus, what you can do is to verify if these companies do exist in the states where they suppose to. Remember, if something seems fishy in a particular resume then there might be really something wrong with it.

2. Contact previous employers.

Calling up your applicant’s former employers may seem like tedious and time-consuming work but this will go a long way in helping you avoid employees from hell. For one, upon calling employers, you will be able to verify if they exist or not. Aside from that, you will also be able to confirm if the information about the work position held and the worker’s compensation claimed as stated in the resume are true.

Furthermore, this also gives you the chance to know more about the applicant. You can ask his former employer about his working attitude and general performance in the company. You can also inquire about his work ethics and working relations with the co-workers and employers.

Contacting former employers is like hitting two birds with one stone. Not only will you be able to verify information in the resume, you will also be able to get to know more of the applicant’s background.

3. Require examinations and practical tests.

This is to ensure that the applicant is truly good in things he claims to be knowledgeable and skillful at. Of course, the exams you give the applicant should be relevant to the position being applied for. For example, if you are looking for a web designer and developer, you should conduct exams that will test his knowledge and skills in HTML, JavaScript and CSS. This way, you need not to wait until first working day to see if he really knows these things.

4. Conduct an employee background check.

An employment background check is a surefire way of verifying an applicant’s resume because this reveals a wide variety of information about the applicant’s background. Such information include educational background, employment history, criminal records, medical records, licenses, driving records, vehicle registration, Social Security Number, military records and many others.

Resume falsifications can be hard to determine but with these simple tips, you can stay away from people whom you know you will not be able to trust.