How to Detect Fake Job Applicants and How to Avoid Them

The recruitment process remains a critical part of any organization’s success. It can be stressful, time-consuming, and even frustrating when it feels like you’re not making any headway. But it’s important to remember that there are often red flags that can help you identify potential candidates who are not actually qualified for the job.

In this article, we’ll be going over how to spot a job scammer and how to avoid them. Let’s peel back the curtains and see how you can optimize your recruitment process further.

How to Spot a Fake Jobseeker

There is always a chance of encountering a fake candidate in your recruitment process. Here are some red flags to watch out for when looking to fill a remote position.

Too many skills listed in the resume

If something appears too good to be true, then it probably is. The same goes for the hiring process. If you see a resume packed with too many skills that it isn’t realistic anymore, then you have to wonder whether you are hiring Superman or a scam artist. 

Most recruiters and hiring managers look for three to five skills that are relevant to the position they are looking to fill. Anything more than that can be highly suspicious and you should conduct further investigation.

After all, if that candidate can truly do everything, then why are they still looking for a job?

Not enough contact and personal information provided

When applying for a job, most people list their full name and contact information. However, there are some applicants who create fake identities to apply for jobs. While it’s not clear why people sometimes choose to hide their identities or leave out important personal information, it’s possible that they’re doing it to avoid getting caught.

In a recent study, it was found that most of the job recruits who were caught trying to scam their potential employers, failed to mention their full identity. This included not revealing their full name and contact details, as well as hiding other information such as their age and location.

This suggests that many of these scammers are not very confident in the legitimacy of their applications, and are worried that they may get caught if they reveal too much information.

Gives false information about their education and work experience

One common type of job scammer is the person who claims to have a college degree they do not actually possess. They may also embellish their work experience, or lie about the jobs they have held in the past.

Job scammers often hope that their false information will not be checked out by employers. However, given the ease of checking someone’s qualifications online these days, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get away with lying about your education and work history.

Little to no social media presence

Social media can tell you a lot about job seekers. While sharing their personal Facebook and Twitter profiles might not be appealing for some applicants, it is important to double-check professional social media platforms such as LinkedIn to see if what they have on their resume matches their profile.

Plus, seeing them on LinkedIn and other professional social media platforms can help verify their identities. Fake job seekers often have an incomplete list of work experiences. Sometimes, they don’t even include a photo on their profile or worse, have an actual social media profile at all.

Fake references

One major red flag when screening applicants is fake character references. This is why your recruitment process must include a thorough background check.

It’s not a new thing to make up references. Applicants can have friends or coworkers pose as their managers for employment verification. While a Google search can help you find out if an applicant is lying in most cases, nothing beats being thorough and verifying these references by contacting them personally.

How to Avoid Fake Applicants

As the job market continues to rebound, an increasing number of both workers and companies are susceptible to job scams. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), job scams have been the number one complaint for the past five years. And, a recent study by CareerBuilder found that 31% of employers have caught someone lying on their resume.

So, how can you protect yourself from job scammers and fake employees?

Consider using an ATS Software

The average business takes around a month to fill an open position. With an ATS software, the hiring process can be sped up significantly. It can sort through a lot of applications and find legit candidates in no time. The software also scores potential hires according to relevance to the open job position, which helps you save time and hire faster.

Not only can it fast-track your recruitment, but it can help ensure that all candidates are screened equally and improve the accuracy of the overall hiring process.

Thoroughly check the list of references provided

It is important to thoroughly check the job applicant’s list of character references. References can provide great insight into an applicant’s skills and work ethic. However, not all references are created equal. Some may be less reliable than others. 

Ideally, you want to speak with as many of the applicant’s references as possible. If you can’t speak with all of them, then you should at least contact the most reliable ones. When contacting references, be sure to ask specific questions about the applicant’s character, behavior, and any successes in their previous work. 

At this point, you need to be thorough. Make sure to ask their previous employers about things that might have come up in your interview. If the person you want to hire says they are an expert on certain software, ask their previous employers how well they used that software in their previous job. Verify if your job applicant can actually walk the talk.

Conduct technical assessments

When you are looking to fill a technical position in your company, it is important to perform a technical assessment as part of the recruitment process. This will help you to determine whether or not the candidate has the necessary skills and experience for the job. 

There are a number of different ways to perform a technical assessment, and the type of assessment you use will depend on the specific position you are hiring for. 

One common way is to give candidates a task or project to do. This could be something they would have to do in the job they are applying for, or it could be a more general problem that needs a solution.

Another approach is to have candidates take a test that measures their knowledge or proficiency in specific areas. 

Opt for video interviews

A number of businesses are turning to video interviews as a way to vet potential employees. The process can be used at various points in the hiring process, from the initial application to the final interview. There are a number of reasons to use video interviews. For one, they allow you to see how a candidate interacts with others and how they present themselves. 

Video interviews are more cost-efficient and work just as well as in-person interviews in gauging the candidates’ legitimacy. Plus, you can assess them by the way they talk, present their ideas, and how they can possibly fit in your company.

Work with an outsourcing company

One way to reduce the time and money you spend on finding new talent is to work with an outsourcing company. An outsourcing company specializes in finding qualified candidates for positions in a wide range of industries. Outsourcing companies like Remote Developer have extensive databases of potential employees. They are capable of screening resumes, weeding out any fake applications, and conducting extensive background checks.

With outsourcing companies, you no longer have to bother looking for and double-checking potential hires. If you currently don’t have the time or resources to do full-scale recruitment, hiring people from outsourcing companies can be a good route to take. You don’t have to do any vetting but you are assured of skills and talent.

Find Your Next Rock Star Today!

There are several red flags to look out for when vetting potential job applicants. By being aware of these warning signs, you can avoid being scammed by someone who is looking to take advantage of you and your company. 

One of the fastest ways to find legit talents is by working with outsourcing companies such as Remote Developer. 

Remote Developer can help speed up the process by screening candidates and providing a pool of qualified applicants. We can also provide support and training for your new employee, ensuring a smooth transition into your company.

If you are looking to hire new employees ASAP, contact us today. Who knows, your next rock star might just be a few clicks away.