Recruiting the right talent is a challenging task, but what if the person you’re hiring isn’t who they claim to be? Recent research has revealed that nearly a fifth (18%) of UK job seekers have either lied on their CVs in the past 12 months or know someone who has done so. Even more concerning, 14% believe it’s reasonable to exaggerate qualifications.
For hiring teams, this isn’t just a minor inconvenience, it’s a serious risk. Falsifying qualifications, employment history, or job responsibilities isn’t just misleading; it’s a form of first-party fraud.
This can have important consequences, particularly in regulated industries such as financial services, legal, healthcare, education, and security, where strict hiring regulations exist to prevent fraud and protect the public.
So, how can recruiters and hiring managers safeguard their businesses from recruitment fraud while maintaining an efficient hiring process? Let’s dive into it.
The hidden dangers
While it may seem trivial or like something everyone does—such as covering up career gaps or exaggerating job titles on CVs—the misrepresentation of information that isn’t verified by hiring teams can pose significant risks. These seemingly minor fabrications can lead to substantial outcomes for the hiring process and organisational integrity, including:
- Negative impact on workplace safety, productivity, and team dynamics
- Regulatory fines, lost revenue, and a decline in client trust
- Legal consequences for compliance violations, especially for employers in regulated industries
That’s why thorough candidate screening is non-negotiable.
Why traditional reference checks fall short
Employment referencing is a standard part of the hiring process, but it’s often a slow, manual, and frustrating experience for recruiters.
- You email referees, but they take weeks to respond
- You make endless phone calls, chasing down feedback
- By the time references are confirmed, your top candidate has taken another job
This delays hiring decisions and onboarding, creating friction for recruiters and candidates. Worse still, if referees aren’t properly vetted, fraudulent references can slip through unnoticed.
So, what’s the solution?
Know who you’re hiring with automated referencing
What if reference checks didn’t have to be a bottleneck? What if you could screen candidates faster, more accurately, and with greater confidence? With automated employment reference screening via the Amiqus platform, you can:
- Save time: reduce manual admin and save 15-30 minutes per candidate
- Improve efficiency: process up to 320 references per week, saving nearly 480 hours
- Gain deeper insights: go beyond employment history to assess competencies, behaviours, and collaboration skills
Discover real results achieved by businesses.
How automated referencing works
The robust, automated employment reference check developed by Amiqus allows for great flexibility throughout the entire process, including, but not limited to:
- Customised forms: collect specific details from referees tailored to your organisation’s needs
- Competency assessments: evaluate a candidate’s work ethic, flexibility, and independence
- Employment gap verification: gather mandatory evidence for career breaks (e.g., periods of sickness)
- Referee vetting: verify referee credentials before sending reference requests
- Education and self-employment checks: get a comprehensive view of a candidate’s history
See the check in action in a short demo.
Stay compliant and protect your business
Beyond employment references, pre-employment checks to screen candidates should cover all bases—Right to Work, DBS criminal record checks, identity verification, and more. As a UK Trust Framework accredited provider, Amiqus ensures your onboarding and compliance checks are carried out to the highest standards.
Ready to strengthen your hiring process? Speak to our team today.
Take control, verify with confidence, and hire the right people, every single time.
