A single bad hire can cost your company thousands of dollars. If a candidate lies on their resume, it can mean hiring someone who lacks the skills and experience to perform basic duties. While we always want to believe the best of people, many candidates do exaggerate or fabricate information.

Here are 5 signs that an agriculture job candidate might be lying on their resume.  

1. Vague Language 

Pay attention to imprecise language on a resume. If a candidate uses phrases like “familiar with” or “involved with,” they could be trying to skirt a lack of experience and expertise. You’re looking for people who can directly state their experience, skills and knowledge.  

2. Excessive Use of Buzzwords 

We’ve all spoken to someone who uses absurd amounts of buzzwords, which tends to raise suspicion that they may not know exactly what they are talking about. People tend to think buzzwords make them sound more authoritative but overuse could be covering up a lack of familiarity with the agriculture industry. 

3. Unexplainable Gaps 

Candidates who have gaps in their resumes shouldn’t be discounted as long as they address those gaps directly. Illness, caring for a loved one, raising children, layoffs, returning to school, working as a freelancer or consultant, sabbaticals, etc., are all fairly common and should be simple for candidates to explain. However, if the gaps are unaddressed or seem fishy, they should be explored.  

4. Inconsistencies 

Make sure a candidate’s timelines add up. Check the cover letter against the resume and verify dates during background, employment verification and reference checks.  

5. Gut Feelings

Sometimes, you just have a feeling someone is stretching the truth or lying and that feeling shouldn’t be ignored. If you’ve been doing your job for a long time, you have seen and heard a lot, and your experience can be an important guide.  

How To Uncover The Truth 

You can avoid hiring someone who is lying on their resume through consistency in your hiring process. Whether you think someone is lying or not, always: 

• Perform background checks: Check every finalist’s work history, employment dates and past residencies.  
• Conduct thorough reference checks: Call every reference to verify a candidate’s claims. Use a standardized list of questions and if you can’t reach every reference, ask for more.  
• Test them: Conduct skill assessments and/or have candidates complete a test project to see their skills in action.  

Are You Looking For Top Marketing Talent?  

If you are looking for A-level sales and marketing talent for your agriculture business,  contact  the expert recruiters at Morris Bixby today. Our process is designed to deliver accurate matches quickly and efficiently.