I was at a recruitment conference this week, and I got talking to a couple of the delegates there. We were discussing background checking and what constitutes a lie on a CV, because, let’s face it, most of us have exaggerated the truth to some extent during our time as job hunters, but, as recruiters, where do you draw the line between a ‘white lie’ and something more serious?

I know I have already blogged about this issue, but it has come to the fore again recently because of the latest episode of The Apprentice where one of the contestants, Lee McQueen, told a bit of a porky pie and misrepresented the length of time he had spent at university. It turned out to be quite a falsification though, as he said he had spent two years there, when in fact he dropped out after just four months.

However, Sir Alan Sugar must have deemed it to be pretty insignificant because he sent him through to the next round. Tom Flanagan, an employment partner at law firm Pinsent Masons, said: “In this instance, it seems that it was perceived to be a relatively minor lie, and Lee had proved himself over the previous tasks to be up to the job at stake, which is perhaps why Sir Alan let it pass.”

However, Flanagan also pointed to another example involving Patrick Imbardelli, who resigned from his position as chief executive, Asia Pacific region, at InterContinental Hotels Group last June, after it was discovered that he’d lied on his CV.

So what should an employer do? Sir Alan had the advantage of knowing McQueen beforehand and seeing for himself that he was up to the job, therefore took the decision to turn a blind eye to his lie. But what about the rest of us, who may not have that benefit? How much of a lie does it have to be before employers feel the trust and confidence between them and the candidate has been undermined?

In a recent blog by Evil HR Lady, she answers a question about terminating an employment contract due to the employee lying on application. Her suggestion? To do a thorough background check before hiring. Which is certainly sound advice, but, once that check has been performed, it is still down to the recruiters to decide for themselves whether the lie is such that the person cannot be trusted, and therefore cannot be employed. Or whether, like Sir Alan, it can be overlooked because they just might be the perfect person for the job.

Lucie Benson
Editor