False applications
Recruiting staff can be a hazardous and expensive business at the best of times. There is, however, another risk which, for the unwary employer can be a real nightmare. How do you deal with bogus applications?
Old hat
For many years there have been instances of people from ethnic minority groups applying for jobs by submitting an application under their real name and another under a false name. For example, you might receive an application from Mr Hussein who, unknown to you, has also sent an almost identical CV under the name of Mr Peters. The sole purpose in doing this is that he hopes you will ask Mr Peters for an interview whilst rejecting Mr Hussein. He then goes off to tribunal claiming race discrimination. More often than not the employer pays him a few thousand pounds to go away quietly.
Worsening problem
But surely, you say, this is just a rare occurrence. If only it were. Just recently a firm of solicitors reported that they have dealt with ten such claims this year alone. Unsurprisingly, this type of claim is on the increase - why bother working when you can make a living as a serial tribunal claimant!
A few years ago an Asian man was awarded around £36,000 over a four-year period just by submitting false applications, being rejected and winning at tribunal. More recently another Asian made over 80 claims to tribunal, costing the employers £500,000 between them in compensation and defence costs. Furthermore, this problem is not limited to race claims. What is to stop a woman submitting a false application as a man to an employer that she suspects favours employing men?
Fighting back
An easy way to cover your back is to prepare a person specification, which describes the person you are looking for. The best way to do this is to have three columns. The first one could be headed “criteria” and under here will be listed all the qualifications, experience, qualities, competences, physical characteristics, personality traits etc. required for the job. The middle column, headed “essential”, will identify anything that you cannot do without whilst the last column, “desirable”, will cover factors that it would be nice to have but which are not essential. An example could be computer skills. It might be essential that the person can use Word and Excel and it would be desirable if they could also use PowerPoint.
Tip 1. When assessing applications, if a candidate doesn’t meet all your “essential” criteria don’t interview them.
Tip 2. Assess the candidate against the person specification, record this in writing and attach it to the application.
Tip 3. It’s good practice either to publish the person specification and job description on your website or to send copies to candidates who wish to apply for jobs in your organisation.
Tip 4. Unsuccessful applicants have three months from the date they receive the rejection to go to tribunal. So make sure you retain all applications, with reasons for rejection, for at least four months.
OTT? You’d probably only need to apply all these tips if your workforce is predominantly white (or male) but you’re located in an area where people from a variety of races live.
The next step
For a free sample person specification visit http://personnel.indicator.co.uk (PS 08.09.07).
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