Job application woes -- what is a lie and what is an omission?

 

I have had a couple of cases recently where an inaccurate job application cost the candidate the job.  One was a simple misunderstanding and the other was a little bit more misleading.  At the end of the day the employers did not attempt to define what was intentional and what was not.  It is a black and white issue and you have to be on top of your game when completing an application.  Whether it is the first step or the last step, this is something to do with care.  It becomes part of your permanent record with an employer.

Here is the problem - many companies do this online anymore.  Which leads to someone completing the application at 11:30 pm once they have tucked their kids in, done household chores, and have an empty gas tank from an exhausting day.  This leads to missing a small detail.  Or putting in the wrong information regarding your base salary from three jobs ago.  Or having the incorrect job title for your most recent employer.  This stuff matters and it matters greatly.

Oftentimes candidates wonder why this is even a necessary step, especially if it is the first step.  My response is black and white, just like the employers will view it.  It does not matter why, but it does matter how.  Spend some additional time to track down the correct information and be meticulous when completing an application.  Take an extra day to call an old employer's HR department to absolutely certain you have the right information.  Check your W-2's from the previous year to put in salary information down to the penny.

What really drove this idea home for me was my wife's comments after the most recent debacle I encountered with a candidate's "omission" on his application.  She was attending a SHRM conference last week and the speaker said that you only have one chance to keep an employer's trust.  Once you have lost it, seldom will you ever get it back.  So if you show during the most basic part of the interview process (completing an application) that you may be misleading or able to stretch the truth even a little, you will likely be capable of doing that once on the job.  

Lesson to be learned - ALWAYS complete an application with updated and correct information.  It never pays to omit information, even if it is unintentional.  It could cost you when it comes to offer stage.