CLEVELAND / October 6, 2009 - Phony academic degrees and the shady companies who peddle them online are the focus of a new article by EmployeeScreenIQ, a global leader in employment background screening services.
The article is titled Smoke, Mirrors and Resumes: The Growing Threat of Diploma Mills. Its available at no charge from EmployeeScreenIQ by visiting http://www.employeescreen.com/whitepapers_articles.asp.
Phony academic degrees are a constant presence in e-mail inboxes, and their popularity is exploding with job candidates, explained Jason B. Morris, president and chief operating officer of EmployeeScreenIQ. They feed on applicants who will do anything to enhance their resume in a tough hiring market. Companies that don’t learn the warning signs face financial loss, possible litigation, and a loss of reputation.
To learn about the process first-hand, Morris responded to one of his 70 weekly email offers and called a diploma mill in search of a degree. The startling authenticity of the final result is described in the article.
Another highlight is a list of known diploma mills throughout North America, provided by UK-based Verifile Limited, a company thats identified approximately 1,900 mills worldwide. An additional 800 operators are currently being investigated, the article reports.
EmployeeScreenIQs paper also covers:
The financial and reputation risks of fraudulent diplomas
Where diploma mills are based in North America
How to determine a phony diploma
Best practices to prevent diploma fraud
Background screening providers are an effective way to attack the problem, but employers need to maintain constant vigilance, according to Nick Fishman, chief marketing officer, who authored the article.
In a 2008 study we conducted, nearly 10 percent of the job applicants surveyed falsified their academic qualifications, said Fishman. Cheap, easy and fast is the mantra for candidates looking to cut corners. Employers need to know whether a candidate has genuine academic credentials or if theyre a product of smoke and mirrors.
About EmployeeScreenIQ
EmployeeScreenIQ is a Cleveland, Ohio-based employment screening company offering a variety of employment screening services to mid- and large-cap organizations throughout the world, including those in North and South America, Europe and East Asia. For more information visit www.employeescreen.com
Media Contacts:
Nick Fishman, EmployeeScreenIQ
(847) 564-5410
nfishman(a)employeescreen.com
Elrond Lawrence, Fisher Vista/HRmarketer.com
(831) 757-9100
elawrence(a)fishervista.com
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This press release was distributed through PR Web by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www.HRmarketer.com) on behalf of the company
listed above.