MUMBAI: As the employers in India have intensified the recruitment drive in the last quarter, the percentage of discrepancies found in the screening process has also increased year-on-year, according to a recent report.

The HireRight Employment Background Screening Trends Report for India revealed that 23 percent of background checks conducted in India from January 2014 to April 2015 contain discrepancies, with more than half of them relating to education.

India ranks fourth compared to the rest of Asia Pacific in the amount of discrepancies with 23 percent, with Philippines topping the chart with 30 percent followed by Malaysia 27 percent and Japan 26 percent, it said.

Singapore was at five in the list at 22 percent then Australia 21 percent and China 18 percent.

The report is based on more than 2,18,000 checks done in India from January 2014 to April 2015.

"With greater competition in the job market, job candidates may fabricate or embellish qualifications or job experiences on resumes to stand out from the pack," HireRight managing director, APAC, Edward Hickey said.

"India is gradually becoming a strong hub of MNCs establishing their bases. The pro-employment intent of the current government is already witnessing an uptake in terms of talent acquisition," he added.

"With employment background screening being the most underrated and usually overlooked component of a recruitment process, this report is a clear testament of background verification being a quintessential process in hiring for organisations to mitigate risk and ensure quality hires," Hickey added.

Discrepancies related to education are the highest at 52 percent followed by employment discrepancies at 11 percent, it said.

Almost three out of 10 screenings conducted by HireRight in India from January 2014 contained a lie or a discrepancy. The discrepancies HireRight finds through their background screening include lies or inaccuracies on CVs most commonly relating to educational, employment background and professional licenses.

On a lesser scale, there can also be inaccuracies in their criminal history or identification documents provided. Hiring a candidate who does not have the right qualifications can have serious consequences on an organisation.

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