Padded Executive Resumes: Are Hiring Corporations Getting Exactly What They Ask For?
We look up to our bosses. They’ve acquired a status many strive to achieve. Keeping up with high-achievers can be daunting and make a person feel somewhat inferior. So while we cluck away at completing those degrees and paying our dues at each career rung, discovering people aren’t always who they say they are is a deep form of betrayal both to colleagues and companies alike. What if some who surpass you in line for career succession get there by false representation? Would you hold your integrity and wait patiently for advancement, or would you also resort to something less favorable?
Resume padding has hit new heights as several high-profile executives have been accused of inflating work skills and academic credentials just during the first half of this year. Gregory Probert, President/COO of Herbalife, doesn’t possess an MBA, although his resume states otherwise, reported the Wall Street Journal back in April. Mr. Probert joins the ranks of Robert Irvine, host for Dinner:Impossible, a once proud addition to The Food Network’s family, along with last year’s prominent case involving Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Dean of Admissions, Marilee Jones.
With instant and long-lasting news reporting and availability via the internet, one might believe executives, or anyone for that matter, would take heed. But, new accusations come off the heels of other prominent cases; i.e. Ronald Zarrella, CEO of Bausch & Lomb, and Dave Edmondson, former Chief Executive of RadioShack.
When Gregory Probert took over his new role with Herbalife in 2003, he had a proven career with Walt Disney Company, as well as others such as DMX Music and Planetlingo. He served in top executive roles, focusing on business development, operations, and acquisitions … amongst others. During Mr. Probert’s tenure, Herbalife grew operations throughout China, fulfilling the company’s expectations of him. In other words, he did just as he was hired to do.
“I misrepresented my academic degrees when I first applied to MIT 28 years ago and did not have the courage to correct my resume when I applied for my current job or at any time since,” stated Marilee Jones. One could argue she did exactly what she was hired to do regardless of her missing degrees. In fact, she was awarded MIT’s Excellence Award for Leading Change in 2001 after fulfilling the college’s assigned task of increasing female students, making it obvious MIT was pleased with her performance too.
Gregory Probert and Marilee Jones had equally long careers. By no means incompetent, each did have their jobs cut short, caused by their own hands. Both held professional careers and reputations that were built mainly in part from learned experience, not academic accomplishment, as we know now.
Academic claims are solid pillars in a resume; and unlike job skills where you can easily explain a slip with an action verb, “led” (management) versus “supported,” (non-management) for example, inaccuracies with academic credentials are near impossible to rectify. You have a degree, or you do not. After the lie is set in motion, what transpires is inevitable, as there is no ideal exit point except for the all-too-public firing or resignation.
Should employers bear some responsibility? After all, hiring companies are placing more weight on education today than ever before, and job seekers with rich careers, yet are academically dwarfed, are feeling the pinch. Those without a degree are passed-by for those who do. Just securing an undergraduate degree, for example, isn’t an easy task. College curriculum lasts up to 4 years — a timeline that’s impossible to muster even with online classes and the cost for a college education today is unprecedented.
“College degree and/or relevant work experience” has been replaced with “degree with minimum # years of industry and position-specific work experience is mandatory.” Job-seeking candidates are responding with a bit of inflation of their own. With the growing needs and demands of American corporations, those on the hiring side of the desk shouldn’t be surprised over the increased percentage of candidates faking credentials.
When does professional reputation and work history trump a degree? Many jobseekers would love an answer. Putting aside dishonesty and the negative message that results from resume padding, company firings for embellishment sends the message that candidate reputation, established performance, and expected long-term value are secondary — somewhat equivalent to learning the stock you invested in isn’t worth what was paid as the company padded their sales and revenue numbers.
By setting the bar high, yes, jobseekers from the receptionist’s desk to the boardroom are making the decision to use a stepstool so they can reach higher career plains. A survey conducted by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) in 2007 showed 40% of candidates falsify credentials — a staggering 4 out of every 10 jobseekers. In cases where the process is flawed both by the employer and the candidate, validates the claim that the right candidate does not always get the job. Do you point blame at the hiring companies, the candidate who took the road of dishonesty, or both?
Certainly companies can’t overlook the negativity and message that results when inaccuracies surface from the resumes of the company execs. You have to wonder; however, how many more managers and executives are sweating over their own false claims being revealed.
Article by, Teena Rose, a Top Recognized Resume & Cover Letter Professional with Resume to Referral
Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.
