How AI, Deepfakes and Resume Fraud Are Changing Franchise Hiring

Sponsored Content by Reliable Background Screening.

By Dr. Alan Lasky (SVP) and Rudy Troisi (Founder), Reliable Background Screening

Today, AI has moved well beyond the “polishing” of resumes and now toward tailoring, embellishing, and candidates misrepresenting themselves.  Gartner predicts that by 2028, 1 in 4 candidate profiles worldwide will be completely fake, with 73% of onboarding professionals already reporting challenges with fabricated or misleading candidate information.

AI has moved candidate fraud far beyond resume embellishment. Candidates can now use AI to fabricate experience, enhance skills, generate interview and assessment answers in real time, and even manipulate video interviews through deepfake technology.

Research has linked resume deception, which includes AI fabrication and embellishment, with increased counterproductive workplace behavior. Established research also shows that these pre-hire characteristics can contribute to lower employee performance and higher voluntary turnover

The question for franchise owners and operators is therefore changing from:

“Is this resume accurate and does the person have the needed skillset?”

to:

“Is this candidate really who they say they are?”

4 ways franchise organizations can reduce the risk of AI-assisted candidate fraud:

1. Whenever Practical, Conduct In-Person Interviews

One of the most effective ways to add another layer of authenticity to the hiring process is to meet candidates in person. An in-person interview makes it considerably more difficult for someone else to participate on the candidate’s behalf or for AI/technology to conceal who is actually being interviewed.

For positions requiring specific skills, consider combining the interview with a practical in-person skills assessment. The goal is not simply to confirm that a candidate can describe their experience, but that they can demonstrate it!

2. Look for Inconsistencies But Do Not Rely on Them Alone

When an in-person interview is not practical, live video interviews can then provide a  layer of verification. Recruiters and hiring managers should pay attention to inconsistencies in a candidate’s answers, eye-movement (if they are looking at AI tools to answer your interview questions more favorably), employment timeline, experience or demonstrated knowledge.

However, visual or behavioral cues should never be treated as 100% proof of deception. Differences in communication style, eye contact, gestures or other non-verbal behaviors can reflect culture, personality or individual differences. The better approach is to identify factual inconsistencies and then verify them through objective sources.

When multiple people in your organization participate in the hiring process, your team should compare notes afterward. Different answers to the same questions or discrepancies regarding employment history, responsibilities or qualifications can identify areas requiring further verification and questioning for authenticity.

3. Verify Employment and Education at the Source

Resume embellishment is not a new problem. Surveys have found over 50% of candidates reporting misrepresentation involving job titles, employment dates and even entire positions.

Primary-source verifications can help address that risk by obtaining information directly from the employer, school or other authoritative source rather than relying solely on what the candidate states or their “AI assistant” provides.

For franchisees and key employees, this can be particularly important. A candidate’s experience, credentials and history can directly affect customers, employees, the franchise brand and the overall operation.

4. Work With a Reliable Background Screening Partner

A comprehensive background screening partner can provide essential tools and searches designed to verify identity and uncover information that will not appear on a resume.

Depending on the position and applicable laws, background screening may include criminal records searches, employment and education verifications, address and alias searches, identity verification, and other key services. Emerging background screening technologies are also creating additional tools for identity authentication and detecting potential digital manipulation or deepfakes. These technologies can also provide “verified” or “approved” candidates with a QR code that customers can use to authenticate their identity; an especially valuable feature for in-home workers who need to verify the identity of an individual entering their home or workplace.

For franchise organizations, the goal should be to create a consistent, legally compliant process that helps verify that the person being considered is the person represented in the application, without adding any barriers to onboarding.

The Bottom Line: Verify the Person, Not Just the Paper

In the age of AI, the most important question may no longer be whether a candidate looks qualified. It is whether you can verify that they are who they say they are.  The future of franchise hiring will continue to require a combination of human judgment, technology and independent verification.

Dr. Alan Lasky is the Senior Vice President at Reliable Background Screening. For more information about IFA supplier member, Reliable Background Screening, please visit www.ReliableBackground.com.

Sponsored Content. Created by or on behalf of the sponsor, who paid for its placement. Views expressed are the sponsor’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the IFA. Placement of this content is not an endorsement.