Employment application fraud is, unfortunately, both common and costly for NSW public sector organisations. Application fraud undermines merit-based selections and results in the hiring of an employee who lacks integrity or requisite experience for a role. Moreover, the agency that has hired the person may then have additional risks and issues arising, such as health and safety risks, poor provision of public services and an impairment of public trust and confidence.
“The ICAC Chief Commissioner, the Hon Peter Hall QC, said the report notes that employment application fraud is common, and that between 20 and 30 per cent of job applications contain some form of false information.”
The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was set up in 1988 to investigate and expose corrupt conduct in the NSW public sector and to actively prevent corruption through advice and assistance. One of its key functions is to educate the NSW community and public sector about corruption and its effects, including through their publication Strengthening employment screening practices in the NSW public sector (February 2018).
The Report highlights the need for public sector agencies to develop standardised and justifiable frameworks for employment screening which are tailored to the characteristics of specific roles. Importantly, there is a need for public sector agencies to demonstrate accountability for their employment screening processes and procedures with appropriate guidance and expertise coming from the right parts of the organisation or from trusted third parties. The Report also highlights that screening checks do not just stop at the front-door recruitment process, but may also need to be performed when other circumstances are triggered.
Click here for a full copy of the Report: ICAC recommends NSW public sector tighten screening practices to combat employment application fraud and corruption
