Background checks are increasing in their importance to recruitment, according to candidate verification service Experian Background Checking.

Experian has revealed that the volume of recruitment background checks carried out in the first quarter of 2009 has increased by 3% against the same period in 2008, despite a sharp drop in recruitment levels.

Avis Easteal, general manager at Experian Background Checking, says: “The tightening of recruitment practices is a response to the wide pool of candidates that employers can now select from.  

“In times of recession, candidates are more likely to exaggerate their skills and or qualifications on their CV and employers want to be sure of selecting the right candidate. With companies reining in costs at every opportunity, they don’t want to make a costly recruitment mistake.”