A new report has raised concerns about the integrity of hiring in India’s core digital sectors. AuthBridge’s latest analysis reveals that nearly 1 in 5 resumes in the IT sector contain misrepresentations, while the telecom sector faces a discrepancy rate of over 11%. The findings highlight mounting pressure on organizations to adopt more rigorous, real-time verification practices to protect workforce credibility.
Misrepresentation in IT: Inflated roles, dual jobs, and unverifiable employers
The report shows that the IT/ITES sector recorded an overall discrepancy rate of 9.46%, with 18.8% of resume-related flags tied to misrepresented details. These include inflated job titles, exaggerated employment durations, and listing unverifiable employers. False claims around notice periods also emerged as a recurring issue.
The growing shift to remote and hybrid work has also contributed to increased instances of dual employment. Around 5% of IT professionals were found moonlighting—often in high-flexibility roles where oversight is minimal. Address mismatches were another concern, with 10.11% of new hires providing unverifiable addresses.
While education discrepancies in IT remained relatively low at 4.84%, most of these issues stemmed from unverifiable institutions or mismatches between claimed and actual coursework.
Telecom sector faces verification hurdles due to mobility
The telecom sector reported a higher overall discrepancy rate of 11.34%. Unlike IT, the main challenge here came from address verification. Around 19% of background checks failed this parameter, largely due to high mobility, frequent relocations, and temporary rented accommodations common among telecom workers.
Additionally, 6.7% of telecom candidates submitted fake or unverifiable education documents, and 3.4% were flagged for moonlighting. A smaller percentage (1.3%) had pending court cases or minor legal issues.
Trust must be earned continuously, not just at hiring
According to AuthBridge, these findings suggest that traditional pre-employment screening processes are no longer sufficient. Real-time, role-specific verification models and continuous monitoring are essential, especially for client-facing or sensitive positions. The report warns that unchecked hiring fraud can result in long-term losses—damaging both operational security and customer trust.
As India’s IT and telecom industries continue to scale, so do the risks tied to bad hires. In a digital-first economy, trust isn’t a one-time filter—it’s a sustained process.
