Reeves initially claimed on LinkedIn that she worked as an economist at the Bank of England between September 2000 and December 2006, and then acted as economist at the Bank of Scotland until December 2009.
In an interview with Stylist magazine in October 2021, however, Reeves claimed she worked for a decade at the Bank of England. The inconsistency in her employment history was flagged by right-wing politics blog Guido Fawkes on 24 October 2024.
Several news outlets have since reported that Reeves subsequently edited her LinkedIn employment history listing to remove the claim that she worked as an "economist at the Bank of Scotland", instead stating that she held a "retail banking job" at Halifax, part of Bank of Scotland.
The conversation about Reeves' employment history is evidence that HR should not rely on CVs and LinkedIn posts to be accurate during recruitment, according to Natasha Johnson, director of HR consultancy Organic P&O Solutions.
Speaking to HR magazine, she said: "The debate about the chancellor’s employment history also raises serious points for HR professionals' handling recruitment and employee verification.
"HR teams should do their best to cross-reference information from multiple sources, including CVs, LinkedIn profiles, references, and directly checking with previous employers.
“LinkedIn profiles can provide useful context, but shouldn't be treated as primary evidence of employment history."
Three fifths (60%) of CVs contained discrepancies, while 27% had major issues, according to research by Verifile, an HR software and background check provider, in May 2024.
False employment records can erode employers' reputation and trust, according to Eyal Ben-Cohen, founder and CEO of Verifile.
"Inaccurate or falsified employment records can lead to misaligned expectations, reduced team morale, or even regulatory risks in certain industries," he told HR magazine.
"Accurate employment verification not only safeguards the organisation but also promotes trust and integrity in the hiring process."
Read more: Background checks flag thousands of minor childhood offences
HR should use references and screening calls to verify candidates' experience, according to Habiba Khatoon, director of recruitment firm Robert Walters Midlands.
Speaking to HR magazine, she said: “A candidate's CV is the first thing a member of HR will see when considering a job application,” he noted. “It is then down to members of HR to do the fact-checking and extra digging.
“For example, holding screening calls can be helpful in finding out more information about the experience that is listed on candidates’ CVs. For example, if an employee references having experience in using particular systems, they can be asked more targeted questions about those exact systems to gauge the level of their knowledge.
“The best recruitment processes bring in a wide range of techniques to screen the suitability of candidates after looking at their CVs – whether that be past employer and character references, personality/behavioural/cognitive ability tests and face-to-face interviews.”
Employers should consider skills over experience, however, Khatoon advised.
“A candidate is considerably more than the sum of their employment experience,” she commented.
“While it provides a great initial insight and an effective tool in discerning their working style, how they behave in a professional environment and where their skills lie – the best recruitment processes dig deeper.”
The Telegraph asked a spokesperson for prime minister Keir Starmer if lying on your CV was a breach of the ministerial code, but was refused an answer. Instead, the spokesperson said: “The chancellor has restored fiscal stability.
“[Starmer] is very clear that this is a chancellor that has been straight with the public about the state of the public finances and what is necessary to restore financial stability – that is most important,” the spokesman said in a Telegraph report on 18 November.
Read more: False references: How concerned should employers be?
If HR faces criticism for hiring employees with indirect employment history, they should highlight relevant experience, Khatoon added.
She continued: “If HR do find themselves in this position where they must justify a hire whose employment history doesn’t match the claims of their CV, they can highlight the employee’s transferable skills, which are helpful in any role and their potential, attitude, capacity to learn. A professional may not come with the immediate skills but may have the personality and/or ability which allows them to quickly learn them.
“HR can also gather references from their past employers who can vouch for their skills and abilities and provide further justification for the hiring choice.”
Another tip for HR is to clearly communicate the discrepancy to their organisation, Ben-Cohen suggested.
He noted: "If a mismatch is discovered post-hiring, HR should address it transparently, investigate the reasons behind it, and decide on remedial actions – whether additional training, reassessment, or, in severe cases, termination.
"Transparency and adherence to a structured process protects both the organisation and its employees."
