Sir Alan Sugar with Lee McQueen.

However, the incident where he was caught lying (albeit in a minor way) in the week 11 interviews has understandably sparked controversy.

Given that McQueen was himself a recruitment sales manager for Capita, the company responsible for recruitment and business process outsourcing across the public sector, you’d have thought he’d have been smart enough to avoid such an elementary mistake. (Like most big companies Capita has also seen its fair share of controversy, not least when boss Rod Aldridge decided to step down when his £1 million donation to the Labour Party became public – Ed.)

Embarrassing

Here’s what another of the large consulting organisations had to say about the McQueen incident. Offering advice to companies looking to avoid a similar pitfall, PricewaterhouseCoopers forensics practice director, Angus Sim tells ModernSelling.com: ‘Clearly the discovery of fraud on Lee’s CV at such a late stage in the competition was embarrassing for Sir Alan, but he is one of many bosses throughout the UK having the wool pulled over their eyes by potential employees. Research shows that up to 25% of jobseekers in the UK lie on their CVs to impress their prospective boss.

Mobility

‘It is tempting to say that CV fraud has always been in existence, but there are a number of factors exacerbating this. For example, the flexible and increasingly mobile labour market makes it easier for people to leave details of their past behind as they move from one place to another. In addition, there is far greater emphasis being placed on getting a candidate on board quickly at the expense of any real effort taken to perform basic checks.

Checks

‘Companies can take a number of steps to try and protect themselves from CV fraud. One step is to ensure candidates know that they will be checked and being very clear on exactly what qualifications they are looking for (ie if a degree is not important – don’t ask for educational information). One of the most effective ways to combat CV fraud is through pre-employment screening. This is where a candidate’s background is verified for employment purposes. It is a transparent process that always requires the consent of the candidate before any checks are commenced.

‘We recently screened a candidate for a position of employment with a client where the employee’s CV detailed a period of 18 months spent travelling overseas. Our employment screening team identified that the individual had actually spent a period of time in jail on charges of embezzlement at his former employer in Australia.

‘The screening of potential employees has proven to be a valuable risk-management tool. It is a highly cost-effective way of minimising and guarding against potential security risks by identifying undesirable employees before they join an organisation. By implementing an effective employment screening programme as part of their overall fraud protection programme, companies can make sure they don’t get caught out.’

Dragons

And it seems that the cast of rival business show, Dragons’ Den has been up in arms about the message McQueen’s appointment sent out. Scottish entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne has been reported as saying: ‘I wouldn’t employ anyone who had lied. I’m very angry about the message Sir Alan has sent out by hiring Lee as his apprentice. In business honesty is key to success.’

Peter Jones: ‘I’d have fired Lee there and then.’

Fellow dragon Theo Paphitis added: ‘I would never employ anyone who lies on their CV. If they can lie about that how can you be sure that they won’t lie about other things? It would be difficult to fully trust them again.’

And Peter Jones: ‘If someone can lie to that extent how are they going to be managed when given a job? I’d have fired Lee there and then.’ Former dragon and founder of the Yo! Sushi restaurant chain, Simon Woodroffe echoed Paphitis: ‘If someone lies on their CV you’d wonder what else they would lie about.’ (Is this just the ‘Dragons’ Den’ team looking for publicity – Ed?)

Backing

Yet McQueen reportedly received backing from the oldest swinger in town, nightclub owner Peter Stringfellow. He said: ‘I would employ someone who had lied on their CV. To me it’s just a document which is there to guide you. I am sure most people have exaggerated on their CVs.’

So, in the end, was any real harm done by McQueen’s actions? Under the specific circumstances, Sir Alan Sugar clearly thought not: in business, actions speak louder than words and McQueen had already proved himself. He also owned up to his ‘mistake’ straight away and offered an explanation with which most people could empathise.

Second chance

Clearly, it would have been better if McQueen hadn’t lied, and a differently designed process might have picked up any discrepancies at an earlier stage. However, what is the point of screening every candidate prior to the selection process, when most of the candidates will be rejected? It’s obviously more efficient to carry out screening checks on just the few potentially suitable candidates.

In the judgement of Sir Alan and many others, McQueen deserved a second chance. What do you think? Will he come to rue his generosity? See Forum comments.

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