DUBAI Headhunters have blamed the UAE’s fiercely competitive job market and dubious attestation agencies for the thriving market of fake degrees.
Their reactions come close on the heels of last week’s XPRESS story exposing how hundreds of professionals in the country have moved to top positions on the back of bogus credentials.
Bogus degrees
“The competition is so cut-throat, people often don’t hesitate to fudge documents. And because there are agencies who get their certificates attested, the bogus degrees become legitimate in the eyes of employers here,” said a manager at a recruitment firm in Dubai.
Waseem Ali, HR manager at a construction firm in Dubai, said most employers don’t look beyond the attestation seal.
“We depend too much on paperwork. To verify the authenticity of a document, employers should always go back to the source. Call every-one in the chain,” he said. “I would rather hire someone who has relevant work experience than someone with a fancy degree.”
Sharjah-based Loy Machedo who provides personal branding services, said instances abound where people with bogus qualifications have got plum jobs instead of deserving candidates. “Glossy certificates bearing names of US or UK colleges carry more weight than degrees issued by sub-continent universities.”
An HR manager at an FMCG company said henceforth he will be more rigorous while hiring people. “We have to be very cautious while recruiting staff as fake degrees are undermining qualifications of candidates with proven credentials.”
