Many people would agree that it is fairly easy to get away with including a few little white lies on a resume. Most who do this have the mindset that small business owners are more concerned with daily business operations, programs, financial software and sales, and would not take the time to check on each fact on one's resume. However, lying about qualifications could not only adversely affect a person's position in a company down the road when prior knowledge or experience is needed, but could harm a business or affect future jobs.

Resume fudging has been in the media often lately after Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson was caught lying about his college credentials. He had claimed on his resume and Yahoo biographies, including one on a legal document, he was a double major of accounting and computer science from Stonehill College, ABC Action News reported. Thompson does not have a computer science degree.

It is easy to skim over the qualifications of a potential employee that would perfectly fit into a firm. Yet lies of this sort could lead to legal issues and overall company disasters if not investigated. There are a few steps owners can take to make sure they are hiring only the best, most trustworthy staff.

Background checks

It is becoming more common for employers to consult with a background checking agency before hiring individuals. According to Entrepreneur Magazine, there are a number of investigatory companies that offer businesses packages for entrepreneurs who want to look into potential staff members.

Packages depend on how deep into a person's past hiring managers want to go into, the source explained. Consulting firm CEO John Challenger told Entrepreneur that at the very least, leaders should verify the criminal history and citizenship status of people they are interviewing.

Follow up with references

Entrepreneur said both the employment and character references of someone applying for a job should be looked into. The source said that hiring managers should dig deeper than is usually recommended. When speaking to the former bosses or supervisors of new employees, they should request to speak to old coworkers that can explain what it was like to work alongside the individual.

Ask detailed questions

It is customary for people on the job hunt to include detailed information about how they helped their former employers, whether they write about how much money they saved or the number of people they managed. HR consultant Kelley Rexroad told ABC News that it can be easy to trip people up by asking focused questions about their accomplishments.