According to a new survey conducted by ResumeBuilder, 32% of Americans admit to lying on their resumes. PwC’s US Pulse Survey revealed that, according to the US labor market, 65% of employees are looking for a new position. Employers are advised to carefully review incoming resumes in the current environment.
The survey by ResumeBuilder found that: 1) the most common lie on a resume is about years of experience and education, and 2) the most common lie is about education and work experience. Other key survey findings include:
Almost half of employees who lied were rescinded from their job offers after their new employers discovered the lie after being hired by the original employer.
- Technology and finance are the most common industries in which employees lie on resumes.
- Men are twice as likely to lie on resumes as women
- According to the data, lying on resumes was mostly done to improve chances of getting hired (72%), to hide a lack of necessary skills or qualifications (44%); or to cover up the fact that the previous employer terminated the relationship on bad terms (41%).
If hiring practices are not being thoroughly scrutinized, employers should make sure they are conducting reference checks, utilizing appropriate skills tests, probing behavioral interview questions to detect dishonesty, formal background checks, internet and social media searches, and/or internal or external verification services.
