Whether it's a slight exaggeration or an outright lie, many candidates find themselves twisting the truth on job applications in order to get a shot at being hired. But are candidates going too far?
"Hiring managers have been dealing with lying on resumes and applications since the beginning of time," says Haller. "[Applicants] lie thinking they don't really need to fulfill the entire criteria that the company is looking for, and that if they lie, they could somehow get hired, and do a great job anyway. They are afraid of being eliminated from the hiring process."
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Interestingly enough, 41% of men lied during the hiring process, compared to 29% of women. Haller notes that this is a general trend she's observed year to year.
ResumeBuilder found that the number one topic candidates lie about on their resumes is education. Haller doesn't find this surprising, though she predicts that employers will gradually loosen college degree requirements.
"In the last few decades, education has become the bar people need to reach to make it in white-collar industries," she says. "But many organizations are taking a look at their education requirements. And many [organizations] such as Google are letting folks get accreditations instead of college degrees, and then helping them find jobs appropriate for their skill set."
Approximately 35% of job opportunities in 2020 would need at least a bachelor's degree, according to StartMyLCC, an online resource for entrepreneurs. Given the financial hardship and student loan debt that come with a four-year degree, it can be a big eliminator for interested candidates.
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When it came to lying in interviews, candidates were most likely to lie about their years of experience and skill set. Like education, years of experience can be an immediate way to narrow the candidate pool since it's obvious from the get-go if the number of years the candidate gives is what the hiring manager is looking for. On the other hand, a discussion on one's skills leaves room for embellishment.
"They may not even be exaggerating, but they don't truly understand their own skill set," says Haller. "If a company is looking for someone who knows Adobe really well and there is no particular test, then a candidate can just talk about their experience."
Haller advises
The survey did reveal a piece of data Haller was thrown by: 30% of respondents have lied about their race and ethnicity. Haller admits she doesn't quite know the motivations behind this lie, nor does the data show if BIPOC candidates are lying out of fear of discrimination or if white candidates believe they will be hired if they can help companies hit a diversity quota.
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To that end, 27% of candidates have lied about their veteran status, and 23% have lied about their disability status. It seems candidates fear that their identity will be considered lacking in some way, notes Haller.
While lying can be especially troubling for hiring managers trying to best fill their ranks, these lies reveal what candidates think employers prioritize the most — whether that's their education, experiences, skills or even race. And sometimes, candidates get away with it.
"Many companies do not check everything and candidates seem to know this," says Haller. "We see that almost half of the people who have lied ended up getting the job and were never found out."
However, 18% were reprimanded but allowed to continue working, 12% were fired and 9% had a job offer rescinded.
"As a hiring manager, I've experienced people who have lied about what they've done, and hiring managers don't forget the people who lied," says Haller. "There are ramifications to lying if you get caught."
Haller advises job seekers to look for positions that closely match their current skill set and grow their abilities from there.
"The best plan in life is not to lie," she says. "It's a win-win for everybody if you're honest about your skills and experience and apply to the jobs that really are right for you."
