The ideal job candidate having the right type of skills and experience is predominantly what a recruiter loves to look out for. As a result, an employee’s CV will probably decide whether they are to the job interview stage.
Many people either lack confidence in their abilities or lack the qualifications mentioned in the job description. Therefore, some people take a quick route and lie in their CVs to gain an advantage over other applicants. Over 32% of the respondents from 1,500 surveyed in a UK study by StaffCircle admitted to lying on their CV.
Twisting the Truth
Most job applicants fabricate information on their CV because they fear the facts will prevent them from being employed. According to the survey, there are many reasons people have twisted the truth on their applications and some of the top reasons for lying are given below.
Inadequate Experience
Experience counts as one of the most important requirements for any job, and applicants understand that with more experience, they have a better chance of securing the job. Unfortunately, many people have unsatisfactory experiences, so they lie to compensate for it.
Nearly 51% of those surveyed admitted to lying to cover up a lack of experience. During the hiring process, lying was most frequently done for this reason.
Skills
Many people lied about their skills to obtain a particular position. Of those surveyed, 38% of respondents admitted to lying about their skill level in their CV.
If a candidate is seeking a more senior position than the one they currently have and wants to appear entirely competent in handling it, they may exaggerate their skills. This person might overstate their qualifications to get an advantage for a reaching to the interview stage.
Previous Salary
To get a more senior position during the interview, job candidates may lie about their previous salaries. Many think using this strategy during negotiations can get a better paycheck. However, there are other much safe and less risky ways to approach this.
Lying about whatever you accomplished or the pay you received at previous jobs will almost certainly return to haunt you. Hence, it’s much better to approach the job with an understanding of what you want and a plan for obtaining it without lying.
In the recruitment process, 26% of the respondents told lies regarding their previous salaries.
Remote Jobs
The number of people looking for remote jobs has surged in the pandemic’s wake. In addition, working remotely gives employees flexibility and the chance to organise their day better, which increases efficiency.
Because of this, almost 62% of those who confessed to lying on their CV said they’d be more likely to do so for a remote job.
Conclusion
The survey shows that many businesses don’t have adequate hiring procedures. It also reveals the reasons why people lie in their CVs. However, lying on your CV could hurt your chances of getting hired. Furthermore, even if you are hired, it can impede your job search in the future and can also damage your reputation.
A good performance management system can be a tool to help recruiters choose the right candidate and enhance the overall recruitment process by highlighting and evaluating skills gaps in the workforce, and assessing how qualified they are for a role.
