Photo by Eric Prouzet on Unsplash
In January, ResumeBuilder.com surveyed 1,250 Americans to understand what they’ve lied about in the hiring process and why. Its interest was stoked by revelations that U.S. Congressman George Santos (R-N.Y.) fabricated significant potions of his personal history and resume during his election campaign.
ResumeBuilder.com’s commissioned survey was conducted online by survey platform Pollfish on January 5. Key findings of the survey show that lying by jobseekers is more common than many of us may have believed.
That’s assuming, of course, that many of us have given thought to the incidence of lying in the hiring process.
Here’s a brief summary of what ResumeBuilder.com found:
35 percent of survey respondents have lied in the hiring process;
72 percent lied on their resume;
68 percent lied during an interview;
On a job application, 30 percent lied about their race/ethnicity, 27 percent about their veteran status, and 23 percent about their disability status;
73 percent have gotten a job using a fraudulent application; 55 percent got their current job this way;
1 in 5 who previously lied are currently applying for jobs using a deceitful resume.
“It has culturally become more acceptable to lie, and many may feel if caught there won’t be serious ramification,” says Stacie Haller, ResumeBuilder.com’s chief career advisor.
Indeed, revelations and admissions of his lies have yet to force Rep. Santos out of Congress.
Even so, lying has its consequences, Haller insists. At the very least it can cost you your professional reputation, as in the case of Rep. Santos, who has become an object of dismay and mockery both in the U.S. and internationally, is the subject of a federal investigation into his financial activities, and faces calls for his resignation from his own constituents.
“In today’s world, very little remains private, so lies may be discovered in many ways. Backdoor references are common so candidates may never know if during the hiring process someone is speaking to an individual they know or worked with in the past,” Haller says.
She urges hiring managers to be vigilant.
“Hiring managers need to be aware of the fact that many are lying during the hiring process. No one wants to hire someone who isn’t trustworthy into their workforce, so it’s critical that hiring managers do any due diligence that they can,” she says.
