Just gleaned from the latest article regarding not-so-accurate resumes, CareerBuilder.com released results of a recent survey. The survey includes statistics about falsehoods discovered on resumes. Some favorite disputed claims include:
1. Candidate claimed to be a member of the Kennedy family
2. Applicant invented a school that did not exist
3. Job seeker submitted a résumé with someone else's photo inserted into the document
4. Candidate claimed to be a member of Mensa
5. Applicant claimed to have worked for the hiring manager before, but never had
6. Job seeker claimed to be the CEO of a company when he was an hourly employee
7. Candidate listed military experience dating back to before he was born
8. Job seeker included samples of work, which were actually those of the interviewer
9. Candidate claimed to have been a professional baseball player
Let’s be honest, we have all tweaked bits here and there, especially if a photo is involved. But outright deception? These were the most common falsehood told on a résumé:
• 38 percent of those surveyed indicated they had embellished their job responsibilities
• 18 percent admitted to lying about their skill set
• 12 percent indicated they had been dishonest about their start and end dates of employment
• 10 percent confessed to lying about an academic degree
• 7 percent said they had lied about the companies they had worked for
• 5 percent disclosed that they had been untruthful about their job title
Most employers disqualify candidates after discovering the dishonesty, however thirty-six percent still considered the candidate, even if they finally passed on hiring them. Six percent of hiring managers overlooked the "flawed résumé" and hired the applicant anyway.
How here are my favorite, if not surprising stats:
Some industries seemed to be more likely to have experience résumé fabrication. The industry reporting the most deceit is hospitality, with 60 percent of employers reporting they found lies on résumés. The transportation/utilities field and information technology follow close behind with 59 percent and 57 percent of hiring managers respectively. The industry with the fewest liars - government at 45 percent. Who’d a thunk it?!
So, the point I’m trying to make is that despite standard background screening of applicants and their resumes, a lot of junk sneaks under the wire. Depending on the status and power of the job, it may be a small blip on the radar. Nonetheless, why would anyone with half a working brain cell and the least bit of integrity lie, knowing they could be found out and canned after they had settled in?
Hmmm, ’cause they can and maybe it’s easier than telling the truth. HR and recruiters don’t have the time and often the expertise to pick out a prevaricator before they’re hired. I still contend that one of my staff from years back delicately glossed over a blank area of time on her work history. The director with final say also wondered but never questioned her about it. I firmly believe she spent that time in a facility that treated…uh…dysfunctional people. Looking back on the damage she left in her wake, I was correct.
