Majority of Hiring Managers Say They Caught a Lie on a Resume, CareerBuilder Survey Finds

Ninety-three percent of hiring managers did not hire the candidate who lied
Ninety-three percent of hiring managers did not hire the candidate who lied

RISMEDIA, October 18, 2006?Think twice before giving yourself a “promotion” on your resume: Although just 5% of workers admit to fibbing on their resumes, 57% of hiring managers say they have caught a lie on a candidate’s application, according to a new survey by CareerBuilder.com. Of those hiring managers who caught a lie, 93% did not hire the candidate. The survey, “Resume Lies,” was conducted from June 6 to June 16 and included more than 2,200 workers and more than 1,000 hiring managers.

Many hiring managers have no tolerance for resume lies. Forty-three percent of hiring managers say they would automatically dismiss a candidate who fibbed on their resume. Others say it depends on the candidate and situation.

“Catching a lie on a resume raises a red flag about a candidate’s overall ethics,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of Human Resources for CareerBuilder.com. “Ninety-two percent of hiring managers say they conduct background checks on employees. That means even the smallest inconsistency or embellishment is likely to get noticed and could cost you the job.”

Stretched dates to cover up employment gaps is the most commonly-caught resume lie, with nearly one-in-five hiring managers saying they have found this on a candidate’s application. Other top resume lies include:

Past employers (18%)

Academic degrees and institutions (16%)

Technical skills and certifications (15%)

Accomplishments (8%)

Survey Methodology

The survey, “Resume Lies,” was conducted from June 6 to June 16. Methodology used to collect survey responses totaling more than 2,200 workers for this study involved selecting a random sample of comScore Networks panel members. These Web Panel members were approached via an e-mail invitation, which asked them to participate in a short online survey. The results of this survey are statistically accurate to within +/- 2.08 percentage points (19 times out of 20). Note: this sample included more than 1000 hiring managers. The results for the hiring managers are statistically accurate to within +/- 3.65 percentage points (19 times out of 20).

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