What do you do when you come across an embellished CV? Chuck it – yet many hiring managers aren't.
A new survey has found that 68% of hiring managers in Australia have removed job candidates from consideration after discovering dishonest or exaggerated information on their CV.
The survey of 460 decision-makers in Australia, commissioned by specialist recruiter Robert Half, found that candidates most often lied about their work experience (60%), followed by education, degrees and qualifications (48%) and technical skills (48%). Other fibs included language skills (30%, duties performed in previous roles (30%), internships (25%), leadership skills (21%) and project management skills (18%).
“Many businesses take background checks very seriously, which is made even easier thanks to increased online transparency and social media,” said Andrew Morris, director of Robert Half Australia.
The survey was part of the International Workplace Survey, a questionnaire about job trends, talent management and trends in the workplace.
Morris said: “Once untruthfulness has been discovered, candidates’ professional credibility would be damaged, and their chances of landing the job will be very slim to none.”
Employers leaned toward rejecting the candidate who bent the truth even though he or she might be ideal for the role.
“While a jobseeker might not always have the implicit intention to deceive prospective employers, bending the truth on a resume, or in a job interview is a dangerous path to take. Even minor embellishments have consequences that can come back to haunt professionals throughout their career,” Morris said.
Getting the job is no guarantee, either. “If they … get caught later, it will most likely result in termination, damage the candidate’s reputation, and eliminate the option of obtaining a positive reference for future employment,” he added.
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