New report finds that over 4 in 10 Australians have lied during recruitment
More than four in 10 employees in Australia said they have lied in job applications to meet an employer's qualifications, according to a new poll.
The poll, which surveyed 1,011 Australian adults, found that 19.6% of the respondents have lied or exaggerated during a job interview once.
Another 22.8% said they did so in more than one instance.
One in five respondents said they lied about the reason for leaving their previous job (21.1%) and their previous work experience (20.9%).
Why are they lying? According to the report:
The outcomes for liars vary, the report found, as the majority of them said their lies have never been caught.
In terms of consequences, 18.2% of the respondents who got caught lying said their offer was withdrawn, while 16.2% said they received a formal warning but retained the role.
However, the majority of those who were discovered (62.6%) said no action was taken against them by the employer.
In fact, there were various benefits that came out of lying, according to the respondents.
One in five (21.4%) said lying during the application had a positive impact on their career trajectory, with the report indicating that it might also have an influence on pay.
Respondents who lied during the application had an average household income of $96,519, much higher than the $81,515 for those who were truthful.
It also discovered that 65.9% of those who were earning a household income between $180,000 and $199,999 admitted to lying in a job application.
Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV Library, previously told HRD that recruitment teams need to become "more vigilant" in vetting and assessing potential hires.
"Bringing onboard someone that can't do the job is going to be a waste of time for everyone involved," Biggins previously told HRD.
"In order to ensure that you hire the right people, be careful to only shortlist candidates that appear to match all the required criteria for the job."
