Almost half of HR leaders don’t fact check CVs

Some jobseekers might think nothing of effusing some little white lies on their CVs in order to stand out from the competition – however, it seems as if HR professionals aren’t even bothering to checking the facts.

A recent report from adzuna has found that 48% of HR leaders admit to not always checking an employee’s qualifications. After interviewing over 3,500 employees and candidates, 37% claimed to have lied on their resume, with 83% claiming their deceptions still haven’t been uncovered.

43% stated that their lie directly contributed to their success, whilst 37% of job hunters say they are prepared to tell ‘a big lie’ in order to bag dream job. A worrying 96% of lying jobseekers said they’d be prepared to do so again.

According to the report, the majority of people lie about their skillset, their work experience and their education. The most common CV liar was found to be a male jobseeker, aged between 25 and 34 years old looking for a job in marketing or advertising.

Alongside the report, adzuna interviewed business leader on their experiences with fibbing candidates. Ruth Sparkes, director at EMPRA, said: “My colleague and I were interviewing for a new PR account manager and this candidate was really pushing home her fabulous contacts with ITV.

“I asked her for examples of work she’d done, stories she’d placed - she listed three - all three were our actual clients and I had personally placed those stories [...] I got up from my chair and opened the office door for her, I asked her to ensure the front door was closed behind her.”

David Vallance, head of content LeaseFetcher, has the following anecdote: “In all our job ads, we've had one non-negotiable requirement — must be interested in cars. I was amazed at how many people claimed to have a lifelong love of all things motoring on their CV or covering letter only to discover they hadn't the foggiest idea in their interview!”

What’s the prolific CV lie you’ve encountered? Tell us in the comments.