| Increasing competition for a shrinking pool of jobs leads many job applicants to “become creative” and fudge information when posting their resume. This fact-stretching exercise is harmless when it comes to forgetting what month you might have left a job, but becomes detrimental when that job, in fact, never existed in the first place.
Background Information Services, Inc. has assembled a list of “Top Ten Resume Lies.” This list includes sometimes crucial pieces of misinformation commonly seen on applicant resumes which includes:
- Incorrect dates of former employment
- False and/or inflated salary history
- Inaccurate former positions or titles
- Exaggerated or false listing of responsibilities at former job
- False reason(s) for leaving job
- False education level (GPA) or inaccurate graduation information
- False information pertaining to special licenses/certifications acquired
- Non-existent awards and/or recognitions
- Phony graduation certificate/diploma
- Unexplained gaps between jobs
The need to research and confirm a potential employee’s background has never been greater or more important, but it_s more tempting these days to hire the first person who seems capable of doing the job. Additional facts uncovered during routine searches by both this firm as well as others within the industry include:
- 56 percent of resumes reviewed contain false or misleading data.
- It costs an employer $15,000 when hiring the “wrong” person for a low-level position. That number increases greatly when the position filled is for an executive level position.
- Nine percent of job applicants falsely claimed they had a college degree, listed false employers, or identified jobs that didn_t exist.
- 34 percent of all application forms contain outright lies about experience, education, and ability to perform essential functions on the job.
- 11 percent of job applicants misrepresented why they left a former employer.
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