Uncovering the Truth: The Most Common CV Lies and How to Detect Them

In today’s competitive job market, it is becoming increasingly important to stand out amongst the crowd. For some people, this means that they will stretch the truth on their CV or application to do so. This could involve anything from lying about qualifications and past work experience to their past salaries and reasons for leaving their previous role. 

But why do people feel a need to lie on their CV? And what are the results of doing so?

Our latest survey looks to find out the answers to these questions, delving into the most common lies people tell on their CVs, their reasons behind it, and the outcomes.

Fay Sumner, Head of People at Capital on Tap has also provided expert advice on how to spot lies in CVs.

Most common lies people tell on their CV

When it comes to writing the perfect CV, some candidates may be somewhat creative with the truth, from outright lies to smaller embellishments to make them stand out. As a business owner hiring new employees, it is important to be aware of potential lies when reviewing applications. The most commonly found lies include:

Reasons for leaving previous jobs

Candidates are not always honest about their reasons for leaving past roles - in fact, 9% of Brits admit to previously lying about this. Often, candidates who leave on bad terms, such as being fired or due to conflict with management, prefer to frame their departure more positively. They may instead suggest their reason for leaving is to “seek new challenges” to avoid raising red flags.

Up to 14% of employees in the UK also say that they would consider this tactic in the future, as it is hard to verify and they worry the truth could hinder their chances of getting hired. 

Employment dates

Another common area where candidates may stretch the truth is their employment dates. Around 7% of people admit to having altered their dates of employment in the past, whether to shorten gaps between jobs or to make it appear that they were in a role for longer than they actually were. In fact, over a quarter of people (28%) suggest that they would tell this lie in the future in order to hide an employment gap, which could pose an issue for employers hunting for transparent and reliable candidates. Among those who have previously told this lie, 35% have applied to between 2-5 jobs with this lie whilst 20% have applied for as many as 10.

Previous salary

7% of Brits admit to lying about their previous salary on their CV in the past, but nearly twice that number suggests that they’d consider it. This is especially common among younger candidates, with almost one in five (18%) of those aged 25-34 admitting that they’d twist the truth, likely in an attempt to boost their earnings at the beginning of their career. Despite the risk, 93% of those who lied were not caught, and 43% still managed to secure an interview for the role. 

Encouraging candidates to focus on their true worth rather than inflating figures can help to build trust. Researching industry averages and discussing the value they can bring to your business may help you reach a fair and honest salary agreement.

Previous experience roles and responsibilities

Fabricating previous job responsibilities and overstating involvement in tasks is another relatively common tactic among Brits crafting their CVs. In fact, applicants with lies on their CV regarding their previous job responsibilities use that CV for an average of 7 job applications.

To reduce this, business owners could consider being more flexible in their job adverts - offering clear pathways for development and focusing on essential skills could encourage more honesty from applicants and attract the desired talent without the need for exaggerating experience.

Reasons why people lie on their CV

On average, people apply to 2-5 jobs with lies on their CVs, with some even admitting to sending out over 40 applications that were not completely truthful.

For over half of the different types of lies told on CVs (55%), the most common reason to lie amongst respondents was ‘to meet specific job requirements’.  In order to meet a job’s specifications in the future, 27% say they would consider lying about previous job responsibilities, 24% about their GCSEs, and 24% regarding their software skills.

For a third of lies told in a CV, the next most common reason behind it was ‘to increase their chances of progressing to the next stage of the application process’. 

The need to ‘stand out in a competitive job market’ is the third most common reason people feel compelled to lie on their CV, with 10% of the lies told having this reasoning. This was the top excuse for why candidates lie about their extracurricular activities (23%) and internal awards (19%), such as university excellence awards or employee of the month. Employee appreciation is important in any business, but it may be worth checking to see if your candidate is being honest about theirs.

CV lies that most commonly go undetected

Candidates tend to lie on their applications in order to increase their chances of getting hired, however, this does not come without risk as employers may attempt to verify the information they provide. 

Having said this, our survey shows that there are a number of ways potential candidates are fooling their prospective employers, so it’s key for business owners to be mindful of this, and ask the right questions in interviews to get a good understanding of the candidate’s capabilities.