HR Industry News

Men more likely to lie on their CV

— 1 May 2007 —

Men are more likely to lie on their CV than women according to new research which shows that four in ten Brits would make false claims when applying for a new job.

The survey of 1,000 people in the UK found that 42% of respondents know of individuals who have altered information on their CV.

The research also revealed that likely types of ‘CV fraud’ include lies about salary, levels of previous experience and educational qualifications. Dates of employment and job titles were also common fibs.

Companies are therefore urged to check applicants’ CV's thoroughly, as 66% of respondents do not believe employers do so, while 87% said that such checks would act as a deterrent.

Ceridian’s Heena Patel believes that the interview stage is crucial: “By probing candidates in an interview, you are able to discover their personality and also various situations they have faced in day-to-day work, and finally the main thing - if they actually have done all the things stated on their CV.”

Steve Bailey, the managing director of BackgroundChecking.com which carried out the research, said that chancing fraudsters seem to be reliant on the fact that prospective employers do not check the information that is stated on CVs and job applications.

Similar views are expressed by other UK screening agencies.  Nick Trollope, Commercial Director of Procius Limited, states that only a small minority of applicants seen by his company portray their background with 100% accuracy.  “But in most cases the discrepancies are small and not intentional”, he says.

However, he warns that almost every day his company unearths periods of employment where the applicant had previously classified the time as ‘unemployment’.  “Employers who fail to examine gaps between jobs in detail, are laying themselves open to trouble”, he states.

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