Does your résumé include a little fiction? An exaggeration or two? What about an outright lie? According to a survey of 1,000 job seekers by the online résumé builder Resume Genius, nearly half of job seekers have lied or thought about lying on their résumés.
The report reveals that the most common fib is covering up career gaps, followed by inflating job titles and fudging employment dates. Gen Z candidates are most likely to lie, which makes sense since they typically have a more sparse employment history. And men are one and a half times more likely to lie than women, especially when it comes to job titles.
Lies come in different forms, says Victoria Potapenko, senior recruiter for the job site Jooble. “If we talk about false information regarding names, workplaces, education, or academic degrees, this is, of course, critical,” she says. “It is a completely different matter if this lie concerns responsibilities, knowledge, or achievements. In my opinion, such lies cannot be uncovered solely based on a résumé without in-person communication.”
What to Look For
If you’re hiring, some red flags could mean a résumé isn’t entirely factual. Nathan Soto, career expert at Resume Genius, suggests looking for embellished responsibilities and results.
“Candidates will present their job responsibilities in the best light possible, including figures and centering themselves with powerful action verbs, so seeing some exaggerations shouldn’t be surprising and aren’t necessarily a red flag,” he says. “However, numbers that seem too good to be true—claims of working with million-dollar budgets, for example—need to be verified.”
The opposite could also indicate that something might not be right, such as listing skills in vague terms like “helped increase sales,” says Avery Morgan, a workplace productivity expert and chief human resources officer at EduBirdie. “Everyone knows that measurable results matter on résumés, so if there were any, they’d be mentioned,” she says.
Tetiana Hnatiuk, head of HR at Skylum, an image-editing software company, agrees. “If the previous job descriptions and responsibilities are too generic and not supported by tangible examples, like portfolios, it’s a warning sign for me,” she says. “I immediately think that the candidate doesn’t know what they’re talking about because they were never actually employed for this role.”
If you’ve never heard of a college or university someone claims to have attended, Soto recommends searching for it and the degree listed by the applicant. “Falsifying educational attainments is a serious résumé lie that can be easily proven by doing some research,” he says.
One more subtle sign that a résumé might be too good to be true is when it matches the job description perfectly, using the exact same words, Morgan says, noting, “AI can easily generate résumés like this.”
What to Do if You Suspect Someone is Lying
Before you contact a candidate, verify the information. “Check references, confirm job titles, cross-check on LinkedIn, and request background checks that can confirm a candidate’s history,” Morgan suggests. “You can also reach out to someone not directly recommended by the candidate from their previous employers.”
If a résumé is clearly fabricated and the candidate doesn’t match the desired profile, Hnatiuk says the person doesn’t make it to the first round of interviews. “However, if the candidate is what we’re looking for, but I have doubts about their CV, I always research their previous companies and the candidate’s LinkedIn,” she says.
If you decide to proceed with an interview, Hnatiuk recommends taking notes about any details you want to check. “It’s much harder to lie during a face-to-face meeting,” she says.
Morgan suggests asking detailed questions about their work experience and previous challenges. “Pay attention to gaps or lack of detail,” she says. However, don’t push too hard if you suspect dishonesty—people tend to be nervous during interviews, and overly aggressive questioning can create unnecessary stress, leading to defensive or less thoughtful responses.”
Should a Lie be Disqualifying?
When you hire someone, you want to know who you’re getting, so it’s important to identify lies. However, not all discrepancies are deliberate or disqualifying. Potapenko likes to look at résumés like ads.
“In a highly competitive environment, candidates may use tactics to present themselves in the best possible light,” she says. “But interviews with recruiters are still essential. The market is competitive, and candidates take the opportunity to present themselves advantageously. However, as with any advertising, you won’t know the truth until you try. Here, your skill as an interviewer will determine how much you uncover about the candidate.”
Sometimes, people lie about things that aren’t even that important, often because they’re nervous. “For example, they might hide gaps in their work history, even though that’s completely normal,” Morgan says. “It’s important to know when it’s a small stretch and when it’s a big lie. Serious lies about qualifications or key responsibilities should be a red flag.”
