One in three 'lie on CVs'

Many workers are prepared to fib to get that job

Millions of workers have lied on their CVs in the belief that employers never check up on them, a survey suggests.

One in three people questioned admitted having made false claims about qualifications, interests or previous experience when going for jobs.

Twenty percent of the 1,000 workers surveyed said they had exaggerated CV details in order to "stand out" from other applicants.

While a third of 350 managers questioned admitted they did not check job-seekers' backgrounds because doing so was too time-consuming.

They often preferred to rely on "gut instinct" to tell them whether an applicant was honest, according to the survey by CV Validation.com.

The sort of people who will lie on their CV can create serious problems for a company

Mark Castle
CV Validation.com

Some workers in the survey also admitted to lying about criminal records, education history or previous job titles.

Mark Castle, managing director of CV Validation.com, said it was worthwhile for businesses to check out those wanting to work for them.

"If organisations make it clear that they have a policy on checking CVs this will save money by deterring imposter applicants and frightening away fraudulent staff," he said.

"The sort of people who will lie on their CV can create serious problems for a company."