HONOLULU (KHON2) — A new report has found that one in four job seekers admits to lying on their resume, in their cover letter, and during the interview process.
The lies range from inflated skills to fabricated experience. Some even stretch the truth about who they are, including disability status and ethnicity, to try to get hired.
For some, it works. Four out of 10 say they got a job by being dishonest, and two-thirds believe the lie helped them succeed. But there is a cost. Once a lie is uncovered, trust erodes, and that’s not something that’s easy to rebuild.
Lying during the hiring process can create long-term trust issues and damage one’s professional reputation," said Stacie Haller, an advisor on the survey. "Once a lie is uncovered, it is not easily forgotten, and trust is difficult to rebuild.
Lying is more common than many people think. The survey found that 44% of Americans say they’ve lied in the hiring process. That includes 24% on resumes, 19% in interviews and 6% on cover letters. The most frequent lies are about years of experience, skills and job responsibilities.
Here’s what job seekers in Hawaiʻi need to know now:
Among job seekers, approximately 24% have lied on their resume, making it the most common place for dishonesty according to the study. The most frequent resume lies identified by the study include:
- Years of experience (38%)
- Skills and abilities (34%).
- Lengths of positions held (32%).
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The survey found that Millennials are the most likely to lie on their resumes, with 29% reporting that they had lied in order to gain employment. Meanwhile, 20% of Gen Z'ers were found to have lied along with 27% of Gen Xers and 13% of Baby Boomers.
Additionally, it was found that men were more likely than women to lie on their resumes, at a rate of 30% compared to 20%.
Lying in interviews is also widespread. The report found that 19% of job seekers admitted to dishonesty during an interview. The most common interview lies include:
- Skills and abilities (41%).
- Responsibilities at previous jobs (32%).
- Years of experience (31%).
Once again, Millennials topped the lying pile with 24% of them saying they lie during the interview process. Baby Boomers were the least likely at 8%; and again, more men (23%) than women (16%) lie at the interview stage.
Cover letters were found to have fewer lies, with 6% of job seekers saying they have lied in their cover letters. And when they did, they most often misrepresented:
- Skills and abilities (45%).
- Responsibilities at previous jobs (38%).
- Years of experience (37%)
You can click here to read the full report.
Dishonesty harms a worker’s reputation, even if the consequences aren’t immediately apparent," explained Haller. "If a candidate doesn’t meet all the requirements for a specific position, honesty is still always the best approach. They should highlight their genuine strengths, the skills they bring, and why they are uniquely suited to succeed in the role.
Haller went on to explain further.
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"By presenting their qualifications truthfully, they demonstrate integrity and professionalism, qualities often as important as technical skills," concluded Haller.
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