Study: 1 in 2 Small Business Employers Have Caught a Lie on a Resume

It’s estimated that 60 percent of people lie at least once during a 10-minute conversation. If you believe that, it should come as no surprise that many job candidates are lying to potential employers.

According to recent CareerBuilder research, 51 percent of small business employers have caught a lie on a resume. An earlier CareerBuilder survey found the most common ways in which job seekers lie include the following: they embellish their skill sets or responsibilities; they lie about their dates of employment; they lie about job titles; they fib about their academic degrees.

How are employers finding these lies? Reference checks are one of the most common methods for checking up on candidates. According to the study, the vast majority of small business employers (90 percent) contact candidates’ references. Twenty-five percent check references before the interview, while the majority (53 percent) wait until after the interview. The rest wait until an offer is made, after the start date, or don’t check references at all.

More than a third of small business employers (36 percent) have caught an applicant providing a fake reference. And more than half (52 percent) have changed their mind about a candidate after speaking with a reference.

Another increasingly popular way to check up on candidates? Looking at their social media profiles, which two thirds of small business employers do, according to a previous CareerBuilder study.

Background checks can also ensure small business employers are finding candidates who are accurately representing themselves. Not to mention that thorough background checks help keep workplaces safe and secure.

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