A survey commissioned by office support recruiter Tate revealed that over 40% of people have, at some point, lied or made slight exaggerations on their CV. 

With unemployment rates reaching the highest level for 14 years, job applicants are embellishing CVs in an attempt to mislead employers and secure a job in this competitive market.

Jo Edwards, Tate’s managing director, says: “Increased incidences of people falsifying their CV isn’t surprising, especially with the onset of the credit crunch.  Utilising a recruitment agency’s expertise, including comprehensive assessments, behavioural interviewing and referencing, is essential when identifying anomalies in job seekers’ applications.

“There is an expectation that false claims made by job applicants will continue, as the official unemployment rate is now at 7.9%.  The only way to truly know whether an applicant has the relevant level of skill and experience that they say they have, is via thorough competency based interviewing and corresponding background checks.”