Employers have serious doubts about the trustworthiness of academic qualifications, CVs and job application forms, according to a study by HR consultancy Cubiks.

The study, which looked at 375 European employers, found that only 8% of businesses think academic qualifications are a reliable indicator of how a candidate will perform in a role.

It also revealed that lies and exaggerations had become common features of application forms and CVs. “To counter this problem, employers are having to rely on their own methods for testing applicants,” said Cubiks chief executive Barry Spence. “Employers are implementing a range of assessment tools and techniques, such as psychometric profiling instruments and ability tests, to find out if candidates are really as good as their CVs make out.”

The study found that dishonest or inappropriate candidates are not being identified and rejected early on in the recruitment process. It found 59% of employers said they have had to withdraw job offers at the very last minute after the receiving a poor personal reference.

It also discovered that the most common reason for businesses rejecting candidates is because they lack the core abilities needed to do the job (36%), or because of a poor personality fit (33%).