Men are more likely to lie on their CVs than women a study by Job Today reveals.

The results show 42% of men and 38% of women jobseekers have admitted to making up parts of their job history and qualifications. The study of 2,000 office workers found that a fear of competition was the main driving factor.

It is a more regular occurrence than employers might think – a quarter of those surveyed admitted to frequently stretching the truth on their CVs to secure a position.

Londoners were revealed as the least honest of jobseekers with 44% admitting to doctoring the information on their CVs closely followed by candidates in the West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber.

Scottish jobseekers came out as the most honest jobseekers with 74% claiming to have never told a lie on their CV (assuming they told the truth to those taking the survey).

Earlier this year, research conducted by online tech retailer, Ebuyer, found that previous work experience was the most common untruth, with 47% of those listings referring to non-existent former employers, made-up educational qualifications came second at 41%, closely followed by personal interests at 20%.

Employers can end up hiring someone who can’t do the job and who they can’t trust.

How can you spot a lie?

  • Look out for skills which are supported with any evidence.
  • Do dates of employment and education add up?
  • Ask referees similar questions to ensure that they match.
  • Does the application correspond with information on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn?
  • Run a background check and ask for evidence of qualifications: official sets of results will help verify that your new hire is who (and what) they say they are.

If you do offer someone the job, make sure you protect yourself with a properly drawn up contract with appropriate notice periods. There is no statutory notice needed in the first month of someone’s employment. You may decide the lie was enough to warrant dismissal.

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