5 signs someone could be lying on their resumé

More than one third of Canadian workers know someone who lied on their CV, a survey suggests.

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More than one third of Canadian workers know a dishonest job seeker, a new survey suggests

Is lying to get a job the new normal? In a recent survey by staffing firm OfficeTeam, 37 per cent of Canadian workers said they knew someone who put false information on a resumé. The top three areas for embellishment, according to respondents: job experience (66 per cent), job duties (57 per cent) and education (41 per cent).

More male workers (40 per cent) than female (35 per cent) knew a fibber. At 39 per cent, the 18-to-34 crowd were the age group most likely to know one.

When OfficeTeam polled senior managers on the same topic, 40 per cent said they suspect that candidates often stretch the truth on resumés, and 35 per cent said their company has taken an applicant out of the running after learning that he or she lied.

From OfficeTeam, five signs that someone may be lying on their CV:

1. Skills have vague job descriptions.
2. There are questionable or missing dates.
3. You get negative cues, such as lack of eye contact, during a job interview.
4. References offer conflicting details.
5. Online information doesn’t match.

The surveys are based on responses from more than 400 office workers and some 300 senior managers.