For most people, telling a little white lie every now and then is no big deal. The dentist doesn’t really need to know about all those times flossing was skipped, the personal trainer doesn’t really need to know about those extra glasses of wine on Saturday night. But what about fibs on a job application?
A recent study shows that one in ten people admit to having lied on their resume to increase their chances of getting a job. After interviewing 1400 people, recruitment company Robert Walters found that while 10% admit to lying to get a job, it’s more likely to be around 20%.
“Only 10% have said that they have [falsified], but it is more like 20%,” said Robert Walters spokesman Peter Bateson. “There are some people who, even when you call them on it a lie, will still deny it to your face.”
These lies – or falsifications – include the glorification of job titles, the exaggeration of work experience, and the inflation of salaries. According to the survey, using terms such as “exposure to”, “involved with”, or “part of a term that implemented” on a resume is common. And is commonly understood to be a stretch of the truth.
Participants admitted to using titles such as “business analyst” and “project manager”, despite having only held the role for four weeks out of four years. The survey found this type of title glorification to be most common among managers and non-technical staff.
The survey found that while one in ten people had admitted to lying on their resume, another 19% said they had considered it. The most popular fibs involved job descriptions, with 54% saying they had lied about their job history or job descriptions. Next up was employment dates, with 23%, and inflated salary claims, with 20%.
However, while fibbing on a job application might seem like the best way to get a foot in the door, it might lead to the door being slammed on the applicant’s rear end on their way out. When an applicant claims certain skills or assets to get a job, it might be difficult to hide those missing skills when the job starts.
“For the jobseekers still exaggerating, they are only doing themselves a disservice,” said Bateson. “If they are somehow successful in securing a new role, they will have to deliver on the job they were given based on skills and accomplishments they simply may not have.”
Luckily for some, job applicants blessed with good looks are more likely to get on better at work – even if they don’t have the required job skills. A new study has shown that good-looking people get on better at work, while more unfortunate-looking people tend to draw the short straw.
The study by Michigan State University and the University of Notre Dame looked into office politics, and the extent to which looks affect the treatment of workers. Researcher Brent Scott said, “Frankly, it’s an ugly finding. Although we like to think we’re professional and mature in the workplace, it can be just like high school in many ways.” The study involved a survey of 114 workers, who were asked how often co-workers had mistreated them, with mistreatment including rudeness, mocking behaviour, and hurtful comments. Another group of participants, who were unknown to the first set, were then asked to rate the attractiveness of each participant surveyed in the first group.
It revealed that those participants deemed the least attractive received much higher levels of poor treatment by their co-workers. Those who were blessed in the looks department had a much easier time of it at work.
The moral of the story? Don’t lie on a job application – unless you happen to be good looking. In which case, your dazzling good looks will likely cover up for your glaring inability to do your job.
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