Applying for a new job is a daunting process, especially in an ultra-competitive market.
Many applicants will embellish their resumes or add a bit of fluff in order to make themselves look good to prospective employers.
And one study just revealed the truth about what most job applicants say on their resumes.
A study finds dishonesty is common among job seekers
A new study from ResumeTemplates.com found that seven out of 10 people who applied for a job in the last two years admitted to either lying or cheating during the hiring process.
Whether it was a little white lie or a massive embellishment, most job seekers outright admitted they weren’t honest in order to get the job.
Even more revealing is that some of the respondents said they’ve used the same methods every time they applied for a new gig.
The survey asked 1,250 recent job applicants if they had lied on a resume.
22% said yes and half of them said they had provided a false reference.
Around 22% admitted they cheated on an assessment, another 15% said they cheated on a phone interview, 13% cheated during an in-person interview, and 11% cheated during a video interview.
Of those surveyed, 29% said they never cheated during a hiring process.
Approximately 35% of respondents said they “rarely” did these things.
When asked whether they cheated on assessments, 71% said they Googled answers when it was not allowed, 37% said they used AI intelligence tools like ChatGPT when it was prohibited, and 33% said they asked others for help.
Executive resume writer and career coach Andrew Stoner said that “competition from high numbers of applicants – coupled with more virtual forms of interviewing – are two major reasons job seekers cheat during the hiring process.”
He also noted that the increase in “technological resources” and what he calls the “perceived low risk of being caught” is likely pushing more applicants to take more risks.
Workers’ views are shifting
Stoner told FOX Business that he thinks the decrease in loyalty in the employer-employee relationship is a likely contributor to the increased number of job hunters cheating during the hiring process.
He said that “workers tend to view employment as a transactional or temporary arrangement rather than a long-term commitment.”
“This shift in perception may cause some to take unethical steps to secure positions,” he added.
Another shocking figure from the survey found that 47% of respondents said they’ve asked another person to fill out a job assessment for them “a lot.”
The most common sources of help were friends (66%), significant others (40%), mentors (40%), siblings (30%), and parents (28%).
According to Stoner, 80% of the jobseekers who said they cheated were successful in finding a job, but they were “essentially playing ‘recruiting roulette.’”
He emphasized that this could result in serious consequences in the future, including being fired.
That’s why he emphasized that “honesty is still the best policy.”
Patriot Political will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
