The Rise of Resume Lies: A Growing Concern for Employers
By Ashley Mazerolle, Marketing —

Employers face rising risks from deceptive resumes, prompting increased screening and lie detection technology.
Lying, especially in the workplace, can damage the efficiency and culture of any organization. This issue becomes even more alarming when the deception comes from one of the company’s most valuable assets—its employees. A growing problem in today’s job market is candidates lying on their resumes, a trend that employers need to take seriously.
According to a report by First Advantage, a pre-screening employment company, 27.2% of background verifications uncovered inaccuracies, with 32% of these being labeled as major discrepancies. This shows how widespread the problem of lying on resumes has become.
Exaggerations and Discrepancies in Education
Education has become one of the most exaggerated areas on resumes, coming second only to employment history in terms of verification requests. Traci Canning, Senior VP at First Advantage, explains that many of the inaccuracies relate to candidates exaggerating academic achievements, claiming to have earned degrees they never completed, or even hiding negative aspects of their work history. This can give employers a false sense of security, thinking they’ve hired a highly qualified individual when that may not be the case.
The Risks of Deceptive Resumes
The job market is competitive, and many job seekers resort to lying as a way to stand out from the crowd. However, this poses serious risks for employers. Hiring someone based on false qualifications can lead to inefficiencies and significant financial costs for the company. Since 2012, research shows that 10.8% of resumes contain major discrepancies, particularly in education and work history, prompting many organizations to use screening services like First Advantage to verify the accuracy of applicant information.
Lie Detection Technology in Hiring
As the problem of deceptive resumes continues, employers are investing in pre-employment screening to protect their businesses. First Advantage reports a 25.1% increase in background checks since 2011, a clear sign that companies are taking this issue seriously.
New lie detection technologies, like EyeDetect™, are also being used to enhance the screening process. EyeDetect™ is a non-invasive test that measures pupil dilation and other optical behaviors while candidates answer true or false questions. The results are encrypted and analyzed in real time, providing employers with an additional layer of security to ensure they hire the right people.
By adopting more advanced screening techniques, employers can better protect themselves from the risks posed by dishonest candidates.
Photo by: Resume Genius