Job seekers exaggerate education, qualifications and experience in their applications for employment.
Employers are warning that cheating job hunters are causing problems for recruiters.
Mark Fielding, CEO ISME, says that as many as 70 per cent of owner managers have come across job applications which have massaged the truth. Companies warn that candidates should remember they can face legal action if they are found out.
Jobseekers lie about all sorts of things - qualifications, experience, even their hobbies.
Michael O'Leary, HRM Recruitment, says he has seen an MBA appearing on a CV when the applicant had never even been to college. Another candidate claimed he was fluent in French but could not speak a word.
Lies sometimes go undetected and employers often do not check references. Mary Connaguhton, Graphite HR Consultants, says often untrained interviewers in the recruitment process do not pick up on the lies. She recommends checking references when recruiting. It is often the case that,
Lies are only uncovered when a new recruit fails to do the job.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 13 May 2004. The reporter is Anna Murphy.
