Rooting out resume lies

With exams over, it is that time of the year when graduating students send out their resumes to land the ideal job.

A good curriculum vitae is likely to get a job seeker shortlisted for an interview. Yet, without much work experience, preparing a resume is a daunting prospect for many new entrants to the job market, as they would likely be competing against better-qualified professionals looking for greener pastures. So it is not surprising if some hopefuls are tempted to "spruce up" or embellish their resumes.

An example of this is the statement "extremely fluent in English and French", when in reality, the applicant is hardly conversant in the latter. Exaggerations in resumes are common: Some experts have estimated that 40 to 70 per cent of individuals do that.

Individuals also lie through omission, for example by leaving out criminal records or a low grade point average (GPA). (Note that embellishment refers to gross exaggeration or omission of information to the extent that it constitutes a lie, rather than mere fanciful ways of describing responsibilities.)

So is there a way to prevent, or at least minimise, instances of resume embellishment?

We conducted a study on 198 undergraduates, who had to compete for a coveted job after being shown a mock recruitment ad. The hypothetical job included several requirements, such as proficiency in English and Chinese.

The students were asked to state their proficiency in the languages before, and after, the advertisement was shown to them. Their answers pre- and post- advertisement were compared; any difference in their stated level of proficiency was considered a lie.

Participants were also asked three questions to find out if they had social connections that could help them get a job: "I know people in my type of work who might help me get a job", "I have some connections with people that will help me find a job" and "I have good job/internship references".

We found that students with such social networks had stronger attitudes against resume embellishment. Almost three in 10 of the students with job contacts did not lie about their language proficiencies. In contrast, the majority (82.3 per cent) of those without any connections were less than honest.

Respondents with social networks felt their ties could help them get a job. In addition, there was the fear of breaching the trust they enjoyed with their contacts. These factors reduced the incentive for these respondents to lie or cheat on their resumes. We also measured the effects of one's moral values but found that they had no impact on tendencies towards lying - this suggests that social networking, in itself, may serve as a deterrent.

Our findings hold important lessons for organisational hiring practices. They show it is better to build social ties with potential future employees, compared to assessing them purely through their resumes. For instance, hiring managers could go to career fairs and meet potential candidates.

By establishing some level of trust prior to the submission of a resume and by getting to know the job candidates better, recruiters will more likely hire the better candidates anyway. Firms could also avoid advertising themselves as "only hiring the best", which may compel job seekers to lie.

Applicants should bear in mind the potential consequences of lying on their resumes: Advances in communications technologies make it easier for information to spread not only within a company but within an industry as well.