Fifty-one per cent of UK adults have lied on their CV, according to research by DBS checks specialist Care Check. Most respondents (44%) lied on their CV when applying for entry-level positions in order to gain employment and begin getting that experience, but 40% of those surveyed falsified their CV when applying for a management-level position, and 20% for a senior management role.

So, what should you be looking out for and how can you check if an applicant is telling the truth?

Care Check highlights the following common lies and how they can be proven.

Nine percent fib about their age
Five per cent of survey respondents pretend to be younger than they are, and four per cent claim to be older. The latter could be a significant problem, specifically if the role has minimum age requirements, such as handling alcohol, for example.

You can prove a candidate’s age through a Basic DBS check, which any employer can legally ask for. This check requires a candidate to provide identification that will also state their date of birth. Bear in mind that you should only request this after you have offered the candidate the position.

Falsifying qualifications and grades
While lying about qualifications is the most common CV lie identified, it can be broken down into the following:

• 27% falsely increased GCSE grades.
• 20% falsely increased A-Level grades.
• 5% lied about having GCSEs, A-Levels or a degree.
• 8% falsely increased their university qualification.
• 3% lied about having a masters degree.

The easiest way of fact-checking this is to request tangible proof as part of the process. If this is a route you are hoping to go down, you must clarify this at the start of the process.

41% exaggerate their previous responsibilities
This is not only the most common lie; it is also the most difficult to prove. The only way you can check is by personalising the reference request you send to previous employers, asking them to list the roles and responsibilities the candidate held during their employment.

Beware, though; there’s no guarantee that a previous employer will take the time to check and supply this information; therefore, just because they didn’t include it doesn’t mean the candidate lied.

Care Check summarises:

“Having discovered there’s a good chance that over half of the CVs you receive have a fib or two in them can be a problematic fact to come to terms with. We recommend considering the information and perhaps altering your recruitment strategy to fact-check CVs as much as possible. But most importantly, treat everybody equally and fairly until you prove that their application has been falsified.

“And in the instance that you catch a candidate in a lie, perhaps take the time to ascertain why they felt they had to do so. It may reveal something about your job descriptions and your wider industry that needs addressing.”