Recruits admit to lying in interviews

As jobseekers feel the strain of finding employment, some 23 per cent have admitted to lying in interviews.

That is according to a survey conducted by recruitment agency Monster, which revealed that of the 1,314 people questioned some 23 per cent had lied at interviews several times.

It seems that there is honesty among employees, however, as 42 per cent of those polled said they had never needed to lie in an interview.

Some 16 per cent admitted they had been tempted to lie and 14 per cent said they had embellished the truth in their bid to secure a job.

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Commenting on the results of the survey, Julian Acquari, managing director of Monster UK and Ireland, said: "Today’s tough job market understandably heightens the temptation for job seekers to lie in interviews.

"Competition is fierce and we are aware of the increased need to stand out. However there is a fine line between embellishing facts and telling lies."

A recent survey by recruiter Randstad revealed that some 38 per cent of HR directors had made reductions in headcount since last summer.