58% of bosses have caught a lie on a resume

In a tight labour market there's a lot of pressure for candidates to stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs - but is lying on a resume really worth the risk?

According to HR managers, it's not - 58% of them can tell when applicants are fibbing on their CVs and can spot the embellishments from a mile away.

A survey by Harris Poll for CareerBuilder found while more than half of hiring managers spot the lies, 33% of them also claim to have seen a rise in lies on CV in recent years.

Half of employers said they would automatically dismiss a candidate if they spotted false information on their CVs, while 40% said it would depend on what the lie was about.

Just 7% said they might overlook the lie if they really liked the candidate.

READ MORE: 4 ways to spot the lies on a CV

"Trust is very important in professional relationships, and by lying on your resume, you breach that trust from the very outset," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder.

"If you want to enhance your resume, it's better to focus on playing up tangible examples from your actual experience. Your resume doesn't necessarily have to be the perfect fit for an organization, but it needs to be relevant and accurate."

READ MORE: The worst mistakes candidates can make on their CV

Here are the most common resume lies

Embellished skill set – 57%Embellished responsibilities – 55%Dates of employment – 42%Job title – 34%Academic degree – 33%Companies worked for – 26%Accolades/awards – 18%

The industries most likely to catch a CV liar

Some employers in certain industries report a higher rate of resume lies than others. These sectors catch fibs the most:

Financial Services – 73%Leisure and Hospitality – 71%Information Technology – 63%Health Care (More than 50 employees) – 63%Retail – 59%

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