• 30th April marks National Honesty Day 

    1 in 6 have lied in an interview 

    Annual cost of recruitment fraud to UK businesses estimated at £23.9 billion*.

    A new survey of 1,000 job seekers from specialist recruiter, Randstad, reveals that only 15% of individuals have lied during an interview. 

    With historic research looking into job interview techniques suggesting that the majority of interviewees tend to bend the truth during an interview, new findings are showing quite the opposite. The surprising statistics coincide with National Honesty Day on 30th April, it’s clear that the UK’s workforce firmly believe that honesty is the best policy when it comes to securing a job.   

    Despite the reassuring stats, recruitment fraud is estimated to cost UK businesses £23.9 billion. A 2018 survey found that one in six UK office workers have lied in their CV**. Nearly half of those who did lie admitted to embellishing the list of old employers. Previous education or qualifications took second place (41%), followed by personal interests (20%). 5% of workers admitted to telling an employer that they could speak another language. 

    Graham Trevor, HR Director at Randstad UK comments; “Businesses are increasingly relying on recruiters to help minimise business risk and cost ahead of both the interview and offer stage. In addition to our HR experience, larger recruiters have the technology and resources to screen and assess candidates along with managing any compliance requirements.”

    Graham adds; “Integrity is important to potential employers, so we always encourage job seekers to be open and honest - even if it means acknowledging that they haven’t mastered all the skills or behaviours required for a prospective role. For those who don’t use a recruitment partner or conduct robust checks, the employer can expect to some challenging conversations ahead if a candidate doesn’t deliver on their interview promises.” 

    To find out more about how to prepare for a job interview, access our easy to digest video guide here.

    Notes to editors.

    Poll of 1,000 respondents ran in April 2019 on Randstad.co.uk 

    Have you ever lied in a job interview?

    Yes 85%

    No 15% 

    *The Real Cost of Recruitment Fraud report

    https://www.crowe.com/uk/croweuk/-/media/Crowe/Firms/Europe/uk/CroweUK/…

    **e-buyer

     

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