--- title: "Candidate Dishonesty in Resumes and Interviews: The Findings" description: The most common areas candidates falsify The first blog in this series presented research on the extent of dishonesty through the interview process. At Top image: https://blog.topgrading.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Blog-Nov-26-2024-03-06-48-3457-AM.png --- [Go Back Up](https://blog.topgrading.com/blog/resources/blog/dishonesty2#top) [Skip to Content](https://blog.topgrading.com/blog/resources/blog/dishonesty2#body) [![](https://blog.topgrading.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/Logo%20-%20homepage.webp?width=339&height=68&name=Logo%20-%20homepage.webp)](https://topgrading.com/) Toggle Menu - [Human Capital Governance](https://topgrading.com/human-capital-governance) - [Solutions](https://topgrading.com/solutions) Toggle children for Solutions Main Menu (Press to Return) \> Solutions - [Hiring](https://topgrading.com/hiring) - [Leadership](https://topgrading.com/leadership) - [Organization Design](https://topgrading.com/organization) - [Private Equity](https://topgrading.com/private-equity) - [Workshop](https://topgrading.com/topgradingworkshop) - [Our Firm](https://topgrading.com/our-firm) - Insights Toggle children for Insights Main Menu (Press to Return) \> Insights - [Blog](https://blog.topgrading.com/blog) - [Case Studies](https://blog.topgrading.com/case-studies) - [Podcast](https://blog.topgrading.com/podcast) - [Books](https://topgrading.com/books) - [eGuide](https://topgrading.com/eguide) - [Schedule a Call](https://topgrading.com/meetings/andywilliams-topgrading/30-minute-meeting) - [Schedule a Call](https://meetings.hubspot.com/chris-mursau/privateequity) [Schedule a Call](https://meetings.hubspot.com/chris-mursau/privateequity) # Candidate Dishonesty in Resumes and Interviews: The Findings [Interviews](https://blog.topgrading.com/blog/tag/interviews) [Verification](https://blog.topgrading.com/blog/tag/verification) [Resumes](https://blog.topgrading.com/blog/tag/resumes) Dec 21, 2017, 12:00:00 AM [Topgrading Team](https://blog.topgrading.com/blog/author/topgrading-team) % ![](https://blog.topgrading.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Blog-Nov-26-2024-03-06-48-3457-AM.png?width=1000&name=Blog-Nov-26-2024-03-06-48-3457-AM.png) [mailto:?subject=Candidate%20Dishonesty%20in%20Resumes%20and%20Interviews%3A%20The%20Findings&body=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.topgrading.com%2Fblog%2Fresources%2Fblog%2Fdishonesty2](mailto:?subject=Candidate%20Dishonesty%20in%20Resumes%20and%20Interviews%3A%20The%20Findings&body=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.topgrading.com%2Fblog%2Fresources%2Fblog%2Fdishonesty2) The most common areas candidates falsify The [first blog in this series](https://blog.topgrading.com/new-blog/resources/blog/dishonesty1) presented research on the extent of dishonesty through the interview process. At Topgrading, Inc. we’ve conducted over 6,500 interviews and in our experience about 40% of resumes contain fiction and those 40% lie in interviews. This blog presents our findings on what candidates lie about. While the research around this topic at times lacks academic rigor, [various articles state that resumes contain intentional inaccuracies 25%-86%](https://topgrading.com/new-blog/dishonesty1/) of the time which, in turn, convert into lies: - Claiming unearned education credentials (e.g. college or advanced degree) - Concealing criminal records (but be careful, there are all sorts of laws making it legal for candidates to conceal some offenses) - Inflated salary history - Exaggerated accomplishments or results (taking individual credit for a group success, for example) - Altered employment dates (to hide times they were unemployed or to hide short-term jobs that did not work out) - Falsified professional license credentials (it’s unfortunate that companies do not do background checks) - Made up experience at “ghost” companies (I once interviewed a candidate for Sales VP who, under pressure from me) admitted, “Almost all of my resume – education and jobs – is baloney.”) - Fake references **Are some lies okay?**  After all, everyone bends the truth sometimes.  Some “little white lies” like hiding failed jobs don’t really reflect my true capabilities, right?  Wrong!  We’ve interviewed candidates prescreened with a “ [truth serum](https://blog.topgrading.com/new-blog/resources/blog/truth-serum-for-hiring),” so that our clients hire impeccably honest people.  In all of our combined years, with 17,000+ interviews, clients have almost never felt blind-sided, or conned by candidates.  We only recommend hiring people who are rock solid in integrity – otherwise, how in the world could you trust them? We’ll pick-up this blog series early next year with how costly mis-hires are (blog #3), and how to get the truth from candidates (blog #4). I welcome you to share your experience or comments on this blog series. ## Topgrading Team ## Ready to Transform your Business with Little Effort Using Brightlane? [Register Now](https://www.example.com) You May Like These ## Related Articles ![](https://blog.topgrading.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Blog-Nov-26-2024-03-01-09-2762-AM.png?width=700&name=Blog-Nov-26-2024-03-01-09-2762-AM.png) ### [The MOST Important Competency](https://blog.topgrading.com/blog/resources/blog/the-most-important-competency) ![](https://blog.topgrading.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Blog-Nov-26-2024-03-01-09-2762-AM.png?width=700&name=Blog-Nov-26-2024-03-01-09-2762-AM.png) ### [The Easy Way to Improve Your Interviewing Skills](https://blog.topgrading.com/blog/resources/blog/easy-way-improve-interviewing-skills) ![](https://blog.topgrading.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Blog-Nov-26-2024-03-01-09-2762-AM.png?width=700&name=Blog-Nov-26-2024-03-01-09-2762-AM.png) ### [Biggest Mistake Interviewers Make](https://blog.topgrading.com/blog/resources/blog/fix-biggest-mistake-interviewers-make) Schedule a Call [Contact Us](https://topgrading.com/meetings/andywilliams-topgrading/andy-williams-schedule-a-call-meeting) ![logo-footer](https://blog.topgrading.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo%20(1).png?width=249&height=50&name=logo%20(1).png "logo-footer") - 100 S Saunders Rd Ste 150 Lake Forest, IL 60045 - (847) 244-5544 - [info@topgrading.com](mailto:info@topgrading.com) [Contact Us](https://share.hsforms.com/1LwWWJ3v1RxK57ZpNXI-9Lwclbe4) #### Subscribe to Our Newsletter ##### Quick Links - [Human Capital Governance](https://topgrading.com/human-capital-governance) - [Solutions](https://topgrading.com/solutions) - [Private Equity](https://topgrading.com/private-equity) - [Our Firm](https://topgrading.com/our-firm) - [Leadership](https://topgrading.com/leadership) - [Hiring](https://topgrading.com/hiring) - [Organizational Design](https://topgrading.com/organization) - [Topgrading in the AI Era Workshop](https://topgrading.com/foolproof-hiring) - [Case Studies](https://blog.topgrading.com/case-studies) ##### Website Policy - [Privacy Policy](https://topgrading.com/privacy-policy) - [Cookie Policy](https://topgrading.com/cookies-policy) ##### [Client Portal](https://client.topgrading.com/membership-login/) Test [Refer a Company](https://share.hsforms.com/140pKFt8pReaZH4Bp7SuHigclbe4) © 2026 Topgrading. 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