Hiring managers often mislead candidates, survey finds

SEATTLE, UNITED STATES — A recent survey by ResumeBuilder found that 36% of hiring managers lie to candidates during the hiring process. 

Of the 1,060 managers and business leaders surveyed, while 36% admitted to lying at some stage during the hiring process, the breakdown revealed: 75% lied during interviews, 52% in the job description, and 24% in the offer letter.

The most common lies given to job seekers include the role’s responsibilities, growth and career development opportunities, company culture, benefits, commitment to social issues, the financial health of the company, and compensation.

The survey also found that 92% of hiring managers who lie to candidates have had a misled candidate accept a job offer. 

However, 55% say they’ve had an employee quit after being hired on false pretenses due to discovering they were lied to in the hiring process. 

ResumeBuilder Chief Career Advisor Stacie Haller said that lying to candidates undermines an organization’s integrity and is bad for business. 

“Candidates are making decisions based on the information they receive, and deceit only leads to bad outcomes for both the organization and candidate. Honesty not only upholds an organization’s reputation but also is critical for cultivating success for both the company and the individuals it seeks to attract,” Heller added.

ResumeBuilder’s survey was conducted online by the survey platform Pollfish and launched on August 2, 2023.