Apprentice candidate Lorraine Tighe lied on her CV but claimed it was a misprint

We recently commissioned research, released yesterday, that discovered that as a nation, we are mostly quite truthful on our CVs… until we need a job.

Following this, our Chief Executive Stephen Studd was in demand for interviews yesterday, which you can view on a number of news sites such as The Metro, the Mirror’s video news and Virgin Media.

Given last night’s dismissals on the TV show the Apprentice, where one of the contestants who Sir Alan Sugar fired, Lorraine Tighe, was accused of lying on her CV and admitted it was “like a graveyard of skeletons” it can be a serious issue. So what can employers do?

We can point towards ActivePassport as a solution for both employers recruiting staff, and candidates looking to ensure their credibility, as it offers a verified record of qualifications, training, employment and volunteering.

While our research found that hobbies were the most likely thing that those questioned would lie about, this was followed by salary and secondary education qualifications, which could certainly impact upon the recruitment process. We also discovered that the recession has sparked an increase in lies on CVs.

Do you think it’s acceptable to lie on your CV? Have you ever done it and would you be more tempted now because of the high unemployment rates? Take our quick poll or leave us a comment below to share your views.