Nearly three in four HR leaders have encountered fabricated and misleading information from job candidates, according to a new report, underscoring the need for stronger verification strategies during hiring.

A new survey from Equifax among more than 350 HR executives and professionals revealed a growing challenge of distinguishing between genuine qualifications and embellished information in the recruitment process.

According to the poll, 73% of the respondents have faced challenges with fabricated or misleading candidate information.

Half of them pointed out that employment history is the most frequent area of candidate misrepresentation, while another 35% reported fabricated or misleading information related to education, credentials, or licences.

The findings reflect rising reports of dishonesty from jobseekers during recruitment.

Separate findings from resume.io revealed that 21.5% of jobseekers lied on their resume in the past year, with the most common lie involving the inflation of job titles (5.5%) and exaggeration of skills (5.3%).

Amanda Augustine, resident career expert for resume.io, previously attributed the rise of embellished resumes to a competitive job market.

"Employers are increasingly relying on AI screening and applicant tracking systems to narrow the field. It's understandable that some candidates feel they need to polish their experience just to get noticed," Augustine said. She also warned jobseekers about the risk of reputational damage once the exagerration is unravelled during interviews or on the job.

The rise of AI tools is exacerbating the dishonesty problem, with 73% of employers in a previous Remote Recruiting Report saying they received AI-generated resumes containing false information.

The result is eroded trust, with 36% of HR leaders in the Equifax report saying AI-generated candidate content reduced their confidence in hiring decisions.

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