More and more Americans lying on job resumes

Nick's ESL News Lessons

A printable worksheet for news-based English conversation classes.

Date: 2024/06/22

Difficulty: Upper Intermediate B2

PDF: More and more Americans lying on job resumes

Vocabulary Match

lying •• fields
advantage •• hiring
survey •• fibbing
industries •• results
recruiting •• study
consequences •• benefit

Vocabulary Answers

lyingfibbing
advantagebenefit
surveystudy
industriesfields
recruitinghiring
consequencesresults

Article

From December 2022 to 2023, Google searches in the U.S. for "lying on resumes" increased by 19%. People want any advantage to get a new job in 2024. A survey by StandOut CV found that 64.2% of employees have lied on their resumes at least once, up from 55% in 2022. The most common lies are about salary, skills, and work experience.

Younger people and those in creative industries are more likely to lie. "Recruiters expect little white lies," says Andrew Fennell, director of StandOut CV. However, lying about degrees or job history can lead to serious consequences, like losing job offers. Despite this, many people still manage to keep their jobs after lying.

Quiz

  1. What percentage of employees have lied on their resumes at least once?
  2. What are the most common lies on resumes about?
  3. Who is more likely to lie on their resumes?
  4. What can lying about degrees or job history lead to?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. 64.2% of employees have lied on their resumes at least once.
  2. The most common lies are about salary, skills, and work experience.
  3. Younger people and those in creative industries are more likely to lie.
  4. Serious consequences, like losing job offers.

Conversation

A:Did you hear that more people are lying on their resumes?
B:Yeah, I saw that. It's a bit risky, isn't it?
A:Definitely. But some people are desperate for jobs.
B:True, but getting caught can cost you the job.
A:I guess people think it's worth the risk.
B:I wouldn't lie. It's too stressful!

Discussion

  1. What skills do you think people lie about the most?
  2. What would you do if you found out a colleague lied on their resume?
  3. Role Play: Student A interviews Student B for an imaginary job. Student B should tell some truths and some lies.

Source Material

https://www.hrotoday.com/news/over-half-of-employees-report-lying-on-resumes/

MORE: