Ninety-three percent of recent job seekers admit to embellishing or lying during the hiring process to appear more qualified, according to the Trust in Hiring Report released today by GCheck, a modern, compliance-first hire-to-retire screening platform. Based on a survey of 1,500 recent job seekers, the report examines how candidates present their qualifications during the hiring process and the growing tension between competitive pressure, candidate exaggeration and evolving social media scrutiny.
To appear more qualified, 61% of job seekers exaggerated their expertise to better match the position, 59% inflated the impact or scope of their previous roles, 47% made up stories during interviews to better answer questions and 45% adjusted employment dates to hide gaps. Hiring embellishment is particularly pronounced among Gen Z. Ninety-six percent of Gen Z job seekers lied during the hiring process, while 71% exaggerated their level of expertise, compared to 50% of Baby Boomers. Similarly, 41% of Gen Zers have described a job departure as voluntary when they were actually terminated, compared to 17% of Baby Boomers.
Job seekers are “careerfishing” due to the competitive job market and the belief that they can get away with it. Nearly three-quarters (72%) report feeling increased pressure to embellish to stand out in a highly competitive hiring environment, while 62% say being on the job search for an extended period made exaggeration feel necessary to compete. In many cases, candidates believe it works. Three in five (60%) job seekers say they do not believe they would have been hired if they had presented their qualifications more accurately. This trend has created what GCheck calls “The Honesty Tax,” a systemic disadvantage where honest, transparent candidates feel penalized for their realism while those who exaggerate are rewarded with offers. At the same time, 53% admit they exaggerated because they did not believe employers would verify everything on their resume – and they may be right: only 26% say an employer verified their claims and found them to be misleading, while just 28% report an exaggeration being discovered that ultimately cost them the job.
“Today’s hiring environment is creating pressure on both sides. Candidates feel pushed to present the most competitive version of themselves while employers are overwhelmed with a surge in applications and difficulty deciphering what’s real,” said Houman Akhavan, Founder and CEO of GCheck. “As confidence in traditional background checks has eroded, it has created space for what we’re calling ‘careerfishing,’ where candidates misrepresent their professional identity to secure employment. The answer isn’t to add friction to hiring, it’s to strengthen verification so organizations can ensure the people they hire are truly qualified to do the job.”
Bias Concerns & AI Are Reshaping Candidate Behavior
Beyond exaggerating qualifications, many candidates report altering their identity to avoid bias. Nearly half (46%) have changed their appearance or communication style for interviews, including 64% of Hispanic and 56% of Black job seekers, to reduce the risk of bias. More than one-third (36%) have removed indicators of their age, up to 47% for Baby Boomers, and 35% have avoided mentioning children or caregiving responsibilities, a figure that rises to 50% among working mothers with children under 18.
New technology is also blurring the line between preparation and authenticity. Sixty-one percent of job seekers say they used artificial intelligence (AI) to practice interview answers until they sounded more impressive than authentic, while half (50%) used AI to tailor resumes for roles they did not fully meet the requirements for. Nearly half (48%) report using AI to complete take-home assignments during the hiring process, and even 25% say they used an AI avatar that looked like them to participate in a virtual meeting.
Misrepresentation Creates Risk for Employers and Employees
While exaggeration may help candidates secure offers, the consequences frequently appear after hiring. Among those who misrepresented themselves, 39% say they experienced stress or anxiety once hired and 25% report facing negative consequences at work because their skills did not match their resume.
Despite widespread participation in resume embellishment, job seekers recognize the potential impact. Eighty-eight percent agree that candidates who misrepresent themselves ultimately put businesses at risk, highlighting the growing need for more reliable and transparent verification practices in hiring.
Trust in Screening Is Fragile – But Not Rejected
Eighty percent believe ongoing or periodic screening is important, either for all roles (31%) or for safety-sensitive roles (49%). Job seekers are not opposed to verification, but they want fairness, transparency and clarity in how screening is conducted:
- 56% are concerned they do not understand what employers can see or verify, while 82% want a clear explanation of what is being checked.
- 54% worry automated screening could make incorrect assumptions, while 81% want human review rather than fully automated decisions.
- 52% fear they will not have the opportunity to explain or provide context for findings, while 77% want the ability to review or dispute findings.
As exaggeration becomes normalized in today’s hiring process, stronger and more transparent verification will be critical to ensuring employers hire truly qualified candidates.
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