How a white lie could cost a company top talent

When something seems too good to be true, it's often because it is — including the promises being made by hiring managers in job interviews.  

Seventy-percent of hiring managers admit to lying to job candidates during the recruitment process, with half of those saying they do it frequently, according to Resume Genius' 2024 Hiring Trends survey. And while telling an applicant a white lie may not seem particularly detrimental, it could have long-term consequences. 

"Building trust with prospective applicants is a must if you're looking to retain them long term,"  says Eva Chan, a career advisor at Resume Genius. "No one likes surprises, especially when it comes to their career."

Read more: Real applicants, fake jobs: Why 40% of companies posted mock listings this year

As for why hiring managers are omitting the truth, it varies. According to Resume Genius' findings, 76% of hiring managers say they lied to candidates because they needed to fulfill immediate hiring needs, 75% said they did so in order to protect sensitive company information and 73% to avoid giving negative feedback. Another 69% lied to please the candidate or increase offer acceptance and 65% wanted to exaggerate job benefits and responsibilities. 

"Understandably, team members hired for jobs that don't reflect their real roles will feel both disappointed and deceived — which could break the trust between employees and management and create a poor foundation for the working relationship," she says. "Further down the line, this can even lead to increased turnover rates as misled employees are more likely to jump ship once they realize the true nature of the job." 

Some companies even admit that they lied for self-preservation. Seventy-two percent of managers wanted to be able to control the narrative and prevent bad reviews, and another 64% hoped to cover up negative aspects or protect the company's reputation. But oftentimes, according to Chan, it ends up doing just the opposite. 

Chan acknowledges the fact that when there's a talent shortage, organizations experience sudden increases in workload and need to quickly address the demands of their workforce, but there are changes hiring managers could make to the recruiting process that could yield better results without having to deceive potential candidates.  

Read more: 4 tips for recruiting entry-level talent

"One strategy that could improve transparency in the hiring process is increasing the interview times by a half hour or so to give interviewees an even more dedicated amount of time to ask the questions they're curious or unsure about," she says. "That way candidates feel more comfortable asking the questions that they initially wouldn't have offered before." 

Candidates can also set up their own precautions to keep from potentially being misled. Chan urges all applicants to ask detailed questions about daily responsibilities, team structure and company culture, as well as get everything in writing before they make their final decision. But the largest burden remains on employers. 

"If you get a reputation for being shady, news travels fast on social media, and you can kiss those quality candidates goodbye — and potentially tarnish your brand," Chan says. "When you're upfront about the job and its responsibilities, candidates feel confident and secure in their decision to join the company."