Lies, damned lies, says jobs survey

A third of job applicants are guilty of telling whopping great lies during interviews, a new survey shows.

Exaggerated work experience, fake references and fibs about previous salaries are among the sins committed by those trying to get ahead in the rat race, the research reveals.

The survey carried out by Galaxy Research was based on interviews with 1,010 Australians.

The most commonly told lies involved previous work experience, with 17 per cent of those asked admitting to "stretching the truth".

Pals acting as referees is the next most common ruse (16 per cent of respondents) followed by over inflated previous salaries (10 per cent), entirely fake references (six per cent) and then bogus qualifications (three per cent).

Stephanie Christopher, director of psychometric consulting firm SUHL, said the fibs were making it difficult for employers to pick the right candidate.

"Not only are organisations at risk of hiring the wrong candidate, there is real potential that they have culled the best person for the job before reaching the interview stage," she said.

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