A survey by Checkster found out that about 78% of candidates who applied or received job offers lied on their application. Misleading a potential employer is not new, especially when job opportunities are scarce. What are the consequences anyway? Keep reading.

• You break trust

If an employer had a little trust in you even before they hired you, it could go once they find you’re not genuine. As a result, a potential employer will not reconsider hiring or recommending you to another potential employer. Honesty is one way of cultivating trust with a potential employer.

• Bad reputation

Misleading a potential employer is likely to lead to a bad reputation. Ethics is a significant factor in employment, and both employers and employees should embrace it. However, lying or misleading a potential employer in your application or through word of mouth can have a negative reputation.

A bad reputation harms your image and limits you from accessing great employment opportunities.

• Legal consequences

Lying in your resume or an oral interview isn’t a big deal for most people. Additionally, a resume submitted to a potential employer is not perceived as a legal document. However, some circumstances of misleading a potential employer might lead you to face legal issues.

For instance, providing fake academic credentials could lead you to face legal charges in a court of law. Also, some misleading situations could be perceived as fraud, which is perceived as a crime in most countries.

While misleading a potential employer is tempting, it’s not good and ethical. A significant number of employees got hired without them meeting all the requirements shortlisted by an employer. Most importantly, your potential and reputation could easily trigger an employer to hire you.