With the pervasiveness of technology such as ChatGPT, various workers and job
seekers feel the need to overstate their abilities to use AI tools
SEATTLE – ResumeBuilder.com, the premier resource for professional resume templates and career advice, has published a recent survey report that examines the prevalence of workers exaggerating AI skills in the workplace and the hiring process. The report also shares insight into how workers plan to improve their AI skills in the next year. Overall, ResumeBuilder.com researchers surveyed 1,000 full-time office workers or people seeking a full-time office job.
Based on survey results, 49 percent of respondents say they have been involved in a job search within the past two years. Among this group, 45 percent say they exaggerated their skills with AI tools during the hiring process. Thirty-two percent say they lied about AI skills on their resumes, and 30 percent say they lied about AI skills during the interview process. Additionally, of those who lied about their AI skills, 80 percent were hired for the job they applied for.
Additionally, 65 percent of current office workers admit to exaggerating their AI skills at work. The groups of employees that were most likely to exaggerate their AI skills were managers or executives, men, and younger workers. Many workers fear losing their jobs to AI within the next five years, with 48 percent saying it is ‘somewhat’ or ‘very likely.’
“People aren’t loyal to companies anymore, so lying likely seems like a risk worth taking to get a better title and paycheck.” says Julia Toothacre, resume and career strategist. “ Is that right? No. It calls into question the integrity of a person.”
Across all respondents, 22 percent say they are ‘highly skilled’ with AI tools, 45 percent say ‘somewhat skilled,’ 20 percent say ‘not very skilled,’ and 13 percent say ‘not at all skilled.’ Within the next year, 49 percent say they plan to ‘self-teach AI skills,’ 45 percent say they plan to ‘take an AI course by [their] own volition,’ and 35 percent say they plan to ‘take an AI course by request of employer.’
This survey was commissioned by ResumeBuilder.com and conducted online by the survey platform Pollfish. It launched on September 13, 2023, and 1,000 respondents completed the full survey. To qualify for the survey, all participants had to be aged 25 or older, employed for wages full-time with at least 6 employees at their company, or looking for full-time work. All respondents were screened to include only those with a career in an office or corporate environment. To view the complete report, please visit: https:https://www.resumebuilder.com/nearly-half-of-recent-job-seekers-lied-about-ai-skills-majority-were-hired/
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