Ryan FowlerThriveMap has found that 75% of UK workers have experienced “job catfishing”, where a role differs significantly from how it was presented during recruitment.
The research shows the impact on retention is significant, with 60% of those affected leaving their role earlier than planned, contributing to wider staff turnover and dissatisfaction.
ThriveMap said the issue is worsening, with 66% of respondents saying they had left a role because it did not meet expectations, up from 55% in 2023.
The most common issue was misrepresented job responsibilities, cited by 67% of respondents, followed by working environment at 49%, while 31% said salary and benefits did not match what they had been told.
The findings suggest a growing demand for greater transparency in recruitment, with 48% of candidates saying they wanted more honest information about workload and working conditions before accepting a role.
Christopher Platts, founder and chief executive at ThriveMap, said: “The problem isn’t talent. It’s truth. What this data shows is a growing trust gap in hiring, where what’s sold to candidates simply doesn’t match the reality of the job.
“From vague job descriptions to inconsistent screening and poorly aligned interviews, we’re setting expectations we have no intention of meeting.
“And then we act surprised when people leave. If you want people to stay, you have to start by being honest.
“That means showing candidates what the job is really like: the pace, the pressure, the people, the trade-offs.
“Not the polished version, the real one. Because the companies that win won’t be the ones who attract the most candidates, they’ll be the ones who keep the right ones.”
The survey of 1,000 job seekers indicates that misalignment during the hiring process is contributing to wider economic costs, with employee turnover linked to recruitment inefficiencies and lost productivity.
