Resume deception soars: startup hirint aims to unmask dishonest job seekers
The humble resume, once a straightforward document outlining skills and experience, has apparently devolved into a literary genre of elaborate fabrication. A chilling report from ResumeLab, released last year, confirms what many recruiters have long suspected: a staggering 70% of US workers admit to stretching the truth on their CVs, with 37% describing it as a common practice. And the embellishments only escalate during live interviews, where a whopping 80% confess to inflating accomplishments and abilities.
Hirint: a data-driven approach to candidate verification
Enter Hirint, a Spanish startup founded and led by Javier Cañizares, offering a novel solution to this endemic problem. The platform operates on a dual track, evaluating candidates for open positions while also assessing internal talent for promotion and development opportunities. Forget the traditional, in-person testing centers of yesteryear; the pandemic accelerated a shift towards online assessments, and Hirint has engineered a suite of technologies designed to detect those attempting to game the system. From flagging suspicious browser activity during online exams to verifying candidate identities and even capturing screenshots, Hirint’s arsenal is designed to pierce the veil of deception.
But the rise of AI, while assisting recruiters, also provides new avenues for the unscrupulous. Hirint isn’t resting on its laurels, recognizing that the tools used to evaluate also empower those intent on misleading. The company’s focus has broadened beyond simple candidate screening. Cañizares tells Business Insider España that the role of HR departments has undergone a “drastic change,” moving beyond payroll management to become drivers of employee wellbeing and career progression. Hirint’s clients, primarily companies with over 300 employees, are experiencing this shift, although adoption is slower in Spain’s SME-dominated landscape.
Beyond the cv: measuring 'soft skills' in the age of ai
With annual recurring revenue nearing €1 million and a team of 22 (including three psychologists specializing in psychometrics and a dedicated AI expert), Hirint boasts a prestigious client roster including KPMG, Grupo San José, Balearia, Infojobs, Dia, Grupo Eulen, Manpower, and the Universidad de Navarra. Serving over 400 companies across Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Central America, they’ve conducted over three million evaluations, fueled by a €700,000 investment round secured in 2025. Cañizares has long championed the importance of “soft skills,” and Hirint’s LibreIA platform—housing over 50 assessments—collects comprehensive data on these crucial attributes. The ascendancy of artificial intelligence amplifies the value of these non-automatable skills, differentiating candidates who can adapt and lead from those whose capabilities are easily replicated by algorithms. As Cañizares succinctly puts it, “Today you have to do A, but it’s very likely that tomorrow you’ll have to do B.”
Hirint’s platform grants recruiters granular control over test customization, allowing them to tailor assessments to specific needs, selecting from 34 competencies and adjusting question weighting. Assessments are delivered via email or WhatsApp, with results—translated and contextualized—arriving within seconds. A remarkable 70% of tests are completed on mobile devices, with a 96% completion rate across the board, typically taking between 5 and 7 minutes, extending to 20 minutes for Excel proficiency tests. Their sweet spot lies in evaluating middle management and below, a significant market segment.
The future of assessment: interactive tests and ai-powered insights
Looking ahead, Hirint is doubling down on AI, developing interactive assessments that go beyond traditional multiple-choice formats, incorporating text, audio, and video with enhanced auto-correction capabilities. Perhaps even more compelling is the development of an “AI copilot” designed to assist recruiters in interpreting assessment reports, acting as a digital psychologist to extract deeper insights. Leveraging its massive data pool, Hirint aims to refine test calibration, establishing a benchmark for candidate performance across different companies. The company believes that by objectively measuring these elusive “soft skills,” it can provide a crucial advantage in the increasingly competitive talent landscape.
The days of inflated resumes and fabricated achievements are numbered. With platforms like Hirint leading the charge, the truth—and the truly capable—will eventually surface.