Separating Liars From Truth-Tellers

A competitive hiring process inspires some inventive job applicants to fabricate skills and experience, making it difficult for hiring managers to be certain about their “best” candidates. Even when genuinely qualified, liars shatter professional relationships that rely on integrity, and the most extreme storytellers threaten a company’s bottom line. More than ever, hiring managers need to expand their networks of communication and sharpen their lie-detection skills to make sure a candidate’s background matches his claims.

Forget About Face Value

Exaggeration is deeply woven into the employment cycle, as candidates frequently look for subtle ways to beef up their accomplishments and job descriptions. Job seekers are swarmed with advice about emphasizing numerical data and action statements to create impressive resumes. Unsurprisingly, many resort to lying to cover up everything from employment gaps to inadequate training. The statement “Made warehouse deliveries” suddenly becomes “Improved efficiency of inventory logistics by 25 percent.”

Hiring managers have the responsibility to give job applicants equal consideration, but they also have the freedom to be skeptical. They must resist the urge to make superficial judgments based on questionable body and language cues, and instead, focus on skills assessments they can verify. One way to root out dishonesty is to ask technical questions that require the advanced knowledge and practical experience necessary for the position. A candidate who claimed to improve sales by 40 percent should be able to explain the steps he took to achieve it without defaulting to vague generalizations.

Explore Inconsistencies

The boldest job seekers cross the line and risk making claims that hiring managers can quickly disprove through a creative background check or on-the-job performance. Forbes columnist and Human Workplace founder, Liz Ryan, recounted the story of an executive-level candidate who claimed to be the former VP of Marketing at a firm where Ryan had also worked. Since Ryan did not recognize the name and knew the person who once held that position, she contacted a former colleague from the firm and discovered that the applicant had only worked as a manager.

Ryan’s experience highlights the importance of following inconsistencies and asking the right questions. One glaring fact stood out about the infamous candidate’s LinkedIn profile: the woman had no connections to her former boss, since she had also misappropriated his job title as director. People who lie about employment, education or volunteering have to avoid overlapping details, and that means limiting contact with professionals who can challenge their claims. For example, when verifying college attendance, hiring managers should be suspicious when candidates’ online profiles have no college networks, local photos or connections to fellow graduates.

Many employers avoid releasing information beyond job title and employment dates. However, hiring managers can keep reference checks simple and informative by requesting a summary of past job duties and asking whether the company would rehire the candidate. Even if past hiring managers decline to answer, signs of hesitance tell a story all on their own. Company leaders who enjoyed working with a valued employee are rarely reluctant to say so.

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