With piles of resumes, and many interviews to conduct – time-restricted recruiters are often left simply taking candidates on their word when it comes to their experiences and skills. The vast majority of the time this isn’t an issue, with most people being honest and simply looking for a new opportunity. But, at times, there are candidates who lie on their resume in an attempt to get a position they desire. When this occurs, the effects on a business can be devastating. 

What are some issues that can arise when a candidate lies and a bad hire is made?

 

  • Replacement costs– Creating job descriptions, sorting through resumes and conducting interviews, all cost money. A study from Employee Benefit News found that it costs employers 33% of an employee’s annual salary to hire a replacement. 

 

 

  • Lower company morale – A bad hire can create a toxic work environment for your business. If other employees are asked to cover for a struggling colleague frequently, it can be a cause for tension among your staff.

 

According to the Employment Screening Benchmark Report by HireRight, an employment background-check provider, candidates regularly fabricate parts of their resumes. In 2012, 66% of employers had uncovered a lie or misrepresentation on a resume, and in 2018 that number grew to 84% of employers. 

We’ve all been guilty of ‘enhancing’ our resume to some extent. Perhaps, it was something as innocent as elaborating on the ability to speak a second language better than you actually can (one that is not relevant to the success of the position). Or maybe you claimed to do a little more volunteering than perhaps is truthful. 

The issue however, arises when the lies are directly related to the success of that position. For example, a candidate who claims to be proficient in Microsoft Excel, but isn’t. Or a software developer who claims to know a particular coding language, but doesn’t. If the position requires knowledge in these areas, but the knowledge has been fabricated, this is when it can be detrimental to a business’ success. 

Recruiters and HR professionals should be aware of the signs that indicate when a candidate isn’t being truthful.

 

4 Signs of a Candidate Who May Be Lying 

 

  • Their Resume is suspicious– if they seem too perfect to be true on paper, chances are they just might be. When in doubt, become a Social Media detective. Cross check their multiple social media accounts BEFORE reaching out to the candidate(particularly LinkedIn). Note their skills highlighted, past experiences and educational background. Compare what you find with what is displayed on their resume. 

 

  • Vague answers – Tammy Cohen, founder and Chief Visionary Officer of background screening company, InfoMart states that “An applicant failing to use common industry jargon or who doesn’t cite processes, metrics or team members’ roles may also be exaggerating the scope of their work”. These incomplete or vague responses to questions can be a sign they are more than just unprepared for your interview. 

 

  • Reliance on group accomplishments – It’s true that collaboration is essential in the workplace, but you should beware of candidates who only talk about their accomplishments as part of a group. This could suggest that they’re not as individually adept as you might want them to be. 

 

  • Mismatched dates. Does their resume match their LinkedIn profile? And does what they say in-person match them both? If during the interview the candidate says they worked at a company for X amount of time, yet their resume shows Y, alarm bells should be ringing. Pay attention to what they say during the interview and take notes of important dates. 

 

How to Catch Candidates On Their Lies

 

  • Ask them to expand on their initial answers – People can prepare for interviews, but only to a certain extent. While they may have been prepared for your initial question, asking the candidate to expand on their answer may leave them dead in their tracks. Recruiters and HR professionals should prepare a list of questions that focus on the areas of a candidate’s resume that remain unclear. Ask follow up questions to get to the source of the truth. 

 

  • Ask complex skills based questions. This is perhaps the easiest method for uncovering the truth. By asking a complex software based question, or even having the candidate sit an in-house assessment, you can uncover their true competencies. For example, “Tell me how you would go about using Pivot Tables in Microsoft Excel?”. 

 

  • Do reference checks – verify educational background as well. While reference checks are incredibly useful, and conducted by most businesses, they can still be faulty. To a seasoned resume liar, falsifying their referrals is just another step in their lying process. 

 

However, by using LinkedIn, you can uncover the truth behind their references. Search for their referrals on LinkedIn to validate what you hear. If dates are out of alignment, or jobs aren’t even displayed – you’ve found the lie. Don’t forget to also include educational checks in your referral process.

 

*As a side note, you can ease your stress by hiring on a contract to hire basis

This isn’t something that is subjective only to small businesses unable to conduct appropriate background research.

Resume-liars have managed to climb to the top of corporate ladders at Yahoo, Bausch & Lomb, MGM Mirage, the U.S. Olympic committee, and more. 

Use your intuition to gauge a candidate’s body language, and follow the above processes to uncover the truth during the interview process. 

 

In summary, here are 4 signs that a Candidate might be lying to you: 

1) Their Resume is suspicious

2) Vague answers

3) Reliance On Group Accomplishments

4) Mismatched Dates

 

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