How to Spot When You're Being Lied to in a Job Interview
A lot of interviewees are better interviewees than they are employees. They’ve figured out how to game the interview process and are expert at misleading interviewers. People want jobs, they need them, and they will often say whatever they think it takes to get them. When interviewers are duped by untruthful interviewees, the result is a bad hire.
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko
People often exaggerate - or outright lie- on their resume, and will repeat or expand on those lies in the interview. Maybe their resume is inflated, or they’ve been less than honest about why they left their last job, or why they have that big gap in their work history. Did they really have such a critical role in the growth of their last company’s sales figures? Was their salary really that much?
Luckily, you can learn to spot when someone is lying to you and what that tells you about them. Here are some of the main signs to watch for:
Too good to be true
If what the candidate is telling you sounds too good to be true, it likely is. If they tell you they single-handedly increased company profits by 500%, for example, drill down on the details. Asking probing follow-up questions is the best way to gain clarity and ascertain whether the candidate is being honest. Still unsure if they’re telling the truth? Ask them to tell the story again in reverse order. Most liars will practice and rehearse scripted responses in advance, and will struggle to tell the story in a way they haven’t practiced.
Details are few and far between
If they are vague on details and start speaking in generalities, chances are they didn’t have the experience, influence or involvement they would like you to believe. When a candidate is responding to a question, watch for:
Third-person. In an honest response, you’ll hear a lot of ownership via first-person pronouns - I/me/mine. Third-person language - they/their/we/our team - indicates disassociation from an exaggerated or untrue situation.
Hypotheticals. “Would”, ”probably”, “could have”…hypothetical language suggests a response that is closer to fiction than fact.
Qualifiers. “really great”, “in general”, “mostly”, vague or exclusionary qualifiers may just be someone’s speaking habit, but you should note it as a warning sign.
Specificity is the goal. If a candidate gives you a vague answer full of third-person pronouns, hypotheticals and/or qualifiers, ask follow-up questions to elicit more details. Don’t be afraid to use silence if you’re not receiving an adequate response; a candidate will often rush to fill any awkward silence and what they say can be revealing.
Hiding weaknesses
Many people are ambitious, but there can be a disconnect between a candidate’s ambition and their experience. If a candidate is giving you an overly long answer or repeating the same point or that they have the same skill, they may be overcompensating. Aware that a certain skill is necessary for the job, they may be trying to convince themselves (and you) that they have it when they really don’t.
The list above is a guide to some of the more common ways people lie in an interview. Consider them warning signs, rather than a definitive indication of deception. Remember, it’s not what they say, it’s what they don’t say. Don’t make the hire if you’re unhappy with what they have lied about, or what they exaggerated, or if you’re uncomfortable with giving them the benefit of the doubt.
We highly recommend pre-interview assessments to reveal information on how a candidate interacts with others, their behavioral style, soft skills, and whether they will be a good fit for both the role and the company. With these assessments informing who you select for the interview, the chance of a bad apple reaching the interview stage is significantly reduced.