Most people work hard to get where they are in their career. However, there’s a select few who try to lie and cheat their way to the top. These people fabricate everything from work experience to education on their resumes, hoping to charm their way into the position.
Obviously you don’t want to hire a dishonest job candidate ─ not only will your company suffer by not having someone with appropriate experience fill the role, it’s also a liability to have a person willing to lie to get ahead on your team. Thankfully, there are a number of techniques you can incorporate into the interview process to avoid being duped.
If you think a candidate is too good to be true, you might be right. Use the following four tips to catch a liar in the act:
- Observe Body Language: While certainly not always a telling sign, candidates who fail to make eye contact, appear overly nervous and refrain from using hand gestures are often lying. Take note of these occurrences, as they may appear much more significant if paired with other suspicious behaviors.
- Schedule Interviews with Multiple People: Have the candidate meet with several interviewers ─ in separately scheduled meetings. Reconvene afterwards to discuss the conversation and pay close attention to any inconsistencies. If they’re being dishonest, it may be difficult to keep their story straight when telling it multiple times.
- Check References: Not sure if the person actually attended the school listed on their resume or worked at a certain company? Take the time to call their references and perform a thorough background check, as some people have been known to provide false information because they assume you won’t dig deeper.
- Get Technical with Questions: Don’t just take a job candidate’s word that they have certain skills ─ make them prove it. Put them on the spot by having them complete a skills-based test relevant to the position. If they don’t have the skills they claim to, you’ll know right away.
Related: 3 Job Interview Styles to Avoid
Need a little help identifying the best candidates to join your team? Contact Sparks Group. Our partnership methodology is rooted in a thorough analysis of each client’s staffing challenges and business culture. This consultative approach allows us to customize programs to meet our clients’ unique requirements and objectives and in turn, improve efficiency and productivity.
