"Follow along with our fictional job interview below as we
dissect the obfuscations, misdirects and boldfaced lies coming from both sides,
with analysis drawn from recent academic research and conversations with career
experts.
Candidate: Great to meet you. Love that photo on your desk.
I just hiked at Yosemite this summer. 1
1. One way people deceive is by
ingratiation, says Nicolas Roulin, an associate professor of industrial and
organizational psychology at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia,
and author of the book "The Psychology of Job Interviews." "This
is really about trying to make a connection with the interviewer and appear
more likable or similar to the interviewer," he says. People laugh at
jokes they don't find funny or twist their own interests to fit what the
interviewer likes. This candidate has gone on the occasional weekend hike, but
he hasn't visited Yosemite.
Interviewer: Tell me more about why you want to work here at
New Co.
Candidate: I've wanted to be an associate project manager
ever since I was a kid. 2
2. Kathryn Minshew, chief executive
of careers site the Muse, says candidates frequently mislead when it comes to
their expressions of interest. "Perhaps they just actually need a
paycheck," she says. But no one's going to confess that if they want to be
hired.
I've just always been incredibly passionate about widgets. 3
3. Candidates tell two to three
lies, on average, in a 10-to-15 minute interview, Dr. Feldman's research finds.
Interviewer: As you know, we're one of the most innovative
makers of widgets in the country.
Candidate: Experimentation's in my DNA. In my last job, I
was known as the new ideas guy.
Interviewer: Ah, right, you spent two years at Old Co. Why
did you end up leaving?
Candidate: I was just ready for a new challenge.
Interviewer: So it was your decision to leave? Even with
nothing else lined up?
Candidate: Yup, it just felt like the right moment. 4
4. In a 2019 paper from a group of
researchers at University of Guelph in Ontario, each of 775 participants
surveyed admitted they would exaggerate or conceal at least something in a job
interview. Here, the candidate is trying to cover up for a messy back story
about his departure.
Fewer people fabricate entire
stories than fudge little details. Dr. Roulin estimates that up to 80% of
people embellish some experiences while 20% to 30% of people would do things
like invent a degree.
Interviewer: I see here 5
5. Sometimes, a resume is a font of
mistruths, like if someone invents a degree or award. But resumes may also be
dotted with omissions that are warranted. Ms. Minshew says it's sometimes
prudent to remove information like your graduation year or address to prevent
bias. You don't want to be passed over for a job because of your age, or the
fact that you live in a different city, if you're dedicated to moving.
that you have
experience with foreign languages. That could be helpful with our expansion in
South America.
Candidate: Yes, I'm fluent in Spanish, and Python too. 6
6. People tend to inflate language
skills or even computer programming skills, Dr. Roulin says. After all, the
term "proficient" can be ambiguous.
Interviewer: Excellent. 7
7. Dr. Feldman says that there's
often a sort of conspiracy going on between the liar and the person who's being
lied to: They both want the lie to be true. When that's the case -- say, in the
case of a compliment -- we just accept it, he says. Here, the interviewer is
hungry for someone who speaks Spanish, so she buys the candidate's claim of
fluency without even attempting to converse with him in the language or asking
more about his experience.
What questions do you
have for me?
Candidate: I'd love to hear more about the culture here at
New Co.
Interviewer: We're like family here. Great work-life
balance. 8
8. "Every interviewer swears
that they've got a fabulous corporate culture," says Judson Vaughn, an
impression-management consultant and CEO of First Impressions HQ in Atlanta.
Companies often cherry-pick the corporate cheerleaders among their ranks to
meet with candidates.
Candidate: What are the hours like?
Interviewer: Not bad, no nights or weekends really. 9
9. It's easy for hiring managers to
gloss over the fact that a team's putting in long hours, especially if they're
desperate to fill an open role. Ms. Minshew recommends asking very specific
questions to try to get a sense of company culture. Queries like, "What
were the last two team-bonding activities that were held here?" force
concrete answers.
I mean, we work hard,
but we keep it fun.
Candidate: Are there any downsides at all?
Interviewer: Sometimes we just care too much about the
mission, I'd say. But it's a small price to pay when you're changing the world.
Look, as we get further along here, I have to ask, how much did you make at
your last job?
Candidate: About $100,000. 10
10. People lie about things that are
hard to verify, Dr. Feldman says, and past salaries often fall into that
bucket. Still, this is one of those occasions where it might be OK to try to
avoid spilling the beans. After all, Ms. Minshew says, there's a reason some
states, cities and companies have banned salary-history questions. "Groups
that have historically been discriminated against in the workplace are often
disadvantaged by questions like this," Ms. Minshew says.
Interviewer: Ah, I don't know if we could match that. But
there's tons of opportunities for growth here. You'd move up super fast. 11
11. This is a classic fib, Mr.
Vaughn says -- an interviewer swears folks move up quickly at the company, when
there may be scant opportunities to ascend and you'll be stagnant for years.
That lie can backfire on the
employer, he says. The disgruntled hire will eventually complain to colleagues,
and folks who also haven't gotten a raise or promotion after being made similar
promises will feel deflated, realizing they were fed the same lies. Morale will
plummet. Ask what percentage of people they've hired have taken a rapid path up
the corporate ladder." [1]
