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Liar, Liar: How to Spot a Liar in Job Interview

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Exaggerating. Stretching the truth. Padding the resume. Telling little white lies. These all have something in common: they are lies, and when conducting online recruitment, it can be critical to spot these issues before they arise and become a problem.

Spotting Liars During the Online Recruitment Process

In a study from the University of Massachusetts, people who never met were put into pairs and instructed to get to know each other for over ten minutes. Each discussion was videotaped and reviewed later by the researcher and the participants themselves.

The results were a little surprising. In ten minutes, 60 percent of the participants admitted lying at least three times. Some lied up to a whopping twelve times – more than one lie per minute!

The conclusion was that when we are presenting ourselves to others, we often lie to make the situation go smoother and to make ourselves seem more appealing.  

Job interviews often last around ten minutes, and job applicants have more to prove than having a normal conversation with someone. So, how do you tell if someone is lying or making up stories to impress you?

Many clues can be used as a guide to spot liars.

Body language is one important factor. A person who is lying avoids eye contact, touches their face and nose and smiles using only the immediate muscles around the mouth while the eyes remain alert and watchful. 

Watch for verbal clues such as; answering in an unnaturally loud or exuberant manner, denying something instead of just stating it simply, avoiding answering questions directly, giving hints or clues instead and adding unnecessary details in an attempt to make the lie seem authentic.

Understanding the psychology behind why people lie is not difficult, but individual motivations might be hard to pinpoint. When conducting interviews, perhaps stressing at the beginning that absolute truth is extremely important to you and that you will check details of their resume may cut down on some of the padding and exaggerations.

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