How to spot candidates who stretch the truth

"A third of job applicants are guilty of telling whopping great lies during interviews, a new survey shows."  (Click to see article on ninemsn)

Quite an alarming statistic, don't you think?

While the research is Australian-based, I think it is just as relevant for NZ organisations.  I believe candidates should be treated respectfully and as though they have integrity.  At the same time,  recruitment processes should be robust enough to identify those who misrepresent themselves. 

I don't think any process will ever be completely infallible, but a few simple tips you could try are: 

• Use structured interviewing to avoid the vague answers from candidates.  Clarify the situation, the task, the action they personally took, and the outcome.  If you've never been taught how to interview, consider upskilling in this area.

• Use objective assessment tools, like psychometric testing, assessment centres etc. to supplement the information provided by the candidate.  These things are harder to "fake" (but should not be the sole deciding factor - see next point).

• Use multiple sources of information about the candidate to make your decision and avoid over-reliance on a single source.

• Verify "facts". There are some things that are relatively easy for an astute person to spot.  For other things, it may be worth engaging an investigative firm who specialises in pre-employment background checks, qualification verification etc.

• Investigate discrepancies.  A discrepancy does not necessarily indicate that the candidate has been untruthful, but it should signal that further investigation is required.  A good recruitment process, in my view, allows for this.  For example, if the psychometric assessments raise some questions or tell a different story about the candidate, it is helpful to check this out either in an additional interview or with a referee.  (Using psychometrics as the absolute last stage in the process makes this more difficult!)
  

While honest candidates may find some of these measures a little "over the top" or even an insult to their integrity, I think a robust process actually benefits them.  It means they will hopefully not miss out on a job because someone else is more skilled at embellishing their work history.  And that is good for (mostly) everyone!