Anyone who reviews resumes knows that job applicants sometimes lie to get ahead. Hiring the wrong person can jeopardize your business's success, employee productivity and bottom line. Because you only want to hire qualified candidates, learn how to tell if a job applicant is lying.
What do job applicants lie about?
- Education or degrees
- Professional training
- On-the-job experience
- Employment dates
- Job descriptions
- Former employers
- References
- Salary claims
How do job applicants get away with lying?
- Rely on gut feelings. Intuition can sometimes be right, but gut feelings are not always accurate and can lead hiring managers to miss holes in a resume.
- Judge based solely on first impressions. Impressions are made in the first few seconds of an initial meeting; hiring managers who let those first impressions cloud the interview may not dig for the truth.
- Use mirroring. Hiring managers may look for applicants who are like them and then recommend those candidates instead of verifying facts and qualifications.
- Rely on a good interview. Experienced applicants can perform well in interviews and win over hiring managers even if some claims are exaggerated or untrue.
- Trust everyone. Some hiring managers do not ask for references or check facts and simply take applicants at their word.
- Trust referrals and recommendations. Candidates with a referral may be fast-tracked even when their qualifications are not fully verified.
How to spot a lying job applicant
- Review resumes, online profiles and LinkedIn thoroughly. Look for inconsistencies like employment gaps or frequent job changes.
- Perform background checks. Applicants with criminal records or other issues may not disclose that information, but you need accurate facts for safety and compliance.
- Call references. Contact every reference listed, take notes, and compare what references say to the applicant’s resume and interview answers.
- Ask strong interview questions. Use behavioral and situational questions that get applicants to describe past actions and results rather than leading them to give assumed answers.
Hiring the right people helps your company move forward. In addition to screening and verification, consider insurance and risk-management resources for employers; see Hiring (Insurance) for more information.
If your business operates in a regulated or specialty sector, review industry-specific coverage where relevant, for example Pot Cultivators Insurance.
If you want help applying these checks or reviewing risks with a licensed representative, ask an agent.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common lie on a résumé?
The most common misrepresentations involve education, dates of employment and job responsibilities.
Should I always run a background check?
Background checks are recommended for roles with safety, financial, or regulatory exposure, but follow applicable laws and obtain applicant consent.
How can I verify employment dates and duties?
Call listed employers and references, request employment verification letters, and compare LinkedIn or portfolio details with what the applicant provided.
Are strong interview questions effective at catching lies?
Yes—behavioral and situational questions that ask for specifics and examples are more likely to reveal inconsistencies than generic questions.