The ultimate goal of candidate evaluation is to determine whether a candidate has the skills required for a role. However, achieving this can be challenging when candidates aren’t honest during interviews, which is a key part of skill evaluation. This could lead to inaccurate job performance predictions and errors in candidate grading. In fact, you could end up with an underqualified hire.
The good news is that while candidates being dishonest during interviews is a significant hiring obstacle, there are several ways to prevent it. But first, you need to understand why this happens and how to spot a lying candidate. Fortunately, that’s what this guide is all about
Why do candidates lie during interviews?
While it might not seem like it, candidates lying during interviews is a more popular occurrence than you might think. A 2023 study by ResumeBuilder found that a whopping 80% of candidates had lied during an interview, and around 44% admitted to doing so frequently.
With how high these numbers are, it’s easy to wonder why candidates actually lie during interviews. Not to worry; we’ve rounded up some of the top reasons below. Let’s get into them.
The need to appear more qualified for the job
Statistically, a single job posting receives around 250 applications. This means that if you go straight into interviewing after the applications stage, you’d be conducting many interviews.
From the candidates’ point of view, this large population means more competition. As such, it brings the need to paint themselves as more qualified for the job than they might actually be. In turn, this leads to exaggeration of achievements, creating false work experiences, and even lying about passion for the role during interviews.
Fear of being rejected if they told the truth
Sometimes, especially with high-volume hiring, the candidate might shift their focus from impressing the recruiter to avoiding disqualification by the next round of evaluation. In this scenario, they might tell lies to cover up why they were let off at a previous role or downplay mistakes they’ve made in their careers.
Essentially, this becomes a defense mechanism, where, rather than risk immediate rejection, they present an error-free version of themselves.
The belief that exaggerating credentials is a common practice
When candidates believe that others are embellishing their experience and getting ahead because of it, it creates a ripple effect where honesty feels like a disadvantage. This mindset fosters a cycle that normalizes exaggeration, making it harder to distinguish genuine talent from those lying in interviews.
In the end, candidates get away with lying during interviews, encouraging others to do the same and propelling the cycle further. If this isn’t curbed quickly, it can become difficult to break the pattern.
Pressure to stand out in a competitive job market
Searching for a job can be brutal, especially in saturated industries with fewer job openings. So, when the stakes are high, such as with a candidate who’s supporting their family or escaping a toxic work environment, there’s pressure to stand out.
As a result of this pressure, combined with the need to be seen and considered, candidates could lie during the interview. While this reason might not always be malicious, the lies that result from it cause errors in hiring.
Assumption that employers won’t verify information
Without a doubt, job postings receive numerous applications, especially for companies hiring into multiple roles or conducting volume hiring. Thus, candidates might assume that recruiters won’t have the time or resources to run a thorough background or reference check on each applicant.
With this belief, candidates find it easier to exaggerate several skills they may possess or even make up work experiences during interviews.
7 telltale signs that a candidate is lying during an interview
Before getting into the signs that a candidate is lying during an interview, you must note that no sign guarantees dishonesty. However, several patterns are strong indicators when combined.
With that said, here are the telltale signs to look out for when trying to spot a candidate lying during an interview:
1. Indirect or vague responses
One common red flag is when a candidate gives an unnecessarily avoidant or vague answer to a straightforward question during the interview. For instance, if you ask them for experience with a particular software and they respond with “I worked in a fast-paced environment where we trained with various tools,” that’s a cue that they might be dodging specifics. This could happen because they don’t really have experience with that tool, but don’t want to come off as underqualified.
According to Dr. Paul Ekman, a renowned psychologist who studies deception, people who lie often distance themselves from the details to avoid slipping up. They may be trying to protect themselves from being caught in a falsehood, so they rely on vague responses instead of concrete examples.
2. Restless or stiff body language
To a large extent, body language is one of the most prominent indicators of lying during an interview. However, it can also be mistaken for interview jitters or nervousness. The distinguishing factor, however, is how the candidates deliver their responses in tune with these gestures.
For example, Pamela Meyer, the author of Liespotting, suggests on a TED Talk that liars often freeze their upper bodies and force eye contact while speaking. In her words, “Liars will shift their blink rate, point their feet toward an exit, and will take barrier objects and put them between themselves and the person that is interviewing them.” Often, these behaviors are there to convince the interviewer that they’re telling the truth.
3. Lengthy pauses before responses
It’s perfectly normal for candidates to pause to think during interviews. But when those pauses feel too long, especially in response to simple questions, it’s a sign they might be manufacturing an answer.
A great example is a situation where you ask the candidate why they no longer work at a previous job. If it takes more than a few seconds to get a response, especially when they claim that they left the job not too long ago, that should raise a red flag.
4. Inconsistency in responses across different interview stages
If your interview comes in more than one stage, either conducted by a single interviewer or different ones, an indicator that a candidate is lying would be inconsistent responses at the different interview stages.
These inconsistencies can range from little details, like changing job titles in an in-person interview, to more prominent discrepancies, like altering the reason for leaving a past role.
5. Overly perfect or exaggerated work history
Although the goal of hiring is to find the perfect fit for a job, every effective candidate should have a history that includes some challenges, especially at the beginning of their careers. As such, while a near-perfect resume might not be a cause for alarm, if the interviewee can’t track a single challenge, obstacle, or mishap throughout their work history, it’s often a sign that they’ve exaggerated some achievements.
You can spot this by asking in-depth questions about how they completed some projects or worked with some teams. While doing this, be sure to look out for difficulties they faced and how they tackled them.
6. Defensiveness when asked for clarification or details
Albert Meribian’s 7-38-55 communication model says 38% of meanings and feelings are reflected by the tone of voice. Practically, this means that if a candidate doesn’t want to talk about a certain work experience or if they’re dodging a question, they get defensive, and it reflects in the tone of their voice.
Typically, honest interviewees welcome the chance to elaborate on past experience and skills they have. On the other hand, dishonest candidates potentially get irritated, defensive, or even offended, even when the question isn’t a trigger.
7. Inconsistent references or work history during verification
Rather than an active indicator of lying during an interview, this sign is more passive and depends on the ability of the interviewer to take notes. Basically, when a candidate lies during an interview, the interviewer notes the information for further crosschecking.
Then, during verification, employment reference checks, or background confirmation, you might find that some of the information doesn’t align with what they claimed during the interview. This can serve as a basis for disqualification or flagging the candidate moving forward.
How to prevent lying during an interview
While it’s not always possible to eliminate dishonesty by candidates, there are some smart steps you can take to reduce it significantly. Ideally, you’d need to build a process that encourages honesty and catches red flags early on. Here are some strategies you can adopt to achieve this:
1. Set an honest and transparent tone from the beginning
The way you open an interview can shape the tone for the rest of the conversation with your interviewee. If you come across as overly formal or rigid, candidates may feel even more pressured to say only what they think you want to hear. But if you approach the conversation in a welcoming manner, acknowledging that no one is perfect and that you value realness over polished words, it can make them more comfortable being honest.
To set the tone right, you can use sentences like, “We’re not expecting perfect answers. We’d rather hear the truth, even if it’s messy,” at the beginning of your interviews. This creates a sense of safety for the candidates and lowers the perceived risk of being candid.
2. Verify resumes and credentials before or right after interviews
If you request that candidates submit their resumes during the application process, you can use tools like Checkr or PeopleFinder to run background checks on candidates before the interview process. This way, you can note specific parts of their work history and ask questions about them to observe for any signs of dishonesty. You can also reach out to the candidate’s former workplace to confirm the claims on their resumes.
After the interviews, you can also cross-check and compare the notes you took during the process and those you took while screening resumes and credentials. This lets you spot any loopholes and identify dishonest candidates before moving to the next candidate evaluation phase.
3. Ask follow-up questions that require specific details
Straightforward questions about a candidate’s work history are excellent for confirming experience. However, they can leave room for vague or rehearsed answers. That’s why follow-up questions are essential. If your candidate says, “I led a successful product launch,” ask them to walk you through how they did it. What were the specific challenges they experienced? What tools did they use, and what metrics did they track to measure success?
When a candidate has real experience, they won’t struggle to explain the “how” behind their claims. But if they’re stretching the truth, you’ll start to notice hesitation, contradictions, or overly vague responses. These deeper questions turn the interview from a show of skills to a real conversation where you get to actually know the candidate better.
4. Use behavioural questions to uncover real experiences
Behavioural questions are a proven way to move beyond surface-level answers and uncover whether a candidate has truly faced and navigated real-world situations. In contrast to hypothetical questions, behavioural questions require candidates to reflect on past actions, which can help you predict future performance.
To get the most value, ask open-ended questions that prompt specific examples. Here are five strong options you can try out:
- Tell me about a time you had to meet a challenging deadline. How did you manage it?
- Describe a situation where you had to deal with a difficult colleague or team conflict.
- Give an example of a time you failed or fell short of a superior’s expectations. What did you learn?
- Tell me about a professional goal you set and how you achieved it.
- Describe a time you had to adapt quickly to a major change at work.
Well-structured behavioural questions help you assess not only skills but also mindset, accountability, and decision-making. Candidates who have done the work tend to answer these questions with clarity and depth, while those exaggerating often remain vague.
5. Incorporate skill assessments or practical tests
Interviews are important, but alone, they can only reveal so much. Skill assessments are crucial to reduce the risk of hiring someone who interviews well but underperforms on the job. They give you a data-driven view of a candidate’s ability to perform core tasks relevant to the role.
Your skill assessment could be as simple as a timed writing task, a sales pitch presentation, a code review, or a product analysis, depending on the role and level. You can also use predesigned skill tests on platforms like Vervoe. These serve as the supporting skill evaluation technique, assessing candidates not just for how well they can answer questions but how well they can do the job. This lets you make more informed hiring decisions and improve your hiring strategy over time.
Note: Want a well-rounded understanding of how to apply skill assessments, among other skill-based recruitment techniques, to your hiring? Our ebook, The Recruiters Guide To Skills-Based Hiring, has all the answers you need. From a comprehensive guide to applying skill-based hiring to expert insights and best practices, we provide everything you need to get it right every time. Download the ebook to begin your journey!
Anti-cheating best practices to ensure a successful hire
Hiring dishonesty, whether it’s in the form of exaggerated credentials, fake experience, or rehearsed answers, can lead to costly mis-hires and reduced team performance. But beyond spotting and preventing lying during your interviews, you must implement consistent best practices to prevent dishonest behavior and cheating in your recruitment. Below are five key strategies that contribute to a cheating-free hiring process:
Use structured interviews with consistent questions
A structured interview is a hiring strategy where each candidate is asked the same set of predetermined questions, aligned with job-specific roles. These interviews follow a set scoring rubric to ensure answers are evaluated objectively across the board. Unlike unstructured interviews, which can be more conversational and vary between candidates, structured interviews aim to standardize the process and reduce variability in assessment.
This approach not only helps minimize hiring bias but also makes it easier to identify discrepancies or rehearsed responses. Combined with behavioral questions and scenario-based questions, it reduces the risk of cheating in your candidate evaluation.
Apply job simulations
A job simulation is a practical assessment where candidates are asked to complete tasks or solve problems that closely reflect the responsibilities of the role they’re applying for. These simulations can take various forms, such as case studies, technical exercises, role-playing scenarios, or timed tasks. The goal is to observe how a candidate performs in a real-world context rather than just relying on what they say they can do.
Since job simulations focus on actual performance, they’re difficult to fake. They shift the evaluation from verbal claims to practical methods that demonstrate ability, allowing hiring teams to see whether a candidate’s skills match what’s listed on their resume. This method is especially valuable in filtering out candidates who may have exaggerated their experience during interviews, ensuring your hiring decision is well-informed and uninfluenced by dishonesty.
Involve multiple interviews to spot inconsistencies
Conducting multiple interview sessions means engaging candidates in more than one round of discussions across different days and handled by different stakeholders in the hiring process. These interviews may focus on different aspects of the role, such as technical skills, cultural fit, or problem-solving ability, and give the candidate multiple opportunities to explain their background and experience.
The benefit of this layered approach is that it allows you to cross-check a candidate’s responses over time. Inconsistencies in timelines, role descriptions, or key achievements tend to surface when you ask the candidates similar questions in different contexts. While executing this, each interviewer can share the notes from the interview conducted earlier with the next. This serves as the foundation for a new interview stage and a baseline for cross-checking the responses.
Employ an assessment tool to verify skills
With pre-employment assessment software, you can evaluate a candidate’s knowledge, technical skills, cognitive abilities, or personality traits relevant to a specific role. Fundamentally, these tools provide an objective platform to measure and compare candidates based on their overall job fit. Examples include the Content Writer assessment, Social Media Manager test, and Administrative Manager test.
If you’re not sure where to start looking, Vervoe’s assessments might just be what you need. Aside from basic questions and general grading techniques, our platform offers realistic job previews and personalized grading. This tests and scores each candidate based on your company’s standards and needs. Combined with the numerous anti-cheating features Vervoe offers, you can reduce dishonesty in your candidate assessment without needing extra resources or effort.
How Vervoe’s anti-cheating features ensure recruitment integrity
Vervoe’s anti-cheating features are a leading solution for preventing cheating in candidate evaluation. Beyond basic proctoring, which does little to prevent cheating yet increases candidate drop-off rates, we opt for less invasive but more reliable methods for this. Here’s how it works:
- Immersive question types and simulations: Vervoe uses questions based on real-world tasks related to the role. This makes it increasingly difficult for candidates to fake answers using ChatGPT or memorized responses.
- Plagiarism detection: Our assessment system flags similar or AI-generated responses across candidates, displaying them on the select list and candidate report card. Plus, it works across websites and mobile devices, making it impossible for candidates to bypass.
- Geolocation tracking: This feature detects if assessments are taken from multiple locations. If the locations and timestamps are different, the system flags the candidate for you to review.
- Question randomization: This feature lets you mix up the questions in an assessment or even the options in a question for each candidate. This reduces the risk of sharing content between candidates or preparing rehearsed answers.
- Copy-paste blocking: With Vervoe assessments, candidates cannot copy and paste answers from external sources into the response fields. This prevents sourcing or submitting answers from AI tools or third-party websites.
- Video/audio response validation: While Vervoe doesn’t support video proctoring, our platform supports video and audio-response questions. This lets recruiters hear/see candidates respond in real time, making it harder to fabricate answers.
- Timers: Vervoe supports custom timers for both questions and entire assessments. This puts a time constraint on candidates’ responses.
- Multiple attempt prevention: Vervoe’s assessment system detects if a candidate is trying to register for another attempt and prevents them from logging in.
Overall, Vervoe’s anti-cheating measures make it possible to reduce dishonesty without infringing on the candidate’s privacy while maintaining comprehensiveness.
Make your hiring cheat-proof with Vervoe
Modern recruitment is more than just finding the right candidate. It involves taking measures to ensure the “right” candidate actually has the skills they claim to have. To do this, you need integrity throughout your hiring. However, this might be challenging to achieve with candidates lying during interviews.
Luckily, Vervoe offers an amazing solution to this problem: anti-cheating features. These, integrated with other best practices to prevent lying during interviews, can help your recruitment become more transparent. Ultimately, this leads to better hiring decisions and effective hires.
So, what are you waiting for? Register for a free demo today, and let’s show you how to make your hiring cheat-proof.
