Hiring new employees can be a difficult process. Complicating factors is that many applicants “fib” on their resumes in an attempt to make themselves seem more qualified than they may actually be. While hooking your interviewees up to a lie detector is still frowned upon, there are other ways that you can detect whether an employee is being dishonest about their qualifications. Here are some suggestions to help you get to the truth:
If someone’s resume claims that they have experience with a particular process or program, ask them questions about it, such as what they like or dislike about it, what changes they would make, etc. By asking open-ended questions, you can get a sense for what the applicant actually knows and what he or she may be simply claiming. Allowing the employee to speak without simply giving yes or no answers is also a good way to gauge his personality and problem-solving skills.
You should never make an interview feel like an interrogation. By keeping your cool, you will be less likely to create a confrontational atmosphere. You may think that someone is lying to you by the way that he or she is acting, but in reality he or she could just be nervous. If you keep things light and jovial, you are more likely to get an accurate reading on that person’s reactions and, therefore, their honesty.
An interview script can help you to ask questions the way that you want to. Wording can be important when it comes to rooting out the truth. If you leave yourself open to improvisation, then you may not say what you actually want to in the heat of the moment. And with a script, you also won’t leave anything out that later would have wish you’d addressed. This can be especially important when it comes to asking about lapses in work schedules or information that appears to be contradictory.
Simple exaggeration on resumes can be quite common. But by clarifying and focusing on the information contained in an application, you can help yourself to get to the truth when it comes to an applicant’s skills and qualifications, which will lead to more informed hiring decisions.
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