Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don’t

Honesty is the best policy. Isn’t it? Time and time again, candidates expand the truth on their resumes and hiring managers lead candidates on through the process. But once you get a reputation as a “fibber”, it’s incredibly hard to recover. Reputation is everything and honesty will go a long way in not only building a solid brand with job hunters, but also landing a job.

Do you remember the Disney song, “It’s A Small World”? After All, word will get around. Consider what would happen if companies knew you falsified the experience on your resume. Or if candidates figured out that interviewing with you meant they would never hear back. Worse yet, if they knew they would only get the dreaded, impersonal “We regret to inform you…” letter.

Uncovering this can be a difficult maneuver for even tenured hiring managers and candidates.

Leave no stone unturned. Vague answers require additional explanation. Be prepared to “dig deep” and ask truly difficult questions. For more technical environments, have a technical lead present to ask questions related to the technologies used in the role. Hiring managers should get comfortable asking tough follow up questions about a candidate’s answers.

Interviewees should be prepared to answer questions with great specificity. Rule of thumb, give the interviewer a brief but specific answer to his/her question and check for acceptance. To clarify, tell them what you’ve done, how you’ve done it and where you did it then ask, “Does that answer your question”? Or “Would you like me to elaborate on that”? Remember: Be Brief, Be Bright and Be Specific.

Go with your gut. It’s cliché, yes, but if you’re not comfortable, it’s better to part ways after one interview than to invest in additional interviews and/or onboarding, training and eventually firing an employee. And be honest with under-qualified candidates and poor interviewers. Tell them the truth when the interview concludes or as soon as you determine you’re not going to move forward. Bottom line: it’s the right thing to do.

Candidates, before sending your resume to any prospective employers, be sure to review your resume and do yourself (and the rest of the world) a favor by representing your experience accurately. Don’t add hyperbole to your resume so that you can obtain your dream job. Eventually, someone will realize and you will lose your dream job.

Watch for hesitation. If it takes too long for an interviewee to answer a question, chances are they are formulating a tall tale. Not 100% of the time, so evaluate the response time versus the question. When people have a definite skill set it should not be difficult to recollect specifics about how, when or where they gained said experience. Confident candidates will quickly share details about their experience, but people trying to hide or fabricate details will hesitate at times, ever so slightly, to formulate a story and then answer.

Applicants, before an interview do your homework. Study the company, hiring manager and your experience. “Failing to prepare is preparation for failure” or something like that. Spend time reviewing your resume detailing your experience on paper. Most people don’t take the time to get organized for interviews. Writing out your experience, honestly, in story form will help your recall the necessary information during an interview and will also convey confidence to the manager. And don’t be afraid to bring your notes with you into the interview.

Overall, I get the thought process on both sides, hiring managers don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings and candidates want to get a job with higher pay, progress their careers or get into their dream company. Ultimately, though, honesty is the best policy. Interviewers you’re not doing any favors for candidates by concealing your true thoughts. And candidates, keep in mind, most people will hire people they like over people that are more qualified. Honesty on both sides of the desk will build your reputation and allow you to get what you want the right way.

Happy Hiring and be Honest!