What colour lies do you tell when hiring?

Everyone lies – white lies, grey lies, colourless lies, red and true-blue lies. I have told some of these lies and I am sure you have too. All these various types of lies are defined in the book Blindspot by Mahzarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald. There is a reason and purpose behind all lies. We might lie to protect ourselves or to protect the feelings of others. Sometimes we tell lies to ourselves – these are considered ‘colourless’ lies because we don’t even know they aren’t true. The lies we tell others, and ourselves, shape our self-image.

Common lies include the lie a parent tells themselves when they are babying their child because ‘they just can’t do it themselves’ when in fact  the parent just wants to feel needed. This is similar to the lie managers tell themselves when they micromanage – that they are ‘just helping to develop their team’. In reality, they may just be scared to develop themselves in ways that might stretch and challenge them, and are instead of focusing on their staff’s work.

When it comes to career and the hiring and job search process there are lies everywhere, and they happen on both sides of the fence.

As a jobseeker we might lie about our previous salary or why we left our last job. (Was it really as mutual as we claim?) We might lie about our achievements and we might choose not to tell the recruiter or potential new boss what a dill our last boss was. After all, no one wants to sound ungrateful or difficult.

As an employer and manager, you might lie about culture, management or opportunities for internal promotion. (It might technically be possible but only three people in the last six years have actually been promoted, so it’s hardly probable.)

Now is a difficult time for everyone – businesses and individuals – and we all need to promote ourselves in the best light. As an employer you need to have the best people to navigate the complexities of rebuilding over the coming months and years. As an individual you need to ensure you position yourself in the best light to get that new job, keep your current job or land the promotion.

Hiring the wrong person has been estimated to cost employers three times the employee’s annual salary, and for the employee being in the wrong job can be a miserable experience. So, how do you separate the lies from the truth to ensure you get the right person for the job or find a workplace that’s right for you?

As an employer, ask yourself:

• How well trained are your interviewers? Do they have the skills and techniques to not only understand the candidate’s technical skills but also their attributes and values?
• Who have these people been recommended or referred by? Are these credible sources?
• Are you meeting the best and right people in the market or only the people who are available now?
• How robust is your talent attraction process?

As an individual, ask yourself:

• How much research have you done on the organisation? Is it really the right organisation for you?
• Who do you know who can give you honest feedback?
• Do you know your CV and are you prepared? If you don’t know the details of your career work history you may look like you are lying when you are really just unprepared. Don’t let not being across the details keep you from your ideal role.
• Am I telling the whole truth? Always tell the truth – it will eventually come out anyway. But tell your story the way you want it told.

If you would like further information regarding how to find the best talent in the market during this challenging time please contact John Davies directly for a free consultation regarding recruitment best practices.