Lying Is Losing

lies

Image: False Kiva by John Fowler (CC BY-2.0)

Whether you’re recruiting or hiring directly, one of the worst things you can do is lie when interviewing the candidate. It may seem like something obvious to avoid but it happens.

For example:

During the interview you assess that the candidate is awesome at what they do and possess the exact skills you are looking for. Then the candidate asks you if the management style is less hands on because they work better in that kind of environment. Management is actually very hands on but because you don’t want to lose this candidate you lie, assure them it isn't so and they take the job.

There are tons of example situations, the one above isn’t obviously exclusive and there are many reasons that lying to a candidate is a bad plan.

Lying Leads Nowhere Good

1. Starting off any relationship with a lie is bad news. It can, and probably will, lead to many problems down the road.

2. Being smart with your money will help your business succeed. The candidate will eventually realize they were lied to and may quickly quit and you’ll need to fill their place. That takes more time and money.

3. They may realize they were lied to and stick around for a while. If they do, they could be bitter and resent the company which won’t reflect well in their work or communication with internal and external contacts.

4. As you probably know, there are public sites that employees, current and past, can submit reviews of your company to. If negative reviews start showing up out there about your company, it will strongly deter candidates from pursuing working with you. You could lose out on perfect candidates because of this.

Lying is Losing

Lying is a losing situation for all parties involved. Even simple lies to make a job seem like a better fit for a candidate can lead to issues down the road. It’s best just to be honest so you can make sure that the new hire is a great fit that will last for possibly years to come.