In the June newsletter, we talked a bit about sniffing out honesty in applicants. But, Chandra Kill, CEO and author of the piece, is a licensed private investigator and the mother of six–if anyone has a built-in truth barometer, it’s her. So, how can the rest of us use the basic guidelines and still find the truth?
Firstly, practice your small talk. While experienced interviewers can sit down and begin chatting about the weather, searching for a baseline, novices may need to have some conversation fodder at the ready so they can more easily focus on the candidate. For both experienced interviewers and novices, a baseline can be found in about 5 minutes if the focus is on the candidate.
Secondly, the tips are all based on a one-on-one interview. Many positions now require group interviews throughout the process. You can still use the same techniques for finding the truth if the team works together. If you devote the first few moments of the interview to small talk, the interviewers can be searching for the baseline. Once a baseline is found, the lead interviewer can make an agreed-upon signal to the team to move into the next stage of the interview. For introverts or novice interviewers, this approach may be easier because someone else can make small talk while he or she looks for the baseline.
Looking for more on the psychology of hiring? Read…
Where does the truth lie? Gestures and honesty in hiring.
Assessing the candidate: Integrity
Assessing the candidate: Honesty