During a job search, candidates want to put their best foot forward. For some, this may leave them feeling that they should skew a few details about their skills, experience, work history, or past. However, a lack of honesty during a job search can often backfire.
If you’re wondering why honesty is essential during a job search, here are a few reasons why being forthright is vital.
Hiring Managers Know How to Get to the Truth
Generally, hiring managers and employers are adept at spotting lies. In some cases, experience alone lets them identify falsehoods or exaggerations on a resume. In others, they know what questions to ask to accurately gauge a candidate’s capabilities. Either way, the hiring manager will likely figure out relatively quickly if you’re not telling the truth.
Once a hiring manager discovers a candidate is being dishonest, one action is almost guaranteed. Since that’s a major breach of trust, they’ll typically take the candidate’s application and immediately shift it to the discard pile.
Screening Processes Also Catch Lies
Even if the hiring manager doesn’t notice a falsehood, many of the screening processes that are common when assessing candidates will reveal the truth. Reference checks can let the hiring manager know if a job seeker exaggerated their skills, misrepresented their roles in achievements, or lied about why they left a job. Education background checks will let the hiring manager know if a candidate lied about a degree, license, or another credential.
With criminal background checks, employers will find out if a candidate lied about a conviction, too. Even if the company is open to hiring a person with a conviction, the dishonesty can mean the job seeker misses out on the opportunity. It’s the lie – not the conviction – that works against the candidate, which is why honesty is essential.
Job Performance Will Reveal the Truth
Even if the falsehood isn’t identified during the interview and screening process, issues still arise. Once a candidate is hired, the hiring manager will monitor their performance. As a result, they’ll quickly discover if a new hire exaggerated their capabilities.
Essentially, the lie could lead a job seeker to get a position that isn’t a genuine fit for their capabilities. Once that’s determined, the new hire might face termination.
By being honest, two things can occur. First, your odds of landing a job where you’d genuinely be in over your head go down. Second, it allows the hiring manager to make decisions if they feel you have potential. For example, they might explore training options if they believe you could become the ideal candidate with the proper support.
However, even if training would have been an option, the lie alters how you’re perceived. It’s a significant breach of trust, one large enough that a hiring manager may feel that termination is the better choice.
Ultimately, honesty in a job search is essential, as it ensures that you won’t face consequences relating to lying. If you’d like to learn more about how to position yourself as a standout candidate while remaining honest, the team at GSG Talent Solutions wants to hear from you. Contact us today.