7 years ago
February 21, 2017

Job Candidates Are Liars! How Sales Recruiters Can Detect Interview Liars

As a sales recruiter, your main objective is to find the best sales candidates for the available position. Learn how to detect interview liars.

Claire McConnachie Recruiter
Claire McConnachie

Job Candidates Are Liars!

Don’t believe us? A recent research study from the University of Guelph found that a whopping 94% of people admitted to lying during job interviews. This high number of interview liars is confirmed by another study by researchers from the University of Massachusetts that found 81% of people have lied about themselves while talking with employers.

“Of course, there are degrees of lying. OCM/Lee Hecht Harrison of Utah’s CEO, Dave Hilbig, said on the lesser extreme, he has seen cases where someone with four years of experience rounded that up to five. But on the other extreme, there have been many cases in which someone would claim to have a degree or a certification that they never studied,” says Paul Nelson on KSL.com.

Candidates also lie on their resumes. One survey found that 56% of hiring managers have caught a candidate lying on their resume.

Why do so many people lie during the job application process? They want to get ahead and gain any advantage they can over other candidates.

The Good News – Lying Is Becoming More Difficult

There is some good news for companies that are planning to hire sales talent. It is becoming much more difficult to lie on your resume and during job interviews. The internet has created many new ways to check up on candidates you suspect are not being truthful. You can:

  • Check references
  • Request transcripts
  • Call employers
  • Search online

How to Detect Interview Liars

As a sales recruiter, your main objective is to find the best sales candidates for the available position. Liars obviously get in the way of this. Here are some ways to help sales recruiters identify liars during the job interview process:

1. Abnormal eye movement:

If a candidate’s eyes start to shift quickly or their eye movement suddenly changes, then there is a chance they are lying.

2. Providing too much information:

If you ask a basic, straightforward question and get a long winded and detailed answer (or rank), it could be a sign the candidate is trying to convince you of something.

3. Being a repeater:

Liars have a tendency to repeat certain words or phrases – a sign they may not have as much experience as they claim.

4. Listen to your intuition:

Do you get the feeling that a candidate is not being truthful? Go with your gut!

While these signs are not foolproof, they are strong indicators that something is awry and you should pry deeper to see what you can find out.

Get More Advice from Our Sales Recruiters

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Why Your Business Should Prioritize Sales Recruitment


SalesForce Search is a sales recruiting company which specializes in the recruitment and placement of sales professionals. We recruit sales people in every sector of the economy including, software, manufacturing, financial services and medical devices. Find the right sales person for your organization, start your search here.

Claire McConnachie Recruiter

Claire McConnachie

Claire has 4+ years of experience in sales and recruitment. As a Director of Client Services, her main objective is to connect great people to great companies by building strong relationships with both top clients and candidates in the sales industry. She specializes in sales roles of all seniority levels for both enterprise and start-up clients North American wide. When Claire isn't networking with top talent, she enjoys being outdoors, traveling and spending time with friends & family.

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