44 replies to this topic

[Yung]

Everyone, research has demonstrated that as many as two-thirds of all job candidates lie on their job applications. Others engage in deception during the interview with an employer. Beyond the ethical problems of lying to others, what happens when you are asked to follow up on the information you lied about, once you are in the job? How far, if at all, might you be willing to stretch the truth to get a job? How might you react if you hired someone and later found out that the individual misled you in the interview?

[Sweeney]

Everyone, research has demonstrated that as many as two-thirds of all job candidates lie on their job applications.

Source?

Others engage in deception during the interview with an employer. Beyond the ethical problems of lying to others, what happens when you are asked to follow up on the information you lied about, once you are in the job? How far, if at all, might you be willing to stretch the truth to get a job?

I don't understand how you expect anyone to answer this question.
How can I say "how far I'm willing to stretch the truth"?

How might you react if you hired someone and later found out that the individual misled you in the interview?

I'd fire them.

[NapisaurusRex]

Everyone, research has demonstrated that as many as two-thirds of all job candidates lie on their job applications. Others engage in deception during the interview with an employer. Beyond the ethical problems of lying to others, what happens when you are asked to follow up on the information you lied about, once you are in the job? How far, if at all, might you be willing to stretch the truth to get a job? How might you react if you hired someone and later found out that the individual misled you in the interview?

I don't know what usually happens, but I know what happened to me.

I was working at Subway outside of a military base. I had already worked there for almost a year. I had started at min wage gotten a 10 cent raise the whole year. (This was in 2006) I loved working there, but I didn't feel like I was adequately compensated for the work I was doing. My manager scheduled me to work Friday night with two people who were having their very first day. I called her and told her I didn't feel like I was appropriately experienced to handle training two new people by myself. I'd never done it. She told me I would figure it out and if I screwed it up too bad, she would let them go and hire different people. The night got worse and worse, and busier. I called her again an hour later and said we were too busy and needed help. She hung up on me. I waited around thirty more minutes, then called her again. I told her I left the key to the store on top of the freezer and her new people were there by themselves. I walked out. A few weeks later, I was hired at a competing sandwich place nearby. I had told them that I quit to go back to school, but wasn't able to find the funding and needed to be able to walk to work. They hired me. They found out I lied about six months later, when the owner of Subway came to get a sandwich and recognized me. I apologized to my manager and explained the situation. He asked me what I had learned and what I was going to do about it. Blah blah blah. I worked there for another 7 months. I think that if I hadn't been there so long already, he would have fired me.

I don't stretch the truth at all anymore, but I have the resume and experience now to get a job without it. If I hired someone and later found out I was misled, I would confront them about it, see why they lied, and depending on their work while they were employed with me, put them on probation.

[Yung]

Source?

According to this source it is actually 4/5th of applicants who lie on their resumes.

Lie at the Job Interview - Fake Resume

I don't understand how you expect anyone to answer this question.
How can I say "how far I'm willing to stretch the truth"?

Easily.

Example: "I would be willing to stretch the truth far enough to make me look good but not far enough to put anyone at risk."

In other words, I wouldn't put down that I am a seasoned Crane operator if the closest I ever came to using a crane was a Tonka toy.

Saying, "I have the two and a half years of customer service experience you are looking for."

When in reality I only have six months would be a stretch of the truth that, potentially, will hurt no one but myself if the potential employer finds out differently in the future.

[Bone]

According to this source it is actually 4/5th of applicants who lie on their resumes.

Lie at the Job Interview - Fake Resume

According to this source, we are all under the control of a secret race of Reptilian overlords.


The fact that you have a source doesn't make it reputable. Especially when the site is trying to sell you something.

[Sweeney]

According to this source it is actually 4/5th of applicants who lie on their resumes.

Lie at the Job Interview - Fake Resume

What!?
That's a website trying to sell a product that actively promotes lying to get what you want.
That's not a source, it's a joke.

Easily.

Example: "I would be willing to stretch the truth far enough to make me look good but not far enough to put anyone at risk."

In other words, I wouldn't put down that I am a seasoned Crane operator if the closest I ever came to using a crane was a Tonka toy.

Saying, "I have the two and a half years of customer service experience you are looking for."

When in reality I only have six months would be a stretch of the truth that, potentially, will hurt no one but myself if the potential employer finds out differently in the future.

Right... and where does the debate come in to that?
Obviously not lying at all is the most moral angle, lying safely is the most defensible, and lying indiscriminately is abhorrent.

[Bone]

Saying, "I have the two and a half years of customer service experience you are looking for."

When in reality I only have six months would be a stretch of the truth that, potentially, will hurt no one but myself if the potential employer finds out differently in the future.

How selfish. If you removed your head from your rectum, you'd realize you'd be hurting the employer and the legitimately qualified candidates for the job.

[luvsmyncis]

I never lie. It's juvenile, plus, I have nothing to hide. If I make a mistake, I own up to it.
The little lies you made to make yourself sound good there in your example will just bite you in the ass when all your new co-workers can see how fucking useless you are. No offense.  

[Yung]

I am working on gathering different sources so just chill out before you start trolling. Geeze.

The CV Detectives - BBC News

This source reports 25% of applicants lied.

[Sweeney]

I am working on gathering different sources so just chill out before you start trolling. Geeze.
The CV Detectives - BBC News
This source reports 25% of applicants lied.

Asking for legitimate sources to back up your arguments is trolling?
Fuck me. We're doomed.

And 25% is pretty far off 66%.

[Yung]

Before you guys start bashing me for making an example take note of the fact that it is only an example. Not once did I say, "Here is what I say," or "When I lie this is how I do it." No, I gave an example to show how that question could be answered.

[Sweeney]

Before you guys start bashing me for making an example take note of the fact that it is only an example. Not once did I say, "Here is what I say," or "When I lie this is how I do it." No, I gave an example to show how that question could be answered.

Continuing an example, metaphor or simile across several lines of a poem is called a conceit.
Doing the same across several replies could well be called the same.
Answering an example directly is a common rhetorical device. It's not bashing you.

Although, admittedly, I don't think the rectum comment was called for. In this thread, at least.

[Yung]

Asking for legitimase sources to back up your arguments is trolling?
Fuck me. We're doomed.

And 25% is pretty far off 66%.

Not you Bone.

I am looking for other sources. The question itself was one my Professor posted, I thought based on the debate that my own classmates were having that it would pose a potentially substantial debate here. My Professor did not provide a reference and I have requested one. Maybe instead of jumping my back about the fact that 25% is pretty far off from 66% you could look and see if you can find a source supporting Professor Hansen's statement?

If I find any more credible sources I will be sure to post them to better support my Professor as I like to believe that they have at least the common sense to avoid saying something like that without having a point of reference to back that in which they are saying.

[NapisaurusRex]

I'd fire them.

Would you fire them no matter what they lied about? Or are there just certain things that are fire-able offenses?

I worked with a homeless guy before who put a fake address on his application. My boss found out and decided he needed the job more than not, and decided not to do anything about it.

[Sweeney]

Maybe instead of jumping my back about the fact that 25% is pretty far off from 66% you could look and see if you can find a source supporting Professor Hansen's statement?

Why on Earth would I spend my time doing your work for you?

If I find any more credible sources I will be sure to post them to better support my Professor as I like to believe that they have at least the common sense to avoid saying something like that without having a point of reference to back that in which they are saying.

If I didn't know better, I'd think you were attempting to make a thinly veiled appeal to authority.

[luvsmyncis]

Before you guys start bashing me for making an example take note of the fact that it is only an example. Not once did I say, "Here is what I say," or "When I lie this is how I do it." No, I gave an example to show how that question could be answered.

Well, don't take it personal, then. But anyone who builds themselves up so magnificently arouses suspicion in my eyes.

We got an email a few weeks ago from a technician who is going to night school and wants to work only mornings. The whole email was about how magnificent he is, and that if we don't want a clean, neat, tightly run pharmacy, we shouldn't give him a call. I deleted it right away. First of all, the grammar was horrible and... fuck you asshole, no one gets to work all mornings. Secondly, he probably sucks, and that's why his home store doesn't want to give him hours anymore.

I do an amazing job at work. I am always kind to the customers, I get an astounding amount of work done, and go out of my way to clean up after everyone. It makes me miserable, because I'm exhausted, but I'm proud of my work ethic. If I'm going to tell someone I have had 7 years experience in customer service, I'm telling them the truth. I would never tell anyone I'm cheerful and optimistic, because those are expectations I am giving them that I will never live up to. It's a huge mistake to mislead people, even if you think it's just a little stretch. Look at your girlfriend's example. I'm sure the people who now know about her lie don't trust her like they used to.

I don't even care about the statistics. If 2/3 people lie in job interviews, I don't care because honestly, all people are pieces of shit. You just have to try to hire the ones you can tolerate.

[Bone]

Would you fire them no matter what they lied about? Or are there just certain things that are fire-able offenses?

I worked with a homeless guy before who put a fake address on his application. My boss found out and decided he needed the job more than not, and decided not to do anything about it.

Why didn't he just admit he was was homeless? Being in an unfortunate situation doesn't justify needlessly lying to get out of it.

[Yung]

If I didn't know better, I'd think you were attempting to make a thinly veiled appeal to authority.

Good thing you know better.

[Sweeney]

Would you fire them no matter what they lied about?

Why not? They lied once, they'll do it again.
Obviously, it's a case by case basis. I can imagine some situation where I wouldn't, but I don't see the point in listing off random examples.

[NapisaurusRex]

Why didn't he just admit he was was homeless? Being in an unfortunate situation doesn't justify needlessly lying to get out of it.

I don't know what it's like everywhere, but you weren't able to get a check without an address. He had to have one to be able to get paid. So he made one up.

[luvsmyncis]

Why didn't he just admit he was was homeless? Being in an unfortunate situation doesn't justify needlessly lying to get out of it.

Uh, would you hire someone who puts "Oh, here and there" in the "Home Address" space?

[Sweeney]

Uh, would you hire someone who puts "Oh, here and there" in the "Home Address" space?

What difference would it make between "guy with the best CV for the job and a house" and "guy with the best CV for the job and no house"?
Especially considering the boss allowed him to keep the job once he found out? Sounds like he'd have gotten the job by being honest to me...

[NapisaurusRex]

It's a huge mistake to mislead people, even if you think it's just a little stretch. Look at your girlfriend's example. I'm sure the people who now know about her lie don't trust her like they used to.

It's just a part of life. Trust comes and goes with everyone. I believe that it is something that can be earned again, even after being damaged.

[Bone]

Uh, would you hire someone who puts "Oh, here and there" in the "Home Address" space?

I'm saying he could have used the institutions that are in place to reach a situation where he could apply to a job without lying. In any case, if they only mail checks like Napiform said, putting down a random address wouldn't have gotten him anywhere.

[luvsmyncis]

What difference would it make between "guy with the best CV for the job and a house" and "guy with the best CV for the job and no house"?

The smell. Good lord, the smell.