Inbox : Who’s lying now?

A third of job candidates exaggerate in interviews, 10 percent lie about their past salary, and 17 percent stretch the truth about their experience in interviews.
But employers can be equally dishonest about what the job is, says Joe Ungemah, recruitment company SHL’s director of professional services, Australia and New Zealand.
They often promise advancements, seniority and an environment that never eventuate.
The company followed up people who had been for an interview within the past two years and found widespread misrepresentation on both sides – and figures show it may be on the rise.
Additional research by SHL in New Zealand found that seven percent of HR professionals admitted that they themselves exaggerated their own education or skill to get job.
Further investigation showed employers do not always treat candidates with professionalism or reveal all aspects of the opportunity:
• 74% of candidates reported negative interview experiences.
• 44% were not notified of the hiring outcome.
• 27% believed the job fell short of interview promises.
• 44% were asked to do jobs outside of the job description.
• 33% experienced poorer environment than expected.
Not only that, but negative interview experiences can lead to resentment and lose companies customers. Previous research by SHL has found that nearly half of candidates have negative view of the organisation following an unsuccessful application.
The top areas where disillusionment occurs for those that are hired (from Talent Drain, 2008) involve lack of promotion opportunities, lack of training and development opportunities, and poor relationships with supervisors or managers.
“Research from clinical and organisational psychology emphasises that negative experiences are hard to overcome,” says Ungemah. “In fact, magic ratio exists that an employee would have to experience five positive interactions to counteract the harm done for every one negative interaction.”
He says starting off on the right foot with new employee is crucial to ensuring strong psychological contract. “You can establish and maintain trust by having clarity about what will be provided and making the new hire clear about their obligations.”