HR Outcomes

Getting To The Truth: How To Get Candidates To Get Real, Rather Than Give Canned Response

Learn how to read between the lines and come to our own conclusions

When Burt Francis was interviewing with our firm, he was surprised by  the blunt statements from our President Ken Kanara. “Sorry, but that  sounds like a canned response. What do you really think?” They both had a  good laugh before Ken explained “Look, I want to make sure we are both a  good fit for each other. I don’t think that’s really possible unless we  have a truly open conversation.” 

Too often, hiring managers receive canned responses from candidates.  After all, interviews often feel stressful, and it can simply feel  easier to fall back on a safe, prepared answer. But when evaluating  someone’s fit for a role, getting to the truth is invaluable, which is  why over the years we have worked hard to understand the ‘why’ behind  candidates keeping the truth to themselves, and a few techniques on how  to encourage a candid conversation.  

Are Most Candidates for Senior Roles Lying to You? 

Unfortunately, most of us have  experienced candidates who seemed to say all the right things, only to  then be a very different person once landing the job. As a result, many  of us now struggle to trust what we hear, and try to read between the  lines and come to our own conclusions.

As a general rule, we find that most organizations overestimate the risk  of dishonesty. 

Model the Behavior You Want to See

Hiring managers often express concern  that candidates are not forthcoming in interviews. Ironically,  candidates express similar concerns about hiring managers. Let’s face  it, many people find interviews strange and uncomfortable. 

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