Job seekers often embellish their resumes to present themselves in the best light, highlighting unique skills and experiences. Some intentionally lie about their abilities, while others omit or downplay certain details.
However, experienced recruiters know all the tricks and have methods to verify the accuracy of the information provided. Here’s a guide from AdmiGram.com on what HR experts do the moment they receive your resume and how they detect lies.
How HR experts identify lies in your resume
Verifying Professional Skills and Work Experience
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The Professional Skills section is one of the most commonly embellished parts of a resume. Candidates often exaggerate their computer proficiency or foreign language skills, only to reveal basic knowledge gained in school. Others might claim responsibilities, skills, or even positions they never held, or misrepresent brief theoretical courses as advanced professional training.
Experienced recruiters quickly cross-reference this with the Work Experience section. If you present yourself as a “superhero” in your skills, your work experience and projects should reflect the same level of expertise. If your Work Experience section lacks significant achievements or appears mediocre, your resume may end up in the trash.
Conducting an online fact-check
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The next step involves verifying your activity on social media and checking educational credentials. Within minutes, diligent HR professionals can confirm whether the education listed in your resume is accurate by using specialized diploma verification platforms.
Recruiters then review your profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter). A few questions to your connections can reveal insights into your relationships with colleagues, your professionalism, and your performance in previous roles. The depth of this investigation depends on the recruiter’s thoroughness, creativity, and your connections’ willingness to share the truth about you.
Checking references
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One of the simplest ways HR specialists gather information about you is by contacting colleagues from your previous workplaces — not necessarily the ones you listed as references. Random former coworkers can provide confirmation (or contradiction) of your experience and offer a brief character assessment.
These informal insights help recruiters build a composite image of you, which could either raise red flags or encourage them to continue the hiring process. Formal recommendation letters are typically viewed as a formality and are rarely relied upon directly by recruiters.
Using psychological techniques
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Online interviews have become a standard step before an in-person meeting. If you manage to deceive a recruiter at the resume stage, the truth often surfaces during live conversations.
A common psychological tactic involves asking clarifying or repetitive questions during the interview. If the recruiter suspects you’ve overstated your skills, they might bring in a subject-matter expert to probe deeper into technical topics. This approach often reveals inconsistencies.
Final evaluation
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Even a diploma from a prestigious university doesn’t guarantee your knowledge or practical skills. If you’ve been invited to a final interview, prepare for a comprehensive evaluation. The larger the company or the more competitive the role, the more people will be involved in the interview process.
For example, an entry-level specialist might be interviewed by 3–4 people, while a mid-level manager could face 5–6 interviewers. Each person will ask questions about your professional expertise and other relevant topics. If your resume claims you’re a “superhero” but you can’t answer at least 80% of the questions correctly, it’s like failing an exam — with no chance for a retake.
image on top: The Jopwell Collection / Unsplash
