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One of my favorite sayings about the recruiting industry is: “How amazing it is that only two people don’t tell me the truth.”  Of course, the answer is quite inclusive — my candidates and my clients are the two “people”.  Yes, it is facetious but also has validity and truth to it.

Googling “not telling the truth in business” yields some amazing truths about the lies.

• The Truth is, the Truth Hurts
• Why We Don’t Always Tell the Truth
• Signs Someone Isn’t Telling You the Truth

Some business “lying” falls in the category of “white lies” and sometimes recruiters may do this to protect others and themselves. When someone sends a poorly formatted resume and you think, “it stinks” you’re probably going to sugarcoat it and suggest some changes.

When a good client that you have had success with, throws a really crappy job order your way; do you take it even though you do not intend to work on it?  This may not be a lie, but it is deceptive.

When a candidate bombs an interview do companies give them this feedback?  No, because they are fearful of litigation and push-back. Instead, companies will say the individual is not a “cultural” fit or they identified someone stronger, whether that is true or not.

The truth is important and when you suspect that you are not being told the truth, you should diplomatically acknowledge this occurs in business and reference the above links. This may put your “liar” at ease by acknowledging the practice. Then you should state your case for wanting and/or needing truthful information. You may find that you only get a partial truth from the reluctant confessor, but at least you have exhibited your integrity.  Any acknowledgment may be a great opportunity to win a client or candidates’ respect and trust moving forward.

Written by: Mark Rowbottom, President of Recruiters of Wisconsin