“Warning interviewees was found to decrease faking behavior, and perceived capacity to fake without negatively impacting applicant reactions”
Choosing candidates with high job fit is an important objective of the employment interview. Interview faking, which can include anything from omitting bad past experiences to inventing job experiences, can compromise this process, potentially leading to costly hiring decisions. This can be especially problematic since interviewers often have a hard time detecting faking. In this study, we investigated the personal and situational factors that make candidates more likely to engage in faking behavior and tested a potential intervention for reducing such behavior. In terms of the process of faking, we found that it is mediated by both willingness and capacity. Notably, those lower on honesty-humility were more willing to fake, and engaged in more faking behaviors. We also found that warning interviewees that dishonest responses can be detected by interviewers decreased faking behavior and perceived capacity to fake without adversely impacting applicant reactions. Thus, warnings may be used as a low-cost method to reduce applicant faking during employment interviews.
Summary of Law, S. J., Bourdage, J. S., & O’Neill, T. A. (2016). To fake or not to fake: Antecedents to interview faking, warning instructions, and its impact on applicant reactions. Frontiers in Psychology Special issue: Impression management and faking in interviews.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01771.
