Let’s be honest. About honesty.
We often say we want hiring transparency … throughout the entire hiring process! To align with our promoted cultures where people can “bring their whole selves to work,” and our CEOs “tell it like it is,” we like to think we can incorporate these same vibes into our hiring process. “We’ll be authentic and encourage our hiring managers to have ‘real’ conversations!”
We are completely delusional.
More often than not, what we get is something closer to a stage play – polished lines, rehearsed gestures, and a shared willingness to suspend disbelief for just long enough to make the offer (or take the job).
It’s corporate commedia dell’arte. Everyone (the recruiter, the hiring manager, the hopeful candidate) plays a well-defined character/persona/role. We’re not always sure of our lines, but we know the beats of the performance. And yes, there’s a bit of improvisation.
And a whole lot of fibbing.
Lies Recruiters Tell (Yes, Even the “Good” Ones)
It’s not always malicious – but it is performative. Recruiters/HR folks fudge the truth for all kinds of reasons: to keep the process moving, to sell the role, to avoid awkward conversations.
Common hits include:
- “We anticipate paying at the higher end of the posted salary range.” (Highly doubtful, this hiring manager brings everyone in at the minimum).
- “We’ll keep you in mind for other positions.” (No we won’t. Once we’re done with this interview, I will never think about you again.)
- “Our culture is collaborative, innovative, and empowering.” (It’s chaotic, under-resourced, and the boss is an a-hole.)
Recruiters aren’t trying to be villains. But when they’re caught between the candidate and an unmovable hiring manager, the temptation to “edit for clarity” is real.
But candidates aren’t innocent either.
Lies Candidates Tell (and Why They Make Sense)
Candidates are performing too. Sometimes out of desperation. Sometimes out of strategy. Sometimes because they’ve been coached to “spin” rather than disclose. They like to give us:
- Inflated job titles or responsibilities
- Fuzzy explanations for leaving a previous role
- “I’m looking for a new challenge.” (Translation: “My last job broke me.”)
- “I’m very aligned with your values and mission!” (“Frankly, I just need a paycheck.”)
No one, really, is shocked by ANY of this. A resume is a marketing document. A recruiter pitch is too. The idea that either side is being 100% transparent from the jump? That’s… naive.
So, How Do We Fix It?
A trust issue won’t be solved by another tool or a new ATS plugin. It gets better when we start acting like adults who understand that work is unscripted, humans are complicated, and not everything needs to be polished to perfection to be worthwhile.
We fix it when we decide it’s time to stop playing “acting” as if we’re in the local community theatre’s production of “The Importance of Being Earnest.”
Start with this: tell the truth. As a recruiter, make it a personal vow. Be honest about comp ranges, hiring timelines, the boss’s communication style, and whether or not there’s a chance of hybrid work (or not). If your company is mid-chaos but making progress? Say that. People can handle more than we give them credit for.
And on the candidate side? Don’t over rehearse; be yourself. And ask better questions. Don’t just ask the hiring manager “Tell me about the culture,” but instead ask “Everyone experiences frustrations at work – what are the top three frustrations your team deals with regularly?” That one reveals a lot – and can nudge the conversation into something real.
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Honesty in hiring can happen when we go beyond what’s listed on a resume – or in a job posting. Just as both sides need to do some vetting and dig deep to uncover the truth, they also need to take responsibility for telling it.
Employers should use thoughtful, fair, and compliant tools and assessments to understand how someone thinks, adapts, solves problems, and works with others. And candidates? They need to move past vague culture claims and probe for answers about how the team communicates, where past hires have stumbled, and what actually gets rewarded day to day.
Hiring is human. And when both sides are willing to show up a little less rehearsed, we may get closer to something that feels like true alignment. Better hiring is built on trust, clarity, and the willingness to get a little honest before anyone signs on the dotted line.
And that? Worth way more than a well-rehearsed pitch-perfect answer.
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