Who are you hiring? UTSA researcher looks at lying and likability
(June 4, 2015) -- For the every day employment-seeker, a job interview can be terrifying. But who knew that the people doing the hiring also have something to fear?
Robert Cardy, Chair of the Department of Management at the UTSA College of Business, is looking into the increasing instances of lying in job applications. And that's not all—Cardy wants to know why people do it, and how they get away with it.
"It just seems there's more falsification going on, more applicants that misrepresent themselves," he said.
Cardy wanted to know how employers dealt with applicants lying on small things, like strengths and weaknesses, and how they faced bigger lies such as degrees and experience.
"How do you respond to someone misrepresenting information?" he said. "You could dismiss it, say it's embellishment, which employers expect to some extent. On a job application there's this unstated expectation that information should be counted on as being accurate."
What Cardy has found is that potential employers are much more likely to dismiss lies if the candidate is likable. It's similar, he said, to when a liked employee is given a pass for a mistake, whereas a disliked employee is more likely to face blame and repercussions. The same goes for praise—a liked employee will receive accolades for their hard work, while a disliked employee will not, as others assume that person isn't really responsible for their own hard work.
"If you're liked, you're more likely to be given the benefit of the doubt," Cardy said.
But likability won't save anyone from lying about their degree.
"So you're dealing with this misrepresentation, a lie, how do you deal with that?" he said.
Cardy, who's written several studies on likability, turned to students in his human resources class to evaluate fictitious candidates for a job opening based on experience, education and likability. The phantom charisma was established through trait terms to manipulate the students' perception of the candidate.
"Basically, if no one likes you, watch out," he said.
The research is ongoing, and Cardy now hopes to gather a group of real managers to acquire more data on their hiring processes, especially when it comes to falsification.
--------------------------------------------
Learn more about the Management Department at the College of Business here.
Connect online with UTSA on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
Events
Learn to use the simple but powerful features of EndNote®, a citation management tool. In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn to setup an EndNote library, save references and PDFs, and automatically create and edit a bibliography.
Virtual EventLearn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual EventOur GSAW Research Symposium begins with lunch and a Poster Presentation Competition. Faculty, staff, and graduate students are welcome to attend and review the exceptional research from UTSA's best and brightest.
Student Union Ballrooms 1 & 2, Main CampusHear from UTSA doctoral candidate in environmental science, Andre Felton, as he discusses best practices to discuss scholarly research in non-academic settings. Our 2023 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) winners will also share their winning presentations.
Student Union Ballrooms 1 & 2, Main CampusJoin this fun event if you want resume and interview resources, a job or internship, a snow cone from Kona Ice and to socialize.
Sombrilla PlazaIn partnership with San Antonio Metro Health, join us for a special lecture series during Public Health week! An esteemed panel will discuss the job market’s impact on public health departments in Texas municipalities.
Retama Auditorium (SU 2.02.02,) Main CampusThe Task Force for the Shaping the Future of Artificial Intelligence, Cyber, Computing, and Data Science at UTSA initiative will hold a virtual Campus Forum to discuss their findings in Phase I (data gathering). UTSA faculty, staff and students will have an opportunity to ask questions and share ideas before the Task Force moves into Phase II.
Virtual Event