What If I Have to Take a Lie Detector Test?

Not many employers can or will make you take a polygraph test, aka a lie detector test.

In fact, under the US Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988, most employers may not legally ask you to take such a test, either as part of the hiring process, nor once you are employed.

The only employers who can require a polygraph are federal, state and local government agencies; and even then, most don’t bother.

The fact is, lie detectors don’t work. Scientists say that, despite claims to the contrary, there is no evidence that polygraph tests can detect lies any better than pure chance. In fact, most industrialized nations do not use polygraphs, labeling them pseudoscience.

Guess which one country still insists on using them?

Here’s some advice in case you apply for a government job, and have to take a polygraph test:

Don’t try to beat the machine. Yes, a thousand self-published pamphlets and web sites will give you all kinds of advice on how to fool a polygraph. And many of these tricks actually work. But polygraph testing personnel are trained to look for those cheats. And anyway, it’s never a good idea to lie at any time during the hiring process, fancy electronic machine or not.

Don’t lie. When an employer or government agency hooks you up to a lie detector, they’re not trying to coerce out of you every bad thing you ever did. They’re not the cops. They want to know if you are trustworthy. So tell the truth on the test, even if you have to admit negative things about yourself.

For instance, many employers don’t really care if you smoked pot in college that one time. They just want to know that you will honestly answer the question.

If you have any real, serious secrets you want to keep, I’d suggest you simply don’t apply for jobs that require a polygraph test. And if the polygraph tester asks you something terribly inappropriate, do what you should do in any job interview if that happens — walk out.

Tags: ethics, government jobs, job application advice, polygraph tests, pseudoscience, US Employee Polygraph Protection Act

How to Choose Your References

Many employers will ask you for a list of references, either when you apply, or upon arranging an interview. For some reason, they always want three references — that’s the magic number.

When a potential employer contacts one of your former companies’ HR department, that HR manager can only confirm your employment and give a few other specific facts. They can not issue opinions — it’s illegal.

So your prospective employer wants to talk to someone who can give opinions and answer specific questions about you, someone who worked directly with you on a day-to-day basis — a coworker, a client, a colleague, or best of all, a former supervisor.

These people can give your prospective employer this information because you have given them permission to do so, by picking them as references.

Now, your potential employer knows these people, whom you chose as references, are very unlikely to say anything negative about you, at least on purpose. Of course, they could badmouth you, if they wanted. But the employer just wants to know that you have been able to make a good impression on at least some of your former colleagues.

So remember:

Do not give personal references unless asked. The hirer doesn’t want to talk to your best friend, or your LARPing buddy, or your significant other, or heaven forfend, your mom. They want professional references. In the one-in-ten-googol chance they do ask for personal references (really, only banks do that, when making loans), then you can provide them. But still, don’t use your mom.

Only list people with whom you have worked. Your college professor, local Rotary Club president or rabbi may love you to bits, but you didn’t work with them. Only use references like these at the very beginning of your career — and replace them with real colleagues as soon as possible.

Ask someone if they’re willing to be a reference. Always get permission — don’t surprise any of your former colleagues by giving out their contact info to strangers. Get explicit permission. You don’t have to do this every time you give out their name — just asking once is fine. Also, asking permission is a great way to make sure the reference doesn’t intend to say anything about the sexual harassment lawsuit or the arson charges.

Get the contact info right. It looks very bad when a prospective employer can’t get a hold of your references. Very bad. If you don’t even have this person’s current phone number, than how well could you possibly know each other?

Don’t list your parole officer as a reference. Or your drug dealer. Or your 12-step sponsor. Unless she’s also your mom.

Tags: job application advice, job search advice, personal references, professional references, references