Recruiter Shares the Three Lies Everyone Should Tell During Job Interviews

It's often said that honesty is the best policy, but one recruitment expert has shared the most important lies to tell during any job interview to help you land any dream job.

As a recruiting manager for a tech company, Bonnie Dilber has seen many people through the grueling hiring process, and she knows which all-important white lies will help you stand out from other candidates. Rather than being negative during interviews or painting yourself in a bad light on your resumé, Dilber has shared her tips and tricks online to help people nail the perfect interview.

Dilber, from Seattle, insists that candidates shouldn't be negative about their former employers, shouldn't seem driven by money, and definitely show a willingness to stay in any new job for the long-term. Explaining why these tips are so vital, she told Newsweek that employers "want to hire people who care and are excited about their work," so it's imperative to portray that attitude from the start.

She said: "If you complain about your manager or colleagues, they may wonder if you were difficult to manage. If you say the company expected too much of people, they may wonder if you were a low performer, and it can leave a future employer worried that you will also speak negatively about them in the future.

"Most of us prefer to work with people who are positive and asset-based over those who are focused on the negatives. I encourage people to focus more on what they are running towards, rather than what they are running from."

As for money, Pew Research Center found that half of the workers who changed jobs between April 2021 and March 2022 saw a nine percent increase in their wages, while those who stayed in the same jobs experienced a loss of more than one percent. So, money is usually a major driving factor, which is why Dilber encourages people to avoid using the m-word during interviews.

"I think it's generally a given that everyone works for money, but employers also want to hire people who are passionate about their work and the mission of the company. If your only focus is compensation, but you're not knowledgeable about what the company does, then you may not be as exciting of a candidate to them," Dilber told Newsweek.

"But I do think people need to show a willingness to stay and grow at a company. After an increased number of workers quit their jobs in 2021, it left companies anxious about losing their best people, and I think employers want to know that you see a future with them. When asked about this, I will often say that I'm excited to grow and evolve my skills and see lots of paths for growth with the company."

On November 14, Dilber shared her tips in a TikTok video (@bonniedilber), explaining what people "should lie about" in every interview. The video quickly went viral and racked up more than 1.5 million views and 136,600 likes online.

The reaction to her video was quite unexpected, but Dilber hopes that people will remain confident in their ability and do what they think is best during any interview. "These are just my opinions and folks should approach interviewing in whatever way works for them," she said.

The valuable tips certainly generated plenty of attention, leading to more than 1,300 comments on the TikTok post already. While many praised her insights, others noted that these are things that any interviewee should be doing without fail.

Among the comments, one person responded: "Wow, are people not lying about this? I feel like this is common sense."

Another TikTok user wrote: "First point is massive. Complaining about your current job is a massive red flag."

"Interviews are just tests to see how well you lie," one comment reads.

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