People lie all the time. It’s not something that should be shocking to you, but it might surprise you how many non-verbal cues someone may give off when they are lying.
When people tell a lie, their non-verbal cues will often show signs of discomfort and anxiety.
This is because telling a lie requires more brain activity than telling the truth does, so there will be more physical reactions in general with non-verbal communication.
Why it is important for employer to be able to read body language and nonverbal signals?
It is important for employers to be able to not only read non-verbal communication but also use it in their favor.
Being able to identify whether or not a prospective hire is telling the truth about their identity, qualifications etc. This will allow you to protect the business from hiring a non-qualified employee and potentially costing the business hundreds of thousands of Rand.
Here are 5 body language cues that tend to indicate someone is lying, which can help you determine if a potential hire is a possible risk for your business.
1) Touching their nose, ears, or mouth
This could mean an individual is trying to cover up what they’re saying so look for this behaviour if you want to know whether someone’s telling the truth.
Do not confuse this with someone who has an itch that they are trying to reach.
This behaviour is a sign of discomfort and often indicates the person might be lying, so keep your eyes peeled for it!
If you see someone doing this repeatedly in their interview, you may want to ask them about what’s going on or why they are trying to cover up what they are saying.
If you do not see this behaviour, then it does not necessarily mean the person is telling the truth; however, if you do notice them touching their nose or ears during an interview then be ready for a potential lie!
2) Fear of eye contact
If you see someone looking away from you, making their eye contact infrequent and fleeting; then they are either lying to you or maybe nervous about something.
As a business owner or employer, it is important to know that some people have social anxiety issues for different reasons which will also affect how comfortable they feel around others.
In this case, it is important to be patient and understanding because, with time, they may open up more or become less anxious around you.
3) They may be laughing too much
Sometimes those that lie do so because they fear being discovered and will try to cover it up by laughing which essentially tricks you into thinking they’re not lying.
It’s important to be aware of this so you can use it as a sign that they might not be telling the truth.
Catching people in their lies is key, and when someone laughs too much then maybe there’s more going on than meets the eye!
4) Unusual body movements
If you notice someone’s hands shaking, their eye twitching or the individual walking in a strange way then they could be lying to you.
This is a sign of anxiety and may indicate that the person has something to hide, so be mindful of it!
The more signs you see from an individual, the higher your chances are they’re not telling you everything.
Take notice if someone seems unusually nervous or uncomfortable during their interview which could mean there’s something up with them!
Keep an eye out for any body movements that seem awkward or different from what you typically see to know whether they’re telling the truth.
5) Liars often have ineffective speech patterns
They often repeat themselves and will stutter more than usual.
It’s important to be mindful of these speech patterns when listening to someone speak.
If they keep repeating themselves, it can mean that they are nervous or trying to cover up what they’re saying which might indicate the individual is lying!
So if you notice certain behaviour in a person during an interview then make sure you pay attention and take note of it.
Bonus: Low voice volume or tone
some people feel uncomfortable talking about certain things so their voice might get softer or lower in pitch (though sometimes there’s no way of knowing why a person speaks softly)
In Conclusion
Avoid taking anything at face value because liars can easily fake facial expressions and body language just as easy as telling the truth! That means don’t assume that all apparent emotions are real based on what you see; instead, try asking questions to confirm your suspicions before making a decision.
If you feel that a potential employee might be lying about something such as criminal background, tertiary qualifications, etc. You can request a background check at our website: https://investicheck.co.za/