03 Aug
‘Would you ever lie for a company?’
Why are recruiters asking this?
Recruiters ask “ethics” questions to understand your morals and integrity. One example could be “Is it acceptable to lie in business?” or “Does your resume have any exaggerations or lies in it?”.
If an interviewer asks you this question, don’t take it personally and don’t be alarmed. Answer truthfully.
Another type of “ethics” question could be about companies you’ve worked for. For example, if you were employed at Facebook and responsible for the Cambridge Analytica account, or working at Volkswagen on emissions during “dieselgate”, you likely have a story to tell. In telling this story, you should follow the STAR method – situation, task, action, result. If you have these kinds of stand-out experiences you should prepare to be asked about them in an interview.
Checklist for a great answer
- Select a professional situation
- Be honest
- STAR method
- Less than 2 minutes, keep it brief
- If you’re uncomfortable, make a light joke
Examples
I don’t believe it’s okay to lie in business. Any short-term wins will be undercut by long-term losses. I prefer to treat people at work the way I’d like to be treated.
Or
Well I say I like to exercise but in reality, I might not get to the gym as often as I like. But I believe integrity at work is important, and try my best to uphold my ideals.
Other similar questions
- Have you ever been in a business situation that was ethically questionable? What did you do?
How do I get better at these questions?
PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!
The illustrious economist and statistician EF Schumacher once said: “An ounce of practice is generally worth more than a ton of theory.” We at Mockmate strongly believe in exactly this, which is why we created our AI-powered job interview simulator. Now is the time to stop reading blog posts and watching YouTube videos, and begin to perfect your interview skills by actually doing it! Get started here!
