Catching candidates cheating during interview..? 😨

This article focuses on the topic of technical interviews 💻

Job interviews are not usually an enjoyable experiences for candidates, but they are a crucial aspect of the hiring process for all organizations.

Throughout my career, I have witnessed a variety of different scenarios - some acceptable, such as candidates preparing for interviews by practicing, brushing up coding; some are requesting hints to guide them in the right direction. However, cheating during an interview is a major red flag 🚩🚩🚩 Is it Necessary to catch cheater? Not only is cheating unethical, but hiring a candidate who cheats can also have costly consequences for a company (e.g: result in lost productivity for the team, performance, missed opportunities to hire an actual suitable candidate.)

Ever since Covid-19 and ChatGPT introduced…..

we have observed an increasing trend of interviewees cheating during the interview. In response to this, I have decided to write an article expressing my thoughts and insights on identifying cheating candidates as well as providing suggestions to the interviewers how to take proper actions. 💪

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most interviews are now conducted remotely, and the incidence of candidates attempting to cheat their way through the process has increased significantly.

Detecting cheating during interviews

1⃣️ Before the interview - Verify the Candidate's Resume and LinkedIn Profile

While a resume can provide insight into a candidate's background, it can also be inflated or overrated. Therefore, it is recommended to cross-check the candidate's LinkedIn profile with their resume to confirm their working tenure, previous companies, and total years of experience. Additionally, if the candidate has a photo on their LinkedIn profile, it is good to ensure that the person attending the interview matches their profile. 👍 (These steps can help you prepare better before the interview and are also a sign of respect for the interviewee)

2️⃣ Starting the interview - Schedule a Video Call and Request to Share Screens

Working and conducting interviews remotely post COVID-19 is now the norm. While an in-person interview is optimal, a video call is highly recommended for the interview. In some instances, the person you are interviewing with may use outside resources, tools, or even ask friends to impersonate the candidate. Therefore, it is essential to schedule a video call to verify their identity. Additionally, requesting the candidate to share their screen during the interview is another useful technique. (As an interviewer, this provides better insight into the candidate's behavior, thought process, and allows for a visual examination of their notes). 🙂

3️⃣ During the interview - Let them explain the answer

An experience I had with other colleagues was during a coding interview involved a candidate who immediately began coding without any notes or planning. This behavior raised concerns about potential cheating. Later my colleague Slack me to share their suspicions. They suggested that the candidate might be copying code from an external source, googling or using ChatGPT.. 🤔 (TL;DR: if the candidate begins typing responses without providing context or explaining their methodology... this could be a 🚩)

Observing Eye Movements or Reflections in Glasses: During remote interviews, it can be difficult to ensure that the candidate is not using external resources or engaging in suspicious behavior. Since majority people now are having 1 or 2 more monitors, one technique that can be used to detect such behavior is to observe their eye movements or reflections in their glasses. If you notice that the candidate is looking away frequently, their eye movements are not aligned with the current screen, or you see something suspicious in their glasses or eyeball reflection, it could be increasing the chance that they are cheating. 🚩 (Therefore, it is recommended to remain vigilant and pay attention to any such behavior during the interview process) 🧐

Actions 🔑 👏

Just ignore it and pass along to the next stage… (Just kidding 😅)

⬇️

What to Do When Suspecting or Confirming Candidate Cheating

If you suspect or have evidence that a candidate is cheating during the interview process, it is important to handle the situation appropriately to avoid any negative repercussions on the company's reputation. While it may be tempting to cancel or stop the interview, it is recommended to let the interview proceed until the end. This approach minimizes the likelihood of confrontation or arguments with the candidate and helps maintain a professional and respectful interview process.

Once the interview is completed, please come to communicate the situation to the recruiting, HR team, who can take appropriate steps to handle the matter. (I know this is unfair for the interviewers’ time… BUT 👉) cancelling or stopping the interview abruptly could lead to the candidate sharing negative feedback about the company on platforms like Glassdoor or LinkedIn, word of mouth and damaging the company's reputation. Therefore, it is essential to handle the situation calmly and professionally, allowing the HR team to take appropriate steps to address the issue.

TL;DR

To candidates: Cheating is a violation of the trust and integrity of the interview process, or if you need to cheat during the interview, you might not be ready for the jobs. 🙃

To interviewers: Stay calm, and be professional 😎