Question: Describe a time when you lied to achieve a goal. What happened and why did you take this approach?

Alternative Question Phrasing:

When have you had to lie to achieve your aims? Why did you do so? How do you feel you could have achieved the same aim in a different way?

Follow-up questions:

Question Details:

Question Type:

Behavioral

Skills:

Basic – Science and Logic

Other Factors:

Big 5 – Neuroticism (Emotion Regulation),Personal Improvement (Growth),Personality-Job Fit,Personality-Organization Fit,Self-Awareness

Work Activity (Task):

Mental Processes – Evaluating Compliance with Standards,Mental Processes – Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Work Style (Person-Job Fit):

Assertiveness/Courage,Integrity/Honesty/Ethics

Question Frequency

Question Difficulty

What to look for in an answer:

You are looking for the candidate’s honest response that they did lie.
It is not possible that one might have never lied, however the situation in which they lied is important.
If the candidate lied for a very small reason which had not harmed any one or the company’s image.
If the candidate understands the negative impacts of lying and that they have a different approach to handle the similar situation now.

Red Flags to Watch For:

If the candidate denies that they ever lied to anyone.
If the candidate becomes too frank and shares an anecdote which hints you about mistrust in them and that they don’t bother about company’s image to get things done.
If the candidate has not realized from their past experience from lying and doesn’t seem to have a new way to handle the same situation going forward.

Sample Answer:

N/A

Question Source: https://www.totaljobs.com/advice/most-common-competency-based-interview-questions