In all my years helping businesses identify and root out deception in their ranks, the need for deception detection training has never been this great. In the past year alone, numerous studies have clocked the rise in workplace fraud, with incidents escalating to crisis levels.
Median losses from occupational fraud jumped a whopping 24%, according to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. And a study published last year in Strategic HR Review found absenteeism has gotten so bad that employers should be “embracing the power of covert surveillance”—not a recommendation I agree with.
It’s not just lower rungs in an organization that are plagued by double-dealing. Some of the trickiest situations HR leaders face involve higher-ups. The ACFE found that median losses from frauds perpetrated by owners and executives were more than seven times greater than those carried out by employees. A study in the Journal of Criminology found “strong evidence that corporate psychopaths—ruthless people who willingly engage in fraud and even enjoy outwitting and stealing from others—are a dominant force at senior levels in financial organizations.”
To counteract this, organizations need lie detection training across departments, with HR teams often leading the charge. Having worked with HR leaders since my TED Talk How to Spot a Liar gained attention, I know how daunting this task can seem. That’s why I’ve designed certification and professional development courses empowering HR teams to tackle deception head-on.
I tell HR leaders that there’s bad news and good news. The bad news is that we are facing a complex, blended threat. Contrary to popular belief, no one can walk into a meeting with someone they’ve never met and instantly know whether they’re telling the truth. In fact, such overconfidence—a product of the false belief that lie detection is intuitive—is one of the greatest barriers to accurately identifying duplicity. Compounding this challenge, advances in technology, AI and deepfakes are equipping individuals with increasingly sophisticated tools to manipulate and deceive.
Related: Could that new hire be a deepfake? These pros say the risk is growing
The good news is that we can all learn to be excellent “lie spotters.” It’s not a single skill; it’s a combination of many: asking expert questions, observing cues, deconstructing deceptive story structure, psychological profiling and more.
Cues for detecting deception, eliminating workplace fraud
Consider, for instance, the subtle verbal cues. These include the frequent use of qualifying phrases, such as “as far as I know” or “to tell you the truth,” as well as bolstering statements like “I certainly did not.” Deceptive individuals may also incorporate excessive or unnecessary details into their narratives, often to distract from or obscure problematic truths.
Non-verbal cues, particularly in body language, can be equally revealing. Rich insights can be drawn from a slumped or self-protective posture, a rigid or overly controlled upper body, and fleeting micro-expressions—brief, involuntary flashes of emotion visible in the eyebrows, mouth or other facial muscles. Additionally, vocal indicators, independent of the words spoken, such as shifts in tone, pitch or pacing, can provide critical information about a speaker’s underlying emotional state and intent.
None of these cues are proof of deception on their own. I train managers to look for clusters of deceptive behavior. Lie detection also requires baselining: analyzing how someone speaks and behaves when they’re comfortable and have no reason to lie. Familiarity with someone’s normal patterns is essential to recognizing deviations.
But human lie detector training alone isn’t enough. Mastering the art of truth elicitation is equally paramount.
An ethical framework for getting the truth
Achieving transparency requires both an artful approach and a scientific understanding. While it begins with such basics as declaring your own honesty and being curious rather than judgmental, it runs much deeper.
True mastery demands the ability to recognize and assess your own blindspots, as well as those of whomever you’re engaging with. And understanding the multi-layered psychology behind deception is crucial for guiding people past the emotional drivers that compel them to lie.
I also teach people advanced interrogation techniques, including the kinds that fraud examiners, forensic accountants, and spies use. This involves everything from the order in which topics are brought up to handling objections and more.
None of these practices need to be manipulative or underhanded. They can be conducted in ways that align with organizational policies and are grounded in sound ethical deliberation. For large organizations, this also means being mindful of cultural differences.
Honest mistakes happen. Some instances of fraud are unintentional. So in any tricky situation, deciphering intent is pivotal. The more employees develop this expertise, the more integrity takes hold across an organization.
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