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Things Every Recruiter Lies About (Here's Why)

A Life After Layoff

21,779 views

Recruiter lies, salary negotiation secrets, and what actually happens behind the scenes of the hiring process, straight from someone who's spent 20+ years on the recruiting side at Amazon, FedEx, and Korn Ferry. In this video I'm confessing to the things I've said to candidates that weren't the full truth, and what you should actually do about each one.

I break down the real story behind salary ranges, interview feedback, how excited a recruiter actually is about you, why a job is really open, what working at the company is actually like, and whether there's already a candidate in mind before you ever get the call.

This isn't a takedown of recruiters. I've done most of this myself. It's what you need to know before your next interview so you're not caught off guard by any of it.

00:00 - Start
01:06 - Salary range
02:49 - Other candidates
04:20 - The real reason the job is open
04:52 - Company culture
05:29 - Our excitement level
06:09 - Feedback
07:45 - You're a top candidate
08:16 - When you'll hear back
09:06 - The real reason for rejection
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ABOUT THIS CHANNEL
I spent 20 years as a corporate recruiter hiring thousands of people into companies like Amazon, FedEx, Korn Ferry, and ABB. I teach what actually happens inside the hiring process — not what sounds good on LinkedIn.

If you are applying and hearing nothing back, getting interviews but not offers, or quietly planning your exit — you are in the right place.

This channel covers how recruiters really evaluate candidates, why doing everything right still fails, and how to build a career that gives you options.

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20 Comments

@ALifeAfterLayoff Creator 2 months ago Pinned

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@shanelochlannblack 2 months ago

Note that none of this has anything to do with your skill, education or experience.

@WippetWzrd 2 months ago

Remember folks. Employers can lie to you about pretty much ANYTHING. You have to stay honest, but don’t be completely honest because employers don’t like that.

@sandeepchowdhury6234 2 months ago

I just don’t understand why recruiters can’t just be decent people and be honest? Like is your performance based on how dishonest you can be? Make it make sense

@ConquerorsGameZone-t3j 2 months ago

Remember, an interview is just a conversation between 2 liars. Until we meet again.

@dodsonarmsco 2 months ago (edited)

Not giving the full truth or withholding information is called lying through omission.

@scottlemiere2024 2 months ago

I just assume everything a recruiter says is a lie.

@JoeS-NY 2 months ago (edited)

I keep watching your videos and they are unfortunately pointing to how disingenuous employers and recruiters are. I appreciate you disclosing these things but the amount of lying happening is completely unnecessary. No one should trust anyone working for a corporation. Something as silly as salary they can't even be upfront about. They lie about salary, job responsibilities when you interview, and you're admitting guilt as well.

If no one is honest, or to be a little hopeful, very few honest employers ,few honest recruiters, why are they even interviewing a normal interview? I mean they have to be expecting everyone to be lying to them.

They should probably just start having normal conversation that's not scripted out of an interview guide to just see if they like you and feel they can work with you.

How can anyone believe anyone in this process? I don't believe the employer or recruiter and they can't believe I'm not grossly exaggerating on my resume.

Let's just look at where you've worked, verify that, and just friggin talk to me. Quit the tell me a time nonsense. You don't care and don't believe our answers lol.

You can say you don't like lying but you're lying and it's hurting everyone involved. The future employee and the employer.

@IllicitBehavior 2 months ago

Yea, this is a slice of hell

@tron3entertainment 2 months ago

I have learned that when they REALLY want to hire you, you don't need to haunt them. They will reach out to you - repeatedly!

@goodwin.the.wizard 2 months ago

That's how we end up in a situation where both sides shamelessly lie to each other 😅

@DWbo-r7v 2 months ago

Frodo: " You swore on the precious"
Gollum: "I lied " 😂

@Yogastrong908 2 months ago

Throwing stuff back at the job seeker doesn’t get you better candidates. It just exposes the mess companies cause.

Expecting job seekers to know the salary of a prospective employer is completely unrealistic. “Researching” what people post on job boards as gospel is not effective especially since the figures given are hearsay and anecdotal. And what I’m worth can fluctuate between positions and companies over the smallest things.

@HobbitHobbit 2 months ago

I always counter the salary question with asking what is the range for the position. My answer is mostly that I can work within that range and then nothing else.
As for candidates, it’s a problem that I’ve complained about before. A position opens to hire a specific person but HR rules require them to publish it. It is, by far, the stupidest requirement of anything HR does. Every one of these positions wastes thousands of hours of candidates searching, updating resumes, applying, etc. If I could bill for my time, I could retire.

@super_cereal_1 2 months ago

You've always tried to be as honest, blunt and transparent about the process and I appreciate that! But I'm sure that hearing these videos back and seeing how most of them over time have painted a very dire outlook from the interviewee part of this process.

Sometimes the more I hear about the process I start to believe in the "humiliation ritual" takes on the process. Our entire futures and day to day stresses about this ridiculous dog and pony show.

@ryandiekhoff8191 2 months ago

I had an interesting interview process several years ago where I went through 4 rounds - screening, team panel, manager, and finally a somewhat unconventional "discussion" where the manager contacted me directly to see if I wanted to meet with him and a Director. After that final interview, the job requisition was reposted online, but I still remained a candidate. About a month later, I got the canned rejection email. I asked for feedback regarding what I could do better in the future and one of the bullet points was I was not passionate enough about the company and position. It's hard for me to believe it took 4 interviews for them to come to that determination?

@Mlzr-1nt 2 months ago

7:15 it always kills me that people ask you for advice for future interviews and then have the audacity to sue because they didn’t like the answer. I personally appreciate when I ask what I could have done better and some people are very honest and it’s helpful.

@mark4406 2 months ago

I really don't like being lied to or mislead. I've been in this job search process for over 9 months and the few times I've gotten recruiter calls, I thought I did leave a good impression (one led to 2 more interviews) but apparently, they could just be lying. How does someone know if they need to keep plugging away (persistence) or change strategy (def. of insanity) if there is so much dishonesty being thrown around?

@mocogalletano 2 months ago

I just say a bunch of lies so the recruiter is happy

@39Lords 2 months ago (edited)

Being honest in your dealings will always get you ahead, even if it is slower than lying your way to the top. I do not understand how obsessed the corporate world is with lying.