Show proof if you don't sound believable

When you say something, reflect on whether it sounds non-believable.

A TopHire engineer rescheduled their interview with our client, minutes before their scheduled time due to "unforeseen circumstances". When asked by the client to elaborate, the engineer claimed their sibling fell from the bicycle, sustained minor injuries and needed to be taken to the doctor.

That sounded non-believable to the client. Mainly because this same candidate had already missed a previous round with the client, a week prior.

There were a few approaches the client could have taken for this last minute reschedule:

1) Give the engineer the benefit of doubt. Reschedule.
2) Assume that their story isn't true, reject and move on.
3) Give them a chance to prove that their story is true

They tried approach 3)

The client expressed sympathies for the sibling's situation and proposed the following: they would progress the candidate directly to the final round (the interview they missed was for the 2nd last round), as long as the candidate shows proof of the visit to the doctor.

Unsurprisingly, the story changed a little. Turns out there was no doctor visit after all.

Let's for a moment assume this person wasn't lying and there was indeed an emergency. How should the engineer have handled the situation? They should send proof that their statement is believable. Could be a screenshot of the doctor fee receipt or a screenshot of the Uber booking to the hospital. Something to show that this wasn't just a made-up excuse.

When your story by default sounds non-believable, go out of your way to give evidence.

Especially true in India, which is low-trust. There is a higher proportion of bad actors in our country, that if you have a non-believable claim, you'd have to go out of your way to prove it's true. I get the sense this post of mine would resonate lesser with those in the West. Even less so in high-trust countries like Switzerland or Japan.

I practise this myself sometimes. In 2021, when I couldn't make it to the wedding a childhood friend because of a date clash, I sent across my flight booking vouchers for an international trip. I had to go out of my way to show evidence because this childhood friend knows that I tend to avoid social situations.