Hacker News Reader

Comment by taxidump | Hacker News Reader

I passed a polygraph, I was untruthful and still passed. The person administering the test had done tbis for the FBI for 15 years. I had no special training.

View on HN

I failed a polygraph. I was truthful and still failed. It cost me a job. Luckily I found a better job. So, thanks polygraph.

I have known multiple people who went through investigations including polygraphs for clearances. They were all told to be 100% honest and that it wasn't violations (within reason) that would hurt them...its not displaying "integrity". Those people were screened out for admitting to minor things like marijuana use etc. One's rejection read like some self righteous admonishment and said something like "You do not display the moral quality of character we here at <insert place> are looking for. We wish you the best in your future endeavors". They were told they failed the polygraph when they were being honest. Frankly if this is the hypocritical "quality of character" those places exhibit...people are better off avoiding them. The agencies/companies prove with their behavior they do not have the honesty and integrity they claim to look for and use these tools selectively. They reward lying and manipulating the system and punish honesty.

Ye, well, e.g. Ted Bundy passed a polygraph. And the Green River Killer did too. But hey, another dude, innocent of course, did not pass the lie detector when they were looking for the Green River Killer. Oops

ALdrich Ames passed a couple of polygraphs.

They only got him because other sources implicated him, and because his finances were notably out of whack for a government employee.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldrich_Ames

I've heard that they're not very useful with true sociopaths because they require you to be uncomfortable with lying.

Even then, unless they are coupled with a comprehensive psychological evaluation that could identify sociopathy, they could not be considered a useful tool (generously assuming that they have any truth-discerning usefulness to begin with).

To the best of my knowledge, Ted Bundy was never polygraphed. You are correct about the Green River Killer (Gary Leon Ridgway) and the innocent man (Melvin Foster):

https://antipolygraph.org/cgi-bin/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1067927...

A friend failed a polygraph. She handled money in a resturant and was a scrupulously honest person. She had a genetic health condition and it was probably responsible.

But they knew her character, and even though she didn't pass she didn't have any problem or lose her job.

Why were you taking a polygraph? Just curious.

Lots of gov't jobs require them for dealing with confidential info.

Some jobs require it. Not even super-secret top-hacker men-behind-the-curtain type of operations.

If you wanna be a senior sys admin for bed bath and beyond, you 'll be probably getting one.

> If you wanna be a senior sys admin for bed bath and beyond, you 'll be probably getting one.

Huh. I was a very senior 'sys admin' type for an enormous retailer for over a decade, and polygraphs never came up for me or anyone else there.

Any idea why bed bath and beyond is into such a thing?

My guess would be. Some sys admin did something illegal (some sort of fraud or something). So management wanted changes to prevent that in the future. And the cover your ass move was "we'll use polygraphs on new people!".

My guess is that throwaway's statement was hyperbole, and Bed Bath and Beyond isn't a literal example of an employer that requires a polygraph. Instead it was an exaggeration meant to show how common the practice is in his circles.

I was asked if I have taken polygraph tests, and if I am willing to take one. They didn't follow up with it, but they seemed serious about it.

That was for a contractor position, not regular employment.

PS. Also drug testing.

Wow. Never heard of a non-government agency using them.

Pretty clear sign of a messed up company culture.

And one that trusts unscientific methods just because others use them.

That's not the kind of company you want to get involved, ever. If they do that during _hiring_ ...

> If you wanna be a senior sys admin for bed bath and beyond, you 'll be probably getting one.

How does that clear the Employee Polygraph Protection Act?

https://www.dol.gov/whd/polygraph/

The 1998 Employee Polygraph Protection Act largely prohibited the use of lie detectors for employee screening by private companies.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com