Professional polygraph examinations have supported many employers in disciplinary hearings, as well as the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and criminal cases.
Moreover, Havensec Solutions’ extensive experience in the field and other lie-detection processes is also extremely coveted in pre-employment screening procedures.
Banks, as well as, security, insurance, retail, hospitality, manufacturing, construction, logistics and transport companies are known for using polygraphs in their recruitment processes to ensure internal security. This capability and technology have also been extensively deployed by entertainment venues, especially casinos, when recruiting certain personnel.
Polygraph technology is based on extensive research in psychology and physiology, and on innovation that was developed as early as 1921. Researchers have confirmed that it is more than 90% accurate.
Further evidence of the success of polygraph technologies is that up to 80% of candidates in pre-employment processes have admitted to offences before the actual test.
Sensor components are attached to the fingers, arm and chest of the examinee to monitor and record physiological and psychological changes to the body that indicate whether someone is being truthful or deceitful.
Havensec Solutions’ skilled examiners monitor and record the interviewee’s blood pressure, pulse, respiration and skin conductivity when responding to a series of close-ended “yes” or “no” questions to ascertain their truthfulness.
A major change during questioning is known as a “response conflict”, and indicates that the interviewees are stressed and, therefore, may be lying during the examination.
The polygraph is sensitive to raised blood pressure, an increased heart rate, or galvanic skin responses that indicate surprise, anger, or fear.
However, it is important to note that there is currently no legislation in the country that governs the use of a polygraph and it is fallible. The credibility of the outcome of the examination is, therefore, highly dependent upon the experience of the company providing the service.
In most instances, an experienced independent examiner will even be expected to surmise what police would ask and which questions are important to a criminal case.
There are three testing phases involved in this specialist field, namely a pre-test, chart-collection and test-data analysis stage.
The pre-test ensures that the examinee is mentally and physically capable of undergoing a test. A consent form is signed and the instrument and examining proses are explained to the examinee.
Tense or strained interaction between the examiner and the subject can also affect the outcome of the test, while some innocent people may find the technology invasive and become anxious as a result. An experienced examiner will be aware of this and know how to ensure that this does not hinder the process, or the credibility of the outcome.
The in-test procedure entails asking questions to gather several polygraph charts.
During the post-test procedure, the charts are scored by the examiner and the examinee informed of the results. The examinee is then given a chance to respond.
Only experienced polygraph examiners will be able to clearly differentiate between test anxiety and deception anxiety.
In terms of the latter, specific questions will cause certain physiological reactions and comparison questions will cause different actions.
The less experienced the examiner, the greater the chance of “false positive” and “false negative” outcomes.
A “false negative” occurs when a deceptive person is reported as being truthful, although most experts agree that it is not that easy to deceive a seasoned examiner.
Counter-measures, such as clenching and releasing certain muscles, regulating breathing, as well as devising ways to cause a distracting pain or other methods, are seldom effective when dealing with an experienced examiner from a reputable service provider.
This is evident by Havensec Solutions’ own impressive track-record in the field.
Havensec Solutions works closely with its clients to develop and implement a comprehensive security solution for their unique needs. They understand that the decisions they make today will impact on their organisation’s sustainability over the long-term, and it is for this reason that they have entrusted us with their critical security needs.
In addition to the firm’s lie-detection capabilities, they include our expertise in the field of personal body guarding, armed escorts, surveillance and information gathering, debugging of private and office spaces, covert cameras and undercover agents, as well as private and civil investigations.
This holistic security offering, founded upon tried-and-tested best practices, is a pro-active response to the interrelated nature of today’s businesses by offering an integrated security framework that provides stronger protection against real threats.
