The Top 10 Mistakes Hiring Managers Make in an Interview

Ever wonder why a candidate didn’t accept the job? Or come back for a second interview? Keep reading for the top 10 slip-ups hiring managers make. Our advice? Don’t let the great candidates get away because you’ve made simple, fixable snafus.
 
 

1. Arriving late.
2. Acting distracted.
   
3. Searching for a superhero. ... It’s bad enough to fill your job posting with unbelievably unrealistic demands: five university degrees, fluency in four languages, two decades of previous experience, and so on. But bringing those expectations into the interview – and dwelling on them instead of your candidate’s actual qualifications – can be confusing and belittling. It’s fine to be selective, but be realistic.
   
4. Dominating the conversation. Remember the 80/20 rule.
   
5. Asking ridiculous questions. ... Anything that’s irrelevant, rhetorical or overly complicated.
   
6. Being too stern. ... There are a lot of formalities involved with interviews, but in the end, it’s really just a conversation. You want people to be relaxed and honest, so remember to keep it friendly.
   
7. Acting cold or impolite.
   
8. Too Honest…When candidates are being called for an interview, they want to be given a chance to succeed. Imagine how unsettling it would be to tell them that they’re inferior to other candidates and that their chances to be hired are low. Or undervalue their background and interrupt them mid-sentence to tell them their answer isn’t satisfying. None of these would be polite or beneficial. Don’t give the candidate feedback while interviewing.
   
9. Only giving 15 minutes of your time.
   
10. Taking to long to make a decision, good candidates are always snapped up fast.

 
While these interview mistakes are the most common, there are other that are far more serious. Ageism, sexism, racism, and all the other nefarious isms that are prohibited by law can worm their way into our psyches without constant vigilance. Remember to enter every interview with an open mind.
 
Every candidate, good, bad or indifferent should leave the interview saying to themselves, “I really want to work for [company name], and even if they don’t get the job, they should tell their friends what a great company ________[fill in the blank] is. 

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