10 Common Interviewing Mistakes
- Being unprepared. Not taking the time required to decide exactly what it is you want; not reading the résumé in detail before the interview. Managers often feel they can wing it - they can't.
- Judging on surface qualities such as appearance and mannerisms. Many managers boast that they know whether they should hire a candidate within the first five minutes of an interview - they don't.
- The Halo Effect. Letting one factor (e.g., same alma mater) influence everything else.
- Over-emphasizing the Can Do (Level 2) instead of the Will Do (Level 3). Can Do qualifications such as educational/technical credentials should not be given priority over the Will Do such as attitudes, motivations, temperament. (See The Three Levels of Appraisal).
- Asking questions that focus on the future rather than on past performance. "Would you be willing to work around the clock to meet a deadline?" rather than "Can you tell me about a time when you worked around the clock to meet a deadline?"
- Not probing vigorously. Accepting unsupported or vague claims instead of probing for details - names, dates, dollar figures, exactly what happened, when, why and how.
- Poor communications between interviewing managers. For example, having three managers concentrate on the technical details but having no one address the more important personal characteristics.
- Answering questions for the candidate. For example, "I guess you left your last job for a better opportunity?"
- Over-selling the position. Employees who receive an unpleasant surprise on their first day on the job tend not to stay long.
- Choosing the best of a bad lot. Managers often feel pressure to fill the position, opt for a "warm body" choice and make a hiring decision that costs them dearly in the long run.
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