Are You Sabotaging Your Interviews? 5 Common Mistakes to Watch Out For

Hiring managers are responsible for finding talented and highly qualified candidates to fill a company’s open positions. Partnering with an employment agency can downsize the plethora of applications to move up the selection process, but sometimes even the most seasoned professionals can stumble during the interview process. Just like interviewees, plenty of things can go sideways if hiring managers do not steer clear of mistakes that cost big bucks and hiring mismatches.

In this article, we will take you through five common mistakes hiring managers make during interviews and how to avoid them. But first, let's set the stage with some foundational insights.

Why the Interview Stage is Pivotal

An interview is not all-important just for job seekers. This is a stage where a potential employee’s skills, personality, and alignment with the company culture values are evaluated before being brought onto the team. Interviews, be it in-person or via video interfaces, require the interviewing managers to set the tone for mutual trust and collaboration. However, certain missteps during this process can put off candidates and cost you valuable time, resources and even your company’s reputation.

The Ripple Effect of Poor Interview Practices

Interviews are the gateway to evaluate a candidate’s technical know-how and non- verbal skills. Most importantly it’s a medium to represent your company’s culture, ethics and workplace dynamics. A lacklustre or poorly managed interview experience can leave candidates disengaged, leading them to decline offers or spread negative reviews. As the Canadian talent market widens its pools, and where top talent is courted by multiple employees, even a single error on the part of the hiring professional can tip the scales against you.

Patron Career Staffing is your trusted partner, dedicated to helping employers and job seekers climb the ladder of success with confidence, guidance, and unwavering support.

Related: Job interview do’s and don’ts for interviewers and job-hunters

Five Common Interviewer Mistakes That Put Off Candidates

Mistake 1: Asking Vague or Irrelevant Questions

It is unwittingly common for hiring professionals to fall into the trap of asking questions that often fail to yield meaningful insights. This occurs mostly for interviewers who come unprepared and rely on the eleventh-hour questionnaire patterns like, “Where do you see yourself 5 years down the line?” or “What is your greatest strength/ weakness?”

While these questions are fairly common amongst the hiring staff, they are devoid of the depth needed to evaluate a candidate’s real potential and not what they seemingly portray to impress interviewers.

Why This Happens:

The Fix: If you have ever found yourself committing this error, try to ramp up your technique and raft specific, role-relevant questions to gauge the candidate’s skills and thought processes. For instance, replace the monotonous question about weakness, and ask them how they’ve handled work challenges in the past roles. Include behavioural questions like, “Can you describe a time when you overcame a difficult project?” which are far more telling.

Mistake 2: Talking Too Much and Listening Too Little

Interviews are a two-way street. It can often go sidetracked when hiring managers dominate the conversation, especially when they’re excited about selling the company to candidates. Unfortunately, this know-it-all attitude leaves little room to truly learn about a candidate sitting across from you. It’s important to give other hiring managers their time to ask and interview the candidate.

Why This Happens:

The Fix: To avoid this mistake, try spending more time actively listening to a candidate than speaking endlessly. Adopt the 80/20 rule: let the candidate speak 80% of the time while you guide the conversation with thoughtful questions.

Mistake 3: Focusing Too Much on Skills, Not Enough on Culture Fit

Technical proficiency and experience are accorded priority by hiring managers and a candidate’s ability to align with the company culture is often ignored. Both go hand in hand. Interviewers should not decide on a candidate based solely on his resume attributes, but look beyond to ensure they don’t clash with the team dynamics.

Why This Happens:

The Fix: Ask questions that gauge cultural fit, such as, “What type of work environment do you thrive in?” or “How do you prefer to collaborate with your teammates?”.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Red Flags or Overlooking Potential

Sometimes, hiring professionals can end up neglecting subtle warning signs, for instance, inconsistent answers or vague responses. Additionally, they may also make snap judgements and overlook a candidate with less experience but immense potential to grow.

Why This Happens:

The Fix: Dig deeper when you encounter inconsistencies in behaviour or answers. Ask them clarifying questions to address any gaps. Also, look beyond the traditional resume vetting and draw out communication, adaptability, coachability, and enthusiasm for the role.

Mistake 5: Failing to Provide a Positive Candidate Experience

A rushed, disorganized, or overly formal interview process can topple your company’s candidate experience leaving them feeling undervalued. A positive candidate experience ensures you stay relevant in the talent shortage storm and seek reliable talent. Hiring managers can inadvertently result in companies losing top talent to competitors with better hiring practices.

Why This Happens:

The Fix: Interviews can mutually benefit the interviewers and interviewees. For hiring managers, it's important to engage candidates in clear communication before, during, and after the interview. At the same time, build rapport with the candidate, value their time, prepare in advance and conclude by mentioning the next steps in the hiring process.

Bringing It All Together

Interviewing is both an art and a science. It requires hiring managers to put in their noetic senses and devise a meaningful and positive interview process. By avoiding these common pitfalls, you can create a smoother, highly efficient hiring process to strengthen your talent pipeline while representing your company in the best light possible.

We hope you found these insights enriching! Stay connected with us to make smarter hiring decisions and ensure long-term team success.