The Biggest Interview Mistakes Hiring Managers Make

Interviews are pivotal in hiring, helping employers sift through candidates to find the perfect fit. But let's be honest: interviews can be tricky, and even the most seasoned hiring managers make mistakes. These errors can lead to bad hires, costing time, money, and reputation. In this article, we'll break down 11 common interview mistakes and how to avoid them so you can confidently hire the best candidates.

1. Not Preparing for the Interview

You walk into the interview room, greet the candidate, and sit down, only to realise you barely know their name and haven't thoroughly reviewed their CV.?You?awkwardly ask, "Tell me about yourself," as you try to get up to speed.?This scenario makes the interview uncomfortable for both parties and undermines your credibility as an interviewer. Preparation is vital to a successful interview that reveals the best candidate for the role.

Signs You're Not Prepared

1. Barely Skimmed the CV Before the Interview

• If you have only glanced at the candidate's CV minutes before the interview, you are not equipped to ask insightful questions. This lack of preparation can result in a disjointed and ineffective interview.

2. Unsure of the Candidate's Name or the Role They're Applying For

• Forgetting the candidate's name or the specifics of the role they are applying for signals to the candidate that you do not value their time or your hiring process.

3. Asking Generic, Broad Questions

• When you haven't prepared, you tend to resort to generic questions such as "Tell me about yourself" or "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" These questions rarely yield useful information about the candidate's suitability for the role.

2. Using Interviews at the Wrong Stage in the Hiring Process

Conducting interviews too early in the hiring process can significantly drain company resources. It's inefficient and often unnecessary to conduct multiple interviews with candidates before determining if they meet the basic qualifications for the role. By optimising when and how interviews are used, employers can streamline the hiring process and focus their efforts on the most promising candidates.

Solution:?To address these issues, implementing pre-employment skills assessments can be an effective strategy. These assessments help identify the most qualified candidates early, ensuring that only those who meet the basic requirements move forward to the interview stage.

3. Getting Too Personal with Candidates

Interviews are an excellent opportunity to build rapport and get to know candidates beyond their CVs. However, a relaxed interview setting can sometimes lead to overly personal interactions that can cross professional boundaries or even breach legal guidelines. Maintaining a balance between friendly conversation and professional decorum is essential to ensure a fair and legal hiring process.

Common Mistakes:

• Questions about age, race, gender, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, and other protected characteristics are not only inappropriate but also illegal in many jurisdictions. Such questions can lead to discrimination claims and potential legal action against the company.
• While a friendly atmosphere can make candidates feel comfortable, becoming too informal can blur professional boundaries. This can lead to discussions that are too personal, potentially making candidates uncomfortable or leading to inadvertent disclosure of information that could bias the hiring decision.

Solution:?Use structured interview questions and have clear HR policies to avoid crossing legal lines. Structured interviews involve asking each candidate the same set of predetermined questions. This approach ensures that all candidates are evaluated on the same criteria, which enhances fairness and consistency.

4. Forgetting About Cultural Fit

While technical skills and experience are critical for job performance, overlooking cultural fit during the hiring process can lead to significant challenges. Cultural fit refers to how well a candidate's values, beliefs, and behaviours align with the company's culture. Neglecting this aspect can result in friction, decreased employee satisfaction, and higher turnover rates.

Solution:?To ensure that new hires align with your company's culture, it's essential to incorporate culture-related questions into your interview process and leverage appropriate assessments.

Examples of Culture-Related Questions:

• "Can you describe your ideal work environment?"
• "What values are most important to you in a workplace?"
• "Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to a significant change at work. How did you handle it?"
• "How do you approach teamwork and collaboration?"
• "What motivates you in your professional life?"

5. Making Snap Judgments

First impressions can be powerful and immediate. They often shape our opinions and decisions within seconds. However, in the context of hiring, snap judgments can be detrimental. Allowing bias to influence the hiring process may result in overlooking potentially great candidates. These biases can stem from personal or professional judgments, often leading to unfair and inaccurate assessments.

Common Biases:

• Personal judgments: "Their hair looks messy"?or "Their handshake isn't firm."
• Professional judgments: "They went to a prestigious university"?or "They worked in a blue-collar job."

Solution:?To mitigate the impact of snap judgments, it's crucial to implement structured interviews and use quantitative measures like skills assessments. These methods help ensure hiring decisions are based on objective, job-relevant criteria rather than subjective impressions.

6. Rushing to Fill the Role

The pressure to fill an open position quickly can be immense. After interviewing numerous candidates, the temptation to settle for the first decent candidate is strong. However, rushing this critical process can lead to hiring the wrong person, which can be costly and disruptive for your organisation.

Cost of Hiring the Wrong Candidate:

• More than 30% of their annual pay
• Average hiring cost of ￡3,000-￡4,000 per person

Solution:?Setting realistic expectations and using effective screening tools to identify the best candidates efficiently is essential to avoid the pitfalls of rushing the hiring process.

7. Not Giving a Clear Job Description

A vague or unclear job description can have far-reaching consequences. When candidates don't fully understand what is expected of them, they are more likely to underperform, become disengaged, or leave the job early. This can lead to increased turnover rates and additional recruitment costs. Providing a detailed job description is crucial, but reinforcing these details during the interview is equally important.

Solution:?To ensure candidates fully understand the role, it's essential to structure time into the interview to discuss the job's responsibilities in detail and use role-specific skills assessments to gauge their aptitude.

8. Placing Too Much Emphasis on Grades and Experience

Relying heavily on a candidate's grades and past work experience can be misleading. A candidate may have an impressive CV filled with prestigious schools and notable companies. Still, these credentials don't always guarantee job success. Real-world competencies and the ability to perform specific job-related tasks are far more reliable indicators of future performance.

Solution:?To make better hiring decisions, focus on assessing candidates' real-world competencies through structured interview questions and skills-based tests. This approach ensures that you evaluate candidates on their ability to perform the tasks required for the job.

9. Not Relying on Structured Questions

Unstructured interviews, where each interviewer asks different questions, can create many problems. Without a consistent framework, it's challenging to objectively compare candidates, review feedback efficiently, or ensure all necessary skills and aptitudes are assessed. Implementing structured interview questions can mitigate these issues and lead to more reliable and fair hiring decisions.

• Difficulty comparing candidates objectively
• Increased time reviewing subjective feedback
• Missing critical skills and aptitude questions

Solution:?Using structured interview questions ensures consistency, fairness, and thoroughness in the hiring process. By asking all candidates the same questions, you can more accurately gauge their performance abilities and make better-informed hiring decisions.

10. Making the Candidate Feel Uncomfortable

Interviews should be a two-way street, giving the employer and the candidate a fair chance to assess each other. However, introducing curveball or "gotcha"?questions can make candidates flustered and uncomfortable. Such questions rarely reveal helpful information about a candidate's skills or suitability. Instead, they can damage the candidate's perception of the company and result in a negative interview experience.

Solution:?To ensure a productive and fair interview process, focus on structured behavioural interview questions. These questions are designed to assess a candidate's past experiences and attitudes, which are more predictive of future performance and fit for the role.

11. Overlooking Internal Talent

Many organisations overlook the potential within their existing workforce in the search for the perfect candidate. Internal mobility, the practice of filling job openings with current employees, can be a powerful tool for growth and retention. Recognising and promoting internal talent can yield numerous benefits, from cost savings to improved employee satisfaction.

Benefits of Internal Mobility:

• Existing employees already know company practices
• Encourages retention by providing growth opportunities
• It costs less time and money to fill the role

Solution:?To maximise the benefits of internal mobility, organisations should develop an HR process that actively encourages and supports the movement of talent within the company.

What Should Those Interested in This Topic Do Next?

The next step for those interested in perfecting their hiring process is to implement structured interviews and skills-based assessments. Training hiring managers on reducing bias and enhancing cultural fit assessments can also make a significant difference. Consider investing in HR technology that supports these initiatives and fosters a more efficient, effective hiring process. Staying updated on the latest trends and best practices in hiring will also ensure your methods remain relevant and impactful.

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Feel inspired to improve your hiring process? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. Connect with other HR professionals to exchange tips and strategies on LinkedIn. The more we share, the better we all become at building more robust, more effective teams.

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