What’s the weirdest thing someone has done at interview?

Being a recruiter, I am often asked what is the worst, weirdest thing someone has done in an interview? As much as humorous interviews do entertain us, it does raise an important question, ‘What are the common mistakes made in interviews?’

Like many I am a HUGE fan of TOP 3 lists, whether it be films or must haves in a new role, I find information easier to digest in these bitesize chunks! So when it came to writing my first blog I thought there was no better way to answer the question than by following this format (plus one!!).

So below is my top 3 (plus one) list of some of the things to avoid in an interview based upon mine and my colleagues’ experiences.

1.      Not practicing for your interview.

I hate to repeat the statement you always hear, but candidates are having to fight it out in a ‘competitive market’. In order to stand out and give yourself the best shot at landing that ‘dream job’ originality is a must. This shows that you've thought hard about the job, the company, and why you and your skills are the right match. Now, doing these things effectively doesn’t just happen overnight and the age old phrase “Prior preparation prevents poor performance” rings true. Failing to prepare may mean you come across as nervous, unorganised or even seem as if you lack an understanding of the role applied for. For example:

 A hiring manager asked, "What are your greatest strengths?" and the reply came,

"I'm a people person."

What's the answer? Stage a mock interview.

You need to role-play. It may feel awkward, but it allows you the chance to organise your thoughts and develop a narrative that demonstrates a true reflection of yourself. 

2.     “I don't have any weaknesses and haven't experienced failure.”

In my experience, common questions to arise include: “What is your biggest weakness?” and “Can you tell me a time when you made a mistake and what you did next?” Following on from point 1, any candidate serious about landing a job MUST be prepared for these inevitable questions.

Why are these such common questions asked by employers? The reason is that a prospective employer is looking for a level of self-awareness. Mistakes are part and parcel of life and no one expects you to be infallible (despite what your partner has said!) The ability to recognise your mistakes, resolve the issue and most importantly learn, illustrates a maturity that many appear to lack. Returning to preparation, if you haven't thought about what your weakness is ahead of the interview your response can come across as disingenuous or down right stupid. You don’t want to be the candidate who when asked “what’s your greatest weakness?” responded with

“Time-keeping, I am always late.” Seriously this happened. Needless to say he or she did not get the role.

3.     Looking at your phone.

This to me is a “No-Brainer!”, and most people will see this point and think “surely no one would!” You would be shocked at the amount of times this has been an issue.

During an interview I believe every effort should be made to ensure the interviewer feels engaged and is interested. Equally, you want them to find you interesting which will not be achieved by a candidate who is engrossed in his or her phone or worst of all, he or she that takes a call during this process.

 Many stories flood to mind and yet 2 stories stand out from the rest.

The first story involved part of a client’s interview process which included a written English competency test. This wasn’t anything too difficult and was simply to ensure that when completing paperwork other employees could understand the notes. A section of this was a spelling test and the candidate pulled their phone out and essentially cheated on an un-graded exam.

The second story involved ‘my colleague’ who rang a candidate an hour after they started their interview, assuming the candidate had finished. Unfortunately they were still in the interview and worst of all they answered saying “Hi sorry, I am in the interview, I think it’s going well! Will call you back later.” In their defence they were right, it was going well until this moment. To add insult to injury the ringtone was not PG13.

4.     Asking about salary.

Now this particular one often comes as a shock to candidates when I recommend that they do not ask. I understand that ideally we would like to be paid what we are worth, so why should you avoid this topic? It fundamentally gives the impression that your only concern is getting the right money, not the right job. If you have made the decision to go through a recruiter, you should be aware of what the salary range is before you go to the interview. Discussing the salary will put the recruiter at a disadvantage when they negotiate the salary for you and I promise you they will want to get you as high-a-salary as they can.

If you have a requirement story please share it via DM or below!