It’s easy to focus on the mistakes that interviewees make, but what about the interviewers? Hiring managers make mistakes too and these mistakes can make it difficult to fill a position. Here are a few interviewing mistakes that hiring managers commonly make:
Unreasonable expectations
Hiring managers often walk into the interview room having unreasonable expectations. It is not wrong to expect certain things from the interviewee, but you should not expect a superhero. The individuals that you are interviewing should be able to fulfil the requirements that were given in the job description. More than this is always a bonus, but it should not be something that you look for in every interviewee.
Minimal preparation
Ensure that you are prepared for the interview. As the hiring manager, you should not have to ask the interviewee what they are being interviewed for. It is also necessary for you to go through the persons CV thoroughly. Asking them questions that you could find out from their CV is not necessary and will waste precious interview time.
Nonsensical questions
Always make sure that your questions are relevant to the job you are hiring for. This goes hand in hand with being prepared. If you are not prepared, you may not know the right questions to ask the individual. Another line of nonsensical questions would be quirky questions such as riddles. You may learn if the interviewee is a quick thinker, but you may also confuse them and come across as unprofessional.
Getting distracted
The hiring manager must not get distracted in the interview process. Not only will you miss vital information, but you will also seem uncaring and cold. If the interviewee feels as though you do not care this could make them despondent and you could lose out on a talented candidate for the position.