5 MOST COMMON INTERVIEW MISTAKES

Mistake #1: You Don't Prepare Enough

The success of interviewing and ultimately hiring the right candidate hinges on the amount of preparation that occurs before the first candidate walks into your office.  First, you will want to identify what characteristics, skills, and personality traits are needed to successfully do the job.  Next, you will want to choose interview questions that help you identify and judge those traits and skills for each candidate.  This is where Ready Prep Interview comes in.

Mistake #2: You Talk Too Much

A good rule of thumb is 20/80 rule.  You should do 20% of the talking and 80% of the listening.  Unfortunately, many interviewers do it the other way around.  Most of the talking you do should simply be asking questions.  Only sell the candidate on the position and the company if you want to bring them in for a 2nd interview.

Mistake #3: You Don’t Pause

You will be amazed by the power of the pause.  After the candidate responds to your interview question, don’t say anything.  You will be surprised by how much more information you will get by not saying anything.  

Mistake #4: You Let the Candidate Off the Hook

Too often interviewers just accept vague responses.  The key is to dig deeper.  When presented with an ambiguous response to an interview question, ask an open ended question like “What do you mean” or “Tell me more about that”.  Employing the pause will also solicit more information.

Mistake #5: You Don’t Dig into Past Experience

A candidate’s past experience is one of the best indicators of how they will perform for you.  This is why so many of the interview questions on Ready Prep Interview ask for an example or a specific experience.  As an interviewer it is also very important to find out why the candidate left each of their past jobs.  With effective pauses and follow-up questions, you will be able to get a better idea of how long the candidate may last at the position you are trying to fill.