With lots of competition for jobs; candidates must put their best foot forward throughout the process, stay positive, focus on their strengths and be prepared on how to best sell their skill set.
The most common blunders are:
- Dressing inappropriately – 57%
- Appearing disinterested – 55%
- Appearing arrogant – 53%
- Speaking negatively about current or former employer – 52%
- Answering a cell phone or texting during an interview – 46%
- Appearing uniformed about the company or the role – 39%
- Not providing specific answers – 34%
- Not asking good questions – 34%
- Providing too much personal information – 20%
Real world faux pas:
- When checking references, candidate pretended to be his own reference.
- When the CEO left the room, the candidate looked through his folder and notes.
- While waiting in the reception area, candidate yelled at the receptionist and started a ruckus.
- Candidate claimed dual degrees in different majors when only one degree was verifiable.
- Candidate used the reflection in the conference room window to adjust his shirt into his trouser while the interview team watched.
Other typical mistakes:
- Misspelled words on the resume
- Providing references who are negative
- Negotiating too hard and creating hurt feelings
- Waiting until late in the process to talk to the family about relocation
- Believing that the company will be so impressed with them, that they will pay a higher salary
- Omitting or misrepresenting facts on the resume
The most important statistic to remember:
48% of hiring managers know within the first five minutes of an interview if they want to hire the person – or not.
Bob Harrington Associates has been in the executive search business for 20 years and can help you find the best people for your business.
Bob Harrington Associates 