In this article, we'll look at the most common mistakes job seekers make during interviews, as well as find out how they are interpreted by HR managers, recruiters, or line managers of the company.
So here are 10 ways to fail an interview:
1. To be late.
Candidates who make this mistake are divided into two categories: those who warn with a call about their possible delay, and those who do not consider it necessary to do so. In the eyes of the employer or his representative, the candidates of the first category are well-mannered people who are familiar with the requirement of business etiquette, who do not want to waste other people's time. But they do not know how to plan their day, to foresee the occurrence of certain circumstances - accordingly, their personal effectiveness cannot be high.
Conclusion: only death or serious bodily harm can be a good reason for being late! Everything else - traffic jams, a prolonged visit to the dentist, the inability to quickly find the employer's address, etc. - these are additional reasons not to hire such a candidate.
Candidates of the second category, that is, those who were late and did not warn about it in advance, are perceived even worse. In the eyes of the employer, these are ill-mannered, non-punctual people who do not know how to plan their time, do not respect the company and its employees, and are not interested in getting this job.
Conclusion: it's not hard to do, is it? Such a candidate is unlikely to get a job, especially if a competition is open for the vacancy.
2. Dress inappropriately.
Currently, clothing is not the body's defense against environmental influences. This is a certain language with which we broadcast information about ourselves to the world. According to most scientists, the first impression is formed in 0.7% of a second, and finally formed in 15 -20 seconds. The look you create with clothing and accessories must match the position you are applying for.
What is natural and normal for you may be perceived negatively by the employer. For example: - All morning you were picking tomatoes in your garden plot, did not have time to change and showed up for an interview in a summer cottage outfit. Desired position - sales manager.
Employer's conclusions:
- The candidate earned very little in his previous job, he has no money to buy decent clothes; he is not a successful professional.
- The candidate does not consider it necessary to take care of his appearance when going for an interview: it means that he does not value the company and is not interested in employment.
- The candidate is able to appear in this form and to meetings with potential clients of the company; it discredits the employer in the eyes of clients.
- You have taken out of the closet and put on all the best and most valuable that you have managed to acquire in recent years: an expensive corporate suit, a floor-length mink coat, a diamond set and a stylish watch. Rejoiced at their reflection and went for an interview. Desired position - salesperson - consultant in a prestigious furniture showroom.
Employer's conclusions:
- The candidate is a very wealthy person, which means he will not be interested in fulfilling the plan and increasing the percentage of sales. The obvious goal of employment is communication, the ability to "walk" their outfits, to satisfy communication needs.
- This candidate will bring discord into our well-established, friendly female team. Envy is a factor that destroys relationships, and everyone will envy this candidate!
- You decided to go to the interview in your usual suit and shoes "for every day", not putting them in proper shape. In public transport, you were stepped on your foot several times and a button was torn from your jacket. Desired position - chief accountant.
Employer's conclusions:
- The candidate looks very untidy: a crumpled suit, torn off buttons, dirty shoes. It is very likely that he is not very accurate in his work either. This means that we will face errors in the documents, not submitted reports on time, problems with the tax office.
- The candidate does not understand what the chief accountant of our reputable company should look like.
- It is likely that the candidate evaluates himself too highly as a specialist if he found it possible to ignore the requirements of the dress code. This means that he will qualify for a high salary.
Thus, we see: a small oversight on the part of the candidate gives rise to a lot of negative conclusions about him from the employer. This should be remembered.
3. Not being able to listen and speak in a timely manner.
Negotiation techniques (and interviews are negotiations) deserves a separate article, and I will not go into detail on this topic here. Within the framework of this material, I will emphasize only the main points.
If the candidate is silent most of the time, answers the questions concisely, in monosyllables, the employer draws the following conclusions:
- The candidate is hiding something, withholding information, "on his own mind."
- The candidate is an introverted, reserved person who will be uncomfortable to work with.
- The candidate is full of hidden complexes and personality problems; We do not need such employees in the company.
If the candidate speaks a lot, with excessive details, “goes into the wild”, uses the pronoun “I” too often, the employer may decide the following:
- The candidate thinks only of himself, focuses only on his interests and desires.
- The candidate tries to manipulate me with the help of NLP techniques, leads me away from the direct question.
- The candidate is not too talkative and apparently not too smart.
The most obvious conclusion that an applicant should draw is this: active listening and negotiating skills are faithful helpers not only in the interview process, but in life in general.
4. Not knowing about the employing company.
This mistake is made mainly by those candidates who post their resumes in a rolling manner. Accordingly, they receive offers from a wide variety of companies.
Often, having received several invitations, candidates begin to go to interviews, relying only on luck and luck, declaring their requirements and wishes and at the same time knowing absolutely nothing about the employer, about his needs and problems. This is a fundamentally flawed approach, doomed to failure.
If the candidate cannot reason his choice and answer the question why he was interested in this particular company, the employer draws the following conclusions:
- The job seeker does not really care where to work. He is only concerned with his own interests.
- If at the present time, in the age of the media and the Internet, the candidate has not found an opportunity to learn about the company, then his abilities are far from high.
- Probably, the candidate does not consider our vacancy seriously, he came to the interview just like that, to try his luck - what if they take it?
If it so happens that you really managed to learn very little about the employing company, but you still decided to try your hand at an interview, you should take the initiative in your own hands and ask the recruiter to tell you about this organization. This will demonstrate your interest in both the company and the vacancy. But, of course, it is best to prepare in advance and be clear about which organization you are going to work in.
5. Not be able to present yourself.
This error is directly related to the previous one. If you do not know anything about the company - the employer, about what tasks it sets, what problems it needs to solve most, it will be very difficult for you to prove that you are the person that this organization needs.
The art of self-presentation is difficult in itself, without being tied to an employer. There is a fine line between excessive boasting and excessive modesty, one should be able to find it. And at the interview, it is important not only to highlight your strengths, but also to show how they will help promote the company - the employer.
Any commercial organization, regardless of the form of ownership, is created and functions to make a profit. Perhaps there are other, higher goals, as a rule, they are reflected in the mission and values of the company, but profit is the main goal of commercial activity. All tasks, difficulties, problem areas of the organization, leading to a decrease in profits, solved with the help of hired personnel, must ultimately be eliminated. Your task is to show that it is you who are capable of doing this.
During the interview, the employer should have no doubts about your abilities and capabilities. Otherwise, he will make one - the only conclusion: "This candidate does not suit us!"
6. "Fail" on cases and tests.
Cases, that is, situational tasks, as well as various tests that reveal the identity of the candidate, are very popular in the HR-sphere. In large companies, they have long been part of a structured job interview.
You should prepare for these assignments as seriously as you do for the rest of the interview. At the present time, there is a lot of such information in the public domain; you can buy special books, manuals, practice on-line testing.
If a candidate passes a case with negative results (which can only be due to the effect of surprise and excitement), the employer draws conclusions about his low professional suitability. Naturally, such an applicant will be refused employment.
7. Not being able to make a good impression.
According to many authoritative authors, 55% of communication is transmitted at the visual level. Gestures (hands), the position of the legs, the position of the body in space, facial expressions (facial expression), eye contact, interpersonal distance, and overall appearance are important.
The acoustic part of communication consists, in turn, of the tempo of speech, timbre of the voice, articulation, intonation, the complexity of the used speech turns.
It is a big mistake to ignore all these factors. If you confidently talk about your achievements at the previous place of work, but your voice, posture, gestures and facial expressions contradict the meaning of the words, the employer will make the only conclusion: “I don’t believe!”
8. Be afraid, demonstrate the lack of stress resistance.
It's no secret - for most candidates, interviewing is a lot of stress. Naturally, if you do not have strong psychological stability, then it will be extremely difficult to show yourself in the best possible light. And the employer, noticing your excitement, may doubt either the veracity of your answers, or even your potential ability to cope with the upcoming work.
What will help you demonstrate your resilience to stress?
- First, training: before going to an interview with a company that really interests you, you should practice with either a familiar HR-rumor or a personal career coach. If this is not possible, go through several interviews in companies that are less interesting to you. Although I recommend this method as a last resort. Having no real desire to find a job in these companies, you are simply wasting their employees' time, which is not very ethical.
- Secondly, self-alignment: a variety of techniques will help you create the right infusion for calmness, confidence and victory, from correct breathing to visualizations.
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Third, if you are unable to cope with intense anxiety, you can take a mild sedative. The main thing is that it does not affect the speed of your reactions and the quality of thinking.
9. Don't ask the "right" questions.
Often, after answering the recruiter's questions, the candidate happily takes a breath and rushes to leave the office as soon as possible, when he should relax and start asking his questions. Firstly, in this way you can really get important, meaningful information about the company and your possible position. Secondly, to make an additional desired impression.
Which questions should be considered "correct?" Those that demonstrate your competence in employment matters and commitment to performance. For example:
- How is the work done in this organization? According to the employment contract, according to the work book, what else? (It is possible to register a job as an individual entrepreneur, conclude a civil contract with him, etc.) - How long is the trial period? - What results does the employer expect after the trial period? - On the basis of what criteria are wages calculated, what does it depend on? - How many people will be subordinate to you if you are applying for a leadership position? Etc.
Wrong questions:
- about vacation; - about sick leave; - about time off; - about benefits, compensations, etc.
Of course, this information is also necessary to possess, but it is unacceptable to concentrate exclusively on such issues, as they will form negative ideas about you in the employer. It would be more correct to ask them later, in the personnel department.
10. Do not prepare recommendations and referrals.
If the employer is interested in your candidacy, it is only natural that he will want to receive recommendations about you from the previous places of work. In my experience, many job seekers find it difficult to provide recommendations and referral data. This is a big mistake, as is the provision of false information.
Recruiters and HR-ry always check the quality of the recommendation and ask a lot of "tricky" questions about the candidate. Therefore, the employee from whom you expect positive recommendations about yourself should be well prepared for the upcoming conversation.
A familiar HR specialist or a personal career coach can help you with this.
So, we've covered 10 surefire ways to fail an interview. Don't make these mistakes, and your chances of getting the job you're interested in will increase significantly!
Elena Trigub
