4 Job Interview Mistakes Hiring Managers Will Eliminate You For, According to LinkedIn
Featured in:
Do not allow a single mistake to destroy your chances of getting the job you want if you have been able to score an interview with a company you like.
In the cutthroat competition present in the market these days, the hiring managers look for just one mistake from the applicant’s side to remove them from the shortlisted candidates.
The interview is the most important part of the complete job hiring process. If you mess up the interview, you can say “Goodbye” to the job.
Also, the recruiters are not just asking you questions about why they should hire you or your education qualifications, they also look at other things as well, such as how patient you are, how neat and tidy you are, how talkative and shy you are, etc.
You cannot allow a single silly mistake to destroy your chance of bagging your dream job.
Hiring managers do not allow any excuse for being late to the interview, hence, the first thing you must remember is to reach your interview location on time.
Also, you must look presentable and professional, otherwise, your chances of being eliminated from the shortlisted candidates’ list are almost positive.
But there are also other things that will eliminate you as well which the largest professional social network LinkedIn has found, which we will discuss in this article.
FOUR THINGS LINKEDIN WARNS YOU NOT TO DO AT YOUR JOB INTERVIEW
There are many mistakes that you might do in a face to face interview and not even realize while doing them.
The interview is one of the most crucial places to make an impact on the recruiter and no candidate wants to make a mistake that can put them out of the running.
The recruiters or the hiring managers want to know who the candidate is, what value he/she can bring to the company and what other things he/she is good at.
The interview is, in brief, a chance to shine for the candidate. But equally important is to know what the things are that you are not supposed to do during an interview.
In 2016 LinkedIn – one of the top business- and employment-oriented social networking websites – conducted a survey of hiring managers to find out which mistakes the candidates should avoid in their interview.
According to them, there are four things that the candidate should never be caught doing and those things are:
1. Not Asking Enough Questions
According to the hiring managers, one of the biggest mistakes that candidates often make is not being inquisitive about the employer’s company.
If you want to work in that company, you would want to know more about it as well, hence, you should ask relevant questions from the hiring managers when given the opportunity.
To form the right questions, you will have to do a preparation.
You should make a list of at least ten relevant questions before going for the interview. The questions can be both specific and general.
You should ask the questions as the interview progresses and you must have at least one question at the end when the interviewer asks you, “If you have any questions?”.
Answering this question with a ‘yes’ is an additional point for you because that way the interviewer would know that you are really interested in the job.
2. Being Cocky or Arrogant
Now, this is something you must already know.
Most of the time you think you are following the rule of ‘not being cocky’ in the interview but in reality, things might be very different.
You get cocky in the interview by talking about things that recruiters do not want to know about you like your family background, the number of medals you have, etc.
There is a thin line between being cocky and being confident and you must remain within the line of confidence.
It is a very risky to brag about your achievements and come across as arrogant.
The recruiter is not just looking at your technical skills and your experience, but he/she is also assessing if you will be able to adapt to the core values of the organization.
3. Talking about Money too soon
One of the major turn-offs for the recruiting managers is the ‘money-talk.’
The hiring managers want to know how much value and profit the candidate can bring to the business.
They try to ascertain what your ideas are and if they can bring bigger development and profits, which is why, if you start talking about your bonus or compensation, it can work against you.
Talking about money is something you should strongly restrain from doing during the interview.
It is not only a premature move, but it also puts your candidacy in a jeopardy immediately.
We recommend you not to do it.
Also, a good recruiter will guide you through the payment or salary process and help you in understanding when to broach the subject of money/compensation.
4. Not Knowing about the Company
If you are going for the interview, you must know about the company, its recent achievements, downfalls, acquisitions, etc.
You can find a good amount of information about the business of the company online.
In addition to this, the recruiting manager can also offer you the information regarding the organization if you are already working with them.
For a face-to-face interview, preparation is very essential, and it includes preparing yourself for all the questions in relation to the recent growth of the company.
OTHER THINGS THE CANDIDATE SHOULD NOT DO IN THE INTERVIEW
Besides the above top 4 interview mistakes LinkedIn identified, according to another survey done among more than 2,500 hiring managers, hiring decision makers do not like the following:
Swearing – It is easy for the bad word to slip out of your mouth at the worst possible moment if you are someone who curses or swears regularly. Just think of the hiring managers as your elders and control the words you speak, and you will do just fine.
Lying or covering the facts – Speak the truth and only the truth during an interview and do not invent any past jobs or qualifications for yourself. Remember if you lie and you are selected, your recruiter and your company would expect you to know those things or have those qualifications. When you are unable to do those things and the truth is finally disclosed, they can not only remove you from the job but can also sue you for the lie. It is always a good idea to not lie about straight-forward facts that can be verified by the hiring manager easily.
Dressing and looking inappropriately – The candidate should try to find out how the employees of the company dress and then try to match it so that they can impress the recruiter. Also, the candidate should be neat, comb their hair properly, and always check their shoes before going for the interview. This is also confirmed by a report by Gizmodo that highlights that the candidate should consider having an outfit that is suitable for a job interview.
Checking your phone – The Gizmodo report also confirms that the candidate should not glance at his/her phone during an interview as looking at the phone can cost the candidate the job as well. Ask yourself if you really need your phone during the interview. If the answer is no, keep the phone switched off and if the answer is yes, then keep it in silent, however, do not leave your phone on normal mode while doing the interview because that can be risky for you. Avoid this risk simply by turning off your phone.
Appearing arrogant can be attributed to many factors such as:
- Arriving late – Rule number one for all the interviewees is being on time. It does not matter if the hiring managers leave the candidates sitting in the lobby for a few minutes while they answer emails or calls. It is possible that the recruiter is assessing your patience level. But also arriving too early can be a problem as it can irritate the hiring manager because it is quite disruptive for their regular schedule.
- Blaming others for your mistakes – If you have made any mistake recently or in the past and your hiring manager somehow knows about it, then do not lie about it or blame others for it. Take responsibility for your deeds.
Asking “quirky” questions – When we are recommending you ask the interviewer questions, we mean relevant and good questions, not ‘quirky’ ones. For example, asking a manager about teamwork examples makes sense but asking them questions related to religion or compensation does not make sense. If you do not ask the right questions and are not careful, then you can come off as unprofessional.
Having unrealistic expectations – You know how much money you want to earn or the perks you want to have but if you are too demanding, inflexible or your expectations are very high, then it can turn the employers away from you. Again, remember to do your research and find out the salary they are offering for the job before building unrealistic expectations. If they have not mentioned the salary, then find out the salary range that jobs of similar kinds in the same area are offering. Maybe it may be time for you to change your expectations if you are getting turned down from the jobs that you are qualified for.
Not paying attention – Sometimes before the interview, hiring managers have presentations and group discussions for the applicants and it’s important for you to pay attention to the two processes. You may have a huge to-do list but when you are finally in the interview room, your focus should only be there and nowhere else.
Forgetting to be polite – It is the work of the hiring manager to fire off questions and sometimes, you may feel like you are sitting in an interrogation room but during the whole procedure, do not forget to be polite. The hiring manager knows which questions he can ask and cannot ask; therefore, be calm and polite while answering them.
Inappropriate social media posts – You must have a social media account and even though it is private, there are ways recruiters can check your social media posts. Hence, be sure not to post anything inappropriate on the social networking site if you want a job.
Exaggerating or making up credentials on their resume – The candidate should never exaggerate or make up credentials during the interview because it is very easy for the hiring manager to verify those credentials and they will eliminate the candidate within seconds.
Talking bad about past employers – According to a report by Business Insider, hiring managers do not like applicants who speak negatively of past employers. If someone talks negatively about a previous boss, then hiring manager would think twice before shortlisting them. This is because hiring managers think that those candidates have problems in dealing with coworkers and they struggle with authority. Making statements like “my boss played favorites”, “a lot of drama was present between coworkers,” or “I didn’t get the days off I requested” can land you in serious trouble because these complaints sound unprofessional.
BODY LANGUAGE MISTAKES CANDIDATES MUST AVOID IN AN INTERVIEW
Moreover, there are some mistakes related to body language that the applicants should avoid during an interview – such as:
- Not smiling at all.
- Crossing your arms over your chest.
- Not making a proper eye contact.
- Displaying juvenile behavior like playing with something on the table.
- Fidgeting too much in the seat.
WHAT MAKES A QUALITY CANDIDATE?
Glassdoor surveyed around 750 hiring decision-makers including hiring managers, recruiters and more, across the UK and the United States to find out what according to them were the essential skills that a candidate should have. These skills were not related to any certification or qualification but general traits that anyone from any industry or any profession can easily have.
According to the results of the survey, 9 in 10 hiring managers or recruiters, which is 88% of the people who were surveyed, agree that a quality candidate is an informed candidate. Informed candidates are the ones who already know about the company and the kind of work they require.
The survey also found out what exactly the makes an informed or a quality candidate, so according to the hiring decision-makers that is someone who:
- demonstrates the right experience
- is prepared for the interview and asks relevant questions
- has knowledge about the job role
- has the right expectations about salary, compensation, and benefits
- has knowledge about the core values of the organization and its culture
- is very engaged in their job search
- is thinking about where they are working
- presented a relevant cover letter or a customized resume.
IT IS ALL ABOUT THE FIRST IMPRESSION
The first impression could be the last impression.
It is very easy to make a bad impression on someone but making a good impression on the first meeting is difficult and if you succeed in that, getting a job becomes easier.
So use this article to prepare for your next interview and make a to-do list before going for the interview – similar to this one:
- Get a formal outfit
- Do a good research on the company
- Check if you are qualified for it
- Find out the date and time of the interview and be on time
The last but not the least thing on that checklist should be – smile!
Good luck with your interview!
Comments are closed.
Related posts
Common Sales Interview Questions (and How to Answer them)
The job interview is the most nerve-wracking part of the job application process. In the sales …
3 Perfect Ways to Wrap Up Your Answers in an Interview
You have submitted your job application with high hopes. The wait for the interview call is getting …
8 Phone Interview Tips That Will Land You A Second Interview
To get a second phone interview you need to balance the arts of intrigue, suspense and etiquette …