Hiring Managers Cite Latest Interview Blunders

According to a new CareerBuilder survey conducted by The Harris Poll, around half of employers (49%) know within the first five minutes of an interview if a candidate is a good or bad fit for a position, and 8% make up their mind within a half hour or longer.

 

Hiring managers and human resource professionals shared the most unusual things job candidates have done during the interview process:

• Candidate did not have the skills to do the job and stated, “Fake it until you make it” as his personal philosophy.
• Candidate asked interviewer if she was qualified to be doing her job.
• Candidate asked for a cocktail.
• Candidate asked to taste the interviewer’s coffee.
• Candidate called a government job “something government-y.”
• Candidate came to interview wearing slippers.
• Candidate wore a Darth Vader outfit to the interview.
• Candidate spent a lot of time quoting Dwight D. Eisenhower, which had nothing to do with the position he was interviewing for.
• Candidate leaned far forward with his head down during the first five minutes of the interview.
• Candidate offered interviewer pumpkins and said they transfer good energy.
• Candidate pulled out a bag of drugs with his keys.
• Candidate broke out in song in the middle of the interview.

 

Survey respondents also offered mistakes that will hurt a job candidate’s chances.

• Caught lying about something: 71%;
• Answers a cell phone or texts during the interview: 67%;
• Appears arrogant or entitled: 59%;
• Appears to have a lack of accountability: 52%;
• Swears: 51%;
• Dresses inappropriately: 50%;
• Talks negatively about current or previous employers: 48%;
• Knows nothing about the job or company: 45%;
• Has unprofessional body language: 43%;
• Knows nothing about the industry or competitors: 35%;
• Fails to make eye contact: 68;
• Doesn’t smile: 38%;
• Plays with something on the table: 36%;
• Fidgets too much in his/her seat: 32%;
• Bad posture: 31%;
• Crosses their arms over their chest: 31%;
• Plays with hair or touches one’s face: 26%;
• Handshake is too weak: 22%;
• Uses too many hand gestures: 13%; and
• Handshake is too strong: 8%.

 

The survey was conducted online within the U.S. by The Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder among 1,014 hiring and human resource managers ages 18 and older (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government), including 888 in the private sector between November 28 and December 20, 2017.