Here's a list of mistakes you must avoid as an interviewer, experienced or new!
- Analysing Complete skill-set of candidates- Employers who don't have much experience of interviewing candidates, often fail to appreciate that only functional skills and knowledge of the domain is not sufficient to judge a candidate. Soft skills like sincerity to work, willingness to learn, taking initiatives, and more play an equally important role, and at the same time, such skills are more difficult to develop.
- Lack of preparation- An interviewer must read through the candidate's bio-data before entering the room. This will enable the interviewer to ask more relevant questions, which will make the decision making process on the candidate's association with the organization, easier and faster.
- Shallow probing- A question that is asked without going into the depth for answers, is equivalent to a question missed. Good interviewers have the knack of probing deeper till they are satisfied with the amount of information they could gather on a specific aspect.
- Not being truthful about the job profile- Some interviewers do not divulge the real picture to candidates in their desperate efforts to bring them on board. However, a right person in the wrong position is as good as a vacant position for the same role because the person will only stay with the organization for a short time.
- One-way interrogation- New interviewers sometimes fail to realize that good interviewing skills include giving the candidate an equal opportunity to interrogate about the organization – to know about the culture, vision and philosophy of the organization.
- Making the candidates wait too long- Last minute interview cancellations or long waiting time before the interview speak of poor professionalism on part of the interviewer. Worthy candidates may not be interested in working for someone who doesn't value their time and skills.
- Frequent interruptions during the interview- Good interviewers let the candidate finish before putting the next question forward. Too many interruptions will not help the candidate focus on his/her responses. Too many interruptions also make the employer look inconsiderate or insensitive to the employee's needs and opinions.
- Not making efforts to sell the workplace- Employers or interviewers often forget to share the strengths and successes of their organizations with the candidates. Failure to come across as an attractive employer can make the candidate look elsewhere.
- Making the candidate nervous: Effective interviewers try and lighten the mood in the room to make the candidate feel at ease. This way, interviewers increase their chance of getting more real and complete information from the candidate.
