Every HR leader has at least one story about a job interview that went off the rails.
But how many can say they’ve seen an interviewee turn up with their support iguana in tow? Or watched an otherwise solid candidate sabotage their chances by demanding free pizza for lunch every Friday as a condition of accepting a job offer?
Those were just two examples of unusual and/or unprofessional interview antics that hiring managers shared in a recent Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey.
In a poll of more than 1,000 hiring decision makers, respondents also pointed out some of the more common, less-bizarre behaviors that would lead them to stop considering a candidate for a job opening.
For example, 68% of hiring managers said being rude would disqualify an applicant from contention. In addition, 55% indicated that showing up late would be a dealbreaker, while 53% said the same about candidates who dress inappropriately for the occasion.
Hiring managers cited some other pet peeves, such as candidates who are uninformed about the organization and/or the position they’re applying for (47%), using unprofessional body language (44%) and/or not asking questions (27%). Forty-five percent said they’ve encountered candidates talking negatively about their previous position or manager, with 41% reporting that they’ve seen applicants answer phone calls or exchange text messages during interviews.
More than one-third of respondents say they have squirmed as an applicant overshared personal information, checked their watches (33%), swore (32%) or got caught in a lie (28%).
Of course, the candidates sitting across the table have some tales of their own to tell, and they dished some dirt on interviewers in a separate Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey.
In a poll of 1,002 U.S. job seekers, more than a third of candidates admit they’ve done something during an interview that “may be a bit outside of the norm,” according to Express Employment Professionals.
For example, 10% said they’ve checked their watch during an interview, while 8% admit they’ve shared something negative about a past job or manager to a would-be employer.
That said, a much larger number of job seekers (65%) said they’ve seen an interviewer do at least one of these things during an interview. Nearly one in three said they’ve seen a hiring decision-maker answer their phone during an interview, or caught them checking their watch (30%).
Any job seeker would remember such a display during an interview. But a few candidates truly have hiring stories for the ages.
“I saw a physical fight break out between two employees in the office,” one survey participant recalled. “And the manager interviewing me rushed over to break it up and got knocked out by one of the guys in the fight.”
Another interviewee looked on as an employee entered the room and quit, while yet another saw their interview come to a halt as the hiring manager went into labor.
Such stories are good for a laugh—at least for those who weren’t involved—but they also offer a reminder that it’s possible to be both personable and professional throughout the hiring process, said Express Employment International CEO Bill Stoller.
“Though these eccentric interviews may elicit a chuckle, both the candidate and hiring manager should honor each other’s time,” said Stoller, in a statement, “striving to uncover not only if the job seeker has the proper qualifications, but also if the applicant would be a good fit with the [organization’s] culture.”
10 April 2024
Category
HR News Article
