HR’s interview dealbreakers

Hiring managers say they know whether a candidate is a good fit within the first five minutes of the interview, but what signals are they looking for?

Arrogance topped the list in a new survey from CareerBuilder.ca, which finds 54% of hiring managers think an arrogant candidate is most likely to be rejected. Around half the respondents also cited appearing disinterested and being uninformed about the company as dealbreakers.

Candidates don’t have long to impress, with 87% of HR pros determining if the job seeker is a good or bad fit within 15 minutes. The cues don’t even have to be verbal – body language was enough for 66% of managers to reject candidates who failed to make eye contact.

The most candidate blunders include:

• Appearing arrogant — 54%;
• Appearing disinterested — 52%;
• Appearing uninformed about the company or role — 49%;
• Answering a cell phone or texting during the interview — 48%;
• Dressing inappropriately — 47%;
• Talking negatively about current or previous employers — 46%;
• Not providing specific examples — 43%;
• Not asking good questions — 31%;
• Asking the hiring manager personal questions — 21%; and
• Providing too much personal information — 18%.

The biggest non-verbal mistakes candidates commonly make were:

• Failure to make eye contact — 66%;
• Bad posture — 39%;
• Failure to smile — 38%;
• Fidgeting too much in his/her seat — 38%;
• Crossing their arms over their chest — 34%;
• Playing with something on the table — 30%;

 What are your interview dealbreakers?