IT managers tend to be familiar with the conversation points that need to be hit when they’re interviewing tech professionals for an open position. On the other side of that coin, however, there’s a whole set of habits which managers have when interviewing candidates that are unnecessary, or even counterproductive. By eliminating those elements from the interview process, employers can help to make the conversation much more effective and comfortable for everyone involved.
Here are four common mistakes that managers make while interviewing tech professionals:
- Asking questions that aren’t relevant to the role. Interviewees are in the room with you to discuss the role and the qualifications that make them a strong candidate: that’s all. Asking a candidate questions about their lifestyle or habits outside of work, or, say, who they plan to vote for, is inappropriate and could turn them off from pursuing the role any further.
- Not being prepared to answer their questions. When interviewing a candidate for an open position, employers need to familiarize themselves beforehand with the details of the role, the department, and the company. Any experienced tech professional will want to know some of these basic details, so it’s the responsibility of the interviewer to come prepared with the answers to their questions.
- Not providing the interviewee with enough time to speak. Occasionally, interviewers can get caught up telling stories or going into too much detail about the role, when suddenly they look up and the allotted time for the interview has expired. Interviews, ideally, should be a balanced, two-way street. Be careful not to interrupt and allow the candidate plenty of time to describe their experience and articulate their thoughts fully.
- Getting distracted. As managers, we’re expected to be accessible by our teams and colleagues virtually around the clock, so it can be difficult to fully unplug when we’re meeting with a candidate for an interview. If, however, an interviewee sees us repeatedly checking our email or our phone, or even glancing at the clock, that can send a message that says they’re not worth our full attention, or that there are ways that we’d rather be spending our time. Giving candidates our full and undivided attention, on the other hand, is the surest way to establish the foundations of a healthy relationship.
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