 Is it perhaps that the candidate is so nervous that they cannot even function or can barely speak? No. Is it perhaps that the interviewer talks and talks and talks? No. This is bad but not the worst. The worst thing that can happen in the course of an interview is that the hiring manager gets excited about the candidate. Excited is bad? Yes, excited is bad. Here's why:
When a hiring manager (or recruiter) gets excited about the candidate, their brain immediately starts flipping ahead and imagining qualities and results that have not yet been proven or addressed in the process. Imagine being on a first date and thinking about marriage! It is human nature to look ahead and imagine the future, but it is an impulse that needs to be resisted.
Interviews are a less-than-ideal way to determine a candidate's true skill as it is. But interviews, plus some assessments, assignments and reference checks are pretty much all we have to work with unless we want to move in with the person or hire a private investigator. So, make a commitment to stick to your process, regardless of how fantastic the candidate appears to be early on, and save the excitement for tangible success. |
