10 mistakes managers make during job interviews

Hiring is oneof the hardest parts of managing a team. A lot is riding on the initialmeeting, and if you're nervous or ill-prepared -- or both -- it can make you dostrange things. The following mistakes are all too common, but they're easy toavoid with some advance preparation.

#1: You talk too much

When giving companybackground, watch out for the tendency to prattle on about your own job,personal feelings about the company, or life story. At the end of theconversation, you'll be aflutter with self-satisfaction, and you'll see thecandidate in a rosy light -- but you still won't know anything about his or herability to do the job.

#2: You gossip or swap war stories

Curb your desire toask for dirt on the candidate's current employer or trash talk other people inthe industry. Not only does it cast a bad light on you and your company, butit's a waste of time.

#3: You're afraid to ask tough questions

Interviews areawkward for everyone, and it's easy to over-empathize with a nervous candidate.It's also common to throw softball questions at someone whom you like or whomakes you feel comfortable. You're better off asking everyone the same set ofchallenging questions -- you might be surprised what they reveal. Often aNervous Nellie will spring to life when given the chance to solve a problem orelaborate on a past success.

#4: You fall prey to the halo effect (or the horns effect)

If a candidatearrives dressed to kill, gives a firm handshake, and answers the first questionperfectly, you might be tempted to check the imaginary "Hired!" boxin your mind. But make sure you pay attention to all the answers and don't beswayed by a first impression. Ditto for the reverse: The mumblerwith the tattoos might have super powers that go undetected at first glance.

#5: You ask leading questions

Watch out forquestions that telegraph to the applicant the answer you're looking for. Youwon't get honest responses from questions like, "You are familiar withExcel macros, aren't you?"

#6: You invade their privacy

First of all, it'sillegal to delve too deeply into personal or lifestyle details. Second, itdoesn't help you find the best person for the job. Nix all questions about homelife ("Do you have children?" "Do you think you'd quit if yougot married?"), gender bias or sexual preference ("Do you get alongwell with other men?"), ethnic background ("That's an unusual name,what nationality are you?"), age ("What year did you graduate fromhigh school?"), and financials ("Do you own your home?")

#7: You stress the candidate out

Some interviewersuse high-pressure techniques designed to trap or fluster the applicant. Whileyou do want to know how a candidate performs in a pinch, it's almost impossibleto re-create the same type of stressors an employee will encounter in theworkplace. Moreover, if you do hire the person, he or she may not trust youbecause you launched the relationship on a rocky foundation.

#8: You cut it short

A series ofinterviews can eat up your whole day, so it's tempting to keep them brief. Buta quick meeting just doesn't give you enough time to gauge a candidate'sresponses and behavior. Judging candidates is nuanced work, and it relies ontracking lots of subtle inputs. An interview that runs 45 minutes to an hourincreases your chances of getting a meaningful sample.

#9: You gravitate toward the center

If everyone youtalk to feels like a "maybe," that probably means you aren't gettingenough useful information -- or you're not assessing candidates honestlyenough. Most "maybes" are really "no, thank yous."(Face it: The candidate didn't knock your socks off.) Likewise, if you thinkthe person might be good for some role at some point in the future, he orshe is really a "no."

#10: You rate candidates against each other

Mediocre candidatesmay look like superstars when they follow a dud, but that doesn't mean they'rethe most qualified for the job. The person who comes in tomorrow may smoke all ofthem, but you won't be able to tell if you rated mediocre candidates too highlyin your notes. Evaluate each applicant on your established criteria -- don'tgrade on a curve.

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