A lot of focus recently has been on helping candidates prepare for interviews. While that is all very helpful, I believe that recruiters and hiring managers also often need some help. Here are a few patterns I have observed which are destructive and should be avoided.

1. Don’t be vague about picking up the tab.

If you invite someone to a lunch or dinner interview, be extra explicit about who will pay (you should pay). People are generally on their best behavior during interviews and are being careful not to accidentally send the wrong message by leaving without paying. So repeat it at the end: dinner is covered by the company.

2. Don’t be vague about interview structure.

Communicate clearly about your expectations and plans for this interview. Make sure to be extra clear about how and when the interview will end to avoid uncomfortable situations. Don’t be afraid of being direct. Not everyone will pick up on subtlety, especially in more informal locations.

3. Don’t rely on hints or social cues, and don’t use any such minor faux pas against the candidate.

Many candidates will again be on their best behavior and will thus second-guess their social cues, just to be sure. Also, and perhaps more important, in an increasingly global world, many cultures will come together and learn to effectively collaborate. If you judge someone implicitly based on your own internal social compass, you might be missing out on a valuable candidate.

4. Don’t focus so much on passion as an indicator of professional fit.

Passion is nice, but it is not any guarantee of good performance or talent. Nor is lack of passion any indicator of low motivation, focus, or drive. Passion is such a nebulous concept with so many different personal descriptions that it is astounding how many hiring managers use this variable as a strong factor in deciding whether to hire a candidate or pass him over.

5. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

So what if a candidate came late? It happens. What matters is how the candidate talks about the tardiness. He might be arrogant or not even mention it, he might be angry at the people who caused his tardiness, he might be frustrated and stressed out because he believes his tardiness has cost him the position, he might be apologetic but dismissive, or he might be simply apologetic, respectful and humble. All of which are important insights into the candidate’s character. Writing someone off for being late because “tardiness is bad” is lazy.
The same goes for focusing too much on a candidate’s appearance. Excluding jobs where appearance is a core aspect, why would a coffee stain on a sweater, scuffed shoes, or slight body odor be any indicator of performance in a job? These small things get unfairly blown out of proportion and turned into indicators of negative personality traits. There can be a thousand reasons for such things, the vast majority of which would have no impact on the candidate’s ability to perform the job.

6. Don’t abuse candidates’ time.

If you invite someone in for an abnormally long interview (e.g. a full day) offer them some compensation. It’s a buyer’s market out there, and candidates increasingly can’t justify the opportunity cost in such long interviews, despite the interesting position (and no, the answer to that is not “well then they’re not interested enough”. That’s lazy.). On the other hand, hiring managers are realizing more and more that the cost in mis-hires can be staggering, and so they need to spend more time on the hiring process. The best way to know if someone is a fit is to actually work together. So find out some way of working together which does not require a commitment either way. The candidate can continue working at their current job and continue to search for other job opportunities, and the hiring firm simply hires on an hourly basis. Create a test project with a suitable length, work on off hours, pay an acceptable freelance rate, and investigate the potential partnership, while hopefully also getting some concrete benefit.

7. Don’t min-max the salary negotiations

The goal of negotiation should be to reach a state where both parties are happy with the result. If you set out to get a candidate aboard for the lowest possible salary you can trick them into, then you begin your relationship on a toxic note. Don’t use dirty tricks, don’t be manipulative, just figure out beforehand what this job is worth to you, what is the market rate, and how much flexibility you will have for outstanding candidates, and move on from there. An employee who is compensated fairly is much more likely to be happy and productive. An employee who feels tricked into a lower salary is likely to feel resentful and have difficulty letting go of the topic over time. Your employees are your strongest assets. Start out on the right foot and set the tone of your future relationship by being honest and fair.