The cardinal sins of candidates

Most human resources professionals would agree that recruitment is one of the toughest aspects of the job. There are lying candidates and two-faced applicants who perform well during the interview, only to show up at work as if they’re a completely different person.

Recruiting software company Jobvite recently surveyed 831 recruiters in the US, revealing the major deal-breakers of candidates. Highlighted here are the top 10 cardinal sins of incompetent job applicants.

1. Being rude to the receptionist or other support staff Candidates who think they can be rude to people while no one’s watching are flat out stupid. Any inappropriate behaviour will eventually get back to the hiring manager. And let’s not forget being nice to people is always the right thing to do.

2. Checking one’s phone It is true that young people cannot live without their phones. But during a job interview, it is a must for candidates to stop checking them if they want to get the job because 71% of recruiters said they would disqualify those who checked his or her phone during an interview.

3. Showing up late The sensible thing to do is to arrive 10 to 15 minutes before the start of the interview. But there are two sides of the story – some interviewers planned their day poorly and were so late to the interview that the frustrated candidate had no choice but to leave.

4. Bad hygiene This is a no-brainer, over half of the recruiters surveyed said they’d reject candidates with bad hygiene. People who come in sloppy to job interviews are simply telling interviewers they are being disrespectful and have poor self-management.

5. Interrupting the interviewer While interrupting seems unavoidable during a live conversation, almost four out of five recruiters in the survey were not impressed when their speech was interrupted. The smart thing to do is to briefly pause before speaking.

6. Having a terrible handshake Some experienced hirers and managers will know within the first 30 seconds or so whether the person has a shot at getting hired or not. The handshake is the first step to making a good first impression.

7. Bringing a beverage to the interview This is related to the terrible handshake issue. How is one supposed to give a proper handshake while holding a cup of hot coffee in one hand and a briefcase in the other?

8. Bringing food/drinks to the interview Almost two out of five recruiters in the survey said they would be annoyed by candidates who show up to the interview carrying take-outs.

9. Wearing too much make-up While a very small percentage of recruiters said candidates not wearing enough make-up will lead to their disqualification, wearing too much make-up is a much bigger deal-breaker.

Recently a candidate shared that the interviewer asked her: “Why are you not wearing make-up to a job interview?” But the truth is she had already put on make-up.

10. Dressing inappropriately Although more and more companies are skirting away from formal dress codes, it is never wise for candidates to show up looking too fashionable. It is a good idea to find out the company’s dress code before the interview.

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