What can really make a future employer not want to add you to their team? According to a RHI Management Resources survey, executives were asked about the worst mistake management-level candidates can make during an interview.

Half (50%) said a display of arrogance was the biggest pitfall.  Much of interview coaching advice tells candidates to “be confident” and “act the part” and “show them you can do it”, but when these qualities are taken too far they can results in “over-confidence” which equals arrogance.

Arrogance is the workplace is one of the most off-putting qualities because it comes across as a character flaw–which can’t be fixed. No one wants to work with a know-it-all, or someone who is so confident they have lost a humanistic and empathetic quality. Mistakes happen, errors are made, economic factors make an impact, and someone who is arrogant is usually quick to avoid blame, point fingers and not respect other people’s feelings.

When the arrogant worker is in a management position the stakes are higher. They can directly impact high turnover among their subordinates, and create chaos in a cross-functional leadership team. These alone can have a negative and lasting impact on a company’s bottom line.

“When hiring at the senior level, companies pay particular attention to a candidate’s ability to lead, motivate and communicate effectively,” said Paul McDonald, who was the executive director of RHI Management Resources. “Firms value applicants who not only convey authority and aptitude, but who also have the interpersonal skills needed to direct a team and collaborate with top executives.”

Other mistakes to avoid in the interview

Other big errors that candidates made  which had a negative effect include:
• Avoiding difficult questions (13%)
• Being unprepared to discuss specific achievements (13%)
• Asking up-front about compensation and other benefits (10%)
• Demonstrating a lack of knowledge about the company (9%)

Expectations about details and business knowledge are expected in today’s tough work environment. You have to be prepared to logically discuss uncomfortable topics and withstand probing questions. By keeping your answers truthful and showing self-awareness and a willingness to grow from your mistakes, you will help avoid many of these common issues which get you fired before you get hired!

The survey was developed by RHI Management Resources, and conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 1400 CFOs from a stratified random sample of U.S companies with more than 20 employees.

UNDERSTANDING REFERENCES vs. EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION

Many people get these terms confused. “Employment verification” is when the potential employer contacts your previous places of employment to verify you worked there. This is different from a professional “reference,” where someone is willing to discuss your work and vouch for your ability to do a good job. Today we’ll focus on great references.

WHAT IS A REFERENCE?

References can take many forms, from a written letter of reference that can be verified, to a series of emailed questions about you, t.o a personal phone conversation. In all cases, the topic is YOU.

WHO MAKES A GOOD REFERENCE?

Years ago, it was acceptable to provide both “personal” and “professional” references. Today the credibility and relevance of personal references has disappeared. Forget the long-time family friends. Forget the priest or rabbi.  Concentrate only on people who can attest to and give specific examples of your work, work ethic, and work style (of course if you have worked with people you also have professional relationships with they can be a professional reference).

You want to offer 3-4 references. Try for a mixture of:   

• people above you (bosses, project leaders and managers)
• people next to you (peers, colleagues and co-workers)
• people below you (employees, mentees, support staff)
• and people outside (vendors and customers).

Each of these people will view your skills and contributions differently, and can offer refreshing insight to a new employer.  You simply don’t want to be one-dimensional.

Also strive to present a mixture of work projects, different jobs and community projects. These can showcase your many talents, problem-solving and teamwork skills.

Who really makes the hiring decision?

Many career advice articles focus on “the hiring manager” as though it is a single person who makes the “hire or not” decision.  All you have to do is impress that one person and you’re hired!

However, in  a 480-person Careerbuilder survey of professionals responsible for or involved in the hiring process, the respondents verified that it takes a “small village” to make a single hiring decision.

• Almost 1/3 of the survey respondents involving in the hiring process indicated that it required 4 or more people to make the hiring decision.
• For 58% of hiring managers, 2-3 people were involving in making the decision to hire.
• 9 out of 10 hiring managers felt that the right balance of education and experience was the most important criteria in evaluating candidates.
• Fitting into a company’s culture is important to 84% of the respondents.
• 78% of hiring managers indicated that they spend both time and effort in screening resumes sent to them by HR. Once screened, 55% felt the candidates provided by HR were well-qualified; however, 17% disagreed about the level of quality.

What’s the impact on job-seekers?

The good news is that if you don’t “connect” with one of the people who interview you, it’s O.K because se there are others involved in the decision. The bad news is that you have to positively interact, connect and make a strong impression on more than one person. How can you do that?

1) Pay attention to the “fitting into the culture” statistic above: 84% value a future employee who gels with the company culture. So watch for cues and clues. What actually IS the culture there? Recognize that “culture” will be defined differently by individuals in the organization. Watch what their offices look like, how people interact, what seems to get rewarded, and how directly people answer your questions.

2) Treat everyone you meet with the same level of respect and warmth. Thank all those involved in the interview process personally, even if what they did to help you wasn’t very much at all.

3) Get the scoop on the interviewers and hiring professionals from those you meet along the way. People love to make observations and give you tips on their co-workers. Asking, “I’m interviewing with Bob next, what’s he like?”can reap a huge benefit for a strong first impression when you do meet Bob and have to answer his questions.

4) Bypass Human Resources and figure out how to get your resume directly into the hands of the hiring manager. If 17% of the hiring professionals aren’t happy with the candidates that HR selects for them, that is a huge opportunity for a qualified candidate to jump in there first. Since there is a time gap between when a department gets approval for an opening, and when the selected candidate resumes are presented, you could land in a hiring manager inbox and get considered before anyone else!