Lighter side: Instant interview deal-breakers

The interview process is how HR sorts the wheat from the chaff. So what are the worst errors a candidate can make?

BY HRM 21 Mar 2014

In going for a driver’s license, learners are cautioned that committing a ‘critical driving error’ will result in an instant fail. Things like running a red light, speeding or cutting someone off all spell the end for license hopefuls.

As HR knows all too well, there are also ‘critical candidate errors’ which, just as in driving, spell an instant end to any job-seekers' chances.

When asked about the most outrageous interview mistakes they had encountered, hiring managers reported the following in a CareerBuilder survey:

Provided a detailed listing of how previous employer made them mad.
Hugged hiring manager at the end of the interview.
Ate all the M&Ms from the sweets bowl while trying to answer questions.
Constantly bad mouthed spouse.
Talked about how an affair cost him a previous job.
Threw his beer can in the outside trash can before coming into the reception office.
Had a friend come in and ask “How much longer?"

In addition to the most unusual gaffes, employers shared the most common mistakes candidates made during an interview: