Typical Interviewer Errors (Halo, Interruptions, Judgments).

Introduction: The Impact of Interviewer Errors.

A successful interview depends not only on the candidate's responses, but on the interviewer's ability to manage the process.

There are common behaviors that, although often unintentional, can have a very negative impact on the applicant and, consequently, on the outcome of the assessment.

Not following a structured methodology or not assessing the right competencies are basic failures.

However, mistakes in direct interaction are equally detrimental, affecting the quality of the information obtained and damaging the employer brand.

Mistake 1: Premature Judgment (Halo Effect and Predisposition)

One of the most powerful biases is the "Halo Effect".

It occurs when the interviewer takes a single piece of information (such as the candidate's college, a photo on the resume, or a former employer) and generalizes it to define the candidate as a whole.

This leads to creating unverified assumptions, such as "if he worked at that company, he must not be very good" or "from his photo, he seems very sociable."

This premature judgment taints the entire assessment before the candidate has had a chance to present real evidence.

Mistake 2: Making Value Judgments and Suggesting Answers

This error occurs when the interviewer verbalizes his or her judgment, either positive or negative, during the interview.

Phrases such as "I like optimistic people like you" or "Don't you think it was a little controlling?" are damaging.

In both cases, the interviewer is signaling to the candidate exactly what kind of response he or she expects to hear (or avoid) in the future.

A variant of this is to "suggest the answer" in the question itself, such as, "I don't suppose it would be difficult for you to adjust, would it?"

This does not evaluate the candidate, only his or her ability to agree.

Mistake 3: Interruptions and Negative Body Language.

The flow of the conversation is key. Constantly interrupting the candidate, even with seemingly harmless phrases like "yes, yes, I get your point" or "I get the idea," cuts off their train of thought and limits information.

If a candidate goes on too long, it is preferable to use polite closing phrases such as "thank you for that clarification" to regain control.

Equally damaging is negative body language: if the interviewer loses interest and relaxes in the chair, looks away or gestures impatiently, the candidate will sense this immediately.

As a result, the applicant will tend to shorten his or her answers, depriving the interviewer of valuable information.

Mistake 4: Cornering the Candidate and Answering Ambiguously

There is a fine line between assertively confronting an inconsistency and "cornering" the candidate.

Aggressive questions like "Don't you think that was a big mistake? No one would do it like that" or "What would you do if I told you now that you don't fit the profile?" generate a hostile defense, not an honest response.

On the other hand, honesty is critical on the part of the interviewer.

When the candidate asks questions, the interviewer should avoid ambiguous answers such as "maybe," "I'm not sure," or "that depends.