Job interviews are one of the most nerve-wracking experiences we go through, but sometimes we’re our own worst enemy in there. It turns out, one bad habit many of us are guilty of puts hiring managers off the most. New research shows that the fastest way to ruin a first impression at a job interview is showing up late.
A new report from Ringover, a cloud-based telecom provider, surveyed over 12-hundred people who’ve interviewed job candidates and finds tardiness is the biggest mistake people make in interviews. According to the report, being late gives hiring managers “the biggest ick,” it’s even worse than dressing too casually or getting the name of the company wrong.
It turns out, the amount of time interviewers are willing to wait for applicants is also shrinking. Pre-pandemic, it was common for interviewers to give candidates a 15-minute grace period, but executive recruiter Jeff Hyman says now it’s just five minutes, for both in-person and phone or video interviews. So what should you do if you find yourself running late to a job interview? Don’t panic, Hyman advises that a quick, genuine apology can help you recover and win the interviewer over, as long as you’re brief and sincere.
Source: CNBC