6 Things HR People Wish You Knew

Many job seekers today think they know how to interview for a job. They polish their shoes and resumes, and off they go—into the lion’s den of the job interview. They believe as most do that all it takes is a solid resume, good references from past employers or professors, and it’s, “when can you start?”  

Not exactly.

There are a number of things HR people wish you knew before you showed up for the interview. Their top six pet peeves include:

Be on time. I know it’s pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised how many HR managers have waited 10, even 15 minutes for job candidates to show up for an interview. No matter how good the excuse, being late always starts the interview on the wrong foot. Many candidates don’t even bother to call ahead and tell the HR person they’re running late. 

Be appropriately dressed. Pretty obvious, right? Not to all job candidates.  Some who interview for creative jobs will show up in levis, shorts and sandals. Others will walk in wearing “shades” to be cool. Then there are those who insist on showing off their tattoos.  Facial jewelry and piercings should be removed. The general rule is to dress to match the interviewer.  

Be courteous. It’s sometimes like night and day the way job candidates treat receptionists as opposed to the HR people they’ll be interviewing with. They’ll walk up to the receptionist and treat them with disdain or as a non-person. They’ll ask them to make copies of their resume, ask for staplers and other office supplies, or they’ll insist on being announced the minute they arrive. Some job candidates have even been known to grill the receptionist on the company and what they think of the HR manager. Poor form. 

Be prepared. Again, pretty obvious, but many job candidates simply aren’t fully prepared for the job interview.  They figure their outgoing personality will more than make up for their lack of knowledge of the company and its products or services. Others try to read up on the company in the reception area, flipping through annual reports and looking up facts on their cellphones or laptops. 

Be confident. It’s surprising the number of candidates who lack self confidence. They look away, fiddle with their resumes, their hair, jewelry or clothes. Many are timid about their accomplishments and abilities. Others make excuses for not have great grades or underperforming at their last job. 

 

Be focused. HR Managers hate it when candidates wander off on tangents when they’re asked a specific question. Some candidates will start with a sales success, then segue into the after party or the company retreat. Others will begin with their school projects and shift aimlessly into totally unrelated projects. These detours often make HR people suspicious—is the candidate trying to conceal something or is he or she simply not listening to the questions being asked?

The thing HR managers wish job candidates would remember is that they’ll eventually have to introduce the candidate to their boss and possibly senior management.  Something to keep in mind when you show up with a spider-web neck tattoo.