Reading the results from Vault.com’s recent survey on interview etiquette, it’s interesting that interviewees report better behavior than interviewers perceive – and vice versa. E.g.:
- Only 5% of candidates say they’ve ever answered a cell phone during an interview, while employers report this number as 26%.
- More than half (55% ) of candidates report they send thank-you notes “almost all the time,” yet just 9% of interviewers say they receive notes that often.
- 71% of candidates say they’ve been rejected for a job by not hearing from the employer at all after the interview, while only 11% of employers report this behavior.
Of course, the surveys don’t represent the same sets of interviewer-interviewee pairs, but it’s interesting that each group believes the other’s behavior is worse than it is in that group’s own perception!
It all goes back to the basics: good manners. Remember what mom taught you (be on time, make your guest feel comfortable, say thank you, don’t leave people hanging, etc., etc., etc.) and you’ll improve things on either or both sides of the desk. These helpful post-interview tips from a young job seeker are a great place to start!