Recruiters will sometimes send companies candidates and describe them as “may not interview well, but worth an interview”, but what exactly does that mean? Clients may ask themselves “their resume looks good, it is what we require, but if they do not interview well why should I waste my time seeing them?” The answer is simple because your recruiter has identified something you might not uncover in a formal interview.

People often judge a candidate on how well they interview, how confident they are, and how they made the interviewers feel.Yes these can be important when deciding on a culture fit, however, a candidate who comes across as very smooth, confident and well-rehearsed might not be the best candidate for the role and here is why:

Because this candidate may have been on many interviews to help them perfect their interview answering technique.

You know the saying “practice makes perfect”, this can absolutly be the case with candidates interviewing. The reason is simple, the majority of the best candidates may not interview well because they do not have the practice of selling themselves in the job market, as they are too busy doing what they love doing, to be constantly hunting for a job every few years.

When you have two candidates interviewing for the same role and one has a proven history of employment longevity, and another candidate thta has jumped from job to job every few years, you will defiantly see a difference in interviewing styles.

Unless the first candidate is remarkably outgoing, they most likely will not come across as the top candidate, due to their inexperience answering the questions correctly the first time, or they might even need a lot more prodding to initially get the information you require.

A candidate who jumps from job to job every few years will have a lot more practice answering the questions as you want to hear, over a candidate who has been in the same job for 5-10 years. Though these candidates rehearsed candidates and as such might WOW the interviewer if they are blown away by the confidence, and the ability to know the correct answers you want to hear.

Hiring managers must remember that when interviewing a candidate, it is more than just confidence you should judge them on, also look at:

• Employment longevity
• Their use of correct technical terms
• What the candidate can bring to your organisation

Employers when you have a candidate who looks great on paper, but not in person, it is often recommended that a second less formal interview be conducted to allow the candidate a chance to really shine. A great recruiter will not send you a dud candidate with a great work history, and if they inform you that they do not interview well, try and take some steps to make them feel as comfortable as you can with the unfamiliar interviewing process. Trust your recruiter, remember you turn to them for a reason.

Photo Source: entrepreneur.com