It happens at every company: Managers think they’ve interviewed a great employee, but the person turns out to be dud on the job. Those hiring mistakes are expensive — but many can be avoided if managers learn some essential interviewing skills.

Here are five of the most common skills hiring managers need to work on:

1. Time management – Nothing leads to a bad decision like an interview that’s rushed through because the manager is too busy. Interviews don’t have a scheduled end time — they take as long as necessary for an informed decision to be made. Managers should be able to manage their schedules so they can give interviews their full attention.
2. Skepticism – Some estimates say as many as half of all resumes contain severe exaggerations or outright lies. That’s why it’s key for managers to get the whole story about applicants’ backgrounds. For example, if an applicant says he supervised 20 employees in his last job, the manager should probe deeply about what exactly his supervisory duties entailed. And when people list big accomplishments, managers should ask exactly what role they played, what help they had in the process, etc.
3. Restraint – Interviewers shouldn’t talk too much. It sounds like a common sense rule, but it’s often violated — especially when candidates give answers that are too quick and uncomfortable silence fills the room. Instead of jumping in with the next question, a well-placed pause should get the candidate to continue talking in more detail.
4. Manners – Some managers view interview etiquette as a one-way street — it’s up to the candidate to be prepared and make a good impression. But in a recent poll, more than half of employees said they’d been treated rudely by an interviewer. And odds are, they didn’t accept the job if it was offered to them.
5. Patience – A common mistake is hiring the first decent candidate who comes in after a round of duds. But managers need to evaluate applicants on their own and not be swayed by comparisons to particularly bad candidates. That said, once managers find someone who really is a great fit, waiting too long could hurt your chances of hiring the person.

How about your managers? What skills have they learned that led to more effective interviews? What do they still need to work on? Share your experience in the comments section below.

Tags: hiring managers, interviews, skills