Interview etiquette is a two-way street — candidates and interviewers both have to make a good impression.

Unfortunately, hiring managers — especially those with little interviewing experience — often do things or ask questions that will make candidates think twice about accepting an offer.

Here are the top 10 interviewer behaviors candidates hate, according to the report “Are You Failing the Interview?”, published recently by Development Dimensions International:

1. Treating the interview like an interrogation (cited by 43% of respondents as a top problem) — The manager’s goal isn’t to uncover the candidate’s hidden flaws. It’s to make sure the candidate is the right fit for the job, which can only be done in a comfortable interview setting.
2. Taking too long to call back (42%) — Just half the survey’s respondents said they were satisfied with how long they had to wait to hear back after an interview.
3. Withholding information about salary, hours, expectations, etc. (39%) — This happens more often now, as previously high-ranked employees are applying for jobs at a lower level. But managers need to understand that painting a less-than-full picture of the job will likely come back to bite them once the person starts working.
4. Keeping the candidate waiting (35%) — Managers have a lot to do, but scheduled interviews should take priority. If the boss doesn’t respect candidates’ time now, why would they expect it to change after they’re hired?
5. Asking irrelevant questions (30%) — Some interviewers like asking off-beat, unexpected questions to keep candidates on their toes (for example, “If you were a fruit, what kind would you be?”). But most experts recommend sticking to job-related topics.
6. Acting like they don’t have the time to talk (25%) — Candidates most likely took time off from another job, and they don’t want to be rushed through the interview.
7. Being unprepared (22%) — Good candidates take the time to research the company — and they expect good hiring managers to become familiar with their resumes.
8. Asking inappropriate questions (22%) — Managers often turn to off-limits topics without realizing what they’re doing. Questions that seem like harmless ice-breakers could offend some candidates — such as, “Where do you go church?” or “Are you married?”
9. Never giving a candidate the opportunity to ask questions (12%) — Letting candidates ask questions is not only helpful for them, but the types of questions they ask can give a manager insight on whether the candidate’s a good fit.
10. Having several interviewers ask the same questions (12%) — When there are multiple rounds, interviewers need to communicate to avoid an inefficient, repetitive process.

The bad news for interviewers guilty of those transgressions: 91% of candidates say the interviewer’s behavior has a big impact on whether they accept a job offer.

The best solution: training from HR. Less than half of managers said they’ve received on-the-job interview training.

You can download a copy of the report (PDF) here.

Savvy HR pros do their best to notify candidates when they didn’t get the job. But when busy HR offices are getting more applications than ever before, the gesture sometimes falls through the cracks.

Candidates who’ve been left hanging have a new way to tell those HR and hiring managers how they really feel — a Web site called emailyourinterviewer.com. Users enter the e-mail address of an HR pro or manager and the site sends an anonymous form letter calling the manager out on his or her treatment of job candidates.

“A quick e-mail or form letter letting the candidate know he or she is no longer under consideration — that’s all it takes,” the letter reads. “Candidates deserve that. And so does your organization, which looks unprofessional when you leave candidates hanging.”

What’s your policy on responding to rejected applicants? Let us know in the comments section below.

A Rastafarian applied for a job as a security guard. During his interview, the hiring manager told him he’d have to cut his dreadlocks to comply with the company’s safety policy.

That’s where things got tricky. The applicant claims he said he could not cut his hair because of his religious beliefs. But according to the company, he simply said he would not cut his hair.

Either way, the applicant didn’t get the job, and he sued the company for religious discrimination.

The company asked the judge to throw out the case, arguing it didn’t know the man’s refusal to comply with the policy had anything to do with religion. But without a solid set of interview notes from the hiring manager, the court didn’t buy that side of the story.

The case sent to a jury to decide whether religion was discussed in the interview. You know what that means: a long, costly trial, or an expensive settlement.

Cite: Xodus v. The Wackenhut Corporation

A woman applied for a job as a sales representative. During her interview, she claimed, the hiring manager asked her about her plans for having children, saying the job would be “hard to do with a newborn.”

She replied that she didn’t plan to have any more children and was offered the job.

Several moths later, however, she was pregnant. She told the manager when she was due and asked for six to eight weeks of maternity leave. Allegedly, the boss responded angrily and said he’d have to check with the company’s owners.

After she didn’t hear back about the leave request for a few months, the employee brought it up again. Shortly after that, the company told her she was being laid off because of budget cuts.

The woman sued, claiming she was fired because she was pregnant.

The company tried to get the case tossed. It argued the decision was made by the company’s owners, who didn’t know at the time the employee had asked for maternity leave. Two other sales employees were laid off at the same time.

But the court didn’t buy it. The owners admitted the manager had significant input in deciding who was to be let go. And since he displayed his aversion to hiring a pregnant employee in the woman’s interview, there was enough evidence that her pregnancy was the cause of her termination.

Cite: Johnson v. Proline Concrete Tools, Inc.

Monster’s SalesHQ Web site recently posted a list of 100 interview questions sales employees should be prepared to answer.

The list includes the basic “Why do you want this job?” fare, but also several items that are a little less ordinary. For example:

1. Why is there fuzz on a tennis ball?
2. How would you weigh a plane without scales?
3. If you could choose one superhero power, what would it be and why?
4. If you could get rid of any one of the US states, which one would you get rid of, and why?
5. With your eyes closed, tell me step-by-step how to tie my shoes.
6. Tell me 10 ways to use a pencil other than writing.
7. What is your favorite memory from childhood?
8. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the last year?

The real question: Are those worth asking in an interview? Supporters say they give you an idea of candidates’ personalities and get them to think on their toes.

But many HR managers say they provide no useful information and annoy candidates.

The best advice: Keep it work-related. You can still ask personality-related questions and come up with critical-thinking problems, but they’ll be more effective when they’re related to the work environment and the job in question.

What do you think? Do off-the-wall questions have a place in job interviews? Give us your opinion in the comments section below.

One key is finding out how the commute to your company would compare with a candidate’s current and previous commutes.

If yours would be quicker/easier, than that’s a selling point to use if the candidate hasn’t fully decided to change jobs.

On the other hand, if the candidate would have to spend a lot of time on the road, you’ll want to make sure that won’t become a problem if that person gets hired. You can find out if candidates have ever had to make a similar trek and ask how they handled it. If it turns out they left a job because of it, that might be a warning sign of a potential retention problem.

However, as long as it’s not a deal breaker, a long commute can help you tailor your selling points so that an offer’s more likely to be accepted. For example, if the company gives (or can give) benefits like flex-time, compressed work weeks or telecommuting, make sure the candidate understands that. Even if those are things not everyone cares about, in some situations they can make a big difference.

Regardless of the role nerves play in interviews, some statements just make you wonder how candidates made it this far.

Here are 15 of the most memorable interview responses from real people, compiled by CareerBuilder.com:

1. Q: Why did you leave your last job?
A: “I have a problem with authority.”

2. Q: What are your hobbies and interests?
A: [He said] ‘Well, as you can see, I’m a young, virile man and I’m single — if you ladies know what I’m saying.’ Then he looked at one of the fair-haired board members and said, ‘I particularly like blondes.’”

3&4. Q: Do you have any questions?
A: “Can we wrap this up fairly quickly? I have someplace I have to go.”
A: “If I get an offer, how long do I have before I have to take the drug test?”

5.  Q: Why should we hire you?
A: “I would be a great asset to the events team because I party all the time.”

6. Q: Why are you leaving your current job?
A: “Because I (expletive) my pants every time I enter the building.”

7. Q: Why are you looking for a job?
A: “Cigarettes are getting more expensive, so I need another job.”

8. Q: Why do you want to work for us?
A: “Just for the benefits.”

9. Q: What are your assets? (as in strengths)
A: “Well, I do own a bike.”

10. Q: What are your weaknesses?
A: “I get angry easily and I went to jail for domestic violence. But I won’t get mad at you.”

11. Q: When have you demonstrated leadership skills?
A: “Well my best example would be in the world of online video gaming. I pretty much run the show; it takes a lot to do that.”

12. Q: Use three adjectives to describe yourself
A: “I hate questions like this.”

13. Q: Tell of a time you made a mistake and how you dealt with it
A: “I stole some equipment from my old job, and I had to pay for its replacement.”

14. Q: Have you submitted your two weeks’ notice to your current employer?
A: “What is two weeks’ notice? I’ve never quit a job before, I’ve always been fired.”

15. Q: Random responses
A: “May I have a cup of coffee? I think I may still be a little drunk from last night.“

Competition for jobs is high, and many candidates will go to great lengths to stand out — including lie to you.

Here are some of the latest resume tweaks, according FakeResume.com, a Web site that advises job seekers on how to bend the truth and get away with it:

1. Covering up employment gaps

Many candidates are concerned about explaining periods when they were out of work. FakeResume’s recommendation: Pretend you were volunteering.

It’s a lot tougher to verify volunteer work than employment history. But if you’re suspicious, don’t brush over the issue. Ask probing questions about the work and, if possible, check references at the organization.

Another tactic to cover employment gaps or inflate experience is the so-called “functional resume,” which lists experience and accomplishments grouped by type, followed by a list of previous employers, rather than a chronological list of past positions. Not everyone who uses a functional resume is lying — but it might put you on alert.

2. Fake references

Most resume lies can be caught by checking references — so candidates who are serious about their dishonesty will provide references that are fake or impossible to check.

FakeResume recommends candidates provide the name and phone number of a fictitious supervisor at a large company. The number actually belongs to a friend who pretends to be an admin and tells the caller the company only provides references via letter. The candidate then mails a fake reference letter.

Candidates also place “typos” in a former employer’s address or phone number, hoping HR won’t bother when they can’t contact the person.

If you’re concerned about the references someone gives, experts recommend finding the company’s Web site and contacting the supervisor through the main phone number.

3. Phony responsibilities

Most fraudulent resumes don’t contain outright lies. More often, candidates stretch the truth, beefing up previous titles and exaggerating the responsibilities they had in previous positions.

The best way to catch those fibs is to ask detailed questions and not let the candidate off easy if you get vague or suspicious answers. Another tactic: Bring in somebody who’s already doing a job similar to the one the person’s applying for. Dishonest applicants will try to fake their way through an interview using buzzwords and generalities but break down when someone who’s actually experienced in the field asks for details.

Here are the five dumbest responses to the question “Why are you leaving your current job?” according to a recent CNN poll of HR managers:

• “Because I [wet] my pants every time I enter the building.”
• “Cigarettes are more expensive, so I needed another job.”
• “I got fired because they were forcing me to attend anger management classes.”
• “My boss didn’t like me, so one day, I left and never came back. And here I am!”
• “I stole some equipment from my old job, and I had to pay for its replacement.”

Other random interviewee comments reported in the survey:

• “How many young women work here?”
• “I didn’t steal it; I just borrowed it.”
• “You touch somebody and they call it sexual harassment!”
• “May I have a cup of coffee? I think I may still be a little drunk from last night.”
• “Can we meet next month? I am currently incarcerated.”

Here are five hiring manager behaviors job candidates don’t appreciate, according to Alison Green of U.S. News & World Report:

1. Disregarding candidates’ time – Applying for jobs requires a lot of time away from a current position, so applicants hope managers will respect their time by sticking to scheduled appointments, or at least apologizing and giving plenty of notice if things are shuffled. Also, candidates normally spend time researching the company before the interview, so they expect everyone in the interview to be familiar with their resume.
2. Not explaining a time line – Another thing candidates hate is having no idea when they’re going to hear back about a job. Of course, that’s always a little up in the air. But any kind of reasonable estimate shows the candidate you’re organized.
3. Misrepresenting the job – This is one candidates probably won’t realize until after they’re hired — but when they do find out, it’s doubtful they’ll stay very long. Honesty always works best when the manager wants to find the closest fit.
4. Being coy about money – It’s best to be upfront about this, especially if the company knows the candidate’s range and is willing to continue.
5. Not telling candidates they’re out of the running – At this point, you don’t have to worry about driving anyone away, but it’s just common courtesy.