They just don’t make job candidates like they used to. At least that’s what one recent survey says.

Have you ever seen a candidate answer a cell phone during an interview? If so, you’re not alone. According to a recent Vault survey, 26% of recruiters have run into that problem.

Sounds like a big mistake and an automatic deal-breaker, and in many cases it is — 68% of the survey respondents would disqualify someone who answered a phone call. But apparently, that’s not stopping a lot of people.

Overall, the majority (59%) of recruiters said job candidates’ manners have gone downhill over the past few years. Some of the findings:

• 87% said they’d seen candidates dress inappropriately in the interview
• 43% had interviewees who used profanity, and
• 19% had candidates who brought children to the interview.

Door swings both ways

While employers should be on the look out for unprofessional behavior, job candidates are doing the same thing with hiring managers. For example, 56% of employees said they’d been interviewed by someone who interrupted them to take a phone call.

Other examples of bad manners include showing up late, checking and responding to e-mails and eating lunch during the conversation.

Just as candidates need to focus on making a good impression, HR needs to remind hiring managers to avoid behavior that could be a turnoff for a potentially great employee.

Tags: ettiquette, interviews, phone calls, profanity