Some mistakes managers make at interviews

When managers conduct job interviews, they have to walk a very fine line. They have to be polite but assertive. They have to attentively listen while always having a next question ready. They have to probe beyond stock answers but avoid crossing legal boundaries.

Here are some of the most common mistakes managers make when conducting interviews.

■Talking too much. Don’t deliver a monologue about the job or the company. This is your chance to listen and to learn. Aim for an 85-15 split: 85 percent of the time, you’re listening. Fifteen percent of the time, you’re talking. Also, don’t rush in to break those awkward silences. Give the applicant plenty of time to respond. You want to listen as much as you can. Those silences give you a chance to see how applicants handle pressure situations.

■ Asking questions off the cuff. A loose approach is not good for interviews. At best, it can be uninformative, and at worst, it can be legally dangerous. Prepare a list of question ahead of time and stick to them. You can still dig deeper into an applicant’s responses once they’ve answered a question, but managers often get in trouble when they wing it in interviews.

■Not knowing your legal limits. Interviews can be a legal minefield. Make sure everyone involved in the interview process understands what they can and can’t ask during the interview. This includes employees that you bring in just for a minute to meet the applicant. Avoid questions like these: Are you married? Are you divorced? How old are you? Do you have any children or intend to have children? What are your daycare plans? Do you own or rent a home? Do you have any debts? Do you suffer from any illnesses or disabilities? These types of questions can all trigger discrimination lawsuits. Every question should revolve around one central theme: How well could this person perform the job at hand? Notes: Weekly volume as a percentage of company’s total outstanding volume. Not available. Not calculable. Not meaningful — avg. P-E exceeds 100. Loss this year, earnings last year. Loss both years. - Net for 12 Mos gives the company’s per-share income or loss for the last 12-month period reported. Ind Yld% (indicated yield) is quarterly dividend multiplied by four and divided by closing price.