It’s about 45 to 60 seconds. That’s the time it takes to walk from the lobby in your workplace to the interview room. That one minute is often the window of time not planned for: no specific questions or script to follow.
Warning! This is one of the most frequent times that managers make mistakes.
Manager: “Did you find the place alright? I know the snow doesn’t help.”
Candidate: “Yes, the directions were perfect. But snow is still new to me; we don’t have any where I’m from.”
Manager: “Really. Where are you from?”
STOP! You can’t ask that. Asking about where someone is from is likely irrelevant to the job and therefore not okay to ask, even if they bring it up first.
These 45-60 seconds on your way to the interview space should be treated in the same way as the interview itself. Prepare for this exchange and consider including guidance for this dialogue within recruiting procedures to avoid any mishaps.
Today’s Tip on Recruiting: Keep the conversation relevant to the job and you will breeze right through that window.