Talking too much is the most common mistake job candidates make according to 36% of recruiters who participated in the 9th edition of the quarterly Executive Recruiter Index, published by Kom/Ferry International
Other flaws cited by recruiters were:
- Poor knowledge of the company and the position available (22%)
- Big ego (16%)
- Appearing too confident (9%)
- (62%) think that more than one week is too long to consider a formal job offer
- While almost a third of respondents (29%) agree that the appropriate amount of time is even shorter.
“Executive-level candidates are unquestionably more polished and sophisticated today than ever before, so it is remarkable how many basic interview etiquette mistakes are still made,” said Charles Tseng, President, Korn/Ferry Asia Pacific“Although small, these mistakes can often mean the difference between getting the job and being passed over.”
The survey also examined the various regional differences concerning job tenure: In North America and the EMEA (Europe, Middle-East and Africa), recruiters consider 2 years as an acceptable minimum contract. In South America and Asia-Pacific however, one year is the minimum. The significant rate of growth and employment in emerging regions is probably the reason for this difference.
When asked why they left a company after a short duration, the executives replied that cultural differences were the main reason in South America and Asia-Pacific while the reasons were more diverse in North America and the EMEA.
Finally, recruiters worldwide agree (87%) that executives should mention that they worked in a company for a short duration rather than omit it from their CV.
Methodology
The Executive Recruiter Index is based on a quarterly survey of 212 Korn/Ferry international consultants who serve the world’s largest non-profit organizations. This study was carried out on-line in the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle-East and Africa, between April 11th and 21st 2006