Why Most Interview Training Gets It Completely Wrong (And What Actually Works)

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Here's something that'll ruffle a few feathers: most interview training programmes are teaching people to be brilliant at conducting terrible interviews.

I've been running recruitment processes for Australian businesses for seventeen years now, and I'm bloody tired of watching good managers turn into robotic question-readers the moment someone walks into their office for an interview. Last month alone, I sat through three "interview skills" sessions where trainers were literally teaching people to ask candidates about their greatest weakness. In 2025. Seriously.

The problem isn't that managers can't interview. It's that they're being taught to interview like it's still 1995.

The Real Issue Nobody Talks About

Most interview training focuses on what questions to ask rather than how to actually manage the conversation. That's like teaching someone to drive by only showing them where the steering wheel is. You end up with managers who can recite behavioural questions but have no idea how to dig deeper when they get a surface-level answer.

I remember working with a client in Melbourne – let's call them a major logistics company – where their hiring managers were so focused on ticking boxes during interviews that they missed obvious red flags. One candidate literally told them he'd been fired from his last three jobs for "personality conflicts" but answered the STAR questions perfectly, so they hired him. He lasted six weeks.

Here's what actually matters in interview management: conversation flow, pattern recognition, and knowing when to shut up and listen.

What Good Interview Management Actually Looks Like

The best interviewers I've worked with treat interviews like guided conversations, not interrogations. They understand that managing workplace anxiety – both their own and the candidate's – is crucial to getting authentic responses.

Controversial opinion #1: Structured interviews are overrated. Yes, you need consistency, but rigid question lists kill genuine insight. The magic happens in the follow-up questions, and you can't script those.

I learned this the hard way when I was a junior recruiter in Brisbane. I had my list of forty-seven perfectly crafted questions, and I stuck to them religiously. Hired some absolute disasters because I was so focused on process that I forgot to actually evaluate whether people could do the job.

The turning point came when I interviewed someone for a sales role who gave textbook answers to every question but couldn't maintain eye contact. My gut said no, but my checklist said yes. I hired him anyway. Three months later, his manager called me asking if I'd actually met this person in real life because his phone manner was nothing like his interview performance.

That's when I realised interview management isn't about controlling the conversation – it's about creating space for truth to emerge.

The Skills Nobody Teaches (But Everyone Needs)

Reading between the lines. When someone says they're looking for "new challenges," what they usually mean is their current job is either boring or they're about to be managed out. When they emphasise how much they "love working with people," they probably struggle with independent work.

Managing your own biases. We all have them. I tend to favour candidates who remind me of my younger self – ambitious, slightly cocky, full of ideas. Took me years to recognise that this wasn't always the best fit for every role.

Knowing when to break your own rules. Sometimes the best hire is the person who doesn't fit your ideal candidate profile. Like the accounts manager who had no formal qualifications but had been running her family's restaurant books since she was sixteen. Best attention to detail I've ever seen.

The Technical Stuff That Actually Works

Effective time management during interviews is critical. Most managers either rush through questions or let conversations drag on without purpose. I allocate time blocks: opening chat (5 minutes), core questions (25 minutes), candidate questions (15 minutes), wrap-up (5 minutes). Sounds rigid, but it actually creates freedom within structure.

Controversial opinion #2: Reference checks are more important than the interview itself. I've seen too many charming sociopaths sail through interviews only to reveal their true colours when you actually speak to their previous managers. Always, always check references. And not just the ones they give you.

The other thing most training gets wrong is teaching managers to avoid handling office politics discussions during interviews. Rubbish. Understanding how someone navigates workplace dynamics tells you everything about their emotional intelligence and cultural fit.

What's Changed (And What Hasn't)

Video interviews have definitely shifted the game. You lose some of the instinctive gut feeling you get from in-person meetings, but you gain insight into how people manage technology and their home environment. I've learned to pay attention to what's in the background, how they handle technical glitches, whether they've bothered to test their setup beforehand.

But the fundamentals remain the same. Good interview management is still about creating psychological safety, asking thoughtful follow-up questions, and actually listening to what people tell you – both directly and indirectly.

The biggest mistake I see managers make is treating interviews like a performance where they need to impress the candidate. Wrong way around, mate. Your job is to create conditions where the candidate feels comfortable enough to show you who they really are.

The Bottom Line

Here's what seventeen years in this game has taught me: most hiring mistakes happen not because managers can't spot good candidates, but because they don't trust their instincts enough to act on what they observe.

Stop overthinking the process. Start paying attention to the person.

Interview management training should teach you to be more human, not less. The rest is just paperwork.

Statistics I probably made up but sound plausible: 73% of hiring managers say they feel more confident after interview training, but only 31% actually improve their hiring success rate. The difference? The successful ones focus on building genuine conversation skills rather than memorising question banks.

And honestly? If you're still asking people where they see themselves in five years, you probably need more help than any training programme can provide.