The Interview Mistakes That Lead to Bad Hires
And how to actually fix them so you stop crossing your fingers every time you bring someone on.
When you’re interviewing someone, your goal isn’t just to figure out if they’re a nice person or if they have the right job title on their resume.
You're trying to get clarity on three very specific things:
Who they are as a person (character)
What they’re capable of (competence)
How they’ll fit into your team (culture fit)
But most small business owners and hiring managers don’t walk away from interviews with that kind of insight. Instead, they walk away with a vibe. And vibes don’t build high-performing teams.
Here’s Where Interviews Go Wrong (and What to Do Instead)
❌ Mistake #1: You’re not clear on what you’re hiring for
If you don’t know what success looks like in the role, no interview strategy will save you.
Too often, business owners are hiring for a vague “helper” or hoping to get some general relief. That’s not a job description—it’s a recipe for a bad hire.
🔑 Fix: Before you even think about interviews, define the expectations and outcomes you need this role to deliver. You don’t need 50 SOPs, but you do need clarity on what success looks like in the first 30–90 days.
❌ Mistake #2: You’re doing most of the talking
If you spend your interview explaining the role, selling the culture, and sharing the company story—you’re not actually interviewing. You’re pitching.
🔑 Fix: Find the balance. Yes, you want to attract great candidates. But you’re here to vet, not to impress. Aim to spend at least 60–70% of the interview listening, not talking.
❌ Mistake #3: You’re asking the wrong questions
Boring, vague questions like “Tell me about yourself” or “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” don’t reveal anything meaningful. And if the candidate is charismatic, you’ll feel great about the conversation—even if they’re a terrible fit.
🔑 Fix: Ask questions that dig into how they think, how they operate, and how they handle discomfort. Get specific. For example:
“What’s one experience that really shaped your career?”
“What made you feel most accomplished in your last role—and what did you do to get there?”
“What kind of communication style frustrates you the most—and how do you handle it?”
Interviewing for Insight, Not Performance
Your questions should be designed to reveal real, unpolished truths—not rehearsed answers from blog articles.
You want to:
Build enough rapport that the candidate lets their guard down
Ask unique, thoughtful questions that can’t be answered with fluff
Know your green flags, red flags, and what to listen for between the lines
And that last one is huge. Sometimes the way someone talks about a previous experience tells you more than what they’re saying.
A Real Example: The “Annoying Coworker” Question
One of my favorite questions to ask assistants is:
“Thinking of past managers or coworkers, which ones annoyed you the most?”
Here’s why it works:
I see how they react to negativity
I learn their preferences, triggers, and tolerance for ambiguity or lack of structure
If they sugarcoat too much or get defensive, I know we’re not getting the full picture
Let’s say they say: “I hate being micromanaged.”
My follow-up might be: “What does micromanagement look like to you?”
Because in founder-led teams, early hires often do need some oversight at first. If their version of micromanagement is “anyone checking in at all,” that’s a red flag for us.
Stop Hoping. Start Vetting.
The best interviews give you actual clarity—not just a good feeling. You should walk out of the room (or Zoom) knowing whether this person:
Aligns with your values
Can execute what you need
Will thrive in your team’s dynamic
If you're not getting that kind of insight from your interviews, it's time to stop winging it.
🎯 Need Help Getting It Right?
We put together a free Hiring & Interviewing Playbook to walk you through:
Defining expectations before you hire
Building unique questions that give you real insight
Identifying red flags, green flags, and follow-up prompts
👉 Download it here from the Auxo Resource Hub » https://auxoassistants.kit.com/c6abd485c6