The most common interview mistakes
Most interview mistakes fall into two groups: not being prepared, and giving off the wrong signals with your body language. The infographic on this page is based on a survey of 2,000 bosses, and it shows how often employers notice each one. These are the figures it reports:
| Mistake | Share of bosses who named it |
|---|---|
| Failing to make eye contact | 67% |
| Knowing little or nothing about the company | 47% |
| Not smiling | 38% |
| Bad posture | 33% |
| Fidgeting too much | 33% |
| A handshake that is too weak | 26% |
| Playing with your hair or touching your face | 21% |
| Crossing your arms over your chest | 21% |
| Using too many hand gestures | 9% |
Each figure is the share of bosses who named that mistake, so they don’t add up to 100%. The same numbers were published in 2014 by the Undercover Recruiter, which credited them to surveys by the recruitment firms Come Recommended and Classes & Careers [1]. Neither survey was published in full, so treat the exact percentages as a rough guide rather than precise research. The order is still useful, and it matches what UK careers services warn about [2][3].
Not researching the company
Not knowing about the company is the one mistake on the list that has nothing to do with body language, and the survey calls it the most common mistake job seekers make. It is also the easiest to avoid. The National Careers Service suggests reading the job description carefully, researching the company’s website, going back over your CV or application, and preparing examples from your past experience that you can refer to [3].
nidirect, the Northern Ireland government’s advice site, lists being unprepared first among common interview mistakes. It says that starting every answer with a long pause makes it look as though you haven’t prepared, and suggests guessing the likely questions by researching the company and imagining what a typical day in the job would be like [2]. It also warns against asking questions you should already know the answer to, because that shows you haven’t done the research [2].
Body language mistakes in a job interview
The other common interview mistakes are mostly about nonverbal communication. None of them will cost you a job on their own, but together they shape how confident and interested you come across.
- Eye contact. Looking away, at the table or at your notes most of the time can make you seem nervous or evasive. You don’t need to stare: look at the person asking the question while they speak and while you answer, and glance away naturally when you are thinking.
- Not smiling. A smile when you meet the interviewers and at natural points in the conversation makes you seem friendlier and more at ease.
- Posture. Sit upright and lean slightly forward. nidirect gives slouching, yawning, chewing gum and looking at your watch as examples of negative body language that suggest you aren’t interested in the job [2].
- Fidgeting and touching your face. Clicking a pen, tapping your foot or playing with your hair draws attention away from what you are saying. Rest your hands on the table or in your lap.
- Crossed arms. Folding your arms can look defensive, even if you are just cold or comfortable.
- Handshake. If there is one, a firm (not crushing) handshake is the norm in the UK and US. A limp one was named by about a quarter of bosses.
- Hand gestures. Only 9% named too many gestures, so using your hands while you talk is fine as long as it doesn’t become distracting.
Job interview eye contact
Eye contact tops the list because it is how interviewers judge whether you are engaged and confident. In a panel interview, look mainly at the person who asked the question, then include the others as you finish your answer. In a video interview, looking at the camera rather than the faces on your screen is what reads as eye contact to the other person, so it helps to put the video window just under your camera and practise on a call with a friend first.
If eye contact is genuinely hard for you, for example because you are autistic or very anxious, you can ask for reasonable adjustments to the interview. The National Careers Service points to advice from the disability charity Scope on how to ask [3].
Do interviewers decide in 90 seconds?
The same survey claims that 33% of bosses know within the first 90 seconds whether they will hire someone, even though an interview lasts about 40 minutes on average. That claim is widely repeated but not well supported. The Undercover Recruiter, which first published the figures in 2014, now says the 90 second figure can’t be traced to a named study with a stated method [1].
The best study on decision time we found surveyed 166 interviewers who saw 691 applicants at a US university careers centre [4]. As reported by the Undercover Recruiter, about 5% of interviewers made up their minds within the first minute, about 26% within five minutes and 60% within 15 minutes, while 40% decided later or after the interview had ended [1]. The researchers also found that more experienced interviewers decided faster, and that asking every candidate the same questions slowed decisions down [4].
So first impressions do count, but most interviewers are still deciding well after you sit down. A strong finish matters as much as a confident start.
The 7%, 38% and 55% rule
A figure that often appears alongside interview advice, and on this infographic, is that only 7% of your impact comes from what you say, 38% from your voice and 55% from how you look and act. It comes from the psychologist Albert Mehrabian’s experiments in the 1960s, and it is usually misapplied. His studies looked only at how people communicate feelings and attitudes (whether they like someone), and mainly at cases where the words and the tone or facial expression didn’t match [5].
It doesn’t mean that what you say in an interview only counts for 7%. Your answers are what the interviewer is assessing. Body language matters most when it contradicts what you are saying, for example claiming you are excited about the role while slumped in your chair.
What to wear to an interview
The survey found that 65% of bosses said clothes could be the deciding factor between two similar candidates, and 70% said they didn’t want applicants to be fashionable or trendy. It also says bright colours are a turnoff. That last point is a matter of taste rather than a rule.
nidirect’s advice is that what to wear depends on the job, but you should generally dress smartly, avoid too much jewellery or skin and skip overpowering scents. Clean nails, tidy hair and clothes without creases matter too [2]. If you aren’t sure how formal to go, check the company’s website and social media for how staff dress, and aim one step smarter.
Other job interview mistakes to avoid
- Arriving late. Plan the route, allow extra time and phone ahead if you are delayed [2].
- Criticising a current or former employer, which can make you look difficult to work with [2].
- Waffling when you don’t know an answer. Ask for a moment to think or for the question to be rephrased instead [2].
- Asking about pay and benefits too early, or coming across as overconfident [2].
- Not asking any questions at the end. Prepare two or three about the role, training or how success is measured [2][3].
Questions about common interview mistakes
What are the top 3 common job interview mistakes?
In the survey of 2,000 bosses, the three most named were failing to make eye contact (67%), knowing little or nothing about the company (47%) and not smiling (38%) [1].
What is a red flag in an interview?
For employers, common red flags are a candidate who hasn’t researched the company, criticises previous employers, can’t give examples for their claims or seems uninterested. Negative body language such as slouching, yawning or checking the time adds to that impression [2].
Why is eye contact important in an interview?
Interviewers read eye contact as a sign that you are listening, confident and honest. Two thirds of bosses in the survey named poor eye contact as a mistake, more than any other [1].
How long does a job interview usually last?
The survey gives an average of about 40 minutes [1]. In practice first interviews often run from 30 minutes to an hour, and assessment centres can take most of a day.
Is it bad to talk with your hands in an interview?
No. Only 9% of bosses named too many hand gestures as a mistake. Natural gestures can make you seem more engaged, as long as they don’t become distracting.
Sources
- Undercover Recruiter, How Long Do Interviewers Really Take to Decide? What the Research Says (first published 2014 with the survey figures, since updated).
- nidirect, Common interview mistakes.
- National Careers Service, Interview tips.
- Frieder RE, Van Iddekinge CH and Raymark PH, How quickly do interviewers reach decisions? An examination of interviewers’ decision-making time across applicants, Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 2016.
- Wikipedia, Albert Mehrabian.
Last reviewed 7 November 2026
