Few decisions in business are as crucial as hiring the right people. Most businesses run on the backs of employees, and interviews are one of the key filters in the hiring process. So how serious and prepared are most interviewers? In my experience, most are complacent and unprepared. Most interviewers get the same value in the first 5 minutes as they do in 60 to 90 minutes. The initial impression gained during the first 5 minutes, mostly framed by appearance and the candidate’s resume, is the predominant differentiator.

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