The Silent Killer of Hiring: Managers Who Can’t Interview

Clearly, the interview is going well

As a recruitment firm, we go over a lot of topics with both employers and job seekers; we talk about talent shortages, compensation wars, ghosting, skill gaps, and outdated processes (we have a good amount of blogs on those subjects); however, here’s the truth that as real as it is, never makes the slide deck: Many hiring pipelines don’t break because of candidates, they break because the person conducting the interview was never taught how to hire. That’s it. That’s a whole problem on its own worth exploring.

And if you’re wincing right now, it’s probably because you’ve seen it up close. That's because...

Interviewing Isn’t a Skill We’re Born With

California’s labor market is extremely competitive. Construction supervisors, behavioral health clinicians, cybersecurity analysts, nurses, project managers...everyone is fighting for the same 200 people in the same 20-mile radius. Part of the issue is that typically managers are asked to evaluate six-figure hires with directional influence over an organization with less training than we give a data entry role. Maybe they shadowed an interview back in 2019? Maybe they copied and pasted questions from Indeed? Maybe they copied some questions from ChatGPT that aren't rooted in the critical nuances.

Now, they're the gatekeepers to the future of your organization. It's no wonder hiring feels harder than ever; I come across teams that are built on hope and vibes. This means that...

The Real Damage Is Hidden

Bad hiring managers don’t look like villains and they aren't by default. What they usually look like is this:

• Asking vague questions like the classic, “Walk me through your resume…”

• Rushing interviews because they’re slammed with deadlines and deliverables

• Screening out great candidates because one answer made them “not a culture fit”

• Dragging timelines because they can’t decide

• Overselling the role out of panic to fill the role and then dealing with the fallout when the new hire quits at month 3 because expectations were not communicated realistically

This isn’t incompetence. It’s lack of training. But the consequences? Lost candidates. Bad hires. Burned-out teams. And a reputation and morale your organization will pay for.

Stop Thinking of Hiring as an Administrative Function

Hiring is not a task and it isn't a box to check meeting shoved between back-to-back Zoom calls. Hiring is not a task to get completed. If you see it that way, then this is for you.

Hiring is a high-stakes business decision equal to finance, compliance, safety, or operations.

For some reason hiring is the only mission-critical function where we still believe people can “figure it out as they go.” Does your safety program used that logic? What about your billing?

If You Want Better Hires in 2026, Train Your Managers

This doesn't mean a 45-minute one and done workshop, or a slide deck titled “How to Ask Better Questions.” For a real impactful shift, a real impactful shift needs to be made.

1. Give managers interviewing scripts and not because they’re robots, but because structure reduces bias and improves accuracy.

2. Teach them how to evaluate, and not just ask questions. Anyone in any organization can ask “Tell me about a time…” Only a few know what a good answer actually looks like. Know the metrics and how to apply them to your process.

3. Cut the interview panel down because a five-person panel don’t produce better decisions. They produce more discussions and delays.

4. Create a “90-day clarity document” before you post the job, where hiring managers must define:

• What success looks like

• What failure looks like

• What traits predict both

If they can’t articulate it, they shouldn’t interview yet.

5. Hold managers accountable for time-to-feedback by tying it to their performance. That’s where everything else in business gets solved.

The Undeniable Outcome

Here’s what happens when managers actually learn how to interview:

• Time-to-fill drops without shortcuts

• High performers don't slip through the cracks

• New hires last longer

• Teams stop drowning

• Culture stabilizes

• And candidates start choosing you, even with competing offers

It’s not a glamorous fix and it's one of the least talked about fixes, but it is the most transformative fix. Belly flops just necessarily happen in the talent pool. Train your managers to dive in and make it easier for your organization, hiring team, and applicants.