You Can't Read a Book and Expect to Be a Good Interviewer – Why Some Interviewers Should Never Be Allowed to Interview
In the world of recruitment, interviews are where reputations are made or broken—both for candidates and the companies hiring them. But here’s a hard truth: not everyone is cut out to conduct interviews. And worse still, too many people believe that reading a guide or attending a half-day workshop qualifies them to lead one of the most critical steps in the hiring process.
This is especially dangerous in industries like financial services recruitment, where roles require high levels of trust, credibility, and regulatory awareness. Whether you're hiring for mortgage advisor jobs, insurance specialists, or financial planning professionals, you need more than a script—you need skill, insight, and real industry understanding.
The Problem with 'Book Trained' Interviewers
We've all seen it: a hiring manager with no formal recruiting background decides to conduct interviews based on a checklist they found online. They might ask the "right" questions—like, "Tell me about a time you overcame a challenge,"—but they fail to read between the lines, assess true suitability, or create an environment where the candidate can truly shine.
An uninformed interviewer might miss red flags, overlook regulatory knowledge gaps, or fail to gauge a candidate’s client-facing skills. These oversights can cost a business not just time, but clients, compliance fines, and its reputation.
Recruitment Is a Profession, Not a Side Hustle
Just as you'd never hire someone to manage your mortgage without verifying their credentials, why would you let someone hire a mortgage advisor without relevant recruitment expertise?
A recruitment agency or seasoned headhunter brings far more than just a résumé-matching service. They understand the subtleties of human behaviour, know what makes a candidate succeed long-term, and are trained to interview with purpose. For instance, an experienced recruiter in mortgage adviser recruitment won’t just assess a candidate’s experience—they’ll explore how that individual aligns with FCA regulations, understands protection products, and fits culturally within a brokerage or bank.
Real-Life Impacts: When Bad Interviewing Goes Wrong
Poor interviews can lead to:
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High attrition rates due to misaligned expectations
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Hiring of underqualified individuals
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Missed opportunities to hire game-changing talent
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Reputational damage to your company or brand
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Wasted time, money, and energy
These risks are heightened in highly regulated sectors like insurance, mortgage, and financial planning, where hiring mistakes can have legal and financial consequences.
The Right Way Forward
If you're not confident in your interviewing skills, delegate to someone who is. Partner with a recruitment agency or a niche headhunter who specialises in your industry. For firms hiring in financial services, working with professionals who understand the complexity of mortgage broker recruitment and financial planning roles isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.
Great interviewing is a blend of art and science. It takes intuition, experience, and an in-depth understanding of both people and the positions you’re hiring for. No book can teach that overnight.
Conclusion
Recruiting the right talent isn’t just about asking a few good questions—it’s about knowing what the answers mean. So if you’re hiring for mortgage advisor jobs, roles in insurance, or other areas of financial services recruitment, think twice before handing over the interview reins to someone unqualified.
Because a poor interview isn’t just a missed opportunity—it’s a potential disaster.