Tardiness is the most common interview behavior that turns off hiring managers, according to a report from Ringover, a cloud-based telecom provider, which surveyed over 1,200 people interviewing job candidates.
Recruiters are highly concerned when candidates struggle with punctuality, especially in roles where deadline management is crucial. The report highlights that lateness is bigger than getting the company name wrong or dressing too casually, giving hiring managers the "biggest ick."
Pre-Pandemic Grace Period
Most interviewers would allow a 15-minute grace period for late arrivals when video interviews were less frequent before the pandemic, says Jeff Hyman, a veteran executive recruiter of 27 years.
This grace period has been reduced to five minutes, whether in-person or conducted over the phone or video, according to Hyman. He mentions that people are less tolerant of excuses, and being late is a significant turnoff, suggesting rudeness, a big ego, incompetence, and poor planning.
How Early Should You Show Up in an Interview?
Hyman suggests arriving five minutes early for in-person interviews and at least 10 minutes early for video interviews to account for potential technical issues, saying, "You don't want to seem overly desperate by sitting in the waiting room for 20 minutes."
How to Recover From Being Late in an Interview?
According to Hyman, you don't need to panic if you're late to a job interview as you can still recover and make a positive impression by offering a quick, sincere apology without going into a lengthy explanation.
Being late to a job interview is challenging to recover from; here are some steps you can take to improve the situation:
Make Contact
As soon as you realize you'll be late, make a call to inform your contact to help maintain the flow of the remaining interview process. Reach out via phone or email, as failing to show up without any communication will result in being excluded from consideration for the position.
Apologize
If you reschedule, apologize sincerely and professionally for the initial lateness, avoiding excessive and insufficient explanations.
Have a Good Reason
Interviewers may not view all reasons for being late as valid. Typically, situations beyond your control are more likely to be understood than those you can control.
Common traffic problems are unacceptable excuses, as you're expected to know the local traffic conditions for your interview location. Still, significant transportation issues or genuine emergencies may also be an acceptable reason for being late.
Inform your Contact of Your Estimated Time of Arrival
After apologizing and making contact, you should inform your estimated arrival time so you can collaborate on the next steps.
Reschedule Your Appointment
If rescheduling is agreed upon, pick a time that suits you and your contact. This new time depends on how late you'll be and when the interviewer is free.
Be ready for the chance that your interviewer might struggle to overlook your lateness, even with an apology. According to Hyman, your best action is to express your regret genuinely, perform exceptionally well in the remaining interview, and accept the outcome.
