Make smarter decisions

Use your head
An experienced HR manager could rely on her instincts to suss out the perfect candidate. But for most of us, a gut reaction during an interview comes mainly from personal bias, says David Myers, Ph. D., a professor of psychology at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and the author of Intuition: Its Powers and Perils.

If a candidate talks just like your best friend, you'll regard her as smart and funny. If she reminds you of your obnoxious neighbor, she'll have a hard time winning you over. Trust her work samples and references instead.