Be mindful of "pecking order" during the interview process. Unknowingly putting yourself above or below the wrong person can hurt your chances of getting the job.

Picture this...you're the perfect candidate for the job and have been invited back for a third and final round. Someone asks you to meet with "Tom" at the last meeting. You assume he is a subordinate member of the team and are dismissive by not asking him any questions. You come to find out after the fact that this was the VP of the department and you didn't get the job because "Tom" didn't like you.

Another example is when you are meeting someone who will ultimately directly report to you in this job. You mistake this person for a member of senior management who YOU will report to and act overly deferential to them. You don't get hired because the subordinate doesn't believe you have the right leadership skills to manage the team.

Occasionally candidates are thrown into this position during interviews when they are meeting with multiple people in one day. Many times people are not introducing themselves by title and role, only by name. So what do you do to make sure you don't suffer this type of Faux Pas?

Research the people you are meeting with.
Get everyone's title and try to understand their relationship to the work that you will be doing before the interview. The recruiter or HR rep can provide this to you. You can also even ask the receptionist last minute when you arrive for the interview.

If you can't get this information before you sit down with someone, ask them right after you have been introduced..."I'm looking forward to talking about the position with you but am a bit embarrassed to say that no one's formally introduced us yet. What role do you play within the team?". Don't wait until the end of or after the meeting to ask. It will be too late. Once you have their title/ position within the team, you can then cater your comments to their role. In other words, you'll ask the Managing Director different questions than you would a peer or subordinate. Think ahead of time of what some of these questions may be so that you are prepared.

Treat everyone the same attitudinally.
Although the questions and topics you introduce may differ depending on the level of person you meet with, you should always show the same level of effort, respect and interest during an interview. First of all, it keeps things simple to not have to change your demeanor. Also, if you meet with multiple people, they will be convening at some point to compare notes. And if you were inconsistent; acting dismissive to some and being a kiss ass to others, this will be highly apparent and will likely jeopardize your chances of getting the job.

Remember that every member of the interview team expresses an opinion on whether or not you should be hired. If the manager wasn't interested in their opinion, they wouldn't be having you meet them. So try and win an endorsement from each and every one of them. Contrary to popular belief it is not always the direct hiring manager whose opinion counts the most. Since you don't know, make sure you impress them all.

Follow this good advice and you won't send any mixed signals to your audience.