Can the interviewer kill an interview?

“Hi John. So how did the interview go?”

“Actually, not that great.”

“Oh? Why?”

“Well, it felt as if we just didn’t engage very well, if you know what I mean. There seemed to be a total lack of communication between us.”

“Mm. But do you think you’ll still hire her?”

“No, probably not now.”

Oh dear. So this is clearly a conversation which focuses on the interviewer’s thoughts on what just happened. And what a shame – because that candidate may have appeared, on paper at least, to be a perfect fit for the job. However, it seems it didn’t go very well. But then whose fault was that?

We all know that there’s a whole host of advice online about how to succeed in interviews. But yes, always aimed at the interviewee: “How to perform to your very best ability”; “How to handle difficult (or competency-based) questions”; “How to appear in control”; “How to dress” (!) …… . But advice out there for the interviewer? Nope.

I believe that an interview should be less of an interrogation and more of a conversation where two or more people can discuss the role, the job environment and interaction with the key stakeholders, openly and dispassionately – even with a touch of humour thrown in. That would produce a free-flowing exchange of ideas, allowing each to judge the other on the essential ‘fit’, culture and other relevant criteria and while making the whole experience memorable - in a positive way for all concerned.

Many interviewers forget that they, too, have a responsibility to ‘sell’ not only their company or organization but also this specific role and the people who work within it. However, interviews often do tend to be more like interrogations - “...because they need to be able to perform under intense pressure; that’s the best way to gauge their suitability.” (no it isn’t!). And this may well be where John (above) went wrong.

If his interviewee had felt that she was in a highly awkward situation, nervous and ill at ease from the start, then she wouldn’t have performed to her best ability and any communication skills she possessed would have been stifled. So the “lack of communication” identified by John may well have been caused by him, because there was a distinct lack of empathy and real engagement - resulting in a basic misunderstanding between the two. And a failed interview.

Many companies or organisations will fail to hire excellent candidates because the interview was based on either a) instructions from 'upstairs' or b) the interviewer’s own personal experience of how it’s always been done.

Training in how to communicate and interview effectively can be hugely beneficial for both individuals and hiring companies.

Right now, Covid restrictions mean we do have time to prepare. So think about it...

cullensandy11@gmail.com; 07711 948273