Job interview etiquette-for interviewers

[HogwartsAlum]

7) Follow up with the applicant after the interview as soon as someone has been hired for the position.  *No one likes to be kept waiting to know how they did.*

Yes, yes, poddy pod POD!  This one drove me crazy throughout my job hunt.  Numerous times, I would check back and no one could/would tell me anything.  I developed a policy where I would check back twice after the initial interview, and if I got nothing or they didn't contact me, I would write them off.  I made a note on my very long contact sheet of the response or lack thereof.

I didn't expect to be contacted for just submitting a resume, although I would check a few days or a week later to see if the job had been filled.  Some companies WOULD let you know if they had hired someone via a postcard or letter, which was nice.  But if I had an actual face-to-face interview, I expect some kind of response.  To ignore me after they'd hired someone was rude, rude, rude. 

[Slartibartfast]

(This on behalf of DH):

At some point, please ACTUALLY TELL ME ABOUT THE JOB!  DH is looking for a computer-related job in the military defense field, and most of the projects are classified (or the program is open, but the data is classified).  So about one in three job descriptions actually says what the job requires - the other two are full of buzzwords about needing a self-starter who is good with people, and then lists half a dozen computer acronyms they're looking for.  They don't say what the job involves, and they don't say which of those programs or programming languages the job REALLY needs and which you just sorta deal with sometimes.

I can understand this in the initial job ad, but he's gone through the whole interview process with two places (both of which decided not to hire him, we're guessing, since he never heard back) - and neither of them ever actually said WHAT he'd be doing or WHERE he'd be doing it.  Five minutes away from our house or an hour away on the other side of town?  Programming, or just debugging, or hauling boxes that happen to have classified computers in them?  How is he supposed to decide whether the job is right for him if they won't tell him what the job is?  I assume they'd tell you before you actually signed any paperwork, but still . . . sheesh!

[platys]

(This on behalf of DH):

At some point, please ACTUALLY TELL ME ABOUT THE JOB! 

Has your DH asked what the job would entail?   In my mos trecent job hunt, I looked up the company on the web, read the media reports about it, and went in with questions about what I had read.   Just asking "I know that the work may be classified, but can you tell me in general terms what the position is for?"  That'll often get the interviewer talking, and then it becomes more like a conversation, instead of an interview.

[Slartibartfast]

Yes, he did, and got the generalized "You'll be part of a TEAM-BUILDING EXPERIENCE to LEVERAGE SYNERGY and EXPLORE DYNAMIC EMPLOYEE-PROJECT INTERACTIONS!" speech both times.  So it's probably just as well he didn't get those two jobs.  DH got a call from a headhunter yesterday who wants to send him to an interview for another (classified) job, but this one is with a company DH has looked into in the past and they're a lot more forthright about what he'd be doing programmingwise, even if they can't tell him what the classified part of the job is :-)

This is getting so frustrating - DH has been unemployed for six months now, and we're both looking over his resume trying to figure out what is wrong.  He's got experience, he's a good programmer, he has active security clearance (which is a big deal - it took a whole year for them to clear him in the first place, and that's a year his prospective employers don't have to pay him to do busywork while waiting!), and he looks and sounds professional.  But he's got too much experience to be a bottom-of-the-totem-pole guy, and not enough to be hired for an "experienced" position except in something that exactly matches his last job :-|  Well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this potential interview!

[lolane]

2) Let the applicant know whether or not they need to pay for parking, get parking tickets validated, go through security, bring photo IDs or any other documents with them, fill out forms, take tests, etc. ahead of the interview, let the applicant know who they are meeting with, and give good directions to your office, so they can plan properly.

I agree with this to a certain extent. Usually I always tell applicants that there is only street parking so they'll need to plan for finding a park and if their interview is on a street sweeping day I'll let them know that too. I'll even give basic directions over the phone, but one day I had an applicant who wanted me to tell them how to take the bus from their home to our business. The wanted me to tell them exact bus routes. I explained to them that I drive so I was unfamiliar with the bus routes but I referred them to the transportation phone number and website so that they could get that information. Well, imagine my suprise when they wanted ME to look up the information on the website for THEM. That is really pushing the limit. I told them that wouldn't be possible, and was not suprised in the least when they didn't show up for their interview.

[kareng57]

2) Let the applicant know whether or not they need to pay for parking, get parking tickets validated, go through security, bring photo IDs or any other documents with them, fill out forms, take tests, etc. ahead of the interview, let the applicant know who they are meeting with, and give good directions to your office, so they can plan properly.

I agree with this to a certain extent. Usually I always tell applicants that there is only street parking so they'll need to plan for finding a park and if their interview is on a street sweeping day I'll let them know that too. I'll even give basic directions over the phone, but one day I had an applicant who wanted me to tell them how to take the bus from their home to our business. The wanted me to tell them exact bus routes. I explained to them that I drive so I was unfamiliar with the bus routes but I referred them to the transportation phone number and website so that they could get that information. Well, imagine my suprise when they wanted ME to look up the information on the website for THEM. That is really pushing the limit. I told them that wouldn't be possible, and was not suprised in the least when they didn't show up for their interview.

I wouldn't have been surprised either.  But why wouldn't the applicant have researched this before she even contacted the company?  No matter how stellar her qualifications might have been, there'd have been no point in accepting the job if she couldn't easily get there by transit.  (In my metropolitan area, there are some suburb-to-suburb commutes that could easily take three hours or more one way).  I guess it could be possible that she'd be planning on buying a vehicle if she got the job, but still - I'd have done exactly as you did.

[ShadesOfGrey]

2) Let the applicant know whether or not they need to pay for parking, get parking tickets validated, go through security, bring photo IDs or any other documents with them, fill out forms, take tests, etc. ahead of the interview, let the applicant know who they are meeting with, and give good directions to your office, so they can plan properly.

I agree with this to a certain extent. Usually I always tell applicants that there is only street parking so they'll need to plan for finding a park and if their interview is on a street sweeping day I'll let them know that too. I'll even give basic directions over the phone, but one day I had an applicant who wanted me to tell them how to take the bus from their home to our business. The wanted me to tell them exact bus routes. I explained to them that I drive so I was unfamiliar with the bus routes but I referred them to the transportation phone number and website so that they could get that information. Well, imagine my suprise when they wanted ME to look up the information on the website for THEM. That is really pushing the limit. I told them that wouldn't be possible, and was not suprised in the least when they didn't show up for their interview.

I agree the onus is on the interviewee to find out the logistics of transportation etc. and I dont think that it is the job of the interviewer to discuss these logistics with a candidate.  A phone call to the receptionist typically takes care of this issue.

[beakiebean]

My pet peeve-if you take the applicant into a maze of never ending hallways and through cube farms on the way to the interview room take them back out to the lobby when your done. All corporate hallways and cubes look alike-especially when the only time you saw them was while you were talking to the interviewer on the way to the room. There's nothing like your interviewer saying thanks for coming in and then leaving you to find your own way out of the cube farm.

Becca

[Athos_000]

I have an addition to the "follow-up" question.

If you are interviewing someone and have reached the end of a very long and drawn out interview process, and something happens that makes you unable to hire them, don't string them along for a month... if you are too chicken to tell them over the phone, send them a letter or SOMETHING...

[Lisbeth]

[I wouldn't have been surprised either.  But why wouldn't the applicant have researched this before she even contacted the company?  No matter how stellar her qualifications might have been, there'd have been no point in accepting the job if she couldn't easily get there by transit.  (In my metropolitan area, there are some suburb-to-suburb commutes that could easily take three hours or more one way). 

The company may have contacted her first.

In my post, when I suggested that the interviewer make sure the applicant has good directions, I meant that whoever speaks to the applicant, whether that's the interviewer, the receptionist, the admin. assistant, or the CEO make sure that the applicant has some basic idea of where the offices are, as in "We're on the corner of 5th Avenue and 34th Street, 86th floor" and can tell the applicant about parking if that's required. Whether or not the applicant drives, walks, takes the bus, or flies a helicopter is up to them to work out accordingly.  Sometimes it's not obvious where the office is from the mailing address that the applicant sent their resume to, especially if they faxed it or sent it to a post office box in response to a blind ad.

Also, I disagree with rdge that the applicant should then automatically turn around and call the receptionist for direction if they've been talking to someone else first.  Only if the person they've been talking to doesn't know this information should they be transferred to another party.

[ShadesOfGrey]

Also, I disagree with rdge that the applicant should then automatically turn around and call the receptionist for direction if they've been talking to someone else first.  Only if the person they've been talking to doesn't know this information should they be transferred to another party.

We'll have to agree to disagree that it should be the interviewer - I just dont think it falls under the realm of their responsibility. Nice to do, for sure, and definitely necessary from somebody, but not necessarily the interviewer.  Of course, this also depends on the individual company, the industry, type of position, etc.  I come from a business background and it is standard practice to get logistical details from someone other than the hiring manager.

I do hate it when companies dont follow up after an interview though.  Very frustrating.

[Lisbeth]

Also, I disagree with rdge that the applicant should then automatically turn around and call the receptionist for direction if they've been talking to someone else first.  Only if the person they've been talking to doesn't know this information should they be transferred to another party.

We'll have to agree to disagree that it should be the interviewer - I just dont think it falls under the realm of their responsibility. Nice to do, for sure, and definitely necessary from somebody, but not necessarily the interviewer.  Of course, this also depends on the individual company, the industry, type of position, etc.  I come from a business background and it is standard practice to get logistical details from someone other than the hiring manager.

I do hate it when companies dont follow up after an interview though.  Very frustrating.

I'll agree that if HR contacts you, they should be the ones to give you that information along with all the other information I mentioned.  But if it's the interviewer who contacts you (which could very well be the case in a small business), then s/he should be the one.  My point is, the interviewing company's personnel need to be the ones to convey that information to the applicant.

[ShadesOfGrey]

Also, I disagree with rdge that the applicant should then automatically turn around and call the receptionist for direction if they've been talking to someone else first.  Only if the person they've been talking to doesn't know this information should they be transferred to another party.

We'll have to agree to disagree that it should be the interviewer - I just dont think it falls under the realm of their responsibility. Nice to do, for sure, and definitely necessary from somebody, but not necessarily the interviewer.  Of course, this also depends on the individual company, the industry, type of position, etc.  I come from a business background and it is standard practice to get logistical details from someone other than the hiring manager.

I do hate it when companies dont follow up after an interview though.  Very frustrating.

I'll agree that if HR contacts you, they should be the ones to give you that information along with all the other information I mentioned.  But if it's the interviewer who contacts you (which could very well be the case in a small business), then s/he should be the one.  My point is, the interviewing company's personnel need to be the ones to convey that information to the applicant.

Fair enough, but I still think the onus is on the interviewee to ask about it. At least, it shows a level of personal responsibility if they do.  If it is something other than usual security or parking measures (which, for me includes some type of x-ray or distance from lot to building), then yeah, I can definitely agree that the company should try to mention it. 

I guess the reason I wouldnt blame the company for not offering the information, is they wouldnt necessarily think that something is unusual about it, because they do it everyday.  If an assistant is on the phone scheduling something with a candidate, I guess I just cant fault him or her for not mentioning it if she doesnt think to, since, imo, it is not the assistant's responsibility to make sure that the candidate gets into the building ok. 

Either way, it's a much smaller infraction in my book than some of the other ones. Like not getting back to a candidate after they have interviewed (can you tell I hate that?  )

[Slartibartfast]

Companies should be able to reasonably expect future employees to find their location on a map (given an address) and find their way inside to at least a receptionist who could point them in the right direction.  That's all IF there isn't something non-obvious about getting there.  If the directions include "the street in front of us is closed so you have to park at the bagel shop on the corner, duck behind the two pine trees, and come in the service entrance", I would expect to be told that before showing up.  Same with "we have no parking and the street parking is always full so you'll have to use the closest parking garage which is 15 blocks away and costs $10/hour" - tell me this ahead of time so I can bring cash and an umbrella in case it rains!  And if you don't mention that your business doesn't actually have a sign out front and shares a building with another business and I have to enter through a series of secret tunnels leading from the storm sewer on the corner and then be X-rayed and frisked and given a computer test on Excel before the interview, don't be upset if I end up a bit late :-)

[ShadesOfGrey]

And if you don't mention that your business doesn't actually have a sign out front and shares a building with another business and I have to enter through a series of secret tunnels leading from the storm sewer on the corner and then be X-rayed and frisked and given a computer test on Excel before the interview, don't be upset if I end up a bit late :-)

But that's just the thing. I would be upset if you showed up late for that reason, because I would have expect you to ask "Is there anything I should know about getting to your location?" And then I would have expected you to plan accordingly. 

Now, if you asked, and someone didnt tell you, so you only planned for normal interference, then no, I wouldnt be upset at all. 

But tha'ts just me.