Having been a recruiter for 20 plus years, I tend to be in the middle of a lot feedback and discussions around interviews and how they went or should have gone. Here are some miscellaneous thoughts –

• Job Seekers rarely think they bomb interviewers primarily because interviewers are rarely honest with their feedback during and after the interview.
• Interviewers rarely get the information they set out to get in an interview. Most interviews get sidetracked because interviewers let candidate’s wander beyond the scope of the questioning.
• Job Seekers tend to want to ask questions around the culture and the people of an organization for signs of a good fit.
• Interviewers want to focus on checking off skill fit ratings.
• Job Seekers don’t understand why interviewers are interested in them as people.
• Interviewers don’t understand why the candidates can’t answer simple questions and stay on topic regarding the job fit.

What’s happening here?

This is a case of both parties thinking that their value proposition should be obvious to the other party and that questioning around this area should not be the prime focus. The interviewer knows how great he and his company are and the job seeker knows he is the best candidate for the job. The problem is that both parties have such high opinions of themselves that they typically can’t understand why the interview didn’t lead to an offer or an acceptance of an offer and walk away with a bad feeling about the process.

• The most powerful attractants for a job seeker are likable people and a strong company employment brand.
• The most powerful attractants for an interviewer are candidates that fit their target skill need and who answer qualification questions quickly and with specificity.

Tips for Job Seekers
You have an interesting life and career track record, but the job interview (especially the first interview) may not be the time to lay it all out. Listen VERY closely to the questions and respond with a sniper rifle and not a machine gun.

Nobody has time to interview – If an interviewer is taking the time to talk with you they more than likely have a serious problem they need to fix with a highly skilled professional. Respect their time and supply info that is precisely what they need.

If you spend too much time on non job related questions you will likely be turned down simply because the interviewer didn’t get a good handle on your skill sets. Double check during the interview to make sure they are getting the info they need. Let your interviewer know that you will wait until they have their questions answered before launching into yours.

If they tell you they want you back for more meetings or intend to make you an offer, thank them and leave. You made the sale. Don’t keep selling!

Tips for Interviewers
You own the interview process and format of the interview. Take control and don’t let the interview wander off script until you have what you need. Interviewers respect structure and professionalism. You are not doing the job seeker any favors buy letting them wander in their responses or letting them drive the conversation into more friendly touchy feely topics that don’t help you determine their skill fit. If you don’t come away with specific reasons as to why the job seeker is or is not a fit for your job then you should not be part of the interview process. Additionally, without specific job fit data points you will likely irritate the candidate when you have to turn them down and don’t have a good reason for doing so. This is VERY important since you will turn down many people in the process.

The person sitting across from you isn’t a professional interviewer. They are in a strange land meeting with strange people are a likely nervous and uncomfortable. They don’t know how great a person you are or why your company is the place to be. You need very specific reference points on their skills, but you also need to come across as a human being who once sat on their side of the desk. After you have the information you need, ask them if they have any questions. This is when you will either want to give the job seeker your honest assessment and/or sell your opportunity. Try to refrain from telling them it went well when it didn’t. If you have a concern it’s better to lay it out there so you can go back to it later when you turn them down formally.