Page 62 - 301 Best Questions to Ask on Your Interview, Second Edition

WHEN TO QUESTION

comment offend him? Maybe the interviewer had a disability
of some sort. So she hung back and waited for the interviewer
to act. Eventually, they found their way to the interview room
where the interviewer asked Susan a few perfunctory questions
before thanking her for coming. Susan did not get an offer.

What went on here? If you were Susan, how would you have han-
dled the situation? Before reading further, take a minute to consider
the challenge, because that’s exactly what it was.

Susan didn’t realize it, but the maze running was part of the job
interview. By the time the interviewer got to the talking part, the
interview was over and the candidate had been eliminated. Yes, it
might seem sleazy, but the interviewer played incompetent to test
Susan’s leadership qualities. Would she offer to help? Would she take
an active role in some way, offering whatever skills she could muster
for the occasion? Or would she remain passive? The interviewer was
hoping that Susan would ask a question. The most important part
of the interview took place before the candidate thought anything
important happened.

What could Susan have done? First, she should have recognized
that she was being tested. In fact, all candidates do well to assume
that as soon as they leave their houses, they are being evaluated.
What are some things Susan could have done or said? A job coach in
Dallas whose clients have encountered this technique suggests one
approach.

Well, there’s no right or wrong here. But I’d have coached Susan
to do something to acknowledge what is, after all, an uncomfort-
able situation. If I’m recruiting for a team leader or manager, I
look for candidates who are authentic, who offer to help in some
way, or who at least use humor to defuse the tension. One can-
didate made me laugh when she joked, “Maybe we should leave
a trail of bread crumbs so we can find our way back!” Mostly I
want to see evidence that the candidate is thinking. What makes
me hesitate is when candidates don’t have a clue about what to do
or are too timid to do it.

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