WHAT ABOUT THE INTERVIEWER?

Almost every day, some pundit or other, is pontificating on how candidates should conduct themselves during an interview -- what they should say, how they should speak, what they should wear etc. But rarely if ever is there a focus on the interviewer -- the employer or executive search that is representing the employer and how they should behave.

I find this lack of focus on the interviewer interesting because isn't the hiring company trying to "sell" their company to the best candidate? The interviewer(s) might get away with slovenly, or bizarre behaviour and questioning with the less desirable candidates, but not with those whom they truly wish to attract. An interview in fact is a negotiation, between two parties who wish to engage in a business arrangement. As in any negotiation, both parties need to understand the offer and the offerings and put their best foot forward to ensure a desirable outcome.

Some things which I think are inexcusable from an interviewer perspective are:

• Lateness -- I'm sorry, a couple of minutes maybe, but leaving a candidate cooling their heels for 15 to 20 minutes (and yes I've witnessed this and had reports of this from some of my colleagues) is inexcusable. What you are saying to the candidate is that you will always be disrespectful of someone else's time. And guess what -- if this is the way before you get hired, it will be even worse once you are employed.
• Lack of Preparation -- Know who you are interviewing. Don't fumble around looking for the candidate's resume or  begin reading it for the first time when the person is sitting in front of you. Also as part of this, don't have other people's resumes lying in full view of the interviewee. Again this behaviour is not respectful and any good potential hire will walk away.
• Checking emails, pings or taking a call -- I've witnessed all of these and have had many more reported to me. Really? Again, are you just showing the potential candidate how important you are or how insignificant they are? 
• Follow up -- This is post interview, but if an individual has taken time from their day and made an effort to come and see you, then advising them as to the status of the process is important. If they haven't made the grade, let them know and the sooner the better. And if you are considering them, well you better let them know that too, otherwise they might end up finding a more communicative potential employer. Be considerate and show some respect again for the effort someone has made.

This goes equally for the search firm or the employer, because the former is representing the latter, so in effect, your reputation as a company rests on how the search firm is representing you.

Here are a few real life examples from my past. 

• I once was interviewed by a VP of HR, who spent his entire time asking me questions with his chair swivelled away from me looking out the window. I didn't know what to make of it. I don't know what interviewing strategy he was employing but it served to tick me off.
• I had a similar incident with a C-Level interviewer, where he sat staring right past me during the interview. In this case though I wasn't asked any questions. He just spent the entire hour of the interview talking about himself!
• I have had two situations, one from executive search and another from the President of a company, which offended my female sensibilities. The former asked me how did I think I could have a demanding job when I had a child and the latter asked me "What I thought about women in business?" If you are thinking this must have been eons ago, not so much. We are talking mid-90's. Oh, you are probably wondering how I answered these questions.I asked the former how often he asked this question of men, and the latter? "Well, I said, there are obviously not enough of us in your business." These answers caused both of them to go quiet.
• I was being interviewed by one of the top recruitment firms for a role. At the end of the interview, the recruiter indicated that I was an excellent candidate for the position. And then he asked if I would sponsor him on a charity run he was doing in the week ahead. I was a little stunned at the request so I asked "Are you indicating that if I sponsor you I get the job and vice-versa?" I said it with a smile on my face, but the implication was there. "No, no, I was just kidding" and that was the end of it.
• A C-Level executive interviewed me and looked like he had just rolled out of bed 5 minutes ago. Unshaven and slovenly. Of course I was dressed to the proverbial 'nines' so the disparity was apparent to anyone observing. He looked like he had just gotten out of jail and that perhaps I was his lawyer. 

My message here is let's not just focus on the interviewee but also on the interviewer. If you are a candidate for a role, you shouldn't expect to be disrespected. If you are during an interview, run, because it will only get worse when you are hired. I wished in a couple of instances that I had done that, because the environment within the company was well represented during the interview process!

PS: You may have noted that I have only mentioned men as the interviewers. That is because this is where my questionable experiences have occurred. I have been interviewed by some women, and for me the experiences were great, but I'm sure there are some stories that people have about women as well, but I don't