I have been trying to figure out why so many people find interviewing a stressful process. Having been a recruiter for over 15 years, I have been in hundreds of interviews. The vast majority of the time I find myself trying to help the interviewees relax enough that we could have a good enough conversation for us both to determine if this company and the open position would be a good fit for the candidate.
The unusual thing about my 40+ years working history is I have only been in 3 interviews as a candidate. Two of the 3 were not actually interviews. I was recruited by the person interviewing me. We were involved in more of a fact-finding mission. We both wanted to explore the possibility of joining together to fill a need, both for the company and for myself.
I believe every interview should be just that; a fact-finding mission. I have come to see the interviewing process to be very similar to the courtship process before marriage. Both parties need to understand if this is the right “relationship” that they are willing to commit to “for the long haul”. We are told that the younger generation will change jobs 8 to 10 times in their career. I don’t believe that would be true if the interviewing process worked properly.
I honestly think some interviewers go into the interview like it is an interrogation. They sit behind a big desk in the “seat of authority” and “drill” the candidate with a list of pre-determined questions. It seems their goal is to see if they can “break” the candidate instead of understanding if they have a candidate that could bring value to their organization today and in the future.
Organizations need to take a hard look at their interviewing process. They need to realize that the initial interviewer is the “filter” that determines who is brought into the interviewing process and who is allowed into the future talent pool of their organization. This is not a task for an entry-level administrator. It should be done by a person that has their hands on the “pulse” of the business and understands that future talent needs of the business. They need to be able to understand through the interviewing “conversation” if they are talking to a candidate that can bring value to the organization now and in the future.
Ask yourself this question, “Are you an interviewer or an interrogator?”
Christian Life Coach 
Well written Tom…
Based upon the few times I have actually been involved in a “real interview” I would say they were more like an inquisition than an interview. From what I have seen and heard from friends over the last few years, from the prospective employee viewpoint, the interview process has been quite brutal in many cases.
My personal opinion is that because there were so many candidates for so few positions “some” HR managers became quite combative with people because they knew they held the upper hand in doling out the few jobs that were available. It was also reflected in the extremely specific job postings out there that at times appeared to even want you to drive a specific year, make, model and color of vehicle before you should even submit a resume (oh yes, with mileage between 35,111 and 35,112 please).
Just recently a very talented and very dear friend of mine that is qualified enough to hold the CEO position in a mid-sized manufacturing company went through an interview with an Engineering Manager for a Project Managers position (under this person). Even though this friend needed the job badly after coming off 2 years of unemployment while taking care of a terminally ill parent she ended up walking out of the interview. She told me it was the most aggressive and combative interview she had ever experienced. Knowing what I do I feel this Engineering Manager probably felt intimidated and feared for his job long term and that was the real reason for the aggressiveness.
As for the “younger generation” that will change jobs 8 to 10 times in their career; you are going to see that in many of the “older generation” like me now too. With the loss of 30 years’ worth of savings, the permanent lack of stability in the job market and the absence of any kind of pension plan there is no longer a need or desire to stay locked into a company or position you are unhappy in. The “younger generation”, my two sons included, found out after watching good old Dad suffer that you should no longer sacrifice personal happiness for your career…life is too short and in the end you may not have a rats a__ bit of control over it anyway!
Another great entry Tom. I agree, interviewing is supposed to be about finding the right candidate and not about making someone uncomfortable or inferior. I always tell my clients, that nobody has the upper edge in the interview process, as you both want something and have something to offer. Too many people go into interviews stressed out and worried they are not going to do well. Confidence is KEY to a successful interview and the real challenge is to get that ‘interrogator’ to become your ‘congratulator’. Thanks for another great blog!
Agreed! Every recruiting manager should be reading this AND making sure their recruiters understand exactly what you’re pointing out.
I agree with framing interviews as fact-finding missions rather than stressful examinations.