jsync | Java Staffing Specialist

The People You'll Meet - Different Approaches of Interviewers

08/09/2005

by Deanna Nemes

When interviewing for a new job, a majority of the time the interview process requires meetings with various members of an organization. While each interviewer may develop their own style of interviewing, they often choose an approach that is likely to yield more targeted information to help in their decision making. Their approach to the interview can often be as insightful as the answers they receive, as there is usually a ‘method to the madness’ that can be a clue defining what exactly is important to an interviewer. Below are some approaches that are commonly used by interviewers:

The HR Interview – Friendly, bubbly and full of energy, to the dismay of many in the technical field the HR interview is not all the ‘fluff’ it’s cracked up to be. Other than providing company information, the additional purpose of HR in the process is to act as the first line of defense at a company. HR folks are getting a sense of how a candidate will or will not fit in at an organization and can focus on: motivation, energy, attitude, goals…etc. If you can get a sense of what the HR person is looking for and give examples of how you fit the mold, it will be amazing how your chances of landing the job increase!!!

Gotta Go Guy/Gal – This interview seems frazzled. The interviewer may leave the room various times during your meeting or take a phone call or two in your presence. Either way, they seem sidetracked and you’re not sure if the interview has begun or ended. Perhaps your interviewer is extremely busy – or perhaps this could be a ploy to see how you react and whether or not you can focus on answering their questions despite the endless interruptions. Are you getting annoyed by the lack of respect or are you understanding of the interviewer’s time constraints? This technique is often used in a fast paced environment to test how you will react to adverse situations.

Bad Cop – The questions come hard, fast and to the point. At times the questioning can appear less like and interview and more like an interrogation. Appearing confrontational, these interviewers may even ‘accuse’ you of not accomplishing a task mentioned on your resume. Often, these managers are looking for your reaction as well. Are you able to explain yourself calmly and clearly, or are you defensive in your rebuttal? How you choose to say something can be as telling as what you say.

Your Best Friend – These can be the trickiest. You are made to feel at home, even quite comfortable. You believe the chemistry is great between you and this interviewer and you start to break down and spill your guts as you form a relationship with your soon-to-be new manager (or so you thought). Later, you hear the news that not only will your new best friend not be hiring you, but the decision is based on some of the secrets you felt comfortable sharing such as: you hate your old manager, you were cheated by your old employer or you don’t have passion for your career.

The Silencer – You walk into the office and they are on the phone, they nod their head and put up a finger to indicate they’ll only be a minute. Five minutes later they end their phone call, but continue to sit there quietly and make some notes. You wait patiently, and then it just gets plain awkward. Believe it or not this is also a technique, often used by upper level management. Those that are intimidated will often sit there and wait to be addressed. The correct answer involves action on your part. While they are on the phone, take time to look and see what they have in their office. Are there pictures of their two daughters at the beach, a diploma from Duke or a Tombstone indicating their company is one of the “Fast 50”? Find something to break the ice and then act on it. When the silence begins see this as an opportunity for you to interject and draw conversation from the interviewer. They are looking at whether or not you cower in the corner intimidated by their title or have the confidence to approach them.

The Pusher – Likely a member of Mensa, from the moment the conversation begins you can tell this person is an ace. But you have confidence and are determined to keep pace with their line of questioning. They begin to tech you, and at first the questions are so simple a child could answer them. Quickly the questions become more complex yet you still try and keep pace – WRONG ANSWER. It is the pusher’s job to find your threshold; they may very well ask you questions that are well above your level of experience. This is where honesty is often the best policy and you should admit areas where you do and do not have experience. They are looking for a team player -someone who knows when to take control and when to ask for help. If you talk above your head, they will recognize it and may view you as likely to make risky technology decisions.

Keep these profiles in mind when interviewing, and remember that you are being judged from the time you enter until the time you leave.

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