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No, but those are bad interviewers or possibly ones who are only focused on deciding if you are a fit. When they ask you at the end of the interview if you have any questions, try asking "What is your favorite part of working for the company?" This may open dialog by keeping them "selling" it to you but also by making them go slightly off script.
Clearly they are only focused on deciding if I fit some (secret) criteria. At one in-person interview I had a page of typed questions ready to go (single spaced) when it was my turn to ask questions. The hiring manager (who was the VP) commented on it and seemed amused. I only got a few questions answered and then it was time to go. I already knew by that point he wasn't going to be bringing me back--I sensed that right away, but I played along and asked my specific questions like a good little interviewee.
Anyway, in the 5 most recent interviews I've had (meaning, 5 different companies) this one-sided type interviewing has occurred in every case. And behavioral questions drive me insane. How does my telling you how I handled a difficult situation at company xyz say anything about what I would do for your company? What worked at company xyz may not work at your company. It may not be what you are actually experiencing in your company. But do we talk about YOUR actual needs? No.
Why not ask how I would handle situation abc in your company? Then let's discuss how often this happens and what's been tried before. Wouldn't THAT be more relevant than a problem at xyz company that may not be the right solution for your company for a variety of reasons?
Anyway, in the 5 most recent interviews I've had (meaning, 5 different companies) this one-sided type interviewing has occurred in every case. And behavioral questions drive me insane. How does my telling you how I handled a difficult situation at company xyz say anything about what I would do for your company?
It tells more than you think about your thought process. It tells me if you think things through before you act or if you tend to act first. It tells me if you solicit opinions from others or if you go it on your own. It tells me about your work ethic, your willingness to solve problems. It tells me what you have done. We all know the right theoretical answers to interview question, but what have you actually done?
What worked at company xyz may not work at your company. It may not be what you are actually experiencing in your company. But do we talk about YOUR actual needs? No.
But you are. I am not thinking, when I ask, that you will be able to solve all my company's problems. But I want to see your thought process. I do a lot of retail hiring/recruiting and how you handle a difficult customer in a hardware store is pretty similar to the way you would handle them in a clothing store. Every company has a culture and has expectations. If I am interviewing for a company, and a particular boss, who I know has a habit of working his people late on Fridays and I ask you how you feel about working late, and more importantly how you reacted the last time you were asked to work late, your answer and past behavior gives me a pretty good idea how you will fit with the person I am recruiting for.
Why not ask how I would handle situation abc in your company?
Because if I could totally solve all problems in my company without you, I wouldn't be hiring. I am hiring because of a talent gap, or a employee numbers shortfall, or for a ton of other reasons. When I hire someone new I actually WANT them to come with ideas I haven't tried yet. The best way to know this about you is to see how you have behaved in the past.
Then let's discuss how often this happens and what's been tried before. Wouldn't THAT be more relevant than a problem at xyz company that may not be the right solution for your company for a variety of reasons?
No. I don't want to talk about what has been tried before, as it has not been tried before by you. Really. Edison invented the lightbulb. I am guessing he wasn't the only one with the idea, or the only one who tried it, he just WAS the one who figured it out. Just because something has been done before doesn't mean it was done well. A behavioral interview is not about solving all my company's problems. It is about seeing how you would solve them and what you bring to the table.
Sorry if this isn't what you want to hear, but I love behavioral interviews.
If I ever get asked what was I doing since my last job I will politely get up and leave the interview because that question is irrelevant to the job opening. The fact that i even had a resume impressive enough to be talking to the person face to face should overshadow any gaps.
That's like me asking a girl on a date........."so why have you been single so long" HUH????
If I ever get asked what was I doing since my last job I will politely get up and leave the interview because that question is irrelevant to the job opening. The fact that i even had a resume impressive enough to be talking to the person face to face should overshadow any gaps.
That's like me asking a girl on a date........."so why have you been single so long" HUH????
I disagree. Your impressive resume is the reason I am talking to you in spite of the gaps. If you feel what you have been doing since your last job was the right thing for you to be doing, there should be no issue answering the question. I have a resume gap during which I briefly moved to Illinois to handle the disposition of my Grandfather's estate. Was I working? No. But what I was doing was a value to me and to my family. I have never had anything but positive responses to that.
I disagree. Your impressive resume is the reason I am talking to you in spite of the gaps. If you feel what you have been doing since your last job was the right thing for you to be doing, there should be no issue answering the question. I have a resume gap during which I briefly moved to Illinois to handle the disposition of my Grandfather's estate. Was I working? No. But what I was doing was a value to me and to my family. I have never had anything but positive responses to that.
My point is if they don't see another job since my last job then the answer is obvious which is why i think someone only askes that question if they already made up their mind from seeing you that you are not a good fit.
My point is if they don't see another job since my last job then the answer is obvious which is why i think someone only askes that question if they already made up their mind from seeing you that you are not a good fit.
Not me, although I do keep working for companies that close, LOL. And the answer isn;t obvious. You could have been doing just about anything. Sitting at home watching Judge Judy makes me question if I want you on my team. Training to clime Mt. Everest makes me think I do want you.
Not me, although I do keep working for companies that close, LOL. And the answer isn;t obvious. You could have been doing just about anything. Sitting at home watching Judge Judy makes me question if I want you on my team. Training to clime Mt. Everest makes me think I do want you.
How could I be home watching Judge Judy if my resume was sent to the company and led to a face to face interview?????
You would be amazed at the answers I get to the question "What have you been doing with your time since your last job" and these are during interviews. I actually once had an applicant ask me how long the process would take if we picked him. I answered and he replied he was glad it would take a while because he had time left on unemployment and was hoping to use as much as he could before having to rejoin the rat race. He actually used the phrase "rat race". In an interview. Apparently, I was one of the rats he was hoping to put off joining. So, it is very possible the applicant sent out one resume per week and watched Judge Judy the rest of the time. I have stories. People often think getting the interview means getting the job. You can tell the ones who believe this by their demeanor during the interview.
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