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Some people lose sight of the fact that they are supposed to sell their character along with their experience and skills at a interview.
Correct.
And, those employees get angry when they feel the company doesn't care about them as people...but they don't want to tell anyone at the company anything about themselves....
I ask those questions because you are going to work directly for me as part of my team. How you fit with the team matters as much as your skills and experience.
I'm sorry your hiring experiences have been so negative and have generated this defensiveness within you. Sadly, from my perspective, clamming up in response to any questions about who you are is an almost guaranteed way not to get the job.
No problem. I don't clam up, remember I am in sales, and can act on call when need be. I am smart and quick learner. I picked up some great ideas since coming back to CD on how to game hiring managers and HR alike. You didn't see my post where I stated most of things I post on here, I would never say at work. I just post specfics info in the hopes it can help someone avoid the negative experiences I have seen and hear first hand.
Frankly I think, in spite of my profession, I am one of the more "honest" posters on this forum. I tell it like it is not like people want to believe. The truth is the majority of us are viewed as nothing more than business units by our employers. If you fit their little niche and will work for the lowest pay out of the pool of candidates you get the job. Otherwise, they could care less about you. They will pretend to care, because they are acting too. It's nothing more than a game and that's ok as long as you know the rules.
It's synonmous to people in America asking "How are you doing" They don't care they are just being customary for our culture.
However, if you maybe start the small talk before the interview, in a conversational manner, it may be better received.
Bingo. I think that is a great idea. Small talk is important to get a feel for who the applicant is, presuming the person who gets the job will have to interact with anything remotely human. But it has its place. 2 minutes at the beginning of the interview is perfect.
I haven't read all the responses to this post but as an interviewee I have no problem making small talk during an interview whether it's at the start, middle or end. I just figure they're trying to find out if I have a personality and can carry a conversation. If someone asks me about the weather, I really don't care - I'm English, we can talk about the weather ad nauseum. Now if that was the only topic of conversation and we didn't discuss my experience and skills at all, I would find that weird and probably assume the interviewer really didn't want to be there. But in many fields it's important to be personable and at least be able to chat with people for a few minutes. How would you like to lose a job offer because they found you cold, monosyllabic, impatient or just plain dull?
Oh, but to the paranoid set, your interest in and ability to converse about the weather only indicates that you are interested in things outdoors, so you'd probably want time off to be outdoors, so HR is going to nix your application ...
I haven't read all the responses to this post but as an interviewee I have no problem making small talk during an interview whether it's at the start, middle or end. I just figure they're trying to find out if I have a personality and can carry a conversation. If someone asks me about the weather, I really don't care - I'm English, we can talk about the weather ad nauseum. Now if that was the only topic of conversation and we didn't discuss my experience and skills at all, I would find that weird and probably assume the interviewer really didn't want to be there. But in many fields it's important to be personable and at least be able to chat with people for a few minutes. How would you like to lose a job offer because they found you cold, monosyllabic, impatient or just plain dull?
I saw a show where a guy was actually hired only because of the small talk. He made the interviewer laugh and never discussed his past experiences or skills and was offered the job.
Oh, but to the paranoid set, your interest in and ability to converse about the weather only indicates that you are interested in things outdoors, so you'd probably want time off to be outdoors, so HR is going to nix your application ...
I assume you're referring to me.
No, I'm not an outdoor person. I'm a big city person. I'm the type that likes to go to the museum, dinner and a movie.
However, I am amazed by the beauty of weather. I love to discuss why certain weather events are happening. I don't care if Al Roker said it would rain and it didn't. I want to discuss the physics and logic behind his forecast and why it didn't verify.
I also don't like getting into conversations that I know won't get very far. If it's a subject I'm not familiar with or a subject I know you're not interested in discussing, I avoid the small talk. Otherwise, the whole situation just ends up becoming awkward.
I also want to avoid discussing things you may use against me when making a decision on who to hire. Just stick to the facts.
I saw a show where a guy was actually hired only because of the small talk. He made the interviewer laugh and never discussed his past experiences or skills and was offered the job.
I know a couple of people who are really good at this. They never hold a job for too long, but are really good at talking their way into a job, especially with their opposite sex.
I also want to avoid discussing things you may use against me when making a decision on who to hire. Just stick to the facts.
Perhaps every interview should start with a Miranda-like warning: "Everything you say can and will be used against you."
I understand your concern, as you're right that how you handle any question - even the small talk - is going to form the basis for the interviewer's assessment of you. I don't, however, agree that HR/interviewers are routinely using small talk and introductory questions to present "gotchas" so they can avoid hiring certain people.
I like to make small talk with the manager since it helps 'break the ice' sometimes.
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