Is it bad to tell a company you are interviewing with you are interviewing elsewhere too? (applying, unemployed)

[dirtyjerz]

Of course you should tell them. What if you end up wanting the job with this company, but you are in further stages with the other?

I used to be a recruiter. My client would want to know how fast they'd need to move if they wanted you.

[Mike From NIU]

Originally Posted by MrBR

I don't need humility. I've built a strong tolerance for thriftiness. Even if I become a doctor and make 150,000 a year I'd only spend maybe 10,000 a year on necessities and save the rest. In a more practical scenario at say 50k I'd use 10,000 on myself still and save the 40k. Either way I could in theory have a ton equity in a few decades. Combined with a clean interest rate from a mutual fund and a few investment properties and I won't care about the economy because I could ride it out.

Just to be clear, you know how mutual funds make money, right? They invest in stocks and bonds of those unethical, heartless corporations that you keep railing against. Heck, many of the money managers of mutual funds have MBAs! The horror!

[Everdeen]

If you are interviewing, I think it would be a given that you are interviewing elsewhere. Maybe they may want to see how you handle a sticky situation.

No matter what, I think I would say something to the affect of, "Oddly enough, I was just contacted by a recruiter for a similar position. You are my first choice because of x, y, and z (<positives about their company), but I will follow up with the other company if this should not work out." Body language is very important in this type of situation.

[Serious Conversation]

I would never do it, not only for the obvious detriment to your job search, but because it is common courtesy.

[unknown00]

Thanks for all the responses so far, I guess it always comes down to 'it depends'

A couple random notes

• I am in software IT market
• Some people post they are rarely asked or deem it as inappropriate. I am usually asked this question, I would say at least 50%+ of the companies that I begin talking to ask it, closer to 75%
• Usually the hiring manager does NOT ask me if I'm interviewing elsewhere, it's usually the HR recruiter. The ONLY time I mention it without them bringing it up is why they ask something like 'how quickly can you start?'
• Obviously, I always try to play it off in a non-arrogant way. I always try to pump up that specific company as #1 on my list
• Sometimes I am honest. If I am interviewing with company A who I really want to work for but they are so slow and I have company B who is just an 'eeeehh ok' company but moving faster, I would reach out to A, tell them they are high on my list but just moving too slow

[SquareBetterThanAll]

Could be using it to gauge your interest. If you were already working, just interviewing for that one position may indicate you are very interested in it as opposed to just interested in leaving your current job. If you were unemployed I would think it would be a given you would be interviewing multiple places.

Either way that seems like an inappropriate question to ask someone. If you volunteered the conversation it might be different.

[MSchemist80]

Originally Posted by FBJ

I was averaging 4 interviews a month so I knew that I didn't have to deal with crazy questions during a interview because another would be coming

Agreed. How desperate you are for a job can determine how much excrement you are willing to put up with during the hiring process. If you are unemployed or depserate for a new job you may do whatever some HR bimbo tells you to do, deal with their rediculous psychobabble, assigning you essays, have sociopathic interviewers rip you apart then pat themselves on the back with the delusion they are doing the company a service, volunteer salary history, take an hour long quack psychometric exam, and anwser any out-of-bounds or obnoxious questions they ask.

If you have a decent job or are highly in demand you can walk out of an interview or withdrawl you app when you encounter off-their-leash HR dimwits, hostile interviewers, out of bounds questions, or other nonsense.

[STT Resident]

Originally Posted by FBJ

I was averaging 4 interviews a month so I knew that I didn't have to deal with crazy questions during a interview because another would be coming

But weren't you unemployed for 11 months before you were finally offered a job? When you're in demand and/or currently employed and have employers vying for your talent you can afford to be nit-picky but, when you're not, best to be careful with the attitude.

[Pughnose]

Originally Posted by unknown00

• Obviously, I always try to play it off in a non-arrogant way. I always try to pump up that specific company as #1 on my list
• Sometimes I am honest. If I am interviewing with company A who I really want to work for but they are so slow and I have company B who is just an 'eeeehh ok' company but moving faster, I would reach out to A, tell them they are high on my list but just moving too slow

Speaking as a sometime applicant and occasional interviewer, but never a hiring manager, I think what you said here is good. I wouldn't give them specifics on who and where and when (unless, as you say, they're taking too long and you need to make a decision elsewhere.)

To my mind, it's an opportunity for you to explain what about the company makes it a good choice for you and you a good fit for it -- and possibly to give them a heads-up on what it would take to hire you. "Several companies are considering my application for a similar position, but I really hope this one works out because A, B, C. Frankly, the most attractive thing about some of the other positions is <the higher salary range or the ability to telecommute or benefit X or whatever, preferably something that this company could offer you too.>

And I do think it's reasonable for a company to want to know if you're close to accepting a job elsewhere. Doesn't mean you have to tell them, of course.

[berlinlake]

I've been on both sides of that table. When I was being interviewed I would limit how much I disclosed because I didn't want to seem like I wasn't interested in them. When I was the person doing the interviewing I would ask because I wanted to get a feel for how interested the candidate was in our opening and if we liked the individual, how fast did we need to make a decision on them. It can be very difficult sometimes to find a candidate you really like for a job and it's frustrating to lose a good one because they got another offer while you were still comparing candidates.