All interviews are built equally…. right?

[OPTIONAL PRE-STORY]

I was hired into my current position in July of 2021. First, I completed a standard application, cover letter, and resume. There were no personality tests or writing prompts (thank goodness). Then about a month after submitting my application I was invited via email to answer some virtual questions via an online platform. These were more structured behavioral interview questions ie: tell me about a time you experienced BLANK and how did you handle it. Luckily by now I was quite versed in Zoom and this wasn’t a difficult task. What was difficult was lack of any interaction or feedback. You are alone simply answering questions. Following this I had no idea about the hiring timeline, candidate pool size, and had lots of questions regarding the position and company. About a month goes by and I get a phone call from an HR member inviting me to a Zoom panel interview. I was shocked because an entire month had gone by and I had heard nothing from them. While on the phone with the HR team member, I asked her to please send me a copy of the position description again as it had been quite some time since my original application. She sent me a simple email with time and Zoom link and the attached PD, that was all. Upon my arrival to the Zoom interview, there sat a full window of 11 interviewers on the panel. They opened up with, “We have 10 questions to get through and only 30 minutes for this interview, we have another one scheduled right after this so we have to get going.” If that doesn’t make you stressed I don’t know what will! To make matters worse, they proceeded to let all of the panelists introduce themselves, many of which being very long winded and cutting into our 30 minute time limit. The questions were very structured behavioral and situational scenarios. I answered them to the best of my ability, to look back at a screen of blank faces. We managed to get through all of the questions, but I was only left with about two minutes to ask my questions. Of course, I wanted to know the hiring timeline, what a typical day looked like in that role, and other logistical items. They provided vague answers that left me more confused than before. This interview style continued two additional times with new interview panelists. Finally in my last interview they provided me with a test scenario and federal regulations that I had to read and review to provide what I would do in the position. This exercise was a very practical way for me to see if this role was something I truly would enjoy and for them to evaluate my ability. Only issue being, they sent me pages of documents only 15 minutes before the interview in which I had to have my response crafted and ready. 

[PROMPT ANSWER]

Looking back now, and with what we have learned about recruitment and interview strategies, I have some suggestions for my employer. 

First, be clear and transparent about the hiring timeline from the beginning. Many ads on Indeed and other hiring sites will include phrases like, “looking to fill position by X date.” The interview process is already stressful enough on candidates and having a timeline can help them to know what to expect and when. 

Second, limit large panels. Having more than five new people to focus on and engage with during an interview is almost impossible. 

Third, allow enough time for the interviewer to answer the questions thoughtfully and don’t book your next interview too close. At the end of my second interview I was full of questions but due to too many questions and too little time, they weren’t answered. Also, hearing about the next interview being directly after mine was disheartening. 

Fourth, avoid the overuse of generic structured interview questions. As the lectures mentioned, these types of questions are a good way to gauge one candidate to another and to learn about how they have/or will respond to a situation but also don’t tell you much about the individual. As the Google article states, when looking for new hires they should be looking for people who possess leadership, humility, collaboration, adaptability, and love to learn and re-learn. As someone who has conducted many interviews, I find it hard to see these types of qualities by using the more structured behavioral and situational questions. I think a blend of some structured questions and time to be more unstructured allows you to learn about who that individual is. 

My last suggestion, if you are going to use a testing method, allow enough time. I was rushed to read pages and pages of federal regulations and a test prompt. This was a very realistic test of the current position but the timeline wasn’t. If they had sent me the prompt the evening before I could have produced a more thoughtful answer that would have reflected truer to me. In previous positions I have had to produce an article in response to a prompt right on the spot. While it may have been an indicator of how I produce under pressure, I normally spend a lot of time reviewing my work and making edits. The work I produced within a tight timeframe does not truly reflect the type of work I produce on a day to day basis and thus doesn’t show the interviewer a good representation of me.