How Do You Handle A Bad Interviewer?
Have you ever had an experience with a bad interviewer? Whether it be "the no-questions interviewer", "the unprepared interviewer", "the distracted interviewer", "the law-adverse interviewer", or even "the hostile interviewer". How did you get your meeting back on track? What was your experience?
I have had all these at some point, but you react differently depending on the situation. If a person is unprepared or not asking questions I take control of the interview. I ask questions, I basically interview the interviewer. If a person is distracted, I ask if I should come back at another time, as they appear distracted. The person normally apologizes, and focuses. If a person is hostile, I ask them if I have done something to upset them, as they appear upset. At that point they will usually be straight up with you. I normally use humor to break the ice, so I find out quickly what the mood of the interviewer is. You have to confront the situation as best you can, or it is a waste of time for everybody involved. Good Luck...
I feel like this is one of those questions that people like but don't want to answer because of the amount of writing they would have to invest to answer it. :)
With that said, I have encountered all of these interviewer types. Unfortunately, a disinterested interviewer can't really bu turned around. At that point they are simply going through the motions. They are either interviewing out of obligation even though the position has been earmarked for someone else, or they have already determined that you are not going to be hired and are simply trying to move through the interview as fast as possible.
Hostile interviewers are a different breed altogether. If the interviewer will be the manager to whom you ultimately report, its a good sign that you are getting glimpse of the type of attitude you will be encountering day-in and day-out.
Unprepared interviewers can be turned around if you provide them with a copy of your resume and steer them through your work history. Once you start going down that path they can find their way back on track.
I know, ultimately, everyone wants to land a job, but if an interview is going south, or you sense that it is not a good fit, you as the applicant can call it off. I have stopped an interview in mid-answer when it became obvious that I was not a god fit for the role. I simply said "You know what, I'm sorry. I think we both know this isn't a good fit so I am going to gracefully bail out. I know your time is valuable and I thank you for meeting with me." A quick handshake, a few pleasantries, and I was out of there.
Ha.....yes many times Connor. I am a construction manager, Project Manager type, and once I went for interview and sit in front of this guy, and he droned on and on about the company, about his fishing and hunting excapades, his kids, his wife, and his company and how he got started, all his entire life story, then he said......(this is no joke)....."when can you start?" "You sound like you know your stuff." I had sat there for 1 solid hour and never said one word. Bad interviewer....wow...many of them. They do not know even the right questions to ask. It is so appauling really............!!!