Tip jar

If you like CaB and wish to support it, you can use PayPal or KoFi. Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy the site - Neil.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Support CaB

Recent

Welcome to Cook'd and Bomb'd. Please login or sign up.

March 28, 2024, 05:43:50 PM

Login with username, password and session length

Have you ever had red flags from an interview?

Started by dead-ced-dead, September 13, 2021, 10:03:35 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Icehaven

I remember a friend of a friend once telling us he'd gone for an 'informal chat' type job interview in a café or something and at the end as they were going their separate ways the interviewer turned to him and said, witheringly and entirely seriously, "...and for god's sake get a better phone." I've no idea what phone he had or what the other bloke's idea of a 'better' one was (but you can imagine, this week's iPhone or gtfo) but he didn't get the job anyway. I reckon these plonkers deliberately interview in public places so they don't end up getting strangled in their offices by enraged candidates.

Cuellar

Quote from: richjj1978 on September 14, 2021, 10:49:52 PM
About 20 years ago I had a remote interview for a job as an English teacher in South Korea. Something didn't sit right so I turned it down. I got a phone call the next day from the recruiter asking what she had done wrong. From what I could make out, the company had made her hire her own replacement before she returned home to canada. She sounded as if she was panicked. I clearly dodged a bullet.

Friend of mine works as a bike courier in New York, DoorDash, or whatever, the sort of one where you deliver any old thing, and someone he worked with suggested he start delivering drugs as well, good money, he said. My friend said he'd think about it, and the guy kept phoning him pestering him with 'are you going to do it? are you? are you going to??' and one day turned up all beaten up and bruised and said 'really, mate, do it, you've got to'. My friend didn't, obviously, but it definitely seemed like a similar 'one in, one out' sort of deal.

Who knew there'd be red flags for a drug dealing job!!

Icehaven

Quote from: Cuellar on September 15, 2021, 12:46:02 PM
Friend of mine works as a bike courier in New York, DoorDash, or whatever, the sort of one where you deliver any old thing, and someone he worked with suggested he start delivering drugs as well, good money, he said. My friend said he'd think about it, and the guy kept phoning him pestering him with 'are you going to do it? are you? are you going to??' and one day turned up all beaten up and bruised and said 'really, mate, do it, you've got to'. My friend didn't, obviously, but it definitely seemed like a similar 'one in, one out' sort of deal.

Who knew there'd be red flags for a drug dealing job!!

See that's where he went wrong, should have said no thanks and fuck you very much immediately instead of keeping the guy dangling. Unless he was worried a flat no would have resulted in similar consequences.

Kankurette

I've done loads of interviews for admin jobs and that was the only time I got asked about office politics.

monkfromhavana

When I lived in Japan I went for an interview at a language school. The first red flag that instead of the usual handsome young male or beautiful lady on reception, there was balding bloke in his 40s who didn't really speak any English whatsoever. It was an evening, midweek, so peak time for students but the place was deserted. I was lead into a classroom by an amiable Australian teacher and had a fairly normal interview. I was then told that I had to fill out a survey that had been created by the school's owners / management. The Aussie was keen to stress that he had not been involved in its creation at all, and that I shouldn't worry about "any strange questions".

The survey was written in terrible English and was basically about how subservient you were willing to be. One question read  "Would you shine an apple for your boss if he asked you to". I think they were looking for me to circle "Yes", but I didn't and left. never heard anything, but the whole place gave off heavy "Front company / Money laundering" vibes.

Spoon of Ploff

Having an interviewer excuse themselves so they could go throw up in the bogs, twice, was concerning on a number of levels for me.

gilbertharding

I'm a bit worried I don't understand the concept of office politics. In a kind of 'is it me?' sense.

My wife seems to be a constant victim (probably the wrong word - but she's always encountering it) of office politics wherever she's worked. Constantly trying to work out how to navigate the particular interpersonal problems thrown up by her colleagues and superiors... whereas I never seem to encounter it.

Sure, I've worked in some awful places in my time, with some proper arseholes who I've hated. And I've found that incredibly stressful. But I've only ever taken it at face value. Mind you - I've never tried to climb the proverbial greasy pole. But then, neither has my wife...

I'm conscious of the maxim 'if everywhere you go you meet arseholes, perhaps it's you that's the problem...'. I don't think my wife's an arsehole, obviously. On the other side, what if all of *my* colleagues down the years have been infuriated by my apparent refusal to engage with their games (actually just inability to recognise what's going on)?

Quote from: JaDanketies on September 15, 2021, 11:50:45 AM
agree with this but I think it again shows why interviews are just an incredibly flawed way for anyone to figure out if the candidate is right for the role or if the role is right for the candidate. Really you should come on-site, meet a few people and sit around in the main workplace for a short period of time, maybe shadow someone. I think interviews are a whole 'nother skillset that nobody teaches you. And it's all bollocks if you consider it as anything other than "a way for a candidate to convince a company to hire them." It's not really a good way to get the best person for the role, or for a candidate to be honest about what they're looking for and how they'll act on-site.

I'm not sure how the bolded would work for multiple candidates, plus it would really impact productivity to have to babysit candidates. Plus you have to take into account not just how the candidate acts around your staff, but how your staff's personal biases play into that; Will they be dismissive with a bloke as they don't have much time to spare, yet suddenly be very open to dealing with a pretty lass?

That's the main benefit to an interview; It's controlled and it's efficient. Everything is quantifiable against an agreed standard.

QuoteThe 'I quit my job because my boss was terrible,' in a non-structured visit to the office, could be a way to discuss what the management is like in the new place so the candidate and employer can find out if they're actually likely to stick at the new job, but instead it was just a way for someone to fail their job interview because they were being asked to say something that wasn't explicitly in the question. If someone says "why are you looking for a new job," then the right answer is probably "because I don't like my old one for x and y reasons, do these apply here?" and not the lie they're looking for, "because I've always been really enthusiastic about [insert employer's product or service here]."

I can see what you're getting at, but the bolded isn't correct. The context of the question was very explicit. And the interviewer was happy to repeat it and asked for different examples.

I've had this situation arise a lot. If it's nervousness or they simply misheard, a repeat and/or rewording is usually enough to prompt a suitable answer. Or maybe even half an answer. But if you repeat or reword multiple times, often to the point of literally giving them the answer and they still don't twig what it is you're after or refuse to answer, that's a real red flag. It suggests issues with communication skills or comprehension. For the above example, if the only answer they are willing to give resulted in them quitting their job, is this indicative of how they'll treat any adversity in this role? You've asked them several times for a different example and this is all they are willing to give you. How else are you supposed to judge them?

Plus any interview worth its salt will have an opportunity for the candidate to ask questions about the role and the organisation at the end. If you come away from an interview without being given that opportunity then that really is a red flag.

Icehaven

Quote from: JaDanketies on September 15, 2021, 11:50:45 AM
agree with this but I think it again shows why interviews are just an incredibly flawed way for anyone to figure out if the candidate is right for the role or if the role is right for the candidate. Really you should come on-site, meet a few people and sit around in the main workplace for a short period of time, maybe shadow someone. I think interviews are a whole 'nother skillset that nobody teaches you. And it's all bollocks if you consider it as anything other than "a way for a candidate to convince a company to hire them." It's not really a good way to get the best person for the role, or for a candidate to be honest about what they're looking for and how they'll act on-site.


We do both at my work, we have the shortlisted candidates in for a morning and give them a tour of the whole site, then do the interviews a few days later, as being a prison it's imperative any candidates get a feel for what it's actually like in here (because consciously or not they'll already have preconceptions about prisons, particularly if they've got as far as applying to work in one) and decide for themselves if it's for them or not. We've had several who, after the site visit, have cancelled their interviews because they realised it's not for them, which is totally fair enough, that's what the visit is for and it'd be an enormous waste of everyone's time if we offered a job to someone who'd never set foot in a prison before and they lasted a month. Obviously we do it because of the environment but I think a lot more places should try it too, although it might seem labour intensive at the time if it significantly reduces staff turnover then it's better than having to recruit every 5 minutes.

Even a few call centres I worked in many years ago effectively did the same thing as part of the interview was taking a mock phone call at a workstation in the middle of the office, so you got a brief taster of the job and workplace. Still took them though didn't I, fucking idiot. 

neveragain

Here's a thing... I go to an interview for a theatre box office job. It goes surprisingly well and, at the end, they say "Very good. So! Next step is we contact you about your training day. Are you free next week?"

Now, do you think it would be reasonable to assume I have been offered a job? Because I did - and yes I should have checked on the day but I got swept up with things - and it's only three weeks later that, after prompting, the theatre gets back to me with a cut-and-paste rejection.

The Culture Bunker

On this "training day", did they actually get you do proper work, so that you basically give them a few hours free labour? Years ago, I did a nine hour shift at a hotel bar near Manchester airport (was supposed to include 'full training' but I was basically totally alone for eight hours of it, from three pm till eleven), then got told a few days after "thanks, but nah". I did complain to the job centre about it, as I'd see the ad there, for all the good that would have done.

JaDanketies

Talk to ACAS. I reckon you deserve at least the day's wages and they'll give it to you the moment they hear an expert advocate on your behalf

neveragain

They didn't invite me to the day in the end, the promised details didn't arrive.

IsavedLatin

I hear what you're saying, Huxleys, about the efficiency of the interview, but there absolutely are huge issues with normative interviewing. I was on a hiring panel a few months ago and spoke to plenty of candidates, with one who was an absolute standout; not in a cloying, practised way, like they'd been coached through interviews extensively -- because, sadly:

Quote from: JaDanketies on September 15, 2021, 11:50:45 AM
interviews are a whole 'nother skillset that nobody teaches you.

is absolutely untrue: poshos get coached through this sort of thing in secondary school, reinforcing the social capital gap. This person seemed to just come across very well, and the other members of the panel also warmed to them. They radiated the right amount of keenness, making us feel that this would be a good fit for the team, and also they gave good examples from their past experience when working through the competency questions. They got the job and a few months in, and they are just not getting it, and increasingly seem to be phoning it in (in fact as good as telling a senior-to-them member of our team recently that they wanted to work on a project with Department X because they just weren't sure their heart was in [our department] but rather in Department X).

I keep thinking back to the interviews and questioning what could have been done differently, and I just don't know what could have helped us out: this person was the 'right' candidate both from a gut instinct and a pure logic view.

Kankurette

Do schools not have those days where you get suited up and do mock interviews? Mine did. And we had manicures too. My school wasn't posh though.

Icehaven

While it's almost certainly a cynical front of social consciousness to distract from nefarious dealings, a few recent Barclays adverts have implied they're running some kind of interview coaching scheme. No idea who qualifies or how it works but they're probably not the only ones.

Kankurette

Someone mentioned star signs upthread. In an interview for an NHS job, my soon-to-be line manager asked me if I was a Capricorn. She was close, I'm a Taurus. I got the job but I doubt it was because of my star sign.

Moo.

Quote from: IsavedLatin on September 15, 2021, 10:05:43 PM
I hear what you're saying, Huxleys, about the efficiency of the interview, but there absolutely are huge issues with normative interviewing. I was on a hiring panel a few months ago and spoke to plenty of candidates, with one who was an absolute standout; not in a cloying, practised way, like they'd been coached through interviews extensively -- because, sadly:

is absolutely untrue: poshos get coached through this sort of thing in secondary school, reinforcing the social capital gap. This person seemed to just come across very well, and the other members of the panel also warmed to them. They radiated the right amount of keenness, making us feel that this would be a good fit for the team, and also they gave good examples from their past experience when working through the competency questions. They got the job and a few months in, and they are just not getting it, and increasingly seem to be phoning it in (in fact as good as telling a senior-to-them member of our team recently that they wanted to work on a project with Department X because they just weren't sure their heart was in [our department] but rather in Department X).

I keep thinking back to the interviews and questioning what could have been done differently, and I just don't know what could have helped us out: this person was the 'right' candidate both from a gut instinct and a pure logic view.

I've experienced similar. My department has become known as an incubator for another - we give people a basic grounding in our systems and processes, so they have a ton of relevant experience and much shorter training time should they take that next step - and has unfortunately attracted people who thought they could just doss about until the big opportunity came calling.

But then that's just people for you isn't it? I don't think any recruitment process, interview, practical, whatever, can insulate you from that.

Ignatius_S

Quote from: IsavedLatin on September 15, 2021, 10:05:43 PM
I hear what you're saying, Huxleys, about the efficiency of the interview, but there absolutely are huge issues with normative interviewing. I was on a hiring panel a few months ago and spoke to plenty of candidates, with one who was an absolute standout; not in a cloying, practised way, like they'd been coached through interviews extensively -- because, sadly:

I keep thinking back to the interviews and questioning what could have been done differently, and I just don't know what could have helped us out: this person was the 'right' candidate both from a gut instinct and a pure logic view.

How were the questions constructed? And there much use of probing questions during the interviews?

Zetetic

Interviews are broadly good at telling you whether someone can get themselves dressed, fed and available on time at least once in their life.

We set people basic tasks where we try to give them as much opportunity as possible that they've seen numbers before and can vaguely connect them to things in the real world in a conversation with someone else. Still tricky not to make that an experience in a context completely unlike actually doing the job.

Sebastian Cobb

Quote from: icehaven on September 16, 2021, 08:46:16 AM
While it's almost certainly a cynical front of social consciousness to distract from nefarious dealings, a few recent Barclays adverts have implied they're running some kind of interview coaching scheme. No idea who qualifies or how it works but they're probably not the only ones.

Someone I worked with left to go to Barclays, from what they were telling me most of the hiring process was done by a third party, both the vetting (which sounded quite invasive) and the interviewing. He got the job but it sounded like one of those rapid expansion things, as once he got there nobody really had much clue what to do with him and he was plonked on a desk with similar people all in the same boat doing different things for different teams.

It was one of those international jobs where most of the actual work was being done in India, but other parts of the process seemed to be allocated between Britain and America, almost entirely at random.

kngen

My partner, who at the time was a clinical social worker in Child Protective Services, went to a 'group interview' for a team leader position where the interview method seemed to be to let the gathered rabble try and shout over each other as much as possible.

My partner thought (not unreasonably, I'd say) this in itself was a test, and sat back, let the shouty people have their say then, when the hubbub died down, attempted to address the matter in hand in as clear and calm way as possible, as she'd done with her clients on so many occasions.

Ultimately she didn't get the job, because she hadn't been 'assertive' enough during the interview process, but she did glean a few things from the grapevine a few weeks down the line.

1) The shoutiest, pushiest person got the job, but they were fucking useless as they had no real experience at all.

2) The team in question was soon disbanded by the council, as there was a historical neglect case that was bubbling up, and was in danger of getting Baby P-style coverage.

and least surprisingly:

3) The council had hired a recruitment agency to do the interviews who had no experience in social work hiring practices. This was their first and last engagement by the council.

What a bunch of twats.


earl_sleek

Quote from: Zetetic on September 16, 2021, 01:13:23 PM
Interviews are broadly good at telling you whether someone can get themselves dressed, fed and available on time at least once in their life.

I've interviewed people who hadn't even managed that.