Throughout the day I thought over what had happened that morning. By the end of the day I had convinced myself that the executive recruiter was retained by my current company and, among other things, was obligated to persuade all people considering leaving not to do so. The following morning I phoned him and confronted him with my theory. He assured me that he was not retained by my current company and, in fact, knew no one there: he had taken his perverse tack at our interview to see what I was like when I was angry. He said that as an interview technique he always adopted a belligerent stance and frequently argued with job-seekers about why they wanted to leave their current firms. Then I realized what had taken place. I had allowed myself to get suckered into an interviewer's trap.
In subsequent years I thought a lot about this disastrous interview. I concluded that had I realized what the interviewer was trying to do, I not only could have avoided the confrontation, but actually could have turned that interview into a positive personal sale.
Here are some tough interview situations that might well face you in your job search, and some suggestions on handling them.
PROBLEM
Your interviewer won't open his mouth. He simply won't keep up a conversation. You've tried every possible way to get him to talk about the type of job that needs to be done and the kind of person he's looking for to fill the position that is open. Nothing seems to work. The silence is deafening.
ANALYSIS/ACTION
If you run into a situation like this, it's for one of two reasons. First, your interviewer wants to keep you dangling. He has no intention of making your meeting easier by letting you in on his needs. He wants to see how you do on your own without guidance. He is giving you sufficient rope to hang yourself. It's a not uncommon interview technique. Second, and a more probable reason for the silence, is that your interviewer is simply not equipped personally to handle meetings with candidates. While he could be a great conversationalist when he knows you well, he simply lacks a talent for talking with strangers. He's just not comfortable in the situation. Whatever the reason for the silence, it's in your best interest not to let it go on for too long. Both you and your interviewer are bound to feel self-conscious about it. Chances are your prospective boss will find an excuse to end your interview earlier than anticipated, rather than sit there and squirm.
Your best course of action under the circumstances is to keep talking. But don't make the mistake of talking about your background. Your life story may be the first thing that comes to mind, but it's probably not the topic that will do you the most good. Instead, talk about the needs and challenges you feel your prospective boss has, and as you discuss each, try to relate your experience to them. But how on earth would you know these needs if your prospective boss won't open his mouth? Here's where your advanced preparation comes in handy! Refer back to the newspaper ads, or the needs that the executive recruiter outlined for you. Refer back to the annual report, or other articles you may have read about the company. There's nothing wrong with saying: "Mr. Jones, that Business Week article on the dramatic change in the competitive situation in your business fascinated me. At our own company we faced a very similar situation. The problem was ..." etc. The important thing is that you keep the interview going and keep your interviewer interested. Talking about his problems and those specific worth points that suggest you could help him solve these problems does both these things. If the interviewer left the talking to you to see if you would "hang yourself," he is likely to be very impressed with your ability to talk about your experience as it concerns his business. If, on the other hand, the silence you experience reflects a lack of interview skills on the part of your prospective boss, he will genuinely appreciate your carrying the ball for him, and making your interview more valuable to him-as well as a more pleasant experience for both of you.
PROBLEM
Your prospective boss won't stop talking. Once you invite him to tell you more about his company, the job, and the kind of person he is looking for, he literally takes over. He carries on at length about the problems and challenges facing his company. The more he keeps talking, the more anxious you become that you'll never have an opportunity to sell yourself during the thirty or sixty minutes allotted to you. You are afraid that your interview will close without your prospective boss having discovered you are the best candidate for the position he is seeking to fill.
ANALYSIS/ACTION
If, after uncovering the three primary needs or challenges facing your prospective boss, you have made several attempts to take over and he has shown no interest in discussing your background, there's still a way you can demonstrate your interest in the job and your ability to handle it. And that's to interject thoughtful questions as your prospective boss goes on with his monologue- thoughtful questions that focus on the challenges his organization faces or the opportunities for the future. Obviously your interview preparation can pay off well for you in this instance. Good, solid questions prove your understanding of the interviewer's problems. Meaty, specific questions suggest you know the subject, that you have faced similar situations to those your prospective employer now faces. Good questions are not a one-for-one substitute for good worthpoints, however. So you should still try, from time to time, to inject them, if at all possible, into the conversation. And, consider asking your prospective boss this question: "How do you see my skills and experience as best fitting in with your organization?" He may well end up talking himself into hiring you!
PROBLEM
The person who interviews you seems to have taken a personal dislike to you. Nothing you say pleases him. He asks you where you went to school. When you tell him, he makes a snide remark about your alma mater. He asks your experience with a particular kind of machine. When you tell him, he lets you know that several other candidates have more experience than you. You get no positive vibrations from this person. You feel miserable. You are certain you failed with him.
ANALYSIS/ACTION
No matter how much your interviewer taunts you, keep your cool. Chances are he wants you to lose it. He wants to see how you are in a stress situation. This kind of interview is not common today. Nonetheless, some interviewers still enjoy seeing people squirm. It's up to you. You can be the one person who doesn't squirm, if you try.
How do you go about this? Simple: every time he knocks your contributions or responds negatively to your answers, agree with him. At the same time, suggest that you have made other contributions you would like to tell him about. For example, when he told you your experience on a particular machine weren't as good as that of other candidates he's interviewed, you might have said, "You're probably right. But the sixty-four thousand dollar question is: Will I make contributions for your company? Now when I was working on the machine, we faced a real rough problem. What I suggested was . . . And the problem was solved." In a nutshell, your strategy is to keep him on your track, the worth point track. Don't let him drag you onto his. No matter how hard he puts the screws to you, don't argue with him. Agree with him. Perhaps he's right. Then direct him back to what you've done to help the companies you've worked for. It may not be easy. But two things are certain. First, you won't get anywhere arguing with this sort of individual. No candidate ever won an argument before he was hired. Who needs that kind of person on the payroll? Second, if you can hold out in spite of the structured stress, your prospective boss will at least think of you as the one applicant who remained calm and level-headed while pressures were exerted on him. And that's not a bad way to be remembered.
At this point I'm frequently asked: "Why not argue with this inter-viewer? You wouldn't want to work him anyhow. What difference does it make if you give it back to him as hard as he gives it to you?"
The answer is this: One interviewer does not a company make. It may well be that this style of interview is the particular favorite of someone you must meet during the interviewing process, someone with whom you'd work very infrequently. Unless structured stress is the operational device of the person whom you would work for directly, it would be unfair to assume that you wouldn't enjoy working for this company. However, you might well want to check with friends or associates who could give you a better insight into the working life at this organization.
