Conduct at interview

[Pleasemrstweedie]

I've listed before about my awful line manager. Thankfully, she's gone now, but not until she'd driven me to the brink of a breakdown and then refused me a referral to OH, saying it wasn't necessary!

We interviewed for her successor last week. I gave the candidates a tour of our unit, set up the tasks they completed and was asked for feedback afterwards by our unit head.

I was non-committal about one of the candidates. I didn't feel I could be critical, even though she was scruffy and clearly not very clean. However, she's got the job.

I wish I'd said now that she was trying to pump me for information about the other candidates; how many there were, whether they were from within the company or from outside. I didn't answer those questions, but I felt uncomfortable and uneasy about being asked.

Is this acceptable behaviour from an interviewee and should I mention it now?

Thanks

Too late now.
If you do give negative feedback and you are working for her it's going to be very awkward if she finds out.
Sounds like you are still pretty angry at your old manager which is understandable but don't take it out on your new manager

Candidates sometimes ask me 'so have you had a long day?' , 'got many more to see?' and I know they're trying to gauge how many others we're seeing.

I wouldn't do it personally but I think they're just naturally trying to gauge their chances - I don't think it's inappropriate.

Her questions re other candidates and whether external or internal are entirely normal and what I would expect from an interested candidate.

I assume her scruffiness is not an issue or the other interviewers would have raised it.

Thanks. It's obviously not an issue then. I just didn't know.