3rd interview was very strange. What do you make of this?

[KathleenGi]

3rd interview was very strange. What do you make of this?

Hi there,

I had my 1st interview with this global company last week and the hiring manager immediately invited me to a 2nd round. I completed a task and delivered a long presentation to the hiring manager and another department head yesterday. They were both very impressed and said that they'd talk to their boss. He was already in the 2nd interview's Outlook invite but didn't turn up by the way.

Today an HR lady contacted me to schedule a 20 min informal chat with the Director, apologizing for the short notice. I made myself available immediately and we arranged the call shortly.

What was meant to be an informal chat turned into what felt like an interrogation. He kept asking very basic questions I've already covered in-depth previously. He also sounded bit negative in his questions such as 'why would you leave your current job after such short time?'. I've been at my job for 4 years for info and switching jobs regularly for experience is a norm in my industry.

The worst of all was when I was giving him my responses, he was watching me like one the Easter Island statues...

I'm quite put off by this as it felt like a stress test. What do you make of this? Is this a common approach?

Would he be your boss? How much would you have to do with him? If it’s a lot, then I’d be wary. Trust your gut instinct.

I once got a second interview and was interviewed by someone ridiculously high up the chain for what was a relatively junior role. I reckon he was on a fishing trip as there were difficult happening at my current firm at the time (hence the job search!). I didn’t get the job ☹️

He sounds horrible either way, confrontational interviews are unhelpful and unnecessary.

How closely would you be working with him? I would find that out before accepting if they offer you the job.

He will be my grandboss. I won't report to him directly but he's a gatekeeper for my advancement within the organisation potentially. Sorry to hear you didn't get the job 😔Hope it was years ago and since you've found something much better!

Hi @Magenta82 . He wasn't agressive or rude in any way. But dude was COLD. Kept asking me questions and didn't give any sort of feedback to my answers. Not even a grunt!!

I suspect it was also arranged short notice for him and so he wasn't prepared or happy!

How easy do you think he would be to work with? Would you be able to discuss him with anyone there?

@Useranon1 I do hope it will turn out to be something like that! Thank you.

@Magenta82 I couldn't read him at all. I felt like he didn't like me but it could just be how he is of course. I think I could work with him. I really hit it off with the direct manager. I wonder what she thinks about him...

He sounds like a pillock.

Not sure either way if I am right, but my instinct here is: he couldn't attend the intended session (either legitimately or because he only wanted to put time in when a shortlist had been found, rather than the long list); the panel should have consisted of 3 people, and probably should have been thought out in terms of fair recruitment practices, with a form to complete to show that had been done. The 2 who saw you, liked you, so needed to have an opinion from him too, and he comes in when it's between (say) 2 or 3 candidates, and puts 20 mins in for each rather than several hours seeing the unappointable ones. Possibly he also has the final say, although that errs towards biases, that having a panel of 3 is supposed to guard against.

So now you know he's the type of Director (?) who won't let his direct reports make final decisions on hiring themselves, and wasn't really prepared to interview nor had sought information about you from them about your previous interview answers.

So with that in mind, do you want to work for them?

It was years ago and I got a better job so all turned out well in the end. It was just so curious!

Good point!

I've never had a manager want to interview my candidates after me, a couple have asked to sit in with me but I've always taken the lead and made the decision.

@Ormally This is how I think it has panned out too. Wish he was there when I gave the presentation 😐

@theemmadilemma yes good point. Is he micromanaging? was my first thought. I understand that he will sign off on the final candidate and a quick informal chat would've actually been alright but the way he went about it felt like he didn't necessarily trust his department managers...

Agree that this is a big red flag 🚩

It's exactly what my Partners MD would do, and he's a badly prepared micro manager who makes everyone's life more difficult.

I'd side step unless you have to balls to have a very frank conversation with the hiring managers.