Lab partners
Quick question: As a candidate, when you're going in for a first interview with a prospective employer, what actions, behaviours or questions can really put you off? Or rather (in a more positive, sunny, kind of way) what makes you feel good about an interview? People have such varied reactions to first interviews - it would be interesting to find out if it's something more than just simple chemistry.
Always a sucker for punishment, I think a good first interview is difficult. I like to know that they know as much about me as possible and are absolutely sure I can do the role before progressing.
A bad first interview, in my opinion, isn't rigorous enough and I leave feeling that they don't really know what they want.
I'm also a big fan of skills testing, having experienced hires who haven't been skills tested - it's the ultimate 'prove yourself' moment.
However, I think there is always a little chemistry involved...
p.s. Charlotte - loving the chemistry set - I've not seen one of those diagrams since I was 18!
Posted by: Fiona Gibson | August 30, 2007 at 09:23 AM
Yes it's good isn't it. Although one should really use a ruler to draw such things. Consistency, that's what it's all about!
Posted by: Charlotte | August 31, 2007 at 06:13 PM
It's always disconcerting when faced by an interviewer who runs through a pre-set, generic list of questions, without once...
- deviating from them
- showing they have referred to your application form
- or, once you've given an answer, digging a bit deeper by asking a few supplementary questions.
I have run a lot of interviews and assessment centres in the past and there's no doubt that as interviewer you need to have a good idea of what questions you want to ask and what areas you want to explore.
But you can show a lot of respect and empathy for a candidate by relating at least some of those questions back to what they have included in their application forms and CVs. And also, of course, by being prepared to ask supplementary questions based on the answers they give in the interview and thereby starting a genuine dialogue.
Posted by: Bob Hammond | September 03, 2007 at 05:41 PM