Not every interview goes as expected, especially when you have high expectations based on the education, experiences and skills highlighted on a resume, says Bob LaBombard, former CEO of Avenica, and a leader in helping client companies develop comprehensive strategies to fill both short- and long-term staffing requirements.
“While first impressions do mean a lot, be sure not end the interview too quickly if it has gotten off to a rough or awkward start,” says LaBombard.
Be patient, no matter how odd or awkward things are going, for these reasons:
The candidate may be nervous
“In 35 years of interviewing and hiring, I’ve rejected candidates I ultimately wished I had hired and vice versa,” says LaBombard. “One of the thing I have learned is that it takes some candidates a little time to get into the flow of an interview.”
If you sense this, try making them feel at ease by describing your company or more about the position. Encourage some initial questions. Get the conversation flowing. Then pivot to ask questions about the candidate’s skills and experience.
The candidate may not have interviewed in years
If the candidate has been with the same employer for five or ten years or more, especially if they work in a role with a lot of independence, the first interviews are often awkward. “Once the candidate is at ease, the interview should proceed more smoothly,” says LaBombard.
Brandi Britton, District President for OfficeTeam, the nation’s leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled administrative and office support professionals, agrees. Britton oversees operations for the company’s offices throughout Los Angeles and Ventura County
“Candidates are often nervous in interviews, so they might not express themselves clearly, and some of their responses might even seem odd,” says Britton. “Try to put them at ease with easier questions, or take some time to share more details about the role and the company to help them relax a little.”
How to end a bad interview
How soon can you end an interview if it’s going bad? Consider these scenarios, says Arlene Vernon, an HR consultant who with works with business owners and managers in a variety of consulting and training roles:
Entry-level role: It if it’s for an entry level position, you may end the interview at 20-30 minutes, says Vernon. For a management or executive position, you may need to provide the candidate 30 minutes or more of interview time.
“At this point, you’re interviewing out of respect for the individual and how the company looks if interviews are so short they’re disrespectful,” says Vernon.
When the candidate is not a fit: If you can see the candidate isn’t a fit because the answers provided don’t match the job skills or knowledge required of the position, the interviewer can inform the person after a respectful amount of time that based on the interview at this point I don’t believe you have the qualifications we’re looking for. Then end the interview, thank them for their time and politely escort the person out.
When you are in an uncomfortable situation: If the answers aren’t just bad but there’s something about the person that makes you uncomfortable, excuse yourself and inform a trusted coworker that you’re going to be excusing someone from an interview and you may need some back-up support. When you return to your office, you may leave your office door open so that when you end the interview your coworker is standing by just in case the interviewee becomes upset.
“Not every candidate will rise to the level presented by their resume,” says LaBombard. “However, be sure to give each candidate enough time to feel comfortable so that you see their best.”
So keep your cool, no matter how odd, weird, or frustrating the interview gets.
