Interview techniques

Madam Butterfly · (#1 (**permalink**))

In my experience, when ever I have been interviewed by three people, there always seems to be a "good cop, bad cop" scenerio going on, whereby two of them will be polite and friendly and make eye contact and one will just be dour and rude, not smiling or making any attempt at eye contact. Has anyone else experinced this? To anyone who has ever sat on an interview panel, is this a common technique? if so, why?

I think it's because they want to know what kind of a communicator you'd be. Obviously if you ignor the rude one, its points off for you. If you still make an effort to include them then tick, tick, tick...

In one instance i was interviewed for a job in a C of E school and the "bad cop" on the panel was the priest!! in dog collar and everything!

Personally i think it creates a bad impression. Why go out of your way to make someone who is already nervous feel ill at ease? And then you worry that if you get the job they will be your boss or your colleague. So you already have a negative impression of at least one person before you even start.

Can anyone relate to this or shed some light?

blackbutterfly182 · (#2 (**permalink**))

That is soo weird I have experienced the same thing I had an interview at Abbey road studios,EMI. It was two men and a female, one man was soo arsey it was untrue proper screw face, sharp cutting remarks. When the woman asked me about my degree and why I picked it, I was explaining then he cut in and went "so what exactly did that entail" really cutting. needless to say I did not get the job they said I was really sweet but too nervous can you ****ing blame me!! I hate interviews man I had another one at MTV and thought okay im going to smack this one was proper over the top expanding my answers really confident, it was two women. In the end I didnt get it! they said I was good but theyt thought I didnt have enough experience! you just cant win sometimes. I had another interview on friday just gone for the nhs, with two women was nervous but I think my answers were good am waiting to hear back, fingers crossed aay!

Madam Butterfly · (#3 (**permalink**))

well good luck fellow butterflyi am waiting to hear from three...

Fizzy B · (#4 (**permalink**))

I often think bad copsmoking-devil is just evil and nastiness itself because he or she has the job already marked for a collegue friend or family member and just wants to put you off. Most jobs seem to go internally now days. What I hate most about interviews is how my voice changes I seem to develop a high pitched tone basically because I'm terirfiedblkhide. In real life not a lot scares me so I feel the interview as a means off assessment is not good.

Madam Butterfly · (#5 (**permalink**))

Fizzy B wrote:

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I often think bad copsmoking-devil is just evil and nastiness itself because he or she has the job already marked for a collegue friend or family member and just wants to put you off.

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this might be true of one or two instances, but i doubt that can be the case for EVERY interview you go on. Though i do sometimes feel that they have already interviewed the person they want to give it to and the rest is, as they say "a formality". I also feel that sometimes they already have a "profile" of the type of person they want to give the job to, and i am not talking about the specific requirments forthe job. It is a given that they will interview people who meet those.

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I feel the interview as a means off assessment is not good.

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I compleltly agree. Just because someone is not excellent in the highly pressured 15-30 minute interview where they are often being judged by more than one person, does not mean they cannot do the job. On the other hand, my sister hates any job where she has to take a test. Its not because she is a dimwit (she has a degree in criminal justice) it is simply that she cannot perform under those conditions, whereas i prefer tests because i ace them.

YankeeJamaRican · (#6 (**permalink**))

I don't think it's a conscious effort for any panel member to play good cop bad cop... It's been twice now that I have interviewed with a panel and later found out that my fiercest advocates were the ones who looked "dour" during the interview.

I suppose for some, they want to appear serious and to be listening intently... (I KNOW I look mean when I am concentrating.) It's probably subconscious clues that dictate a non-smiling face (power and seriousness says the face). But that's not discounting the fact that some people are hardfaced no matter what...othersare naturally more reassuring (that may be the HR person on the panel)

Face it, interviewing is nerve-wracking at best. If someone was grinning broadly at me, I couldn't help but think "hey, this one thinks I'm a joker..."