10 Interview Styles That Make My Blood Run Cold

One additional type to avoid is perhaps an extension of #1 – the ‘doesn’t listen’ type. As you answer questions, show you’ve listened to the interviewer up till now, and in your next answer, try to anchor it somehow to part the prior conversation.
Don’t overdo it though (you’ll quickly look like you’re trying too hard). Being successful at this shows you understand the context for the questions, and that you can weave together an argument over the course of the interview. It also reinforces your prior answers and makes them more memorable.
Similarly, instead of asking the ‘canned’ questions (#9), formulate some questions on the fly that relate to the conversation you’ve had, and ask them instead. Maybe have some general topics in mind for questions, and fine-tune the detail of the questions to reflect the content you’ve been discussing.

I have interviewed a hybred blend of #4 and #10…The Religious Zealot!

“I want to work here because I believe the Lord meant me to……bla, bla”

Tim, Very informative – thanks ! Can you perhaps cover how to handle interviewers’ styles and how to deal with them ? I was on an interview where the interviewer did most of the talking (was VERY hard to get a word in) and with less than 5 minutes left in the pre-determined time slot, asked me if I had any questions.

You’ve brought up some critical points, Tim.

I like what you’ve said about being careful with cracking jokes.

One of the keys is to try to quickly establish rapport with your interviewer. Mention something of interest on their desk or an award on the wall, or something you learned about them in your research. But make sure your interest is genuine or your interviewer will see right through it.

Another way to make a connection and be memorable is to mention the interviewer’s name a few times in conversation.

Although some people may rank job interviewing right up there with their worst fears, it’s important to try your best to show a calm, composed demeanor, even though you may be jittery inside.

One style you didn’t mention is “Late”. Arriving late for an interview can kill your chances before you even open your mouth. Get there 10-15 minutes early. It may be a good idea to actually drive to the office a day or two in advance to know just where it is and how long it will take you to get there.

Interesting article Tim, I’ve done a fair bit of interviewing in my time and would say #8 the motor mouth is by far the worst style! Answer the questions, be concise abd to the point. Then shut up and wait for the hiring manager to ask the next.

A great article, Tim, and additions. Let’s face it interviews are ‘false’ scenarios. But they offer the following opportunities for candidates: 1) Demonstrate professionalism 2) Preparedness 3) Personal style 4) Cultural fit 5)Ability to communicate- including – Listening 6) Capacity to handle stress or ocnfict– and more. One opportunity I ask people to consider- is beyond the above- the situation is not ‘real life ‘ on the job. If someone is competent, has done their homework, it behooves them to find some way to offer a window of who they will be once on the job by behaving in the same professional style they will once hired (not too relaxed- but a balance). Getting rid of the ‘false scenario’ mindset CAN help people settle in and demonstrate strengths through conversation vs. Q & A mode.

Tim-

This is a great post. Wow, I have seen all those type of people (even more scary is I think I have been some of those people.

I heard a story yesterday from a guy who works at NASA. He thought he had ruined his interview when he could not answer a basic physics question (he knew the answer but could not remember on the spot). His answer was “I cannot remember the answer”. Convinced he would not be hired, they offered him a job. Later he asked his new boss about the flub. He was told that while knowing the answer is important, being honest and up front when you do not is more important. He said the lesson is when interviewing just be yourself no matter what. Try to fake it and you lose.

thom singer

Tim this one is good, cause for some “self reflection” as many of us see ourselves at times as “candidates” 1-10. I’ve been “too funny” and “rambled” a bit, but somehow got the job in that instance. I think it is important to “read” your audience and use the interview to show that you can assimilate, be quick on your feet, quickly change direction, and most importantly, be honest and humble if the situation requires that.

Meg brings up some excellent points about building rapport and mentioning something about an office decoration or award is an easy way to accomplish this. Good point also about arriving late for an interview. When I was on the other side of the table, someone late for an interview was instantly branded as regularly late to work…never be that guy!

1) I’ve too often run up against a type I’ll call THE DECEIVER—the person who doesn’t tell the truth but answers the questions the way he/she thinks they need to be answered in order to get the job. This includes everything from partial truths and complete fabrications about skills, to appropriating team achievements (or someone else’s achievements entirely) as his/her own. These types of candidates can prevaricate and sell themselves so well, that it’s hard to catch them in their deceptions. (I’ve often said, they’re so persuasive that should be in sales instead of the job I’m trying to hire them to do—with no disrespect to sales execs.)

Sometimes people are deliberately deceptive, sometimes they’ve repeated the story so often that they believe what they’re telling you. Because of the difficulty of getting a detailed, truthful reference (due to legal and other factors), you often can’t uncover the deception in a reference check.

2) Another type that earns my enmity is the PHONY FAN. These candidates present themselves as uber-enthusiastic for the job. Then, when you call them to arrange follow-up interviews, you get an email back: “I’m not interested; I’m pursuing other opportunities.”

@Karen – Nice points. I’ve had feedback in the past that I have been *too* humble and have presented my own achievements as ‘team’ achievements, the ‘we did this’, ‘we did that’ type. So I’m learning to balance describing the team impact with the personal impact. Truthfully, of course.

After reading this article, (1) I am curious as to how you think the ideal should act; and (2), do you believe that companies are interested in just one mainstream personality type that is neutral across the behavioral, emotional, communicative range?

Has HR training resolved their profession into some sort of subjective set of “don’t be too much of this”, or “too much of that”? We’re talking people here. People with wide ranges of talents, styles, intelligence, and abilities. Because a great project manager also is an expressive personality type, interviewers (as you are taking that position in this article) actually judge the candidate today on their personality as compared to their objective ability to do the job?

I’m just curious. And the reason I ask is because I spent a number of years in corporate sales, working my way over my lifetime through sales management to executive sales management, and on to business ownership. We created start-ups that we grew into very successful operations. At one point when I was in senior sales management, I couldn’t figure out why I was getting such terrible sales hires; yet, at the same time I was seeing what I considered very candidates not make it through the initial interviews. So, I sat down with the head of HR and inquired. I asked him to have his interviewers join us and bring in the resumes of twenty of those they hired and twenty they rejected. We reviewed them; and, I asked them what the criteria for the interviews was. Similar to what you are saying here, it appeared to boil down to ‘whether they liked the person’. I then understood that what I considered to be the primary reasons for hiring a sales person weren’t even considered in the initial process.

I then had them call back in five of those they had rejected as cocky, arrogant, (one was even rejected because she ‘dressed too well’), and one that was considered too quiet. I interviewed those five and hired four. It was clear to me after those interviews that we were very wrong in having HR people interview for sales positions. The HR people had never been sales people, didn’t understand the profession beyond a half-page description, and were passing by some excellent candidates.

Interesting enough, of the candidates they sent us through their own selective process, none had ranked higher than the 70% in performance metrics, customer reviews, or customer retention. Yet, the four that I hired ALL were in the top 10%, came to work each day and produced, and came up with the ideas of how to create new markets.

I can only surmise, after years of building business, training sales people, and working outside the box because it is where growth comes from, that it was the HR definitions that were actually standing in the way of the business more than hiring people that HR people had made decisions about.

Comments welcome.

@Meg had a great point about being late and planning ahead–but sometimes life happens.  I had left 30 min early to get to a  job interview that I knew exactly where it was.  About 6 blocks from the location a FUNERAL PROCESSION stopped all traffic and I was in a panic as I watched the clock tick. Finally about 8-10 min from the interview time I called the office and told them where I was and what the delay was.  The secty NEVER passed on the msg to the interviewer.  I apologized and mentioned the msg when I walked in about 5 min late.  He interviewed me and then about 20 min into the interview he completely BLEW UP and started yelling about how he never hired anybody that showed up late, etc . Scared me to death.  I left very soon after and found out last week he had laid off EVERYONE in the dept I was applying for.