Phonecalls when im in interview vent

KierNet

Pollycat wrote: »

Why does someone ringing up get priority over a customer actually on the premises? :mad:

Because you'll wait, if you don't like it, go somewhere else?

pimento

V1PER wrote: »

They're giving you the interview, you have no right to criticise.

You also have the right not to work for them.

Crazy_Jamie

pimento wrote: »

You also have the right not to work for them.

Are you suggesting that exercising such a right is in any way practical? The mere notion of choosing not to work for a company because someone took a phone call in your interview is absolutely ludicrous. Yes, it is rude. Yes, in an ideal world it wouldn't happen. But we don't live in an ideal world. We live in a world with an economic climate such that job interviews are at something of a premium for a lot of people. As such in the grand scheme of things the fact that a person has an interview is significantly more important than whether or not the interviewer took a phone call in the interview. If it bothers you that much, no doubt there is a long line of people willing to take your place in that interview.

Sally_A wrote:

If you don't get the job, I'd give feedback to the company saying how disappiointed you were with the interviewers lack of commitment to the job in hand.

I can only imagine such a comment coming across as bitter. After all, you wouldn't make such a comment if you were offered the job. If whether or not you complain is essentially results based, I would perhaps suggest that the issue itself is not as important as you want to believe.

Pollycat

KierNet wrote: »

Because you'll wait, if you don't like it, go somewhere else?

So why can't the person on the end of the phone wait?
If they don't like it, why can't they go somewhere else?

fluffnutter

It's rude and unprofessional to answer the phone whilst you're interviewing someone. It's rude to do so in meetings too. It happens all the time though; there's just something about the human psyche that can't easily leave a ringing phone.

Problem is, in an interview, you're very much at a disadvantage; it's not a meeting of equals and it's difficult to complain. It would be a very brave interviewee who spoke out. However you could try 'I'm really sorry but I'm finding the phone calls a little distracting. I really want to be able to give you my best responses but I'm finding it difficult to concentrate' or something similar. Basically, make them realise that, by continually interrupting you, they're not actually giving you a fair interview.

If they don't accept this... do you really want to work there? I wouldn't.

WestonDave

To be fair I'm not so good at remembering to block calls before starting, but if the phone goes, I just say that I can't take the call right now and will call them back (or if its reception tell them to put it on voicemail) and then block the calls. At which point I apologise to whoever is in for forgetting to do that before we started.

pimento

V1PER wrote: »

That's correct. Stay unemployed or in a lesser job and get on your high horse.

Makes complete sense.

The applicant my not be unemployed.

This kind of behaviour by a potential future boss doesn't really auger well for any possible employment with them, does it? If they can be this dismissive of you at an initial interview, what disregard will they hold you in should you decide to take the position?

I'd be walking out of the interview very quickly.

Pollycat

V1PER wrote: »

The applicant may indeed not be unemployed, which is why I stated they may have a lesser job. You aren't going to find yourself in a job interview because you're current job is wonderful and you want to find something worse...

You have no way of knowing what level of job the OP applied for.
He may have been interviewed for a high level management post in a multi-national company.

V1PER wrote: »

If this is something that bothers you about an employer, you would be a !!!! employee and are probably best left on the dole. It's a phone call that's probably more important than you are, who cares, let them get on with it.

Again, who says the OP is 'on the dole'?
Saying he would be a !!!! employee just because he expects basic courtesy is nonsense.

V1PER wrote: »

At a job interview, the person doing the interview does not owe you anything. You are the one who should be grateful for the chance of an interview, if they want to answer a phone call, damn well let them.

I think the person doing the interview owes the interviewee basic courtesy - and answering the phone during an interview shows rudeness and unprofessionalism.

Of course, it depends what sort of companies you've worked for and if you're basing your comments on your own experience, it sounds like you've not worked in an environment that values its employees (both prospective and current).

Pollycat

V1PER wrote: »

Frankly, I'd suggest if you were a decent interview candidate the interviewer would cancel the call anyway to continue speaking with you. It's clear all those whining have failed a lot of interviews!

Frankly, I'd suggest if the interviewer was a decent employer (or representative of the potential employer), he'd put his phone on voicemail for the duration of the interview.

Eton_Rifle

I'd get my notepad out, record details and check my lists of questions and the points I wanted to highlight.

This pause in the proceedings will give you a chance to regroup and potentially change to a more favourable tack when you have the guy's attention again and he asks "now where were we?"

Don't just sit there like a big dummy, use the time to your advantage.