What to do when the interviewer appears bored

[Deleted User]

Just curious, it is a professional trick? It was 1 of 2 people interviewing making these quite awful gestures which I managed to block out of my mind's eye and remained polite, it was like being in the room with an unruly teenager


I know I attended this as my latest interview that they had seen a lot of candidates (visitors book showed that) but I was quite disturbed after all you wouldn't or shouldn't do it in business


ah, it was nearly as bad as being interview stood up!! lol!


What disturbed me more is they kept asking their mammoth sheet of questions it was like torture, surely you would just wrap it up quick if so bored, then proclaimed next week was holiday so I won't be hearing for a while! Lucky escape? I didn't get that feeling! Appreciate I might be getting old to this interview marlarky, just curious (already toyed with the idea the job maybe earmarked for someone else) while it has reminded me I need to brush up on the competency based interviews, sort of lost myself when the last couple of interviews have been relaxed/in good spirit which I prefer : /

tomtontom

Stop rambling, engage them. Ask (relevant) questions about their work, make it a conversation rather than a Q&A session.

getmore4less

Interviews are a two way process. if not happy with the direction take it over and start asking question to decide if it a place you want to work

If it is going nowhere, wrap it up and save time for all parties.

[Deleted User]

That's the thing, I wasn't asked if I had any questions which got me, it wasn't until the end I said I've a few Q's if you don't mind, it was odd they asked icebreaker type questions of theirs at the end and would have been no way to ask questions before then due to both interviewers writing word for word what I was saying!

Being silly I realise now it has been a new day, I've just put it down to a HR coordinator along the way saying yes to an interview when maybe I was really best not interviewed or interviewing was thrust upon them, though it has put me off I was just curious more then anything forgive me

mustang121

Hard to say without being there.

It's doen to simple presentational skills and if people ramble on and on then it's hard for the most polite of people to surpress yawning. Job seeking is a cutthroat business you need your interview to stand out and try and engage the 'audience'.

getmore4less

Deleted%20User wrote: »

That's the thing, I wasn't asked if I had any questions which got me, it wasn't until the end I said I've a few Q's if you don't mind, it was odd they asked icebreaker type questions of theirs at the end and would have been no way to ask questions before then due to both interviewers writing word for word what I was saying!

Being silly I realise now it has been a new day, I've just put it down to a HR coordinator along the way saying yes to an interview when maybe I was really best not interviewed or interviewing was thrust upon them, though it has put me off I was just curious more then anything forgive me

You introduce questions into your answers.

cazziebo

Deleted%20User wrote: »

That's the thing, I wasn't asked if I had any questions which got me,

The interview is your platform as much as the company's. If you are going to spend a few years of your life there, you want to know what it's like as an employer, as a working environment, as a paragraph on your CV. You have to engage - be active, not passive.

The most effective way I've seen a candidate turn an interview around was a senior manager selection process. The guy was going down a track that wasn't relevant and I could tell my colleagues on the panel had lost interest. The candidate stopped mid sentence and said " I can tell I'm not convincing you. Let me start again. You asked why I'm interested in the role. Let me sum it up" He then gave a very concise answer which was spot on. He took control and even said at the end "I want this job. What is stopping you being sure I'm right for it?"

It was quite a brave and bold thing to do and certainly got everyone's attention back.

InsideInsurance

Agree with others in principle that an interview certainly is a two way street and in theory as much for you to judge them as them you. In practice many are happy to get any job they've got to interview stage for and see it only as one way.

Whilst it may alleviate the bored looks from the interviewers its not necessarily the solution to the problem. Its going to be hard to say if you are the cause of the problem or its just their normal mannerisms etc.

Obviously dont know you from Adam but it could be that you are boring hence they look bored. Certainly its good to keep answers short and direct but delivery style preferences does vary by interviewer.

I did have one interview a few years ago where I'd have more entertainment watching paint dry than listening to the 30 minute answer to "how do you manage conflicting priorities?". My boss who was in the interview too actually fell asleep (unprofessional I agree but the guy really was that bad) but he trundled on. Obv cut the question list from 12 to 4 and without asking any questions about his technical skills handed over the mic to him and he was just as slow and dull in questions for us.

DKLS

Difficult to say without being there and I would want to work out if the bored/arsey one was playing a role, sometimes we play good cop, bad cop with candidates, the options I would consider are:

If the interviewers were being unprofessional I would suggest halting the interview and leave rather than waste any more time.

Flip the interview and interview them

Voyager2002

Deleted%20User wrote: »

What disturbed me more is they kept asking their mammoth sheet of questions it was like torture, surely you would just wrap it up quick if so bored, then proclaimed next week was holiday so I won't be hearing for a while! Lucky escape? I didn't get that feeling! Appreciate I might be getting old to this interview marlarky, just curious (already toyed with the idea the job maybe earmarked for someone else) while it has reminded me I need to brush up on the competency based interviews, sort of lost myself when the last couple of interviews have been relaxed/in good spirit which I prefer : /

Sounds like a public sector organisation: equal opportunities policies mean that they have to ask all candidates the same questions, and obviously they had too many and were really bored with hearing answers to the questions they had set.

All that you could have done was provided answers that were short, relevant and interesting. You mention that you have not learned how to answer competency-based questions: that suggests that at a fairly early stage they knew that you were not going to be the successful candidate but were still obliged to ask all the questions on their list, and so were bored by what was a pointless exercise for all concerned.

The main message for you is to prepare 'pat' answers to competency-based questions so that you will do better next time you have one of these interviews.

CCFC_80

Some interviewers are pig ignorant. I was interviewed once by a guy who just had to keep checking his emails all the time in between asking me questions. I wish in hindsight that I should have asked him if it would be better for him to interview me when he had my full attention or just walk out. Could you imagine if it was the other way around with me checking my phone emails when he was interviewing me. Well you would have had hypocritical employers coming on this forum saying they had rude & ignorant candidates who obviously didn't want a job.