Promptness of Second Interview

Cotta

Hi All,


I booked Friday afternoon off to complete an interview which I felt went reasonably well but I had my doubts if it would progress or not. During the closing speech the interviewer told me that they were doing interviews next week and the following and then I would know more about what happens next.


Yesterday (Monday) I was quite surprised to receive an invite to a second interview with them on Wednesday which is less than a week after the initial interview. I won't be able to make this due to work commitments and in fact for the next two weeks my schedule is too busy at work to book off 2-3 hours.


Is it normal for a second interview to be so prompt and equally is it acceptable for me to decline and ask for a later date?


Thanks

kaflinkle

If someone invited me for a second interview, I would try to go on the date they suggest and work around it.

If I interviewed someone and then invited them for a second interview and they stated that they can't make it for 2 weeks, I'd be thinking about a second candidate.

Just my opinion though and I suppose it may depend on the role as well.

TBagpuss

It varies. For instnace, if they interviewed 10 peaople in the first round and your were no. 10, the second interview will be quick for you but might come after a 2 or 3 week gap for the person who was interviewed first.

It could be a very positive sign;you made a good impression and they are ken to progress.

I think that asking to reschedule is OK but a delay fro as much as 2 weeks is pushing it. In your place, I'd be trying very hard to find a time when I could book a half day. Alternatively, explain the situation to the interviewer and ask whether it would be possible to have an interview at 5 p.m. (or whetever time you finish work) or otherwise outside normal working hours.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

Cotta wrote: »

Hi All,


I booked Friday afternoon off to complete an interview which I felt went reasonably well but I had my doubts if it would progress or not. During the closing speech the interviewer told me that they were doing interviews next week and the following and then I would know more about what happens next.


Yesterday (Monday) I was quite surprised to receive an invite to a second interview with them on Wednesday which is less than a week after the initial interview. I won't be able to make this due to work commitments and in fact for the next two weeks my schedule is too busy at work to book off 2-3 hours.


Is it normal for a second interview to be so prompt and equally is it acceptable for me to decline and ask for a later date?


Thanks

Yes it's normal.

Yes it's certainly acceptable to ask, but if you ask it's also acceptable for them to refuse.

seven-day-weekend

Make time to attend the second interview with no more than a few days from the date they suggested.

robatwork

Rather than ask for a later date give them specific options. Eg.
Mon 11th April 12pm onward
Tues 12th April any time
Weds 13th April I am attending a xxxx and will be out all day

etc

TELLIT01

Call them, and see if the interview can be scheduled outside normal working hours. Explain that existing work commitments make it impossible to attend during the day at such short notice.

AJXX

kaflinkle wrote: »

If someone invited me for a second interview, I would try to go on the date they suggest and work around it.

If I interviewed someone and then invited them for a second interview and they stated that they can't make it for 2 weeks, I'd be thinking about a second candidate.

Depends how much you want the job really.

Personally, unless this was a fairly high paying role then I'd think being asked to attend a second interview at such short notice, without this even being mentioned as a possibility in the first interview a bit of a p!ss take.

For some people a single interview is bad enough, those with anxiety etc... If OP does intend the 2nd interview I'd be interested to know exactly what was said/what else they wanted.

Personally, I think interviews are more often than not a huge waste of time and a pointless formality from the dark ages - especially with most employers basing interviews on "competency" based questions rather than the candidates actual skills and or practical tests or work trials.

As an example, say we have two candidates - A and B.

Candidate A has previous experience of your job, all the required skills and knowledge but gives an 'unsatisfactory' answer to your competency based questions.

Candidate B has the bare minimum experience to do the job, but lacks most of the skills and knowledge needed. Yet because they answered the competency based question 'better' are employed over person A.

I find the above happens in most cases and the entire interview process is fundamentally flawed. Person A is the better candidate, but person B gets the job because they can answer some silly questions better - a few months down the line they turn out to be completely rubbish at the job.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

Well, I have never been asked "competency based questions". So I imagine people's experiences of interviews differ.

Reggie_Rebel

I've been asked to attend a second interview the day after the first one. In this case it was because I was the front runner but they wanted the line manager to have an input.

kaflinkle

Personally, I think interviews are more often than not a huge waste of time and a pointless formality from the dark ages - especially with most employers basing interviews on "competency" based questions rather than the candidates actual skills and or practical tests or work trials.

I couldn't agree more with this. Some of the interviews I've gone to were truly archaic. And why the multiple interviews as well? A friend of mine will only go to one interview, he says if they can't make their mind up from one interview or schedule everyone he needs to meet for one interview, he won't bother.

Hopefully some bright spark will come up with a new interview method and it'll catch on, but until then, we're stuck with the dumb questions. I got asked once 'what would you have written on your head stone when you die?' It was a job in IT.