![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn-01.cms-eu-v2i.applyflow.com\/identifi-global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/BadInterview.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\t<\/p>\n
\n\tNervously fidgeting, slightly cracking voice, maybe a bead of sweat – we\u2019re not talking about the candidate, we\u2019re talking about the first time interviewer. It\u2019s easy to internalise your own anxiety when thinking about interviews, but if it\u2019s your interviewer\u2019s first time in the hot seat, they might be equally nervous, particularly as they\u2019ll likely be sat next to a more experienced colleague. The first timer will tend to stick quite rigidly to script, not deviating too wildly from the set questions they have.<\/span><\/p>\n Some love them, many hate them, but however you feel, the job interview is still the unavoidable cornerstone of securing a new role. The worst feeling is to come out of an interview thinking it was a catastrophe. But we\u2019re here to tell you there\u2019s no such thing as a bad interview, only a… Read More »There’s no such thing as a bad interview, only a bad interviewer<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14192,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-management"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14980"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14980\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/14192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.identifiglobal.com\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n\tChallenges <\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tWith someone sticking to a script or focusing on their own performance, it can be difficult to build up that all-important rapport you need when putting forward your suitability for the role and cultural fit within the business. <\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tHow to handle the first-timer <\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tThe temptation is to jump in and take control of the interview yourself. This would be a mistake. You don\u2019t want to come across overbearing or arrogant. However, you do need to sell yourself a little. Our advice would be to ask them questions about themselves and the company, their role, time at the company, that kind of thing. People tend to relax when they\u2019re comfortable with the topic in hand, and by opening dialogue outside the rigid structure of their questioning, you get to show your personality.<\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tThe talker<\/h2>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tHow to spot them <\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tIt may sound obvious, but they talk. A lot. The talker loves the sound of their own voice and will likely go off on different tangents, often talking about their own lives and career development while seemingly paying very little attention to you.<\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tChallenges <\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tIf you come across a talker, it\u2019s can be difficult to get a word in edgeways. And if you can\u2019t get a word in, you can\u2019t adequately communicate your suitability for the role, your skills, experience and drive.<\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tHow to handle the talker <\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tThe way to deal with a talker is to listen. Not the whole way through the interview, of course, but listen for potential cues and commonalities between you. You need to be quick on the draw if you find something you can chip in with, they will happily move onto the next subject without a moment\u2019s thought. But if they\u2019re talking about the extensive training they do in-house, for example, this is a perfect moment to talk about the certifications you already have and your enthusiasm for learning for career development. Play to the ego, but make sure you get your story across where you can.<\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tThe gatecrasher<\/h2>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tHow to spot them <\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tThey\u2019re late, unprepared, and career into the interview out of breath and talking at a million miles an hour. They proceed to run through your CV like it\u2019s the first time they\u2019ve properly studied it. That may well be the case. The gatecrasher is a whirlwind of activity and, potentially, a tornado of trouble. <\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tChallenges <\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tFirstly, when an interviewer is this unprepared, you want to make the call as to whether this is a person you want to work for. If they\u2019re this unprepared for something as important as an interview, what\u2019s it going to be like working with them every day? However, if this is your dream role in your dream company, you will need to roll with the punches. The biggest challenge with the gatecrasher, then, is keeping the interview focused when they\u2019re clearly unprepared. <\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tHow to handle the gatecrasher<\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tThe worst thing you can do is let their unpreparedness ruin yours. Stay calm, stay focused, and give a good account of yourself. It can be easy to dismiss the gatecrasher solely due to their punctuality and focus, but they\u2019re in the role for a reason. You still need to get them onside. <\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tLet them know that they are in safe hands by giving them a polished presentation of your skills and attributes.<\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tThe brick wall<\/h2>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tHow to spot them <\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tThe brick wall will give next to nothing away in the interview. Your work anecdotes will be met with a casual indifference, and any attempt at humour will fall on deaf ears. Impossible to read, this interviewer is slick and seasoned in sizing up candidates. You give them your best, but at the end of the interview you leave feeling confused as to whether they liked you or not.<\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tChallenges <\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tIt\u2019s impossible to build rapport with the brick wall. It\u2019s also unnerving to have very little immediate feedback to your conversation. The danger here is that you try harder and talk more yourself, filling any uncomfortable silences with more chatter. <\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tHow to handle the brick wall<\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tThe whole purpose of the brick wall is to see how you handle pressure. Without any conversational to and fro, the temptation is to keep talking to fill in the space. Don\u2019t. Give composed answers, and understand where your answers end. Don\u2019t keep giving unrelated supplementary information. Also, don\u2019t get discouraged – this is a test of your character. Remain confident and positive. Give a good account of yourself. It\u2019s not you, after all, it\u2019s them: they use this interview style with everyone. <\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tThe challenger<\/h2>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tHow to spot them <\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tYou\u2019ll know the challenger as soon as you walk into the room. A firm handshake, no niceties, just straight down to business. During the interview itself, you\u2019ll be in for a bumpy ride. Questions will be very direct, your CV will be dissected in fine detail and don\u2019t be surprised if they cut you off while you\u2019re mid-flow to delve further into the minutiae of what you\u2019ve said. The challenger is purposefully confrontational. <\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tChallenges <\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tThe confrontational style of the challenger can be quite jarring and can put you off your stride. The interview can sometimes feel like an interrogation and you may feel like you\u2019re on the back foot. If you don\u2019t retain your composure, the interview is in danger of becoming more like an argument than a chat.<\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tHow to handle the challenger<\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tMuch like the brick wall, this style of interviewer is keen to see how you handle pressure. Questions will come thick and fast so you need to be well prepared for the interview (as you should for all interviews) and confident in your abilities, qualifications and experience. It may also help to have some tricky questions to fence back at them. Ask the interviewer about their toughest year in business, and how they pulled together to get through it? Get them to recount their successes in challenging times, and then talk about your similar experiences. But most of all, you need to keep calm and composed.<\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tThe Mate<\/h2>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tHow to spot them<\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tSeemingly the most ideal interview scenario, this type of interviewer is pally from the offset – a warm handshake, offer of a drink, leaning back in their chair, looking like they\u2019ll put their feet up at any moment. They won\u2019t take notes, they\u2019ll be extremely relaxed and unfocused with their line of questioning, and don\u2019t be surprised if they drop the odd swear word into conversation.<\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tChallenges<\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tThere\u2019s a risk with this type that you let your guard down entirely and forget to \u2018sell\u2019 yourself in the right way. With the lack of focus in the questioning, you may get on like a house on fire, but you can forget that this is a professional chat. You need to avoid lapsing into the mate zone and keep your focus.<\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tHow to handle the mate<\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tOf course, you need to be equally conversational and chatty. You can\u2019t put on a super serious front with someone that is warm and chatty, but be cautious. It may feel like there is a rapport, but you also want to showcase your dedication to professionalism and your abilities. If you feel like things are sidetracking, say so. And direct the conversation back to the right path yourself.<\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tGood cop\/bad cop<\/h2>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tHow to spot them <\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tA combination of all these personas and then some, this type of interviewer will alternate between Jekyll and Hyde over the space of a 45-minute interview. One minute they are talking up your skills, and then the next they are taking swipes at your old company.<\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tChallenges <\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tYou really get the feeling with this type, more than the others, that this interview is designed to push you to breaking point. The biggest challenge is not knowing where you stand. <\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tHow to handle the good cop\/bad cop<\/h3>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tDon\u2019t get too comfortable with the good cop\/bad cop, they may lull you into a false sense of security by being the mate, and then suddenly they turn into the challenger, ripping apart your experience and expertise. You need to be prepared for anything, actively listen to their questioning and give succinct answers to the questions they ask. Keep your cool, don\u2019t be afraid to challenge back and try to leave on a positive note. Good luck!<\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tRecognise any of these? Perhaps you are one? Have we missed any? Let us know.<\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tWe\u2019ve spoken at length around interviewers\u2019 personality types, but what about your own? With identifi\u2019s talent management tools,<\/a> you can register your CV and take an advanced psychometric profiling assessment. Seeing your scores in things like \u2019emotional style\u2019 and motivations can help you develop your personal skills<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\t <\/div>\n\n\tShare this Article<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"