How Not to take an Uncomfortable Interview!

 

Hi everyone. I know I took a bit of a breather from writing for a couple of days. Today I am back with another InterPhew story!

This was with a multinational computer technology corporation, back in February 2020. I was asked to come down to the office location. Stepping out and going to an office location seems like such an ancient thing we used to do.

Anyway, I reached as per usual way before time, pardon my high functioning anxiety and paranoia that I would be late if I don’t leave at least half an hour before what the map says the duration is!

I was asked to wait at the reception and then directed towards a conference room. As a person who has had quite a fair share of her interview experiences, I have always made sure that I am kind and sweet to everyone from the guard at the gate, to the security, to the receptionist. I have always felt that whatever you do, as soon as you step foot inside the office location, you are being noticed. You must put your best foot forward. Smile, greet everyone you meet, look confident, try not to *look* the nervous wreck you might be feeling inside. Another good thing to do is to look well-read. One easy thing anyone can follow is if you are asked to wait at the reception, and most office reception areas have a variety of newspapers and magazines, try not to pick the latest Cosmopolitan. Maybe pick up a National Geographic, or The New Yorker, if nothing then a newspaper. Every move you make, they will be watching you. I just realized; this is relevant only in the Pre-Covid era. Nowadays, all you need to do is log in to Zoom and look presentable (even if you are wearing those basketball shorts under your silk blouse shirt!)

Anyway, coming back to the actual interview, I was in the conference room waiting for the first round to begin. After about 15 minutes of waiting, a big man walks in. Please understand I am not body shaming anyone (being quite chubby myself – two baby deliveries thanks very much), but we are talking about a man roughly the length and width of Bruce Banner, halfway through his transformation into Hulk! This guy, the Hiring Manager came carrying a plate of samosas in his hands and a trail of mint chutney reeking from his breath.

Before sitting down, he heaved a sigh and asked me whether I would like a samosa (He thought he was being courteous), and said they had a birthday party going on in the pantry. Thanks for the clarification, Mr. Manager. I thought this was how you normally walk around the office – samosas and chutney breath.

He started with his usual line of questioning and then asked a strange question.

"So, Ms. M I have to tell you. We are a very fast-paced company. We will always have lots of action on the floor. With the pressure on meeting targets, we usually notice people tend to be on edge. Do you think you will be able to deal with this fast-paced, dynamic environment?"

Me: "Sounds like a great place to be at! I thrive in challenging situations. And I believe I will get along splendidly with my team members who will inspire me to take on challenges projects."

I was mentally patting myself on the back when I noticed him wiping off the last of the chutney with the last bit of samosa and licking his fingers. I am not sure if he even heard my response.

HM: "Sure. What about a scenario, where you don’t get along with your colleagues? What will you do then?”

Me: "Oh, I am sure that would be a rare scenario. I pride myself on being a people person. I can get along with just about anyone and hold great conversations. You can ask anyone in my previous organizations. I have always been considered an affable person."

HM: "Let me put it another way. What if I tell you there is a colleague in your team, who just doesn’t like you? What will you do in that situation?"

Me: "Well, I would of course try to a conversation with that colleague. I will carve out some time where we both can discuss any communication gaps and disconnects. I am sure in this manner; we will both be able to understand each other and work in a better fashion."

All this while, I am receiving no reaction, positive or negative from this man.

Anyway, he probably liked/disliked my approach to this question so we completely changed gears and moved on to other questions like my experience, and responsibilities.

I was asked to stay back for the next round, which was supposed to be with the Senior Manager.

This manager came in with a sense of urgency. He was bouncing up and down, quite literally because of the probable sugar high from the birthday cake outside.

He got started with the usual line of questioning as well. Side note – sometimes, I have noticed that the hiring panel doesn’t exchange notes on the questions that have already been asked from the candidate. I have been to many an interview where I was asked the same questions repeatedly from all the interviewers one after the other.

After going through the same questions here as well, he came to the following doozy: -

He: "So Ms. M, what if I were to give you a scenario where you and another colleague don’t see eye to eye on things. Working with this colleague in question is imperative for the success of a project. How will you go around this situation?”

Me: (again with the conflict management queries) out loud - "I would ask the colleague directly if we can work together positively, as offering the best solution to our customer should be our priority.”

He: "What if that colleague screams at you on the floor, and it becomes a verbal tiff. How will you handle this situation?”

Me: (getting increasingly uncomfortable) "I strongly believe there’s always a solution to every problem. If such a situation arises, and frankly speaking I have never faced such a problem ever in my professional experience, there is always a possibility to ask the colleague to talk in a private space, like a meeting room. I will try all possible ways to appease that person and show him/her the value of teamwork and how we can work faster towards our deliverables.”

He didn’t look convinced at all. He looked jittery and wouldn’t sit down. He was just tapping his hands on the back of the chair and standing behind it all this time. That must have been one heck of a birthday cake!!

Finally, we concluded the interview and he asked me to wait for the final round for the day. I was relieved. These guys had made me nervous.

The third person to interview me was the Director of the business. She came in and took a seat before politely asking me whether I would like some cake, or coffee, water, anything. I politely refused. We had quite a good conversation about my job responsibilities and what would be expected from me in this current role. My suspicion is she was easing me into the conversation, letting me put my guard down before BAM! Another weird question attacks!

Suddenly she asked me, "So how do you rate yourself in conflict management?”

Huh? Weird segue, much?

"I would say so…”

Her: "On a scale of 1 – 10, give me an idea.”

Me: "Uh..7 I guess.”

Her: "7? You sure?”

Me: "Sure.”

Her: "Okay. How about I give you a situation? We have weekly targets here. Let’s say you join our company, and you are unable to meet your weekly targets thrice in a row. Your manager calls a meeting and he is screaming at you, asking you the reason for the low numbers. How will you manage such a situation?”

Me: "Wow. I have got to ask, is this a norm here? This looks like a very normal company culture here- Colleagues arguing with each other, being shouted at by the manager. You are the third person to ask me this question.”

Her: "Can you take a hit at the question, though?”

Me: "I am not sure what I will do in this scenario. My answer remains the same, though. I have already been through two variations of this question, with your colleagues. At the risk of repeating myself ad nauseam, I will ask schedule a one-on-one with the manager and seek the exact points he wants me to cover. I will be better able to explain my low numbers on a personal basis and seek his guidance as well to improve on the areas where I am lagging.”

I am sure she could sense the irritation in my voice. She had the good sense to wrap up the interview. I was asked to leave for the day.

Suffice it to say, I did not get this role. I honestly thank my stars that I didn’t. It can be argued that a Salesfloor is very lively, fast-paced, dynamic, loud, whatever synonym you want to use for colleagues who thrive in this environment of hostility, aggression, and frustration. However, after having had the fortune of working with good organizations in the past, I can confidently say it doesn’t have to be like this. I have had amazing teams, where we lifted each other.

I would love to hear from you in the comments below. What would you do if you were faced with such an interview? Let’s discuss!