Unreasonable Amount of InterviewsI was wondering, I am seeing these posts, and I am sitting her with jaw dropped, wondering. "What is the deal with these people saying "Well, I had my 2nd phone interview, and now I am on my 3rd IN-PERSON interview, etc, etc, etc.) Okay, personally, I have NEVER been in a situation nor heard of something so. At the VERY MOST, I ever heard was a 2nd interview. In my experience: 1. I get phone call Total of interviews: 1 interview. Now we have 2 phone interviews and umpteen in-person interviews. And....to top that all off....some people aren' t getting hired. I think there should be some type of monetary compsensation for time wasted for the applicant. If their procedure calls for 5,6, or 7 interviews, that's what it's going to be. You as a candidate have the option of taking yourself out of consideration if you are unhappy with the process and don't want to pursue it any further. But if you want to work there, you have to play by their rules. There is no way around it. A lot also depends on the organizational level and the salary. The higher the title/salary/responsibility, the more people need to sign off on it, the more interviews it will take. "And....to top that all off....some people aren' t getting hired. I think there should be some type of monetary compensation for time wasted for the applicant." ROTFLMAO. We can dream, can' t we? However, I find the multiple interviews the norm. I agree, though, that going for three or four interviews is a bit much. I can see big companies requiring that, because the hiring managers seem scared to make a decision, so they have to have more input than their own "Feelers" to hire someone. But, I am applying to small companies, where I am usually interviewed by the owner/CEO, and they make their own decisions. Actually, I like going back for a second interview, if just to see if my intuition and feelings about the company are right. I get a better look of the company and other employees the second time around. But, after two, it' s a little redundant, as far as I am concerned. Yeah 2 interviews is kinda the norm, if not one. But I think it should be no more than 2, I mean, what kind of decision making process is required when you are up to 5 or 6 interviews? The higher you go, the more interviews. The more the company is into "team" the more interviews. It is, what it is. I see what you are saying, MonsterReader, but it's not something you can control. As for being hired on the spot after one interview, that's not great for the applicant because one visit is not always enough to form an opinion about the company and whether it's a good fit. I personally draw the line at 3 interviews, unless it's a dream job. I am not in management, so I think 3 is more than enough. In the end though, that's all up to the employer. You don't have to play if you don't want to, but you are not going to get them to change the rules for you. Obviously, some employers are not ready or willing to make a decision after only 2 interviews. And it's obviously more important to them than the risk of losing great candidates to other companies. It's up to you as an applicant to decide whether or not such an employer is worth your time, and either continue with the process, or not. And ALWAYS know that there is a chance you won't get hired, regardless of what the employer says. Accept the things you cannot change, dude (or dudette), you'll live longer :) What seems to be the "norm," at least in the experience of my husband & myself at the levels we are at, is one phone interview to screen out applicants they know they don't want, then 2 in-person interviews. I think that is reasonable, and I would certainly, as Maas says, not want to be offered or accept a job after only 1 in-person interview. I wouldn't be comfortable, having only seen the company once. You need the 2nd interview for your own further edification as much as they need it for theirs. Once you're into upper management/executive levels, and/or if this is a very large corporation, then I think 3 interviews might be warranted. But I agree that more than that is unneccessary, unless you're interviewing to be the CEO of some company, making well into the 6 or 7 figures. Hey, they can interview me 7 or 8 times if they want!!!!
I think a phone interview (or pre-interview) and then two or three in-person interviews, depending on how involved HR is in the hiring process. One position I held I was interviewed four times. Once by HR, and then twice with people I'd be working with on a regular basis and then once by the head honcho of the organization. However, by the time I got to the head honcho I knew it was between me and one other person. What bothers me even more is when I have a phone interview, and then I'm told that they are interviewing 12 or 15 people in person. I realize that some positions get 50-60 applications, but everytime I've been on the other side of the hiring process (where we routinely got 100+ applications for a position), we've always managed to weed out the less qualified using phone interviews and just by reviewing a resume. And we bring in between 3-5 people for in person interviews. And usually there are one or two standouts in that group, which get second interviews. "What bothers me even more is when I have a phone interview, and then I' m told that they are interviewing 12 or 15 people in person." I can go you one better. Try 35!!! Yes 35 candidates out of 100 + resumes were chosen to be interviewed by the CEO of an investment reporting company I applied for Administrative Ass' t to last Spring. I was number 10 out of 35. I usually don' t send "Thank You" notes to my interviewers, but in that case, I did, cause I thought I needed something to get him to even remember who I was. That was absolutely ridiculous. I only work for small companies, so usually they have told me there are about a half dozen people at the most being interviewed, and then they may be bringing in the top two-three for a second interview. I have, however, been one of only three being interviewed, and even one of two, and still did' t get either job. The company I am working on joining now ( I had the 1st interview 2 1/2 weeks ago, and 2nd yesterday) was supposed to be interviewing additional candidates after my first interview, but to be quite honest with you, I have the gut feeling I' m one of very few, if not the only candidate they interviewed. Thus, if I don' t get this job offer, I' m really in trouble!!!
35!!!! That's shocking. My biggest complaint about hearing about 12-15 people being interviewed is that I don't think the hiring managers will remember most of the people they interviewed. But, with 35? That's totally ridiculous, particularly when they could conduct 20 screening interviews by phone and probably elimate 25-30 of those people. I think when organizations interview that many people that they aren't doing themselves or the applicants any favors. | |
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