Have you ever...

30 Comments

1. AnonymousMay 13,2024 at 10:19PM UTC

   That's your cue....move on

2. Erin VegaMay 13,2024 at 11:14PM UTC

   Move on, they didn’t show respect for your time. IMO I would send my thank you note withdrawing your application and mention that clearly the interview showed you that this is not the company for you if they couldn’t take time out from answering emails for your scheduled interview.

3. AnonymousMay 15,2024 at 3:19AM UTC

   Also, if this was a sample of their "company manners" or "best behavior", which they should be demonstrating, just think how much worse it would have been once you were employed!

4. Dr. Erica WallsMay 14,2024 at 12:29AM UTC

   Wow. A clear indication to move on.

5. AnonymousMay 15,2024 at 3:18AM UTC

   Yes. I would say that you "dodged a bullet" there. As another responder said, chalk up the experience to being a good practice interview. It always pays to think through your responses enough that you can craft succinct, targeted answers to the usual questions.

6. AnonymousMay 14,2024 at 2:26AM UTC

   I'm not sure how you would know they were answering emails. Could they have been taking notes? I was in an interview where two panel members came in with laptops and informed me they would be taking notes on their computers. If you are certain it was emails, then I agree with the others that you should move on. Withdraw or don't, but it is likely they have already decided on a candidate and were fulfilling a requirement of a certain number of interviews per some policy.

7. AnonymousMay 14,2024 at 12:29PM UTC

   Yes, just had an interview where it felt very "rote" and that the interviewer was uninterested and/or was only going through the motions because they already have someone in mind.
   (Really trying to be generous here but this was not a conversation/he was a terrible interview/etc.)

   I've also been in an interview where music playing on person's laptop and it took a good 30 seconds for him to finally realize he was in an interview setting and this was a bad look. (I didn't get this job and wasn't too shattered by that).

   It makes the interviewing process a little depressing, huh?

8. AnonymousMay 14,2024 at 7:05PM UTC

   Yes, it just wasn't a fit and the interviewers were just going through the motions.

9. AnonymousMay 14,2024 at 7:58PM UTC

   Yes, I have! A few years ago, I was being interviewed for an academic administrative position at a small private college. The HR person asked me to meet her at a specific venue on campus, and she then walked me to the location of the interview. I was interviewed by several faculty members, the program director, and the HR rep. The HR rep continually yawned with her mouth remaining uncovered and emitted a loud sigh throughout the entire interview. She looked at the ceiling whenever I responded to questions. The program director and two faculty members paid close attention during the interview session, while the third faculty member kept typing on his computer no matter if his colleagues were asking questions or I was responding to questions. I realized that I didn't want the job about ten minutes into the interview. I completed the interview with the mindset that it was a good practice session. I wasn't offered the job; they hired the younger guy.

   I didn't take the inattentiveness of the HR rep and the professor who was busy typing email messages or his report seriously or personally. Obviously, they had more important things (to them) on their mind than listening to me. It's that school's loss!

   Keep applying for jobs and go to the interview sessions when offered the opportunity! It's all good preparation for the position that you will get in due time.

10. AnonymousMay 15,2024 at 12:41PM UTC

    Yes, just yesterday actually. They showed up 10 minutes late to a 20 minute meeting, didn’t know how many people were on the team I would join and clearly weren’t interested in what I had to say. I won’t be taking the follow up call. Back to applications!

11. P I.May 15,2024 at 5:58PM UTC

    I know that's right. Stand for something or fall for everything. you got this!

12. AnonymousMay 15,2024 at 12:54PM UTC

    A lot of companies will type your answers into their computers as you answer so that may have been it. That’s happened to me twice and it’s very distracting

13. GirlBossanova934974May 15,2024 at 1:08PM UTC

    I have seen this a few times. Welcome to the world of "Team Interviews"! In case you haven't seen it, this is where the decision maker drags in several members of their team and/or other members of other organizations to interview their candidate. The other members realize the decision maker is NOT relying upon on any consensus amongst team members and they are there just so the decision maker can say he/she "ASKED" (ha ha ha) for input. The team members thus could care less. In one case I experienced, 2 team members took the day off just so they could avoid the charade. I actually saw one of the team members sending instant messages to an absent team member who was at home.......

14. AnonymousMay 15,2024 at 3:07PM UTC

    I'm sorry you experienced this. As if we don't feel vulnerable enough during the interview process! Yes, I've had it happen recently. The interviewer came on screen and was very dour and made it clear that we only had 30 minutes. I got the immediate feeling she had already made her mind up about me even though the previous 2 people I spoke with were super excited about me. She asked me a question and seemed to be answering emails. I literally stopped my answer and said-You don't seem to really have much interest in this topic. What would you really like to ask me? That seemed to get her attention. We spent an hour talking and I was promptly ghosted after 3 interviews. Remember-this is the time they should be wooing you on their very best behavior. You dodged a bullet. Hang in there!!!

15. QMay 15,2024 at 3:09PM UTC

    Are you 100% certain they were writing emails? When I conduct interviews, it is normally myself and another person. We tell our candidate up front that they may see us typing as we take notes on the interview. It's very important to us that they don't think we are tuning them out. The opposite is true. We are fully invested in the interview process and want to ensure we capture notes in the moment. When we ask questions, we always stop typing and make eye contact and are personable.

    Now, if they were actually typing emails? That's highly unprofessional interview behavior and I'd call that a huge red flag.

16. AnonymousMay 15,2024 at 8:43PM UTC

    OP: I asked a following up question she couldn’t answer it because she wasn’t paying attention.

17. QMay 16,2024 at 5:00PM UTC

    I'm so sorry they treated you that way. It doesn't sound like a place you would want to work. Respect is essential. If they aren't respectful during the interview? That's the honeymoon phase. It's going to be worse if they hire you. There are some places it just isn't worth working for.

    Note how they treat you. I remember as an interviewer, I was waiting for a candidate to arrive for an interview years ago. The recruiter came in WITH the candidate, which is absolutely weird. The worst part is that the recruiter tried to switch gears and attempt to get me to let them represent me for a job. Um, I'm employed. Happily. I'm about to conduct an interview. I was mortified. To be fair, I don't even remember exactly what I said, but I did make a comment to the effect that it wasn't appropriate. That poor candidate. No respect at all from someone who should have had their back.

18. AnonymousMay 18,2024 at 1:11AM UTC

    That is awful

19. AnonymousMay 15,2024 at 5:44PM UTC

    Perhaps they were taking notes directly into a feedback form. If the company is large enough and there is likely a firmly baked process for their interviews I suspect it was that. If they have many candidates to choose from and are meeting people back to back its often easy to confuse the finalists when you have a debriefing unless you consult your notes taken in the interview. Perhaps you said some things that they wanted to memorialize about your experience. Don't think the worst of this take it as positive that they cared enough to write about you!

20. AnonymousMay 16,2024 at 2:22PM UTC

    This was also my guess. It’s annoying when people do it without giving a heads up that they’re going to be typing while you’re talking for their note taking. But many people take their notes that way these days since notes from everyone that interviews and interacts with a candidate get logged into a system like Greenhouse (your resume lives there as well as all email correspondence).

21. AnonymousMay 16,2024 at 4:08PM UTC

    My comment on this post was directly because of things like Greenhouse ( I am expert and certified in this system). If it is easier and more efficient to do it that way yes, I think they should. I often have my team chasing down interviewers who slow down our process because they either refuse to or don't add feedback. I don't think the interviewer needs to ask for permission to do this and a smart interviewee will also be note taking during their interview as well. IMHO it shows interest and that there is some want for retention of information that they can also refer back to if they get the job.

22. P I.May 15,2024 at 5:57PM UTC

    That's incredibly rude and thankfully I've not had that experience. However, it could be a red flag about the organization. I'd think twice about joining an org like that

23. AnonymousMay 15,2024 at 9:27PM UTC

    If you were talking for 10 minutes, that is why the interviewers checked out. You should be able to answer any question and provide well thought out answers/examples in 3 minutes. Anything longer than that, you're talking yourself out of a job.

24. Kristine GatesMay 16,2024 at 12:26PM UTC

    I hope this was not the case. It is very rude. They should also tell you how the interview is structured up front so you know what to expect and are not surprised by note taking, etc.

    As others have noted, you need to be able to answer the questions in 2-3 minutes. If you have a longer story, pause and ask if they have questions or would like to hear more details. Any longer than 3 min is too long before a pause or break.

    Additionally if you are meeting via Teams, Zoom or other, realize that they may be using forms they are completing or even chatting amongst the team about your response or a follow up.

25. AnonymousMay 16,2024 at 12:38PM UTC

    super rude and unprofessional. you don't want to work there. Yes, I've had that happen..or had the interviewer show up very late (and distracted). Super rude. Move on.

26. Marcia SmithMay 16,2024 at 1:06PM UTC

    unfortunately yes. Years ago I even had an in-person interview where they called me by the wrong name - even after I corrected them. And asked me questions that I had already answered - it was ridiculous and made me very mad that I had spent my precious time on that worthless interview.

27. AnonymousMay 16,2024 at 2:25PM UTC

    Yes… unfortunately this happened to me. The manager was texting on his cellphone and typing loudly while answering emails. As I’m trying to talk.

    I stopped talking and asked if I was bothering him or interrupting his time after I drove over an hour for this opportunity to meet their team. I asked the HR person if I could use the restroom. I was hoping to just see myself out but needed to cry in the bathroom for a few minutes.

    Well the HR waited for me outside the restroom, and I was not expecting that. She asked me if I was ready. I immediately started crying again and said no thank you, I’ll see myself out. Then I started to cry again. I said this is how you guys allow managers to treat potential candidates? This was the most disrespectful/unprofessional interview I’ve ever had (I think I was 23-24 at the time). I walked out of there.

    These interviewers wasted your time. Do not take another chance with them if given the choice.

28. AnonymousMay 17,2024 at 7:39AM UTC

    I would immediately disengage, no time for disrespect, no matter how badly I need work.

29. AnonymousMay 20,2024 at 1:14PM UTC

    Yes! First I showed up 15 minutes before the interview time, 10-15 minutes after the scheduled start time he came out and asked if I could come back in an hour or so, he was busy. It was already after 5 pm, I told him no, I had family events for the evening and had planned around the time he scheduled this. I knew at that point it was over, he managed to fit me in but I did not give my full energy, I already knew it was not a place I wanted to be. It’s a terrible feeling though, I wish you better luck on your next interview.

30. AnonymousMay 20,2024 at 6:50PM UTC

    Oh my! I’m sorry this happened to you!