If you’ve ever been on a workplace interview where the interviewer incessantly checks their phone, half-listening while they’re taking notes, eats a smelly tuna fish sandwich or takes you on a premature tour of the office showing you where your cubicle will be (ahem, before you even got an offer, check that — before you even proceeded to the second round), this story is for you.
We’ve all been there, unfortunately. Here’s what you need to do to tactfully and professionally handle inappropriate situations when you’re trying to put your best foot forward during an interview — even if the interviewer clearly isn’t.
[See: The 10 Most Common Interview Questions.]
A Hug. Companies approach job interviews differently today than in the past, especially at startups — they’ve ditched pinstriped suits for the hoodie and Converse sneaker look. And the vibe is casual and body language may be informal, too. According to The Wall Street Journal, professional hugging between employees is becoming more common (one office in London even has a “hug zone”).
Hugging during an interview is inappropriate, and can create an uncomfortable environment. If someone approaches you for a hug, turn your shoulder into it to block it. Extend your hand instead. They may try to embrace your other arm and give it a pat. Of course sometimes you just can’t get out of it, but at least be aware that hugging has no place in an interview.
Eating. Food should be banned from interviews, especially if it’s hard to delicately manage (spaghetti is not your friend). You may end up being the one who feels uncomfortable while the interviewer asking you questions in between bites is fine with it. You can say something like, “Would you like me to wait in the lobby for about 10 minutes until you’re done eating? Really, I don’t mind.”
Then ask yourself if the person is really that focused on what you have to say or are they trying to multitask and in the meantime not coming across as polished as they should be? You have every right to ask them for a timeout. It’s unlikely you’ll be rejected from the process because you wanted their one-on-one time without food.
[See: 7 Ways to Crush a Phone Interview.]
Checking Emails. This is one of the most common faux pas committed by interviewers, and it includes checking things like social media accounts. Feedback from candidates is justified: “If they couldn’t pay attention to me for 20 minutes without checking on their work, how would I be able to work for someone like this as my boss?” You may be tempted to say something like, “Looks like you’re having a busy day,” but handle this delicately — you may not be able to say anything, but assess their behavior and how rude they’re being, and internally decide how it makes you feel.
Although you can’t control their behavior, unfortunately, you can control yours: Stay focused, be articulate, make eye contact and watch the rest of their behavior. Do they seem interested and engaged in what you’re saying? If not, that’s a red flag of poor interactions to come — continue interviewing elsewhere. In addition, vow to never be that employee when you’re in the position to interview new members on your team.
Office Tours. This can feel awkward, especially early in the interview process, but when the hiring manager or anyone at the prospective employer gives you a tour and shows you where you’ll be sitting before you actually proceed to the second round of interviewing, you’d be absolutely correct in getting your hopes up too high.
It’s not like you can resist it or outright say it’s too soon, so the only thing you can do during the tour is use it to your advantage. Check out the space, see if the people seem friendly and if the area is well-lit or by a window. Leverage that office tour to get an inside look into the company’s culture.
[See: 7 Excellent Sales and Marketing Jobs for 2017.]
Getting Off-Topic. This can happen to the best of interviewers, especially if it’s during the time when you’re asking questions and the interviewer may be talking about themselves. What you need to do is reel them back in — your interview has a limited time and you need to talk about your accomplishments and learn how to pivot.
Let’s say the interviewer goes on a tangent and starts talking about how they played varsity golf in high school. To get them back on track, you can say something like, “I can tell you about another one of my achievements that golf reminds me of — business relationships! I landed five new clients in the past five months at my current job, thanks to relationships I developed with business partners.”
You absolutely need to get them back on topic by steering the conversation back to the reason it’s happening in the first place: You!
Cursing. Even though the interviewer may be completely comfortable dropping a curse word during the interview, do not mirror them, and absolutely refrain from swearing. They may do it because their workplace culture allows it and they frequently curse at work or feel comfortable talking to you like a friend. Whatever their reason, don’t let it alter your communication style. If an interviewer asks you a question with a curse word in it, reframe the question without the curse word, offer your best response and replace their potty mouth with a pristine one instead.
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How to Handle Awkward or Inappropriate Interviews originally appeared on usnews.com
