The Dynamics of an Interview

The dynamics of an interview ebb and flow in interesting ways. As things progress, it seems that the outcome is easy to predict. However, there can be one small thing that triggers a change of course and a very different outcome. It just happened that I parked myself at a fast food establishment a few days ago that was in the process of conducting several interviews. As fate would have it, I sat at the table next to where all the interviews occurred.

I would venture to guess that the company was in hiring mode and needed to fill several positions. (In fact, I overheard how many different locations needed staff.) The applicants were diverse, in some instances, polar opposites. But each has the qualities to some degree that the company seeks.
As the candidates entered the establishment, I formed my opinion of whether they were winners or not. My first two criteria were appearance and race. One candidate was white and wore business casual clothing. The other was black. The clothing was pulled here and there and exposed skin. She was a little rattled from the journey. Hair was unkempt.
What was impressive was not just that each candidate was given an application and asked to complete it, irrespective of first impressions. There was more, even in addition to the fact that each candidate was given equal respect and regard. The tone, the language was comparable.
In addition to those first stages, it was interesting to see that the interview was based on pre-scripted interview questions. “Oh, this is never going to work,” I thought. “How can you conduct a good interview based on scripted questions that don’t allow leeway for unusual responses or circumstances?” On the other hand, I was impressed with the pre-scripted questions. That meant no matter what the gender, race, age, or functional ability, the interview questions were exactly the same. There was equal opportunity.
It is important to express that I very definitely have old-school, conservative biases that are influenced by the times through which I’ve lived, the industries in which I’ve worked, and various other factors. That being said, my first impression as I listened to the opening of each interview was that the white candidate would be made an offer and the black would not. But as I worked and overheard, my judgment of the situations changed.
The white candidate was looking for something to fill in as she pursued her ultimate goal. She was forthright in making that known right away. The interviewer understood; it can be allowed due to the nature of the fast food business. She immediately asked about hours and shifts so that detail was also dispensed with early on. Then it got down to the details. The scripted questions were asked; good responses were made. Well modulated, courteous tones flowed from each. They matched the other’s style. The question of which location came up at the end and was resolved. The company will get in touch within so much time was the response to a question about what the next steps will be and in what time. A polite parting after about 20 to 30 minutes of conversation.
The next interview started. The candidate had taken the time to pull clothing into proper places and cover exposed skin. However, she was still wired and it showed with various movements, speech, and other indicia. This time, there were two interviewers. Both were just as courteous with this candidate as the one had been with the first. The one who did the most talking was expert in helping the candidate calm down without calling attention to her obvious nervousness. Calm, soothing voice, focused on those pre-scripted questions, while offering the type of courtesy and regard that he would expect from another.
Something happened during that interview, something very interesting. During the course of it, the candidate became aware that she was not being interviewed for just another staff opportunity. She had passed the initial interview questions with a great deal of success. Her tone changed to more reserved and contemplative. She was extremely calm. It was the interviewer who began talking to her about the management opportunity that lay ahead while she spoke of why she saw this as a career opportunity. She spoke of how she held a long-term desire to work for this company and why, how it differed from past employers and competitors. The interview continued. It must have been a hour later and it still was not complete. They’d only gotten to talking about strengths and weaknesses.
It was perhaps another 20 minutes later that the interview was completed, details of the management training class she would attend were discussed, and when she would start. And still, the pre-scripted questions were followed so that no details about “closing” were overlooked. Yes, the second interviewer participated but only in a marginal way.
What was reaffirmed was it isn’t a good idea to judge a book by its cover. Scripts definitely do work for providing a good interview environment that discloses the best candidate. Finally, I learned that in this competitive, find fault environment, it is possible to have fair and equal based on qualities and talent brought to the table.
But this was the interviewing nexis. Yet another interview occurred. Initially, it sounded like a candidate for a tutoring position. As it ended, it sounded like the tables were reversed and it was actually a book or article being written by the one I thought was the candidate. There were good questions posed for edification and clarification. I was impressed with the performance of the one I thought was the candidate.
The take-away here was take your interviewing questions with you. Make certain they are focused and drive more comprehension of the job, its goals, the outcomes, the customer profile. Make clarifying statements; make declarative statements that attest to one’s comprehension of what was said. Listen for how the company representative responds. Note whether they are tactful or whether they make any denegrating statements whatsoever. What the representative says is a reflection on not only them, but the company and the manner in which they deliver their services. It denotes what type of quality can be expected in the long run.
No matter which side of the desk you’re on, the dynamics of the interview tell a very interesting story that may appear to be one way at the beginning but end on a very different note.