What has been your experience interviewing job candidates?

This particular interview was for a 911 dispatcher. Calculators for the job was not needed.

Edit:They were testing memory skills. Also one person would ask a question and then another before you would even get a chance to answer the first person. You would have to remember the questions and who asked what in which order.

btw I did get hired

I've never interviewed any candidates. I'd like to share a recent experience, however, applying for an entry-level bank teller position.

Step 1: Email resume and cover letter.
Step 2: Receive request to complete online application and hour-long (very cute) "Introduction to Being a Bank Teller" video.
Step 3: Receive request to schedule phone interview. Schedule the interview.
Step 4: Have 1/2-hour phone interview. Goes well.
Step 5: Receive request to schedule in-person interview. Schedule the interview.
Step 6: Do very well at in-person interview, with bank managers from 3 different branches. Lasts an hour.
Step 7: Hear nothing from the bank for a month. No call, no email, no letter, despite promises from managers that I'd "Be notified either way."
Step 8: See the exact same ad for the exact same position posted on the 'net. Do not apply.
Step 9: Receive an email, 3 months later, stating that a different person was chosen for the position.

Entry-level bank teller. Huge bank. Huge waste of their time and money.

Of course, if I'd had a bank account there, I would have closed it!

No offense boriskitten, but you did not do as well at step 6 as you thought.

In the steps prior to that, your phone interview, etc. you may have done well as the person talking to you was concerned. OR, you may have, in their opinion, been an "I'm on the fence about this person" candidate. I get people like that sometimes. While talking to them, I'm weighing the pros and cons of bringing this person in. I'm looking for reasons NOT to bring you in frankly. Sorry to have to say that. The truth is you can almost always find reason to pass someone on to the next step. I can be talking to someone that has all minuses, but, hey, there's always something you like about someone, isn't there? Problem is, that doesn't equate to being a good employee.
The hard cold fact is, if someoneone is hired, and that one thing that was the reason not to pass you along was ignored, THAT will be the reason you will be gone within 6 months.

Whoever was at that interview apparantly forgot/neglected to tell the recruiter to send you a rejection letter within a couple of days.

more than likely, at a subsequent regularly scheduled candidate recap meeting, the recruiter had to ask "so, what's the status of boriskitten, who was interviewed 2 weeks ago?"
Then, they had to catch up with someone at that interview, who may have said "I don't think we want her, but check with so and so, who was also at that interview. He/she was supposed to have let you know" Then, you get through to so and so, who was out of town right then and not answering non-emergency emails in a timely fashion, who says "Sorry, I forgot to email you right after the interview that we have rejected boriskitten."

I'm sure this does seem like a waste of time to you. In this case, maybe it was. Somehow you fell between the cracks. Sorry your interview was not processed with 100% accuracy.

However, there's the reason behind so many steps.
Even though it's an entry level position, it cost a LOT of money to train you. Much more than you realize.
Retaining good people, being careful the right candidate is hired, is the only way to recoup this cost.

Except for the fact you were somehow forgotten, the way that interview process went would be a reason for me to consider opening an account at that bank.

If they are that careful with who they select to work for them, I want them handling my money, because they will be just as careful.

boriskitten, if you keep applying at large companies, this is going to be the way it's going to go. Hopefully other companies won't leave you hanging for a month.

If you had been hired by that bank, you would have looked forward to a couple more weeks of background checks, drug testing, etc. etc.

If that's not for you, you'll have to get a job at some mom and pop business, who hire by the fact they thought you were "nice"

It could also be that their interviewing/hiring process takes about a month. You could have been at the beginning of the interviews and the bank may have a policy where they post a job or jobs for 2 weeks or a certain period of time - go through the resumes and begin setting up interviews. At the end of the few weeks after interviewing all the candidates, the interviewers get together and discuss candidates (what they saw or did not see in particular candidates) and then make a decision.

This could easily take a month depending on how long they decide to accept resumes for and how many people they decide to interview. Often times companies do not decide who they will hire until all interviews are completed and will not send a rejection letter until they get confirmation and signed acceptance letters from the offer(s) they sent out. What if you were a third accptable choice and they first two did not accept the job offer? So they tend to wait until they have a signed agreement.

Although if it is going to be a lengthy amount of time to hear from them, they should tell you this in the interview.

people have to be taught to learn. schools dont teach job search skills, they barely teach anything but to conform to social standards, one of which being smart makes u less "cool", being extroverted and social are far more likely to land you a job through "your network" than being prepared for an interview.

maybe its this city, everyone i know landed their jobs through connections.

how do u expect mammals to innately know these things? instinct?
if i knew now what i didnt know when i was 18, id have a ******* career.

and i have an extremly high IQ, and it was a near disaster learning how to write resumes and prepare for interviews.

watching king of the hill last night, the louanne said , referring to the classifieds, "these things are biased towards people with skills!"

so true..

i didnt know the rules, how was i supposed to follow them?

One would have thought that your 'extremely high IQ' would have clued you in to the rules pretty quickly. Certainly wasn't a problem for me or others, and I was never formally trained in interviewing or resume writing.

Cycloptichorn

exactly my point good sir!

i did in fact learn the rules quickly, i didnt say i didnt.
i said it was a near disaster.

im more along the lines of the timid woman referred to earlier who flew through the technical questions!

i didnt decide to have this personality. but i sure dont mind it.

Not true. You can teach yourself if you are willing.



I've told some of them to you (like how your writing is a deal killer in many jobs), you told me you didn't care (and still write like an unemployable person).

People have to be willing to learn. You spend more time (on a2k at least) complaining than trying.

Edit: and every time someone teaches you something you try to pretend like you already knew it (witness the about face from complaining about not having been taught the rules "how was i expected to follow them?" to claiming you figured them out just fine). Quit letting your pride make you unteachable.

As an adult, you should be able to find a book about interviewing/writing a resume, etc. Or a simple internet search provides tons of information. I would expect an adult be able to find this easy to research information.

Exactly - and certain laziness as this information is easily found. You do need to have it spoon fed to you. An employable person should have the skills to do a simple search and be able to learn on their own.

they still need to be taught, if they arent smart enough to teach themselves who will teach them?

my point stands.

i figured out the rules the hard way, i know them well enough now.

my point stands.

i refer to an earlier time in my life. not everyone has time to go through the school of hard knocks.im explaining why these people show up to interviews unprepared.

using previous experience.

if i knew now what i didnt know when i was 18, id have a ******* career.


let me reiterate that.

I am also referencing professional jobs whereas colleges do provide career advice and typically have an office and entire staff dedicated to career placement, interviewing and resume writing.

As you will buddy, but I will reiterate that I think you'd be better served by writing like an adult here. It's good practice, I didn't have much in way of teaching and teachers but online forums have been a great way for me to improve the way I write, think and more.

You don't necessarily need to be a genius to learn, but you do need to be humble enough to change yourself instead of defend your ways stubbornly.

There are a lot of good jobs out there for you, if you can write well (and yes, I know you say you can but that isn't really how it works, people who write the way you do will struggle to write well, when you really want it to come naturally).

lol besides, this is a forum unrelated to me being hired by anyone, why would i waste time checking gramamr when i can be spending time spouting nonsense?

What do you know now, that would provide you with a career and why not start now towards what would get you there? Age shouldn't matter - there are people in their 60s, 70s, 80s who go get a college degree. In your 20s is still very young. I obtained my masters degree when I was when I was over 30 by going part time while I was in my 20s.

Practice, maybe....a big part of interviewing is actually practicing what you say.

For even the most challenged at learning - I simply typed in a google search "How to find a job" and a wealth of information was supplied. Even the laziest person should be able to do this.

I don't think so! Your articulation skills are inferior and your attitude is
typical for someone who is ignorant and unwilling to go the extra mile.

I have encountered many young people like you who come to us for entry level positions and mostly I don't even read their resume as they all look alike - spit out by the same type of resume mills. What I am primarily looking for in a candidate is good manners, good command of the language, someone willing to learn and someone motivated enough to realize where help is needed aside from doing strictly their own job.

holy ****! u described me exactly.

nice. u might not admit but u made me smile inside.

thank you.