Recently in a presentation to one of the faith based unemployment groups in the Dallas Ft. Worth area, one of the attendees asked an excellent question.
What should I do when the hiring manager accepts calls, texts and seems distracted? This has happened to me in several interviews.
The man wanted to strangle the interviewer with good reason. He prepared for hours as he wants the job. Now, even if he’s given an offer, he’s not sure he would want to work there. Is this the corporate culture of the company? Are people considerate to each other? Would the candidate last on the job if his presence is discounted repeatedly when talking to this manager? If you haven’t assessed your corporate culture, you might want to read What is Corporate Culture by Deborah L. Knox and Sandra S. Butzel.
(See the funny interview. This is not a paid advertisement!)
In this electronic age, most of us hear a text message and/or email when it arrives. If we allow ourselves to read each message as it arrives, our production is affected. Distractions abound and we, as intelligent and considerate individuals, need to focus on the primary concern. If Joe-the-interviewer has a business crisis he needs to handle, he needs to reschedule the interview, rather than try to multi-task.
You may take pride in multi-tasking, but reading a memo in a boring business meeting may cause you to miss what is being said. The same phenomenon happens in an interview.
According to a recent article on an interesting website:
Multitasking decreases your memory ability. Each task that you’re engaged in drains part of your mental energy. This drainage is why multi-tasking breeds absentmindedness. Your complete mind isn’t present when you shift from one task to another and back again. You could say that your mind is absent.
I feel sure you would never treat a candidate in this manner, but if you recognize someone on your hiring team who repeatedly “tunes out” in your presence, chances are he or she will treat candidates the same way.
The other night as I left a restaurant, trailing behind a young couple with a child about four years old, the dad was texting as they walked to their car. The four year old teased his dad, calling him “I-Phone Man.” Needless to say, the dad wasn’t a wonderful role model for his son for respecting others.
Take a few minutes to think about your team and personal actions. Are you sometimes inadvertently inconsiderate of others? When it comes to interviewing, you need total concentration on the candidate. Your behavior reflects the corporate culture and your management style. Good luck! I’m out of time. I have a text message I must answer!