In the monthly SQL blogging party that is T-SQL Tuesday (brainchild of Adam Machanic), Kendra Little has invited us this month to talk about interview patterns/anti-patterns.
Before my current role which I’ve been in for just over 5 years, I spent most of my career as a contractor, performing shorter roles that lasted from 2 weeks to 2 years. As such I was frequently interviewing several times a year and I’ve often sat on the other side if the table as well.
In my experience it’s been far more often to find bad, arrogant or disrespectful interviewers than the other way round. My biggest advice to candidates is to know your worth, realise that the interview process is as much for you to find out whether this is going to be a decent place to work as the other way round.
You’re not obligated to accept a job once it’s offered, and if you’ve had to put up with a lot of rubbish during the application process then seriously consider if it’s just going to get worse once you’re in the role.
As an employer, you want the best people, particularly in IT where people are the company’s biggest asset. You need to make sure that your recruitment process is not just about assessing the candidates, but also showing them that your company is going to be a great place to work.
If you do want to put people off then here’s some of the interviewer “anti-patterns” I’ve experienced over my career that made me ask the question “Would I really want to work at this place?”
Maybe hitting one or two is okay, but beyond that you need to consider your self respect.
Expecting a candidate to fill in a lengthy application form
What’s wrong with a CV? Why is your company so special that I need to sit there for hours with some awful form in Word? You know what? I don’t think I’m that bothered.
Not responding to my application
I sent you my CV and you didn’t even acknowledge it. Or you did and said I’d hear whether I’d been selected by next week, a month and a half passes and then suddenly you decide you want to interview me. You know what, I’ve probably already found something else and even if I haven’t you’re not coming across as massively competent.
Turning up late for the interview
I’ve taken time out of my busy schedule to come see you guys. I arrive at the interview on time – actually I make sure I’m early – but you keep me waiting half an hour. Obviously your time is more important than mine. Okay there may have been a crisis you had to deal with, or is it just chaos all the time? Not sure I’m getting inspired to work here. Oh, and how would you have reacted if I was that late?
Prove how much better than the candidate you are by asking overly specific questions that few people know the answer to
You get your technical boffin in to review my technical skills, but rather than trying to find out what I know they ask me the most specific esoteric technical questions possible – “What sampling algorithm does SQL use when updating statistics?” Clearly their main interest is in trying to prove they know more than me. Is the rest of the team like this? Not sure I want to work with them. You know what, we all know different things and no-one knows everything. How about discussing some technical scenarios and seeing what I come up with.
Asking standard/stupid questions
“What’s my biggest weakness?” No-one is going to tell you they’re a lazy alcoholic. Of course we’re all perfectionist workaholics. All you learn from asking this sort of question is whether someone has learnt the standard answers. It’s just wasting everyone’s time.
Requiring visit after visit for subsequent interviews and tests
You got me in for technical test, then you asked me to come back for an interview. Then come back again for an interview with HR, then yet again to meet a member of the senior management team. Why couldn’t you at least do it all on one day? Apart from the fact that my time is precious too, by the time we get to the end of this long drawn out process I’ve already found a better job.
Expecting candidate to provide free work
Before the interview you’d like me to prove my technical skills by creating some functionality for you. I’ll just need to give up my weekend to do this free work for you. I’m not even got the job yet and you want me to do unpaid overtime. Goodbye!
Not giving a response or feedback when you said you would
We had the interview on Monday and you said I’d hear either way by the end of Wednesday. It’s Friday now and I’ve had no response. Once again you’re not inspiring me to believe this is going to be a great place to work when you don’t honour your basic promises.
This last one is a bit specific, but it did happen to me…
Give someone a C# test when they come for a SQL job, and then when challenged on it insist that they attempt it anyway as you think “it will still have some value.”
I’m ashamed to this day that I didn’t just walk out at that point!
