Judging Interviews

[ladymuck]

Ghosting after an interview has always been common, IME. Agents don't have the time or inclination to deal with a person who isn't going to bring in any revenue. I tend to assume I haven't got the gig if I've not heard anything after a week.

[quackhandle]

Ghosting after an interview has always been common, IME. Agents don't have the time or inclination to deal with a person who isn't going to bring in any revenue. I tend to assume I haven't got the gig if I've not heard anything after a week.

Two of my zoom interviews were direct with the end client, hence why I found it odd for them not to tell me either way. As I tell them if I'm not suitable now, then maybe further down the line I can be.

Even when I could see the little green circle (so I can see they are online on LI) they didn't reply.

People are just weird, or maybe that's contracting.

qh

[psychocandy]

My worse interview experience was actually getting offered a gig at the end of an interview once.

I had 6 weeks left in current gig, they wanted someone in 4 weeks. I agreed to see what I could do but they were ok with 6 weeks. So I went away, told my client I was not renewing and could I finish early. They had to confirm with head office. I kept i touch with agency every week to ensure we're all good.

Two weeks left, client finally agreed to early finish. So I called agency. They called back "ah sorry client didnt want to wait, they gave the gig to someone else"

I was not pleased at this. Had to go back to original client and sheepishly accept another extension....

[LadyPenelope]

Based on this thread, it sounds as though this practice is on the rise. It happened to me in January, for only the second time in my career, so I wasn't expecting it and spent the weekend thinking I may have the job.

And then recruiters go on LI complaining that contractors view them negatively. It's pretty unprofessional not to call and let people know.

[NotAllThere]

I read the thread title and thought of this:

Judgin' interviews? You've got to have the Latin to do the judgin.

[northernladuk]

My worse interview experience was actually getting offered a gig at the end of an interview once.

I had 6 weeks left in current gig, they wanted someone in 4 weeks. I agreed to see what I could do but they were ok with 6 weeks. So I went away, told my client I was not renewing and could I finish early. They had to confirm with head office. I kept i touch with agency every week to ensure we're all good.

Two weeks left, client finally agreed to early finish. So I called agency. They called back "ah sorry client didnt want to wait, they gave the gig to someone else"

I was not pleased at this. Had to go back to original client and sheepishly accept another extension....

I'm sure you moaned about this back in the day calling everyone bell end and non of it was your fault.

[Hairlocks]

There seems the be little correlation between how well I think the interview goes and whether I get it except the ones I balls up and even I wouldn't give me the contract. I have always found out very quickly if I have it. Sometimes I feel like I am the backup plan in case the first choice doesn't except, but no proof on that. Normall my just a we have a few more interviews this week you will find out Monday, then the agent doesn't here for another week.

I've learnt never to expect feedback, I don't really believe the feedback either, some times I know it is false. In my experience if the agent leaves a voice mail / emails to say they have feedback and contact them I haven't got it. If I have got it they can't seem to resist saying so in the voice mail / email.

[JohnM]

This is why I hate agencies calling you 15 minutes after the interview asking for your feedback before they have even spoken to the client. It should be the client they are speaking to first. I politely tell them that my feedback is irrelevant as you never can judge how an interview went

Over 20 years contracting I have done so many different interviews and had so many strange things happen, the thing that really annoys me is

a) No feedback for days, they should always come back to you within 24 hours maximum, I find this extremely unprofessional

b) 2/3 stage interview processes for contracts. I am normally only on the market 2 weeks max from when I start looking properly, I have not got time to attend 2 hour long interviews and do a hackathon test, if you have not got the technical ability to judge a contractor on one discussion you shouldnt be a hiring manager. I always turn down hackathon test requests, I have been coding for 20 years but I am not sitting for an hour or two writing code to solve obscure mathematical problems that you will NEVER use again in your IT career

c) Permies who obviously hate contractors spending hours on google trying to find as many obscure and difficult questions as possible and then sitting for an hour grilling you non stop with tech question after tech question whic you know they would not have a clue how to answer themselves without google. It can always cause problems when a permie tech lead is on an interview, sometimes you can also answer to well to and they feel threatened so bomb you on 'not being a good fit' etc

Lots of companies are interviewing and then ghosting now days, I have had agencies speak to me and tell me they ghosted every applicant and said to them send no more CV's, that is so unprofessional they obviously did not have the budget for the role before interviewing etc

I dont let anything bother me anymore, sometimes when the market is at its worse you can get an offer in a day, sometimes when the market is at its best it can take a few weeks but I still get surprised at interviews, I always carry on and do interviews even after an offer if they are already booked as you never know if your offer will fall through. Got one last week first day I looked but then had some of the weirdest interview experiences I have had in years, hence my original post

Don't let bad interviewers get you down, which I know is tough when in the current climate if you are struggling for work, but a lot of the time it is really not your fault or a negative on yourself its just contracting

[JohnM]

I had two zoom interviews last summer, both went well and both ended with we'll be in touch.


Heard nothing, even when I asked the interviewer direct for info/feedback on Linked In DMs.

Nothing, got proper ghosted. I'm mean tell me I didn't get it that's fine, but to not even respond?

That's contracting for you, but still found it really odd.



qh

It really annoys me that, sometimes you have other offers waiting that you have to try and hold off a bit while you are a waiting and they ghost you. Its so unprofessional but you are right that is contracting