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RE: bouncing back from interview disappointment (WAS: Advice needed for an upcoming interview)
Subject:RE: bouncing back from interview disappointment (WAS: Advice needed for an upcoming interview) From:"Porrello, Leonard" <lporrello -at- illumina -dot- com> To:"McLauchlan, Kevin" <Kevin -dot- McLauchlan -at- safenet-inc -dot- com>, Kat Kuvinka <katkuvinka -at- hotmail -dot- com>, Ken Poshedly <poshedly -at- bellsouth -dot- net>, Peter Neilson <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net>, "techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Fri, 31 May 2013 15:38:33 +0000
I suppose that a lot would depend on if it is a buyer's or seller's employment market. When there are far too many candidates for a position, stringing along candidates is inexcusable. If candidates are scarce and you have one who looks like he or she may be a winner, I can see why you'd bring him or her in even if you are planning to make an offer to someone else. In general, however, ethical employers would disclose as much as possible: "We've already extended an offer to another candidate, but we like your resume and are still very interested in you and would like to have you in for an interview." Sure, a lot of candidates may pass. On the other hand, that type of honesty is something that would make me eager to work for a company, especially in seller's market. Perhaps I am too idealistic?
(BTW, I didn't mean to single out Kat. Her post just happened to put the situation in a very clear light for me. As I've said, I am not sure that I would have acted differently.)
-----Original Message-----
From: McLauchlan, Kevin [mailto:Kevin -dot- McLauchlan -at- safenet-inc -dot- com]
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2013 7:51 AM
To: Porrello, Leonard; Kat Kuvinka; Ken Poshedly; Peter Neilson; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: bouncing back from interview disappointment (WAS: Advice needed for an upcoming interview)
I'm getting to this rather late, so ignore if already covered.
In defense of Kat, grunt-level employees rarely know the whole picture.
The manager might have been a s**t and wanted to drag someone else in. But it could as easily have been that the selection was not a sure thing, and they wanted somebody on standby, in case the first choice didn't accept, or the preliminary security screen didn't pan out, or s/he got hit by a bus on the way to the first day on the job, or....
Top candidates... any candidates, really ... are likely to be pursuing more than just one opportunity at any given time.
As a candidate, it's part of the game to keep your poker-face on, and artfully drag your feet a little, when it looks like you might be a top pick for company B, but you really are hoping that YOUR top pick - company A - will come through, before you accept second-best.
It's not rare for a company to want to keep the top few candidates interested until the process is "final" from their side.
That's one reason why you rarely get the "We're sorry, but you were not the best candidate" letter until weeks later... after you've already accepted your second or third choice offer. :-)
-----Original Message-----
From: Porrello, Leonard
Sent: May-29-13 12:55 PM
To: Kat Kuvinka; Ken Poshedly; Peter Neilson; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: bouncing back from interview disappointment (WAS: Advice needed for an upcoming interview)
You may want to think about it another way, Kat. You, not the interviewee, are the real victim.
A lie is when we deliberately mislead another regarding information that he or she has a right to know. Arguably, before I take the time for an interview, I have a right to know that the job for which I am interviewing is no longer open. In other words, when an employer interviews someone while knowing that the job has already been filled (or cancelled), that employer is a liar.
I wonder if one's culpability is mitigated if one lies because one is instructed to do so by one's employer? "I was just following orders"? What would happen if you told your employer, "I'm sorry, but if the position is already filled, I can't do the interview, because having the interview would be blatantly dishonest"?
It troubles me that we take it for granted that lying is a normal and acceptable part of the employment game.
-----Original Message-----
From: Kat Kuvinka
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 7:42 AM
To: Ken Poshedly; Peter Neilson; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: bouncing back from interview disappointment (WAS: Advice needed for an upcoming interview)
Yup, one time I was conducting some phone interviews and my manager told me they had decided on a candidate, but to go on with this interview anyway. I still don't understand why. This lady was really enthusiastic and a good fit, and I felt absolutely terrible wasting her time.
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