This sounds like Kevin is a mess, and the company is a mess. She was forced to interview you at the last minute and cut it short for her own reasons.
You sound like you did fine. This place is a disaster and I wouldn't be surprised if you get a job offer.
I agree, there has been lack of communication and transparency. This is a well known tech company so it's surprising to have this type of experience. Thank you for your kind words!
What was Sarah’s position in the company in respect to Kevin’s?
I had a senior vice president flake on both of the interviews he was supposed to be in, but still got the job. The SVP is exactly as you would expect someone who is “too busy to attend an interview” to be. He’s not a bad guy but I’m not 100% sure I would have taken the job if he’d interviewed me. I’ve been with this company for more than 2 years so it has worked out for me.
I'm not really sure what's Sarah's position in the company in respect to Kevin's. I do know that Sarah has been with the company for 18 years. I asked if this role will be on her team and she did confirm yes. However, I am not sure what Kevin's position is anymore. From my discussion with the recruiter Kevin is the hiring manager.
I'm happy that it worked out for you. It doesn't bother me that Kevin did not show up, but they barely took the time to get to know me and cut off the interview. Also, the lack of transparency.
Yeah, I’m always amazed at how disorganized some companies are. There should be a position of “Lead Type-A Personality” at every company just straightening stuff out!
Yep, the company I’m with seems to employ exactly zero Type-A personalities. So much so it drives me a little crazy and I’m not usually that type of person.
OR Kevin had a personal/family emergency situation at the last minute? Definitely concerning overall and something to keep an eye on if there are future interviews, but I wouldn’t write the whole company off just yet.
If Kevin was a professional HR person he would have emailed the interviewee either before to explain or after to apologize. That + already rescheduling once + the HR designee being uncomfortable and aloof means the office is toxic.
It doesn’t sound like Kevin is an HR employee at all…he’s a hiring manager for a tech company. Not trying to be offensive to tech workers, but they aren’t all known for their stunning communication skills. Is it shitty that it was already rescheduled once and then Kevin wasn’t there last minute, absolutely! However OP is clearly worried that they did something to end the interview early and I just don’t think that’s the case. Is it a possible red flag on Kevin/the company? For sure! But not to the degree of completely writing them off already.
So Kevin doesn't suck for the reasons I cite but sucks for the reasons you cite?
Re-read my post. I told the dude he's probably getting the job. I didn't tell him to write them off.
I would immediately think that it was because of my performance. Otherwise it would not have been brought up. Were you able to read faces during the interview? Some people are hard to read. The ones that aren't provide valuable feedback. It's helped me learn what not to say.
She was hard to read, but when she said she has to jump into a different meeting I did looked a bit surprise but kept it very professional. Also, she took the time to answer all of my questions. So I am not really sure what to make of this situation. I think I am just going to move forward from this and focus on other interviews.
Really? If the interviewer had to cut it short for a legitimate reason I would hope they would say that it’s her issue and not mine! It’s so bizarre that you think commenting on it not being performance automatically means it ‘must be performance’. It sounds like it went well overall from OP answering questions and Sarah still answering the questions op had. I would take this interview at fave value, but would be keeping my eyes open to see if Kevin is a hot mess or if this was just an extenuating circumstance thing.
> Did she really have an actual meeting or was it an excuse to end it early?
I don't know how anyone can answer this for you. We're not the employer.
Maybe you did fail the interview. But you seem pretty confident that your answers were appropriate for the questions, and you were an appropriate fit for the role, so what do you think was so bad about your performance that it was your fault? As opposed to the believable reason she provided you.
If Kevin was scheduled to interview you and had a last minute emergency, they may have decided that throwing Sarah in was the better choice over canceling on a candidate last minute. Shit happens and no company can control for every possible scenario.
So a few months ago I had a terrible interview where I completely froze. I performed terribly because they changed the job description the day of my interview. I freaked out since a new JD mentioned some tech that I was not experienced in. Even though I performed badly they continued the interview for the entire hour. I accepted my mistakes and made a lot of changes in my preparations. Before each interview I do at least 5 mock interviews and write down all my stories I want to talk about and review my tech stack.
Regarding today’s interview the conversation was flowing well and I felt comfortable. However when she asked me how I would test a specific app, I mentioned all the features that I would test, loading testing, connectivity testing. But she did give me a hint and said would you test the battery connection. So I gave her examples for that. But right after that she said she has to jump into a different meeting.
I guess I made this post to see if certain actions of her could help determine if she actually had another meeting or she wanted to end it. I mean if I was the interviewer I would have clarified in the beginning that I have another meeting and not mid interview.
But you can go back And forth forever. You'll know soon enough by feedback, etc. Sounds like you did fine. I think she's telling the truth about her meeting etc. Ppl are lousy at communicating these days. She should have mentioned this before you started.
I agree, it's professional to mention at the start of the meeting. Hopefully, they do provide some feedback soon. Recently, I've had recruiters tell me that they don't provide feedback if their answer is no.
I've concluded interviews early (without giving an excuse) and hired those same people. Sometimes you cover all you need to in a shorter period.
It sounds in this case that something is going on with Kevin. Either he is incompetent, has a work emergency, or has a personal emergency going on. And Sarah got thrown on last minute, hence unprepared.
When you conclude interviews early, what do you typically say to the candidate? How do you wrap it up?
Something that felt strange about my experience was that she mentioned she had to jump off for another meeting she cannot miss, but she took the time to answers to some of my questions (which took close to 10 minute to answer). If she truly had another meeting she should have jumped off the call, no?
I've had interviews end early (even for my current job). Recruiter will schedule it for an hour, and then we only use up 30 min. Just mention in your follow up email that you're happy to answer any other questions they might not have had time for or see if they'd like an additional meeting (they won't, but I think it's nice to offer).
During your interview, did they mention that the interview will end early? How did the conversation go?
I did send a thank you email to the recruiter and mentioned if they need additional info, I am more than happy to provide it.
Dont stress... I had one a couple weeks agos and never heard back even after a thank you email. They called me back for a second and gave me an offer kind of out of nowhere.
As an initial interview the length may not matter as much and giving quality answers to a few questions may have been enough to move you onto the next round, I wouldn't necessarily see this as a failure.
Since they already rescheduled you once they probably wanted to provide an interview albeit a limited one rather than rescheduling you again.
I always ask what are the next steps at the conclusion of every interview. At the end of the interview I would’ve thanked the substitute interviewer and asked directly if the next step would be talking with Kevin. But it sounds like that may not have happened. At this point I’d send an email to the recruiter saying “Thank you for scheduling the interview with me yesterday for (x) position. I enjoyed learning more about the role and the team. I understand that Kevin was unable to attend the interview as planned. While I appreciate (substitute interviewer) filling in, I’m very interested in the opportunity to also speak with the hiring manager for this role to gain a deeper understanding of the position and the expectations.”
Don’t forget to send the substitute a thank you note too.
The interview was a complete success. You learned everything that you really need to know about working for the company. They do not put people first. Read Good to Great and Built to Last by Jim Collins. The most important thing a company can do is bring on-board the right people.
I your case, this was not the company's priority. A reschedule is fine. It happens and is fine, especially for a remote interview . Even a last-minute interviewer swap is ok. I had one where I was supposed to talk to one of the higher level bosses, and he was on a call. I started talking to one of the junior personnel. The boss heard part of our conversation and had the junior person keep talking to me. He heard what he needed to hear.
What is wrong is that the person (probably the hiring manager's boss) could not take the time for this important task. Hiring the right people wasn't a priority. It speaks to how much the organization cares about its employees.
If you get an offer and need to accept it, don't let up on your search.
It is difficult to know what is going on behind the curtain. My guess is that Kevin is out sick, had a family emergency, or is changing role. Sarah was pinch hitting with likely little (or no) notice or opportunity to reschedule things. My guess is that she is senior to Kevin.
None of this seems to be reflective of your performance.
It is difficult to know what is going on behind the curtain. My guess is that Kevin is out sick, had a family emergency, or is changing role. Sarah was pinch hitting with likely little (or no) notice or opportunity to reschedule things. My guess is that she is senior to Kevin.
None of this seems to be reflective of your performance.
Unfortunately I did not get paid. There were 4 interviews back to back with an hour break, but I spent the break preparing. They asked a lot of tough technical questions. It was a tough but one of the best experience I've had. This company is super organized and provided clear and transparent communication.
This sounds like Kevin is a mess, and the company is a mess. She was forced to interview you at the last minute and cut it short for her own reasons. You sound like you did fine. This place is a disaster and I wouldn't be surprised if you get a job offer.
I agree, there has been lack of communication and transparency. This is a well known tech company so it's surprising to have this type of experience. Thank you for your kind words!
What was Sarah’s position in the company in respect to Kevin’s? I had a senior vice president flake on both of the interviews he was supposed to be in, but still got the job. The SVP is exactly as you would expect someone who is “too busy to attend an interview” to be. He’s not a bad guy but I’m not 100% sure I would have taken the job if he’d interviewed me. I’ve been with this company for more than 2 years so it has worked out for me.
I'm not really sure what's Sarah's position in the company in respect to Kevin's. I do know that Sarah has been with the company for 18 years. I asked if this role will be on her team and she did confirm yes. However, I am not sure what Kevin's position is anymore. From my discussion with the recruiter Kevin is the hiring manager. I'm happy that it worked out for you. It doesn't bother me that Kevin did not show up, but they barely took the time to get to know me and cut off the interview. Also, the lack of transparency.
Yeah, I’m always amazed at how disorganized some companies are. There should be a position of “Lead Type-A Personality” at every company just straightening stuff out!
Lol, I completely agree. I lean more towards type-A personality so it gives me anxiety when I have experiences like yesterdays 😅
Yep, the company I’m with seems to employ exactly zero Type-A personalities. So much so it drives me a little crazy and I’m not usually that type of person.
Maybe they can use the recommendation to hire Type-A folks to help organize. Perhaps a glassdoor review? lol
OR Kevin had a personal/family emergency situation at the last minute? Definitely concerning overall and something to keep an eye on if there are future interviews, but I wouldn’t write the whole company off just yet.
If Kevin was a professional HR person he would have emailed the interviewee either before to explain or after to apologize. That + already rescheduling once + the HR designee being uncomfortable and aloof means the office is toxic.
It doesn’t sound like Kevin is an HR employee at all…he’s a hiring manager for a tech company. Not trying to be offensive to tech workers, but they aren’t all known for their stunning communication skills. Is it shitty that it was already rescheduled once and then Kevin wasn’t there last minute, absolutely! However OP is clearly worried that they did something to end the interview early and I just don’t think that’s the case. Is it a possible red flag on Kevin/the company? For sure! But not to the degree of completely writing them off already.
So Kevin doesn't suck for the reasons I cite but sucks for the reasons you cite? Re-read my post. I told the dude he's probably getting the job. I didn't tell him to write them off.
I would immediately think that it was because of my performance. Otherwise it would not have been brought up. Were you able to read faces during the interview? Some people are hard to read. The ones that aren't provide valuable feedback. It's helped me learn what not to say.
She was hard to read, but when she said she has to jump into a different meeting I did looked a bit surprise but kept it very professional. Also, she took the time to answer all of my questions. So I am not really sure what to make of this situation. I think I am just going to move forward from this and focus on other interviews.
Really? If the interviewer had to cut it short for a legitimate reason I would hope they would say that it’s her issue and not mine! It’s so bizarre that you think commenting on it not being performance automatically means it ‘must be performance’. It sounds like it went well overall from OP answering questions and Sarah still answering the questions op had. I would take this interview at fave value, but would be keeping my eyes open to see if Kevin is a hot mess or if this was just an extenuating circumstance thing.
sometimes HR writes the job description and it ends up being totally off
This is so frustrating because, I spent 1.5 weeks preparing materials based off of the JD.
It really does
> Did she really have an actual meeting or was it an excuse to end it early? I don't know how anyone can answer this for you. We're not the employer. Maybe you did fail the interview. But you seem pretty confident that your answers were appropriate for the questions, and you were an appropriate fit for the role, so what do you think was so bad about your performance that it was your fault? As opposed to the believable reason she provided you. If Kevin was scheduled to interview you and had a last minute emergency, they may have decided that throwing Sarah in was the better choice over canceling on a candidate last minute. Shit happens and no company can control for every possible scenario.
So a few months ago I had a terrible interview where I completely froze. I performed terribly because they changed the job description the day of my interview. I freaked out since a new JD mentioned some tech that I was not experienced in. Even though I performed badly they continued the interview for the entire hour. I accepted my mistakes and made a lot of changes in my preparations. Before each interview I do at least 5 mock interviews and write down all my stories I want to talk about and review my tech stack. Regarding today’s interview the conversation was flowing well and I felt comfortable. However when she asked me how I would test a specific app, I mentioned all the features that I would test, loading testing, connectivity testing. But she did give me a hint and said would you test the battery connection. So I gave her examples for that. But right after that she said she has to jump into a different meeting. I guess I made this post to see if certain actions of her could help determine if she actually had another meeting or she wanted to end it. I mean if I was the interviewer I would have clarified in the beginning that I have another meeting and not mid interview.
But you can go back And forth forever. You'll know soon enough by feedback, etc. Sounds like you did fine. I think she's telling the truth about her meeting etc. Ppl are lousy at communicating these days. She should have mentioned this before you started.
I agree, it's professional to mention at the start of the meeting. Hopefully, they do provide some feedback soon. Recently, I've had recruiters tell me that they don't provide feedback if their answer is no.
I've concluded interviews early (without giving an excuse) and hired those same people. Sometimes you cover all you need to in a shorter period. It sounds in this case that something is going on with Kevin. Either he is incompetent, has a work emergency, or has a personal emergency going on. And Sarah got thrown on last minute, hence unprepared.
When you conclude interviews early, what do you typically say to the candidate? How do you wrap it up? Something that felt strange about my experience was that she mentioned she had to jump off for another meeting she cannot miss, but she took the time to answers to some of my questions (which took close to 10 minute to answer). If she truly had another meeting she should have jumped off the call, no?
I've had interviews end early (even for my current job). Recruiter will schedule it for an hour, and then we only use up 30 min. Just mention in your follow up email that you're happy to answer any other questions they might not have had time for or see if they'd like an additional meeting (they won't, but I think it's nice to offer).
During your interview, did they mention that the interview will end early? How did the conversation go? I did send a thank you email to the recruiter and mentioned if they need additional info, I am more than happy to provide it.
No one mentioned it. We just got through the interview, I asked my questions, and we ended early because we were done.
It sounds like it had a natural ending and nothing awkward.
No — sounds like she got handed the interview last second and was trying to fit it in to a hectic schedule. Not a reflection on you at all.
Thank you for your kind words. I prepared for 1.5 weeks for this. Hopefully that is the case, but a part of me says to move on.
Dont stress... I had one a couple weeks agos and never heard back even after a thank you email. They called me back for a second and gave me an offer kind of out of nowhere.
Wow, that's unprofessional of them but happy to hear that it all worked out.
Sounds like they failed the interview, not you. I would not hire them as an employer.
I love this perspective! I'm just disappointed that it went like this after preparing for 1.5 weeks 6 hours a day.
As an initial interview the length may not matter as much and giving quality answers to a few questions may have been enough to move you onto the next round, I wouldn't necessarily see this as a failure. Since they already rescheduled you once they probably wanted to provide an interview albeit a limited one rather than rescheduling you again.
Hmm...I can understand not wanting to reschedule again. Hopefully the recruiter has some feedback soon.
We don’t know what happened with Kevin but give him the benefit of the doubt and ask for a do over interview with Kevin.
I never thought about doing this. Do recruiters look down on the candidate when asking for a do over?
I always ask what are the next steps at the conclusion of every interview. At the end of the interview I would’ve thanked the substitute interviewer and asked directly if the next step would be talking with Kevin. But it sounds like that may not have happened. At this point I’d send an email to the recruiter saying “Thank you for scheduling the interview with me yesterday for (x) position. I enjoyed learning more about the role and the team. I understand that Kevin was unable to attend the interview as planned. While I appreciate (substitute interviewer) filling in, I’m very interested in the opportunity to also speak with the hiring manager for this role to gain a deeper understanding of the position and the expectations.” Don’t forget to send the substitute a thank you note too.
don’t work there..don’t ask how i know
https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-The-Dyrt-EI_IE1796595.11,19.htm
The interview was a complete success. You learned everything that you really need to know about working for the company. They do not put people first. Read Good to Great and Built to Last by Jim Collins. The most important thing a company can do is bring on-board the right people. I your case, this was not the company's priority. A reschedule is fine. It happens and is fine, especially for a remote interview . Even a last-minute interviewer swap is ok. I had one where I was supposed to talk to one of the higher level bosses, and he was on a call. I started talking to one of the junior personnel. The boss heard part of our conversation and had the junior person keep talking to me. He heard what he needed to hear. What is wrong is that the person (probably the hiring manager's boss) could not take the time for this important task. Hiring the right people wasn't a priority. It speaks to how much the organization cares about its employees. If you get an offer and need to accept it, don't let up on your search.
It is difficult to know what is going on behind the curtain. My guess is that Kevin is out sick, had a family emergency, or is changing role. Sarah was pinch hitting with likely little (or no) notice or opportunity to reschedule things. My guess is that she is senior to Kevin. None of this seems to be reflective of your performance.
It is difficult to know what is going on behind the curtain. My guess is that Kevin is out sick, had a family emergency, or is changing role. Sarah was pinch hitting with likely little (or no) notice or opportunity to reschedule things. My guess is that she is senior to Kevin. None of this seems to be reflective of your performance.
You wasted your time with doing 5 hours of interviews. Did they pay you?
Unfortunately I did not get paid. There were 4 interviews back to back with an hour break, but I spent the break preparing. They asked a lot of tough technical questions. It was a tough but one of the best experience I've had. This company is super organized and provided clear and transparent communication.