One of the most difficult parts of my job as a recruiter is balancing the expectations of candidates regarding timing with what the client's expectations are during an interview process. I happened to think about this over the weekend as I attended the Good Guys' Autocross at our State Fairgrounds. There is nothing like seeing and hearing these machines race around the track on a hot summer day. What struck me was how they all approached the course differently.
The cars that clearly had the most happening under the hood oftentimes struggled the most with the tight corners. As shown in the picture above, if the driver gave it too much gas, the brakes may not slow things down quickly enough before taking out a few cones. In stark contrast there were also some cars that were clearly not out there to set any records, like a pink 1971 VW Bug convertible. Amazingly though, it was one of the few cars that did NOT knock over a cone at some point or get loose on a corner turn. So which is better when approaching an interview - slow and steady wins the race, or go all out and hope for the best?
My answer may surprise you - it is both. You have to create a strategy going into an interview, yet also be willing and able to adjust mid-way through as the circumstances may change. We were standing close enough to the pits to hear some of the drivers and crew discussing the best approach to getting around the track and what they may tweak on the car. If you can adjust on the fly with your interview, especially in regards to timing, that will greatly benefit you. There are many ideas/tips that I could share, but below is one example of when to hit the gas and one example of when to hit the brakes.
It is always a good idea to hit the gas if you have multiple interviews going on at the same time and one of them picks up steam. Don't hear what I'm not saying - it is never a good idea to back anyone into a corner if one interview moves along more quickly than another. But what is always fair and something I recommend is open and honest communication. Let your recruiter (and employers you are interviewing with) know a reasonable expectation of your timing in regards to other interviews. You may not always see if coming, but if you can give more than a 24-48 hour heads up, that is ideal and shows your cards without overplaying them. This is particularly critical if the interview picking up steam is not your #1 choice.
Now, when to hit the brakes. Believe it or not the best time to hit the brakes is when you're moving too fast and the employer is not keeping pace. Similar to the autocross drivers not wanting to hit the cones by flying through a corner or hairpin turn, you don't want to press too hard with a company you are interviewing with even if in a perfect world you want things to move more quickly. There are only a few conclusions an employer can come to if a candidate presses too hard on timing. First of all, the candidate could appear desperate to get out of a bad situation and needs to land a job quickly. Secondly, the candidate could be perceived as attempting to get two offers at the same time in order to leverage one over another. Lastly, they could simply be seen as impatient and that is not always a good quality to have as a new employee. So as much as hitting the brakes could seem counter-intuitive, it could be the best thing to do at the time.
Bottom line is that there is no one answer on the perfect time to hit the gas or the brakes. The best thing to do is feel your way along the track so to speak and listen to those around you in your "crew" as they might have a different perspective than you behind the wheel just doing everything you can to keep the car on the track. Or in this case the interview process.
Do you have any examples of recent interviews where you have either had to hit the gas or the brakes? I would love to hear about them!
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