Why an interview is a marathon and not a sprint

Recently I have had some situations where employers and candidates test each other's patience as the interview process has been more protracted than anyone expected.  But with the exception of one that did not work out, the extra time proved to be priceless in ensuring the right long term match for both parties.

There was also a marathon held in Des Moines over the weekend, so I got to thinking about the differences in training methodologies between a marathon runner and a sprinter.  And how those differences may relate to the interview process.  Quick caveat as we tackle this topic together - I am NOT a runner.  So the perspective will be mostly related to my profession.  Heck, I have a hard enough time keeping up with my eight-year old son in our backyard these days.

The first tip is to think about the long term.  A sprinter has to lay it all on the line in a short period of time.  If you have a bad start, you likely can't make up for it.  A marathon runner in contrast has many different opportunities throughout a race to make up for lost time.  When interviewing for the first time with a prospective employer it is important to realize they don't need to know your whole life story in sixty minutes.  I often challenge candidates to see if they can get the employer to talk more than they do during the course of a first interview.  That way they can avoid talking way too much about their background, especially the parts that are irrelevant to the job they are interviewing for.

The second tip is to use your mind to your advantage.  In a sprint a runner is only focused on running as hard as they can in a short burst.  A marathon runner may need to intentionally slow down occasionally to store energy for the final few miles.  At any point in an interview both parties need to carefully select when and why to share particular details about the opportunity.  This is why several meetings may need to occur before knowing the position is a match for everyone.  Recently I had a candidate who wanted badly to share letters of recommendation during a first interview.  I advised why it could be much more powerful later in the process as it could look too much like it was forced.  This person took the advice, the company fell in love with the background, and the letters were only presented at the end as icing on the cake to confirm how good of an employee they were getting.

The final tip is to always run your own race and not let anyone else dictate your pace.  In a sprint you want to be the first out of the gates and push hard until the end.  In a marathon you could start in the back or middle of the pack and still easily win the race.  One of the comments I dislike after a first interview with a candidate is the fact that they hope to meet with several more candidates and will only be back in touch after that occurs.  It is de-moralizing to hear that as it might give the impression that the company did not like the candidate.  It seldom matters, however, because the employer most times either liked the candidate or they didn't.  And over time it will either be further reinforced or shown that there is indeed someone else that will win the race.  Bottom line is that at that point you have already done what you can.  So stay focused on what your plan was going into the interview and don't sweat the small stuff.

Have you ever needed a reminder that an interview is a marathon and not sprint?  If so, how did you respond?