More Lax Interviewers

It is a buyers market. Companies have so many people to choose from that they don't have to play by the rules when it comes to interviewing people. They feel they can make the rules. But what they don't realize is that there is now a social media network that can translate their bad behavior to others in less than 2 seconds. Plus they also think that this is going to last forever, and that their actions won't affect their company in the future.

This might sound perfectly harmless, but it isn't. I received three phone calls for interviews between Wednesday and Thursday of last week. Now Monday is Labor Day so many companies are closed on Monday. But this is the restaurant industry so most restaurants are open on holidays, and all three of these companies are restaurants. So I promptly called these companies back on Thursday, but wasn't able to reach anybody. In fact, not a single one of those companies called me back on Friday. Now what does that say to you?

It says to me that maybe they started their holiday weekend a little early this week. It also says to me that they are not answering their voice mail and don't take their jobs that seriously when there are millions of people looking for work. But let's dig a little deeper shall we.

The question I have is if I should jump at the chance to work for these companies after they did what they did. It's now Tuesday, one of the companies wanted me to interview on Wednesday, but never made a firm commitment. Should I hold up everything that may be planned for Wednesday in the hopes that somebody over there will pick up the phone and call me? I'm going to be gone the rest of the day, I have to make a decision about my schedule for tomorrow before I leave. Right now a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush so I guess I won't have that interview tomorrow. And in future deliberations about companies I will have to reconsider my tactics.

Now some people might think that I'm being to particular, but consider this. When you go for an interview you are on display. From the moment you walk in the door. And to be quite honest before you walk in the door they want to know everything about you. They want to know about your Facebook pages or your Twitter accounts. It seems like an invasion of privacy, and it is. But if companies want to know everything about you before you walk in the door, then shouldn't they be held to the same standard. When you enter an interview situation 99 percent of the time you first meet the receptionist. This is the person that truly holds your fate in their hands. So many people don't do well because they don't come correct with the receptionist. Well isn't my answering machine the equivalent to that receptionist. (Obviously not!) But it is my first contact, and how you deal with my first contact is just as important as how I deal with your first contact. If I left a company hanging for a few days they would probably not want to see me. Shouldn't they be held to the same standard.

This weeks worst company....Potbelly Sandwich Company.

An interview is a two-way street, not a one-way alley.