When youre on the other side of the interview...

I must have attended around 15-20 training workshops in the last 4-5 years, I have been in this industry... Generally the most boring ones are the non - technical ones... eg.. Quality, Processes, Leadership management, Time Management... They are all drabby.. and all that I care for while attending such summons is the lunch from the hotel or maybe whether the presenter has good enough "vital" stats herself to keep me awake from post lunch.

I had the same thots when I had submitted an "ayes" to the coordinator, (and after many threats ) regarding a Competency Based Interviewing Workshop about a week back. Though we are a growing institution, and we have to have a head count of this and that and we have to scientify and objectify.. and transparentify .. and efficientify... and blah-blah-ify our interviewing process... the fact that I have 2 consecutive project deliveries lined up the next week... made me much irritated about the prospects of losing out on 1 full day..

So I reached the venue quite a bit late... and was thanking myself to have missed out on a couple of sessions. The co-ordinator was some big shot, IIT-IIMs combined... had a jewelled "past history" and as is usual with these ppl.. an orator and a word juggler more than a teacher of the topic at hand... Of course agar idhar udhar kii baatein nahi karega to ek puura din kaise khatam hoega..

We were a group of 12 people during the day long exercise; people from all verticals of our industry and good names from our company.. from both an IT background and domain scientists.. So I was rest assured.. I could play my sleep away to oblivion card.

The presentations and the general discussions went along fine.. By 'fine' I mean the way expected... even the nice chick had "done her act of the day" :) :)

Then came the most loathed part... the part where the trainees are to perform.. You would have to mutter something... get corrected in the process.. the trainer will have the "see I told you so" smug look on his face ...

He divided us into 3 groups of 4 each with Ages, height and color seeming the only arbitration... and declared.. "You 3 panels will now interview .. 3 different candidates.. from different backgrounds and for different posts.. and at different stages of the interview.. " Each 'interview' was to take an hour or so.. With an hour more of post analysis, and objective evaluation, and eventually panel evaluation and statistics plotting..

We read up our matter.. The resumes, the directions.. the evaluation tables, the rating indexes... the roles to play.. for the technical or the behaviorial round.. or te stress round. or any other.. and how to develop questions..

But then came the unexpected...

Suddenly, out came 3 of our own senior managers themselves !!. They were to be the candidates.. We had no clue that this is going to happen.. Till before we were discussing .. "Let the buggers come.. We will flay them... " ... And now we could hear all the panels including ourselves murmuring "Sh*t, we're screwed" ..

Anyways.. this was hardly the time for goosebumps or a change of gameplan... The managers made it easy themselves .. with lots of laughing around.. and joking that this is the time when we could settle all our scores... etc..

The first panel went inside the "glass room " .. We were watching from outside...
This was a second technical round case.. and our manager was just awesome.. He made up a perfect.. UP waala accent.. in some touches... a Bihari one.. and he screwed up his conversation totally... he gave the impression .. that he knew the whole thing technically... but stuttered at every step while explaining it to the guys... and on top of it.. it was hilarous to see such a dignified and senior manager acting like the UP waala bhaiiya.. and with the "yes.. sir.. i know everything sir.. ho jaayega sir whatever you say sir.. " image .. but being equally clever, in poise and true to his task at the same time.. Everything that the candidates would ask him was replied with "yes sir, ok sir." At one time it got a bit out of hand.. the very first question.. instead of anil Patel.. the interview misread his name as Anil Patil.. and our manager gave an impromptu " no sir.. me Patel sir.. . but whatever u say sir".. We all burst out laughing from outside.. . At the end of it.. technically anyone couldnt ruffle a feather on him.. He was good... But he almost irritatedmost of the panel so much into not taking him for his communication skills.. a fact which was not required for his job profile at all...

Our group was next..
We had demarcated our job roles.. and also positions... One of us would be the Applications and Solutions Head, one for the Products and Systems, one the Services person, and finally the Quality and Process guy... 3 HRs had joined our training and one was therefore added to our group too... Since I was the youngest (in fact the next older guy in the whole group must have been 3-4 years my senior) ..., and because I had no interviewing experience in this company, I was made the Quality and Processes guy, as that was something I WOULD definitely have learnt all through my 3-4 years in the industry and cos they were quite independant of technical jargon I might have to ask. in case we were told to interview for a technical round..

We faced one of our very good scientists.. She was being quizzed for a position in shop floor manager for a transformer factory after doing something similar in the automobile industry... THis was going to be her semi final round .. . And Man was she haughty... She kept complaining about some smell... and the fact that she had already given 5 rounds.. and when was it to end.. She kept harping.. "But I have told this to you before" and again.. she was again a stunner in technical aspects... more a tall speaker... But in this case.. we at the end of the round could not really get an inch from her.. cos she would talk tall about everything else.. in absolute extravagance and pomp about the way she handled herself and her roles in her current company... and we ppl were were not at all experienced to handle any such candidate.. She conducted the whole of the interview, controlled the flow.. and we ended up talking more about her role about our company and about the onsite options.. than what we could gain from her...

The 3rd one was equally horrible from the panel point of view... For the post of a SQA, TQM guy.. the candidate ( Himself our Processes and CMM-i manager (LOL !!! ) ) was very rigid.. spoke only in terse words.. asked clarification.. from any question posed to him.. .. never spoke more than 4 lines... It was surprising that all 4 technical persons.. gave a positive feedback for him.. because.. this is exactly what you require from quality people. Just do a job in black and white.. if there are no procedures.. I am not doing the job.. etc.. Some lines that he spoke were even dumb and rash, foolhardy.. with a I dont care what happens. to the next cubicle person attitude .. but thats the characteristic required... But when thats was done.. he totally changed his attitude with the HR !! for the HR .. within moments.. he got himself a 2 months.. joining. with a 15 day leave.. with a separate round of negotiation .. later separately for the salary.. he avoided a direct bargaining to his salary in his technical round..

Interviewing is a tough job.. especially in a company.. where above 7-10 : 1 is the sucess ratio..
From the behaviorial aspects.. to evaluate the entry to the exit was itself was a handful , the hand shake (whether limp, finger tip, fleeting, persistent, soft, arm pumping !!) , the posture (slouched , cross legged , stiff, casual, relaxed ).. General Talking ( too much, little , to the point , nowhere near the point, "Ummm"s , "Actually"s, "You know"s, "aaaa"s,) the no of superlatives... ,eye contact , Past employers (negative, positive , sarcastic, euphemistic, indifference), The slabs and sheets itself took 1/2 and hour to fill.. and by time we started writing the detailed reasons.. it was already a tiresome task...

Anyways.. Had a good time.,. The best part is when you realize that these managers know exactly the way they could shape / regulate their own interviews.. control their 'panel' of inexperienced interviewers.. and in the process.. also demonstrate to us themselves.. what are the traits.. how to handle extreme cases.. how not to have any pre-conceived notions.. and how to put the cause of the company in a positive way before the candidate.. Their experience of handling 100s of interviews themselves came to the fore.. 'twas a wonderful experience..

Since this is my last post.. of 2004.. I wish every one reading this a very happy new year 2005
Plan to spend the year end at Akhil's place .. with a bunch of other friends.. food , drinks,Spaghetti , balloons, music are being stashed up... Hope to have a good time..


Adios..

Currently on the jukebox...

"I would die for you , Climb the highest mountain ..
Baby, there's nothing, I wouldn't do...

I was standing, all alone against the world outside
You were searching, for a place to hide
Lost and lonely... Now you've given me the will to survive
When we're hungry...love will keep us alive"

Love Will Keep Us Alive - The Eagles (Hell Freezes Over)