Interview CSI

CSI = Crime Scene Investigation

Interview CSI = Interview Forensics. Forming a guess of what is happening behind the scenes with the employer's hiring process.

For you as a job candidate, things may not go smoothly when you apply for a job. And there's no way for you to know exactly what's going on behind the scenes at the hiring company. You can only go by what they say to you and how they treat you, which can be very cryptic and/or sporadic. But maybe there are enough clues. You just need to know what to look for.

NOTE: The following method and techniques are not perfect. But maybe they can help you form a mental model in your mind that will have some practical uses for you.

General Guidelines

Things to watch for:

1. Time Line Analysis: How fast events happen-- fast is good, delay is not good
2. Mode of communication-- email, phone.
3. The level/role of the person you are dealing with-- hiring manager vs. recruiter.
4. Reason for a delay-- reasonable or not.
5. Momentum-- you feel the employer's interest level in you stays high or declines abruptly.

Example

We'll use a real posting in LinkedIn:

"I'm called for an interview.  The day of the interview, the recruiter emails me stating that she's running a few mins late and will call me in 30 mins.  I don't receive a call in 30 mins.  Later that day I get another email asking if I can reschedule for that Friday.  Friday arrives and I don't get a call or an email.  A month later I get a Thanks but no thanks letter.  I felt this was extremely rude and unprofessional.  I attended a networking group a few weeks later and learn that this same recruiter did the same thing to an individual who was also at the networking group. "

My Analysis

“I'm called for an interview.”

Did you apply and they called you the next day, the next week? Next day means your resume’ gave them an extremely strong positive first impression. This should influence your actions during the rest of the interview process.

Next day also means they are keeping up with the influx of candidates on the front end. Which may have caused a problem for the backend recruiter folks with too many candidates to process. So expect a delay after initial contact.

Note also the recruiter had phoned you rather than email. I think phone shows a stronger interest which is good.

“ The day of the interview, the recruiter emails me stating that she's running a few mins late and will call me in 30 mins.”

Email instead of phone = she’s backing off.

“ I don't receive a call in 30 mins. “

Something on her side came up and is lessening her enthusiasm for you. Most likely they found a better candidate.

“ Later that day I get another email asking if I can reschedule for that Friday.”

Email, not phone = not good.

But same-day response is good.

A one-week delay for a phone interview? Not good. Phone interviews are usually short and thus easy to schedule. They have another short-list candidate that they want to interview in-person.

I would have pressed for a phone interview earlier than Friday.

“ Friday arrives and I don't get a call or an email.”

Unprofessional. But it probably means they were impressed by the other candidate, and your candidacy lost momentum.

Call the recruiter that Friday to hear what she says.

“ A month later I get a Thanks but no thanks letter.”

The lesson here is don’t be afraid to manage your recruiter. Step in when you need to.

“ I attended a networking group a few weeks later and learn that this same recruiter did the same thing to an individual who was also at the networking group.”

There may be a process problem with that company/agency the recruiter works for, e.g., fickle hiring managers.

Analysis Summary

Momentum started strong (usually does) but then weakened abruptly. That's a bad sign. Don't be afraid to speak up.

Strong momentum is a relief and your natural tendency would be to relax a little and let your guard down, allow the employer to take control. This is actually when you need to be more vigilant and take action when needed. When they take interest in you, they know they have you hooked and so they don't need to do anything more to keep you engaged. You may have to remind them to pay attention to you but in a nice way ;-) .

If you do this right, you may actually get more interest from them AND get them to disclose more to you than intended.

Without CSI--

You: "What's going on with my candidacy?"

Them: "Everything is on-track."

With CSI--

You: "I'm concerned that your interest level in me has dropped off. If this is true, I'd like to be given a chance to correct that. I think I bring a lot of great skills and experience to this position. I'd like to talk further about this with you."

Them: "Yes, we've had some insider personal referrals apply for the position. We give them priority in our hiring process. We have a Friday telephone interview scheduled for you."

You: "How about now?"

Them: "Now?"

You: "If you have the time. I am very serious about this job."

Them: "Give me a few minutes to collect my notes and call you back."

You: With a smile in your voice, "I'll stay on the line."

Them: "Wow, you ARE serious!"

Conclusion on Interview CSI

Does Interview CSI have value? Maybe.

The most important benefit that Interview CSI can do for you is make you a more active participant in the hiring process. And maybe signal you when you need to be more active ;-) .

Addendum: Time Line Analysis

I mentioned a tiny amount about Time Line Analysis above. Here is an example of the questions that need to be asked in a full analysis. I will discuss details in a future article.

1. What date was the job position opened?

2. What is the job ad’s close date when it will stop accepting applications for the job?

3. What date did you apply for the job? Online?

4. Did you receive an auto reply? When?  

5. What date did you receive a phone call or email mentioning the employer's interest in you?

6. What date was your interview? On the phone? Video? In-person?

What were the job roles of the people you interviewed with? HR? Hiring manager? Peer-level? Managers of other groups?

Did each interview run the full time allotted or overtime, or were shortened? For example, if an interview was scheduled for 45 minutes but ran 48 minutes, that's good.