Michael DeSafey | Executive Recruiter and HR Professional
Can You Handle It?? Stress Interviews….
As a professional recruiter who has been working in and recruiting professionals in the environmental, engineering and construction industries for over 18 years now at Webuild Staffing. I have seen many extremely qualified candidates encounter a interview technique that places a candidate into a stressful interview environment.
Stress interviews are one of the lesser common interviews types you will encounter in your job search; but yet are still utilized by some employers out there.
The idea behind this interview technique is just what it sounds like – it is designed to put you under a tremendous amount of stress so the employer can see how you handle specific situations and questions. The goal of the interviewer is to see how you react; can you lead by example, manage people and situations as they arise. While keeping your cool and focus on the job at hand.
The interview environment may seem stressful from the minute you enter the door to the time you leave. Typically you are treated inconsiderately and often made to wait quite a while for the actual interview. You most likely will be treated rudely and asked questions that are focused around how you react in to situations, question your authority as a leader and/or may judge you based on your possible answers to questions asked.
If you encounter this type of interview stop and consider if this is really a company you want to work for. If this is how they conduct their interviews it is a good possibility that it is a preview to how they treat their employees as well. An environment of confrontation, intimidation and discomfort in the workplace may not be the most desirable career move and while the employer is evaluating you, you should also be doing the same.
Always remember to keep your perspective, act professional, answer questions directly and evaluate an organization based on your career goals and objectives. There is no harm to telling an interviewer that you believe this may the wrong type of working environment for you, thank them for their time and move on to the next career prospect.
Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing (www.webuildstaffing.com). To learn more about Michael or Follow his Blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com