“You are just what this company needs!” You heard this from an interviewer.
But you did not get the job…..
Overly positive feedback in a job interview is confusing for candidates. Recent clients of mine heard these statements in interviews:
“You have exactly the skills we really need in this position!”
“No one has ever come up with the that solution before. We will really benefit from your way of creative problem solving.”
“When you work here, you will love the office and our new campus.”
“We hope to have you start as soon as possible.”
Such positive energy improves the interview experience, but when the outcomes is negative it diminishes a candidate’s long term view of the employer. Candidates are taking in a lot of cues during an interview, hoping to gauge how they are doing and their chances of getting an offer.
At the same time, interviewing others can stressful. Being upbeat and enthusiastic seems to smooth the process for everyone. When there are a lot of interviewers together sometimes the feeling of the interview becomes more social and casual. Both situations can end up being misleading.
What do you think? As a candidate, what’s your experience been? As an interviewer, how do you stay professional and neutral while being friendly?
Thanks to Rebecca Zucker for sharing more interview warning signs.