One of my recent resume clients has completed interviews at his local target company. Two different rounds, and now they want to schedule a third round of interviews. It’s been quite a while since he has been in the job market and the lengthy process is frustrating for a number reasons. He gets stoked each time he finishes the interview loop but then wound up when they tell him they have another round.
My last three jobs have all entailed at least two separate days of interviews with multiple people. People always ask me why the organization is scheduling multiple days of interviews. Believe it or not, it is considered a better candidate experience to spread interviews over a couple of different days than try and have a 3 hour break in the middle. Here are some of the reasons:
‘ It takes 1-2 hours to schedule a short interview loop (2-3 people). Keep in mind that everyone on the loop has busy schedules (think about it, they are doing extra work which is why there is an opening in the first place!), and scheduling successive appointments is like trying to figure out a jigsaw puzzle. If people decline, or don’t respond you need to keep on them for their responses.
‘ If it is an urgent role to fill, the thought is get you in to see at least a few people rather than wait longer to try and piece together the schedule.
‘ At some businesses conference rooms are at a premium, and in an open concept office you only have a finite number of options for private conversations. Great for collaboration, poor for confidential or intense 1:1 meetings.
‘ Some highly collaborative businesses are looking more at your cultural fit than you skills; they may want you to meet with more people that you will interact with. This is especially true at startup (either early or late stage) companies. They tend to be more consensus driven than other companies.
‘ You may have impressed the team with your background and they have other opportunities they want to explore with you and people they didn’t realize they would need on the interview loop.
‘ There may be an industry conference, visiting executives/clients, or a product release that is tying up the schedules of one or more of the teams you need to meet with which causes a delay.
B />’ The higher up the management chain a decision maker is, the harder it is to get time blocked on their schedule. It isn’t that interviewing isn’t a priority, it’s that it is one of MANY priorities.
It may be difficult to remember, but when a company keeps bringing you *back* for interviews it is a very positive sign. It means that you are still in consideration and that you are consistently "wowing" them.