Although I am a passive job seeker, I occasionally get the opportunity to have online screening Skype interviews. This is a great opportunity for me to broaden my network regardless what the outcome would be.
During past couple of days, I have had two interviews with some start-up companies located in Kenya, and Germany, and I felt that I should be publishing this post to let those active job seekers - especially the executives - to get distinguish between a European and African way of interviewing. By the way, I don't mean to stereotype anyone or any culture, but what I am about to share with you is totally based on true experience which I had, and I hope that if any of you HR people read this, can learn something from.Out of discretion, I will not reveal company names, instead, I will call them G for the German interviewer, and K for the Kenyan one.
Kenya
Last week, K's assistant had reached me out telling me that they would be interested in having an online screening interview with me at a mutually agreed date and time. As I have replied positively to the email, I asked for the Skype addresses, so that I could add them into my contacts lists. So far so good....my assistant Nancy had sent them an email to confirm the date and time of the upcoming interview, which was not answered at all. Just before one day of the interview, I sent another email to confirm the date and time, which was finally confirmed. The next day, I was sitting infront of my computer, and the time was up, so I I wrote to her - "...shall we start?" - No answer ! I thought, may be this was because of the time difference....so I waited for another ten minutes and sent an email to both "K" and her assistant asking if everything was allright? Her assistant replied and said that she was in another interview which should be finished in a minute.
There she was....With fifteen minutes delay, and right away, "K" made it very clear to me that this was just a screening interview and would be for ten minutes only. It was very clear to me that a written questionnaire was given to her, to ask the candidates, assuming that each candidate had the same experience, background, skills, or talents. I came to this conclusion because "K" was asking me questions which could have various dynamics to answer it. For instance, she asked me to imagine that she was my boss, and asked me to convince her to accept a possible business plan I had in mind. So I asked her if she had, 45 minutes and not only 10...and in return, she told me that she was trying to get to know my character. I didn't even bother asking more questions about the company, job scope, direct reporting, and start date...It was a 12 minute nightmare !
Germany
You can call it as, first impression, professionalism, discipline, or punctuality; here is the German way, of an interview. So, "G" has reached me out to set a Skype meeting (she clearly pre-indicated that it was going to be a closed camera) indicating a couple of optional dates and possible different times. Leaving me with a good option to choose the most suitable time for both parties. After that, we mutually agreed on 10am and confirmed via email.
On that given time, at "exactly" 10:03am, she wrote over Skype and asked me if I was available. This was a good sign...puncuality and courtesy; checked ! Next, we were online and started off with a nice friendly chat. As I was talking, I could hear her typing on her keyboard taking notes. I asked all the questions I had in mind, and got clear and clever answers back.
Just looked at my watch and realised that we were online for 1 hour 15 minutes !
Finally, I thanked her for the great interview which I enjoyed very much, regardless what the outcome would be.
Synopsis:
Interviewers: Be punctual, be polite, ask clever questions which you can back up, don't forget that you are interviewing and not intorrogating, never underestimate your applicant's experience, background, and wisdom !
Applicants: Be punctual, be polite, do your research on the company that you are applying for, regulate your tone of voice, humor is good but don't try to be funny, and most important, if you think that you are being rather interrogated, kindly ask to end that interview and not lose time anymore.
Good Luck !
PS: Don't think that I am doing a favoritism...I am not German.
