Over the last 3 posts, (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), we have gone over what stress interviews are, the techniques that are used, and tips for success during your stress interview. Now it’s time to supply our final thoughts on stress interviews as a technique.
They Suck
Stress interviews are a terrible type of interview. We at Everyday Interview Tips believe that they are probably the most unfair, bias, and inaccurate ways to judge someone’s candidacy. If a great candidate that handles pressure well is told “You don’t have the job because you are a terrible applicant,” what is to stop them from thinking “Oh, okay” and walking out. The company loses out on a potential contributor.
In addition, stress interviews display a type of arrogance and superiority that is also unfair to the applicant. Remember, interviews are supposed to be a two way street. The applicant has to learn whether or not they want to work for the company. Why would any self-respecting, qualified applicant want to work for a company that treated them that poorly at the interview?
There are only two types of stress techniques that we approve of:
- Wild card questions (what kind of tree would you be?).
- Presentations (sell me this pen).
Those two stress techniques are perfectly fair to the applicant, because although they may stress out the applicant, they also treat the applicant like a person with feelings.
However, there are going to be times when a company believes that a stress interview makes sense for how they hire for the position. Working in Wall Street is a high stress environment with constant failure. If an individual cannot handle that failure, they are not going to succeed. It makes some sense that the company needs to find a way to test your stress levels.
Just note that when you are treated poorly at a stress interview, it has nothing to do with your candidacy, and everything to do with how you handle stress. There may times that dealing with a stress interview is entirely worth it, because the job you can get is well worth the effort. If that is the case, go for it. However, if you feel that the way you were treated at the stress interview is not worth the job that you are hoping to get, then feel free and walk away. You have to want to work for the company as much as the company wants to hire you.
Take Away Interview Tips
- Remember, taking the job is your choice.
- If you choose to go through with the stress interview, don’t take it personally.
- Asking for presentations or asking wild card questions are perfectly acceptable ways to add stress to the applicant without insulting them.
