On the business side, the interview process is just as cumbersome. On average, it takes companies several weeks to make a hire. Given how lengthy—and expensive—the hiring process can be, it should come as no surprise that some hiring managers are getting creative.
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“Hiring managers might throw you some curveballs during an interview to see how you think and deal with the unexpected,” says Hallie Yager, regional recruiting director at IT staffing firm Mondo. “They want to catch you off guard and see how you react under pressure.”
These techniques—including take-home tests, white-boarding exercises and group interviews—are becoming more common, too, says Allison Hutton, chief talent officer at talent acquisition firm Allavanti Group.
“Most people should expect one of these to happen in most interviews these days,” she says. “Organizations are trying to improve their new hire success rates, which hover around 50 percent.”
Here’s a look at five IT job interview curveballs, plus how to tackle them when you have time to prepare and when you don’t.
If you have time to prepare: Hiring managers might use group interviews—in which you sit down with a handful of employees from various parts of the company—to see how you deal with uncertainty or communicate under pressure, Yarger says.
If you know you’ll be meeting with a group of people, ask for their names and titles in advance, then research them. You’ll also want to spend some time determining what they’re looking for in an ideal candidate, and prepare how you’ll articulate what you bring to the table that could help them in their individual jobs, Hutton says.
“Depending on the role, the client might be looking for candidates who can speak their mind and aren’t intimidated by speaking against authority,” Yarger adds. “They might want to see that you can stand up for yourself and challenge others with a different way of thinking.”
During the interview, make sure you maintain eye contact and answer questions completely. “Always clarify that you’ve answered the question to their satisfaction and everyone else’s,” Hutton says.
If you don’t have time to prepare: If you’re thrust into a group interview scenario, jot down everyone’s names and titles when they introduce themselves so you can address everyone by name, Yarger advises.
“Do your best to engage everyone and ask them questions. You have a unique snapshot of people in the company, so use it to learn as much as you can about the organization from their varying perspectives,” Hutton says. “When you get people to talk about themselves, they tend to see you in a more positive light, too.”
Another way to lighten the mood and endear yourself with the group: Use humor.
“No one likes being on the hot seat in a room full of strangers, so when you can, use humor to lighten the mood,” Hutton says. “There is a certain amount of empathy for you from the people in the room, and if you can laugh about the situation, you’ll be more at ease, which will help others see you more positively.”
If you have time to prepare: Whiteboard tests, in which you’re asked to think through a problem or scenario in front of others, tend to be surprise situations for candidates. But if you are expecting a whiteboard test, the best way to prepare is to think through various situations in advance, Hutton says.
“Whether or not you know your stuff becomes apparent quickly in these scenarios,” she says. “It’s a good exercise to do this on your own: Mentally prepare yourself that using a whiteboard is a very real possibility, and think about what they might want to see, then practice writing or drawing it out.”
If you don’t have time to prepare: Hiring managers give candidates whiteboard tests to see how you think through a problem or the different ways you arrive at a conclusion, Yarger says. If you’re thrust into this scenario, explain yourself as you work.
“If the hiring manager is in the room with you, talk as you work through the problem,” she says. “If you have to write code, show them how you’re getting from Point A to Point B. With coding, especially, there are different ways to get to the same result. The hiring manager will be interested to see how you think through it.”
If you have time to prepare: While video interviews have grown more popular among hiring managers, they’re a scenario in which a lot can go wrong, Yarger says. Preparing for a video interview can be time-consuming, but there are a few standard elements you should focus on.
“First and foremost, you need to test the equipment you’re using to make sure it works—otherwise you’re wasting the hiring manager’s time,” Yarger says. This includes a dry run to ensure the microphone and video camera work, and that your space is quiet, well-lit and free of distractions, she says.
In addition, always dress professionally—as you would in an in-person interview—and pay attention to the camera angle, Hutton adds. “Sit in a comfortable chair and place your device on a flat, level surface so you can speak naturally, without having to sink down or crane your neck,” she says.
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If you don’t have time to prepare: Having a back-up plan if something goes wrong is key to acing a video interview that you don’t have much time to prepare for, Yarger says. If you’re at work, do not take the call from your car. Find a quiet conference room where you can set up instead, she says.
“Even if the interview is last-minute, find out roughly what the hiring manager wants to talk about, quickly brainstorm talking points and jot them down,” Yarger says. And while you want to test the equipment you’ll use, be prepared for it to fail. “If you’re having issues, have a backup—bring your cellphone with you or be somewhere with access to a landline.”
Surprise video interviews also mean you might not be dressed for the part, Yarger says. “Some offices are very casual—if that’s the case, be sure to address that up front in your conversation.”
If you have time to prepare: Take-home coding tests are among the most disliked interview tactics among candidates, Yarger says. “A lot of them don’t like coding tests because they feel like they’re being forced to go back to the fundamentals where they’re asked textbook questions that might not seem applicable in real life,” she says.
Instead, consider a take-home test an opportunity to move forward on merit alone. “If you’re against a top-tier candidate from a better college or with more experience, you have a better shot if you ace it,” Yarger says.
Always pay attention to the time frame you’re given, and complete it early, if possible. Also, be sure to treat this opportunity with the same level of importance as you would any other part of the interview process: “We’ve seen candidates kick themselves out of the running because they’re a senior developer and don’t think they need to do it,” she says. “That job could have been a really good fit for them if they just gave them the time of day.”
If you don’t have time to prepare: If you’re given a take-home test to complete in a limited time frame, do your best to complete it, and never resort to Googling an answer, Yarger says.
“It’s easy to lose a bit of confidence when you’re thrown something like a test, but don’t use Google to find the answer,” she says. “A hiring manager can Google an answer just as easily, and then you’ll take yourself out of the process.”
Yarger also says it’s okay to ask for an extension. “If you’re busy with work, it’s ok to say something like, ‘I really want to give this my full attention; can I have this to you in 48 hours rather than 24’ Just be upfront about it.”
If you have time to prepare: Obviously, you’ll prepare a killer presentation. And you’ll rehearse it to perfection. But you’ve also got to expect the unexpected, Yarger says. Maybe the clicker isn’t working, or there’s no computer cable available. What’s your Plan B
“Regardless of what’s thrown at you—maybe it’s on purpose, or purely coincidental—they want to see how you think in high-pressure situations,” she says. “Don’t let this throw you off your game.”
If you don’t have time to prepare: If you begin your presentation and find something isn’t working—perhaps they purposely took the batteries out of the clicker—take time to collect yourself, Hutton says. And if there’s no solution, just keep going.
“Everyone in the room knows something is wrong, so acknowledge it, make a joke and keep going,” she says. “Things happen, so this is an opportunity to demonstrate that you’re cool, collected and in control.”
If you were caught off guard, made a mistake or flubbed a curveball, address it in your thank-you note, Yarger says.
“Maybe you screwed up or got the answer wrong. Explain in your thank-you note what you would have done differently,” she says. “That’s super important—I’ve seen this save candidates, who ended up getting the job. In the real world, people are wrong. They like to see that you have enough humility to realize you were wrong and have actually learned something from it.”