Regardless of how thoroughly you’ve prepared for your job interview, you can’t predict its exact course. However, the better prepared you are for difficult issues, the more effectively you can respond should they suddenly arise. On this page, I explain the most common problematic interviewer archetypes you may face and how to tackle them.
You’re unlikely to encounter extreme examples of the four types discussed below. If you do, treat the experience as an immediate red flag regarding their personality or management style. However, you are likely to face milder versions of these tendencies in the interview styles of everyday hiring teams. Understanding these four extremes will help you recognize and navigate those less obvious, more moderate scenarios.
The bumbler
The bumbler is generally unstructured in their approach and, as a result, poorly prepared to interview you. They allow the conversation to drift aimlessly, ask irrelevant questions, and introduce critical topics entirely out of sequence. This chaotic style typically results in a flawed candidate evaluation because the interviewer failed to gather the necessary information.
You can usually recognize this problem early on. When you do, look for opportunities to respectfully steer the conversation yourself and proactively present everything the interviewer needs to know to make the final decision in your favor.
The chatterbox
The chatterbox doesn’t stop talking about a topic they like and repeatedly forgets they actually wanted to learn about you. While their interview approach may be structured, their elaborations can easily take up most of the interview time. This increasingly forces them to rush through the remaining topics, leaving you less and less time to present your selling points thoroughly.
You’ll recognize this risk immediately. Look for openings to speak without interrupting impolitely, and prioritize presenting your highlights early on over delivering them in the ideal order.
The poker face
The poker face is an interviewer who won’t give you feedback on your pitch and answers. Whatever you say, there’s hardly any positive or negative reaction from the other side. They’re hoping this will prompt you to share more details than you actually intended, perhaps even revealing your weaknesses.
While you probably don’t want to work for a “poker face,” there’s a risk of misreading the situation. The stoic interviewer might just be an introvert. Introverts are likely to act similarly, but for a completely different reason. In their case, it’s simply their nature—not attempted manipulation.
Since it’ll take you a while to uncover the reason, you must handle the situation effectively without fully understanding its dynamics at the outset. Present your selling points and answers to the extent you see fit. If the interviewer doesn’t ask any follow-up questions, assume you’ve made your point and leave it at that. If you’re unsure, don’t immediately elaborate. Simply ask the interviewer if everything is clear or, if not, what exactly still needs clarification. Focus any further statements on their response.
The mind gamer
The mind gamer enjoys playing psychological tricks on you. Here’s one of many possible scenarios:
They do this to test whether you’re resilient enough to handle their pressure, but not smart or bold enough to challenge their authority. This is the type of employee they want—and the ultimate reason for you to reject this toxic “opportunity.”
If you’re certain the hiring manager you’re facing is a mind gamer, end the meeting politely as soon as possible. In this case, there’s nothing to lose. However, your specific experience may not provide sufficient evidence for a final judgment during the interview. The signals you receive may be ambiguous, and again, there’s a risk of completely misinterpreting the situation: The pressure you feel may just come from within. Not every difficult question is a trick, and a clumsy interview style isn’t a mind game.
Unless you’re absolutely sure a mind game is taking place, take the interviewer’s questions at face value and don’t read anything sinister into them. Give straightforward answers as if you had no doubts about the context. If your concerns prove unfounded later, this approach will have presented you as a confident candidate. Conversely, if you do face a mind game, don’t try to win it. Mind gamers only enjoy the game until you’ve gained the upper hand. They won’t hire someone who’s already outsmarted them in the interview.