Interview Chaos: How Should We Handle Candidates Who Abuse the Panel?

Abusing the panel during an interview

Is it a punishable offense if a candidate abuses the panel during an interview? If yes, what punishment can we give to them? Is blacklisting possible? Please guide.

Dear Sushma Mathew,

The company authorities are empowered to punish employees who are on the rolls of the company. Since the candidate is not an employee, no action can be taken. However, if you have irrefutable evidence of bad behavior, you may lodge a police complaint.

Your recruitment team may blacklist the candidate. However, you cannot circulate the candidate's details so that others can blacklist him/her. This is because you have given your version. Unless both sides are heard properly, no opinions can be made.

The rude behavior of the job candidate is unheard of. At least during the job interview, candidates usually wear a mask of politeness. If the candidate has gone to the extent of abusing the panel members, then please assess what was the provocation. Why have things come to such a pass? Politeness and professional behavior are not a one-way street. Both sides are expected to demonstrate it. Therefore, also check whether there was a flaw from the interviewers' side as well.

Anyway, I recommend you move on. We should take bad experiences in our stride and not be stuck with them. However, taking precautions to avoid repetition of situations is also professionalism.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

As our senior member, Mr. Dinesh suggested, if you have some irrefutable evidence, you may proceed with a police case. Also, like my colleagues opine, please make an analysis regarding what went wrong while conducting the interview. Which question of the interviewer was able to provoke the candidate into abusing the panel?

Considerations for Interview Security

Please consider installing CCTV/video surveillance in the interview room; for any untoward happenings, CCTV footage can be concrete evidence. Please also deploy one security guard outside the interview room for security reasons. If a candidate coming for an interview can abuse the interview board, some other candidate may be able to manhandle the interview panel.

You've already punished him, as I assume you are NOT going to hire him.

Examine your internal processes

As others have said, such actions by a candidate are generally provoked by some sort of issue from the interview panel. To avoid such things in the future, ensure that all staff empowered to serve on interview panels are properly trained, demonstrate appropriate behavior at all times, and that there is a set procedure for conducting all interviews that everyone must follow. None of this is rocket science and will assist in protecting the company from claims by aggrieved candidates in the future.

Without any sufficient evidence, you cannot reach a conclusion. I have seen interviewers behave badly and try to downgrade a candidate for various reasons. This could include having a language issue, such as not being fluent in English, or not being technically competent and providing incorrect answers, leading to their demeaning.

If it is an online interview, which is common nowadays, it might be recorded. Based on the recording, you can either blacklist the interviewer from the hiring process within the organization or email them to ask for an apology. Other than that, it is not worth the hassle.

Many times, panel members ask personal questions unrelated to the profession, which may cause a candidate to become very rude or violent. I know personally that most line managers are not trained in the art of interviewing. There are methods, procedures, and conventions to follow while interviewing candidates—what kind of questions should be asked and what should not be. I conduct training sessions for line managers. Even today, I conducted a webinar on how to overcome challenges in hiring!

Untrained panel members conducting interviews

Untrained panel members conducting interviews is like a truck cleaner becoming a driver. By virtue of their experience and qualifications, they are given the role of a panel member. The HR department plays a crucial role in training line managers on the interview process and the panel member role.

Common issues during interviews

One common example is when a panel member picks up a mobile call during an interview, goes out, and comes back after 10 minutes. During this time, nobody can proceed with questioning or move forward. Just as we discourage candidates from using mobile phones during interviews, the same applies to panel members. Panel members should avoid entertaining interruptions from team members or colleagues for minor issues like signatures on vouchers or gate passes.

Ensuring a smooth interview process

The primary objective is to ensure the interview process runs smoothly without any hindrances or digressions. It is possible that something might have provoked the candidate to become rude. Some panel members, lacking experience, might inadvertently provoke candidates by asking stressful questions to test how they handle pressure. In the absence of credible evidence, it is better to ignore and move on.

However, HR should discuss with panel members and investigate the situation further. If panel members were responsible, they should be trained properly. Some managers exhibit rude behavior towards their team members, and these same individuals might have provoked the candidate during the interview. The company's brand image is crucial, and negative comments from candidates can tarnish this image. Every candidate may potentially become an employee in the future. They are not seeking charity or favors from your company; it is a mutual requirement. Therefore, treat candidates with dignity, avoid provoking them by asking too many unrelated personal questions, so that their experience, even if they are not selected, is positive.

At times, the questioner rather than the question has to be addressed. This becomes true in interviews when an interviewer behaves in a manner that treats the candidate as if they are a simpleton. The purpose of any job interview is to ascertain what the candidate knows and their potential to perform the job applied for, and nothing more. A job seeker will not become rude unless provoked with questions affecting their self-respect.

A job interview is not a domestic inquiry or a court proceeding. In the absence of an employer-employee relationship, no organization has the locus standi to punish a candidate for alleged rude behavior in the interview. As Aussiejohn has observed, the organization is not going to hire the said candidate. With this, things are over, and let not insult be added to injury.

Hi Sushma, Before jumping the gun, evaluate the conditions under which the situation went out of hand. Maybe the panel was at fault then? Yes, the company can take action against the culprit member of the panel. However, if the candidate is at fault, it is best to politely show him the door with utmost courtesy, unless he has allegedly committed an offense under the Indian legal system.

Thanks