Job Interviews: 5 Types of Interviewers To Expect & How To Handle Them

Posted on October 16, 2013 at 8:57 am

By Tabitha Makumi,
No matter how many interviews you’ve been to, you are always going to get those butterflies at your lower abdomen as you wait at the reception.
The nervousness escalates as you open the door to the interview room and your feel your heart pound against your chest.
You are inside the interview room; your nervousness I am hoping has resided and you are ready to go. You have the right answers at the tip of your fingers, you are dressed for the part but wait a minute is that the kind of interviewer you were expecting to meet?
Somethings you can plan and rehearse for but somethings you can’t. One of those things is the interviwer who will be grilling you for the next ten, fifteen minutes or so.
Remember while many interviews do follow roughly the same format, there are actually as many different types of interviewers as there are people in the world.
It’s good to familiarize yourself with some common interviewer types and arming yourself with effective strategies for dealing with each of them.
Here are five types of interviewers you can be expecting to meet.
1.The inexperienced or ill prepared Interviewer
How would you feel if you walked into an interview room to find that even the person who should know what to do doesn’t seem to have it all together?I know, you will think, ‘leo nimeangukia’ and someone else will get pissed because that is not what they were expecting.
There are a few thing to consider after encountering such an interviewer, one, the interviewer is new to the company or simply new to the hiring process and they just do not have kind of experience to showcase.

Job Interview Panelists

In your part, stick to your planned talking points and maintain an aura of calm and poised professionalism. It’s bad form to make reference to the interviewer’s lack of training or preparation, but if he repeatedly states that he can’t answer your questions, you may want to see if there is anyone else with whom you could schedule a discussion with.
2.The Interviewer who wants to chat
Who won’t feel  relieved when they encounter a friendly interviewer? But be careful though, you will be tempted to let down your guard but don’t do it!
Respond with warmth and friendliness, as these qualities are likely to be appreciated by the chatty type. Play it safe & just engage actively in the conversation and answer skillfully when and if you are asked a question.
3.The Interrogation Interviewer
My friend, you will feel like you are being grilled by the no-nonsense jourmalist Udwak Amimo if you encounter such an interviewer. This is the kind of  hiring manager who tends to fire questions off rapidly, often in a tone and manner that is more than a little intimidating.
For your part, maintain your composure at all times. Take time to think about your responses and answering in even, calm tones. Remember to remain pleasant.
4.The Interviewer Who Follows A script
They will follow a certain script, even follow questions as you had rehearsed for them. Their main purpose is to remain as objective as possible and do what they came to do within the shortest time possible. They are not here to chat with you, or intimidate you with the entire interviewing process.
For your part, don’t derail the interview by deviating sharply from the pace set by this kind of interviewer. You may be able to distinguish yourself by gently engaging the interviewer in a discourse that flows both ways and respectfully drawing her out of her set routine.
5.The Nosy Interviewer
This one will just make you want to get pissed. They will repeatedly asks you questions that you feel are inappropriate or make you uncomfortable and make you wonder what does have to do with a job interview?
For your part,  respond with a gentle redirect, stating that you’d prefer to stick to standard work-related topics.