While eating my oatmeal at Caribou this afternoon, I overheard the strangest job interview. The interviewer was pushing questions at the applicant in record time. I don’t think there was more than a second pause between the applicant’s response and the interviewer’s next question.

The interviewer also reminded me of one of those speedtalkers — all the words rolling together into one breathless utterance. I actually felt sorry for the applicant. I have to wonder if the interviewer really heard what was said by the applicant.

I hope this isn’t the new standard for interviews in the service sector. A job interview shouldn’t feel like a stop at a speed dating table. There should be some listening and information exchanged. Not an elevator speech, then on to the next person.

What’s the rush? If the person you’re interviewing isn’t worthy of the 30 minutes you’ve scheduled with them, why did you even schedule the interview. A speed dating interview is a waste of everyone’s time.

The Speed Dating Job Interview
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