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I just had a phone call with a company that I'm considering work for. They said it would be 5-10 minutes and it was 30 minutes. He called me back right after and I didn't bother answering. I spoke very little and when I did ask questions he went on huge tangents. I felt most of the information was not very valuable to me, especially before I even agreed to the job. As one example he said to try to give them as much notice as possible when I'm sick or going to miss work because the schedule for who does what is made on Mondays and Tuesdays.

This person wouldn't be the only point of contact. I've had the experience before where someone just overloads with information and I sometimes think they do it intentionally to avoid moving on to other topics. Any ways to handle this, or is just best to avoid working with people like this?

Might make a difference to add that the whole thing seemed like a sales pitch as to get me to sign the contract as fast as possible.

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    I remember one in-person interview that I went to. The interviewer was long winded and boring. I actually fell asleep during the interview. The interviewer did not notice, because she was filibustering and not actually asking questions. This interview resulted in no offer and I probably would have turned it down had there been one. If something like that were to happen again, I would politely exit the interview before I zonked out.
    – emory
    Commented Oct 15, 2021 at 23:08
  • “I didn’t bother answering”. If I was the person on the other end I would most likely have considered that a red flag unless you called back later. They need a good fit too
    – Thorbjørn Ravn Andersen
    Commented Oct 16, 2021 at 12:29
  • This kind of thing is why I'm skeptical whenever someone says, "this will only take 5-10 minutes"; I suspect they may not have executive functioning to know how much time they actually take.
    – Daniel R. Collins
    Commented Oct 16, 2021 at 18:13

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Any ways to handle this, or is just best to avoid working with people like this?

Usually when you are considering a new job it is positive to get quite a lot of detail on such job, because that will help you make a good decision and not regret learning some information later on.

However, if for you things like these, being long-winded, tangential, etc., are things you dislike, or that you consider red flags, then by all means use them as warning that you may be getting into a job where more of these situations will continue to happen.

Remember that interviewing is a two-way street: the employer gets to know you and you also get to know them and the company. If you see things that you don't like or don't seek on your ideal job, then consider turning down the offer and thanking them for their time and interest.

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A very useful piece of advice I've received is this: The type of person who never stops talking unless someone cuts them off is used to people cutting them off. It's not rude to interrupt those people, because that's the only way they ever stop talking.

Even if they're in the middle of a thought, which they almost always are, jump in and steal the conversation back. Don't stop talking until they shut up, even if it means you're both talking over each other for a sentence. This advice sounds super rude, but trust me when I say it works, and those type of people don't think anything of it.

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  • Boy, the essential advice here seems solid, but start & end comments on their mental state and and reaction sounds unfounded.
    – Daniel R. Collins
    Commented Oct 16, 2021 at 18:16
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The best interview is the one where the interviewer does all the talking

Count your blessings, you're trying to get a job, not have an enjoyable time.

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