Explaining incorrect responses during interviews, should we do it?

Question

I recently wrapped up an interview with a very young and unprepared internship candidate. He got a lot of the questions wrong, even the very easy ones, and would frequently inquire about how to solve the problems.

While I quickly realised that he was not an acceptable candidate, even in the slightest, I decided to run through the entire set of questions, as usual, that I'd prepared for someone who claimed to have the experience that he put on his résumé, which included several previous internships.

We finished just a bit over our allotted time, yet I had spent most of the interview giving him tips on how to solve the problems, and then (usually) having to explain the correct answer. I felt as though this was the right thing to do while I was conducting the interview, however, looking back, I wonder if it was worth spending so much time on a candidate who had no chance of even being considered, and didn't seem to really understand my explanations anyways.

I'm new to interviewing possible interns, and I certainly wasn't ready to screen such unprepared candidates, so I'm wondering if there exists a best way handle these situations as they arise, without being rude, or cutting the interview too short.

Answer 1

I'm not a recruiter, but I can relate to your candidate on some levels. When I was being interviewed for an Internship at a Fortune 500 company, there were a lot of questions that I was asked that I just had no clue how to answer (in a manner that I would feel confident and comfortable answering) and I also wanted to be very honest.

The interviewer did walk me through some responses she expected, and then she got very "real" and asked me what I thought would be an acceptable answer for some of the questions I missed, and then she walked me through my resume and how to highlight some of what was on it into formulated questions/responses. It was probably the best, most personable corporate interview experience I've ever had, and I am actually very grateful for it. We are all just people at the end of the day, and we just want to do a good job.

You don't say what questions you asked, so it's hard to say that the candidate completely blew it. Is he performing electrical work and failed some basic understandings of wiring or something? Could he not solve basic math equations and that kind of knowledge is required? Was he/she just nervous? Did you try to calm them down?

Bottom line, I think walking the candidate through some things, even if you don't plan on hiring them, really provides them with some insight. Whether it's a wake up call, or a kick in the butt, it just doesn't hurt to do. Be proud that you helped them, many people wouldn't do that.

Answer 2

I remember my very first interview for a Wall Street quant position. The interviewer was professional but somehow you could sense you were talking to a real human, with a sense of humor. He asked me several questions on programming and some tricky questions about random walks. We were short on time, and he was clearly a busy man, but he took the time to give me some tips on how to conduct interviews, e.g. you have to be confident in how you present your answer because that's a valuable skill to have on a trading floor.

I don't remember his name or what team he worked on at that company, but I will always remember him as an example of what good interviewing is supposed to be.

Perhaps this intern won't remember you at all. That's the most likely scenario. But you never know. Perhaps like me, one day he will think of you and try to be a better interviewer.

There's no reason to help a guy on the street when his packages fall from his arms to the street. You're never going to meet him again. It's a wasted interaction from one point of view. We are all human in the end though, and some of us feel like we have to live our lives in a way where we feel like we are good people. If you feel like you did a good job interviewing that intern, then that's what is the most important in the end. Don't let anyone tell you differently.

Answer 3

In the context of an intern or someone at least at the beginning of their career, giving feedback really helps. They may need to consider a different profession or working a little harder at the one they're currently pursuing. I don't think you should explain every answer, especially once you discover they are over their head. One or two at the most.

You should have discussed why this person thought they could do the job. If they knew they couldn't do it, but just decided to take a wild shot at getting the job, it's important they understand that they wasted your time. This is not a good career move at all. If they don't see how wrong they were, I wouldn't blame if you chose not to ever hire them for any job regardless of their qualifications.

Answer 4

Your time is valuable to you, and your company. Although you can certainly break from the interview to offer some mentorship, there's little benefit in dragging things out simply for the sake of completeness. The intern didn't think enough to prepare for the interview (or was shooting the moon) and is wasting your time. It's not unprofessional to cut the interview short, simply by skipping over things you already know. Once you know the job is going to someone else, the interview is over, whether you keep talking or not.