How to Deal with a Hostile Interviewer

Generally speaking, interviewers want to make a good impression on candidates and will treat them with courtesy. But once in a while, you might encounter a hostile interviewer – one who's disinterested, condescending, or even downright rude. Read on for thoughts about the situation and how to handle it.

Consider their Intentions

You may not be a mind-reader, but pause before responding and try to get a feel for the interviewer's motivations.

The reasons for their hostility may have nothing to do with you. They might be having a bad day or be under stress. It's also possible that they're in the habit of acting this way generally and don't even realize the way they're coming across.

Alternatively, it's possible that their rudeness is relevant to how they feel about interacting with you. They may have been asked to perform an interview that they feel isn't worth their time or be skeptical about your qualifications. It's also possible that they're being purposefully rude in an attempt to test how you react when confronted with negativity in a professional situation.

Consider the Implications

Ask yourself what this kind of behavior tells you about the company and whether it affects your interest in working there. If it strikes you as incidental or part of an atmosphere of appealing competitive challenges, that could inform your evaluation differently than something you consider indicative of a hostile work environment, unappealing management style, or toxic company culture.

It's also worth asking how closely connected this interviewer is to the department or company with the opening you're applying for – it's possible that they're culturally disconnected from the rest of the company or even part of an outside agency, in which case their behavior may be frustrating, but not necessarily indicative of what you might expect should you take the job.

All this should factor into your assessment of the job opportunity and the best way to handle the hostile interview.

Paths of Action

Whatever you decide is going on, you have three general paths of action to choose from:

1) Confront the Hostility

One option is to address the hostility directly. Depending on what's happened and especially if the actions of the interviewer were overt, it's not out of the question to bring it up, express your displeasure, and affirm your boundaries. If you choose this route, be sure to do it calmly, directly, and in terms of your own feelings, rather than as accusive statements. It's also important to speak confidently and unapologetically. Speak only of actions and don't antagonize the person themselves.

Generally speaking, choosing to confront the hostility is a bit of a high-risk / low-reward move unless you've decided that their behavior has reduced your interest in the job to a low value. If you choose this path, recognize that the interviewer might antagonize you further or even double down on their rudeness. But they also may correct their behavior or give you positive marks for your self-respect and assertiveness.

2) Ignore it

You're not obligated to acknowledge or take issue with the rude behavior at all. If you still want the job, this is often the best route to take.

You can ignore the hostility completely, or even answer it with increased friendliness on your own end. Answering rudeness with politeness can be powerfully disarming. It also demonstrates your confidence and character by showing that your behavior isn't dependent on how others act.

Perhaps most importantly, it gives you the chance to turn everyone's attention back to the interview and the job without allowing things to be derailed any further.

3) Flunk the Interviewer

Every interview is a two-way street. An organization with a position wants to audition potential candidates to see if they meet their standards. And the same is true in the other direction as you interview candidates for your new employer.

If you don't like how you're being treated by an organization or their representative, there's nothing wrong with deciding that this isn't an employer that you want to work for. You can always politely inform them that they've lost your interest and move on at any time.

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