Tricks of the trade

azcentral.com | Interview twists, turns
The craftiest of interviewers will do more than look for hidden clues; they will create situations where a candidate will reveal his or her personality.

...Some interviewers have been known to call job seekers at home and pose as telemarketers to gauge how those candidates react. Are they rude? Do they yell? Or are they polite but insistent that they don't want to purchase anything?

How a candidate deals with an annoying telemarketing call tells the company something about how you would deal with an annoying client.

No, it doesn't.

If I'm dealing with a client (or a potential client), it's incumbent upon me to demonstrate that it is to the client's advantage to maintain a relationship with me. I am under no obligation to be polite to a telemarketer. And whether I am or not is no indication of how I'll treat paying customers.

Lance said she has heard of hiring managers who spill something on a candidate to see how he or she reacts.

Sorry, I'm a job candidate, not a lab rat. Interviews work both ways, you know.