I recently participated in a telephone interview for the position of healthcare research analyst. During the interview Guidepoint's phone system went wrong. This happened as I was answering the first question of the interview. I received an email explaining the situation. I offered to reschedule the interview for another day or continue when your phone system was functioning again. I received a call back approximately 50 minutes after the interview was interrupted. The interview had been scheduled for 4 pm and the call back came shortly before 5 pm. When the interview resumed the interviewer made it clear to me that the line had been bad for some time before the call was cut off and she had not been able to hear me clearly. I suggested that we should restart the interview as I did not know how much of what I had said was heard by the interviewer. This suggestion was met with irritation and hostility. So I resumed my answer to the question of talking the interviewer through my education and work experience at a point which she suggested, although I sincerely doubt that she had been able to hear everything I had said up to that point. The interviewer followed this up with only one question. I was then asked if I had any questions of my own. I had several, however these were met with perfunctory answers and increasing levels of annoyance. The interview finished at approximately 2 minutes to 5pm. I do not know whether the interviewer’s marked change in demeanour was down to frustration with Guidepoint’s malfunctioning phone system, or irritation that she might not be able to leave work at 5 pm. Either way, the treatment I received was both unprofessional and rude.

I was contacted within a couple of weeks of applying for a simple phone interview. I was told at the end of the call that I would here about having an onsite interview soon. I didn't hear anything after a week so sent a follow-up email and was very quickly offered an onsite interview which is scheduled in two weeks.