Ask HR: Could I have missed the job because I came to the interview late?

I was late for an interview recently and the organisation refused to reschedule my interview. They have written to me saying that the process has moved to the next stage and that they would contact me if other opportunities became available. Are employers really that strict? 

An employment interview is an opportunity to reveal a glimpse of what your prospective employers can expect from you if you become successful in your quest to join them as an employee. Given that interviews comprise brief moments during which the sum of ones’ suitability for a role or lack thereof cannot fully manifest, first impressions carry an inordinately important premium. While there is no guarantee that first impressions are predictors of future behaviour, arriving late for interviews is often taken as a sign that a candidate is not serious about the role in which they are interested.

It is usually the case that several candidates are invited to an interview and their schedules need to be coordinated with those of interviewers. Organisations might therefore not arrange special interviews for a candidate who may be late or altogether unavailable, especially if a given position needs to be filled quickly. In such situations, room for mitigating circumstances is often tiny, even where, sadly, a prospective candidate has a valid reason for lateness.

Did you attempt to reach out to the organisation indicating that you would be late the moment it occurred to you that you might not make it on time? Did you ask whether the organisation might consider interviewing you virtually? Did you request to be considered for a new slot in case they had other sessions arranged for the interview? Some employers might accommodate your circumstances, others may not. Certain situations in life coldly remind us that the world revolves on its own axis, not that of its inhabitants. The best one could do in such circumstances is to face the vagaries of life and learn from them. What personal lessons have you drawn from your experience? Sadly, there are instances in which talent has eluded organisations on account of lateness or otherwise been misjudged under the shroud of poor first impressions. Similarly, adorned in gleaming costume and a thoroughly rehearsed manner, mediocrity has sometimes been mistaken for talent.

HR Practitioner                                                                                                                                           [email protected]