How do you deal with difficult or challenging candidates during an interview?

Here are some steps you can take: Stay Calm and Professional: Maintain composure and professionalism regardless of the candidate's behavior. Avoid reacting emotionally and focus on managing the conversation effectively to keep it productive. Ask Clarifying Questions: If a candidate is being challenging, use open-ended questions to understand their perspective and motivations better. This can help clarify their responses and address any misunderstandings or conflicts. Redirect the Conversation: Guide the discussion back to relevant topics and focus on assessing the candidate's skills and fit for the role. Use structured interview techniques to ensure that you evaluate their qualifications fairly and systematically.

Using the conventional method of interviewing might not work here. Showing empathy towards candidate's situation and keeping him calm during whole session is the crucial part. We have to analyze candidate's response to our questions. Making sure nothing is being asked in a manner that can be provoking. It will act like adding gasoline to the fire. Addressing the issues & concerns and making candidate being accommodative will excel us in imparting company values to disagreed/ clashed/unhappy candidates.

Stay Cool: First, don't let 'em rattle you. Keep the convo professional, no matter what they throw at ya. Clarify and Redirect: If they go off-topic or give vague answers, gently steer 'em back. Ask clarifying questions to dig deeper. Address Red Flags: If something sketchy comes up, don't dance around it. Address it head-on, and see what they have to say. Evaluate Skills, Not Egos: Sometimes the best talents got the biggest egos. Keep your focus on whether they can actually do the job. Be Transparent: If the interview's heading south, no need to fake enthusiasm. Let 'em know where they stand, but keep it constructive.

Always show empathy and have a listening ear towards all new ways and approaches to deal with a situation in a new perspective. Start any conversation with a non judgmental view to have the better understanding of the candidate.

I chose to respond to this question because I ask myself every day. I hate being rude and feeling like I am cutting my candidate off but honesty is always the best policy. And time is money. I try not to waste my own and respectfully my candidate. I feel like feedback is essential so we can give them a fighting chance and they can take the steps to remedy any issues. I crave it from my peers and I know that making mistakes is how I learn. I may not recognize the mistake unless as a mistake until its pointed out and I have had a discussion to understand. Hope that makes sense.