To any candidate an interview at the British Council would reflect an image of professionalism , selections based on rigorous testing of capabilities & merit, well this is the advertised version but in reality it is quite contrary to how it is portrayed. It is in fact just like how people are hired in our Govt institutions; nepotism & filling up the formality, as the position is already been decided upon. It hurts to see the British tax payer money go to waste with such decision makers at the Council in Karachi. This post is not in anyway an attempt to malign B.C khi, but a way to inform the heads to fix problems there. My experience as a Mystery Shopper / evaluator makes me eligible to give an open evaluation. Interview FeedBack Points: Upon Entry After Security check ,i found the front desk to be empty as no one was there to assist or guide a candidate. The interview was quickly concluded in a hurry within 15 minutes that was much less then the agreed time frame of 45 minutes, giving the impression that the selection has been made already and the candidate is just there to fill up the formalities. The interview was interrupted by hand gestures between The interviewer & the APTIS TEST administrator to conclude the interview early. Thus i feel that i was not given enough time to prove my worth, as i have worked as a Chief Invigilator for City and Guilds i would have been a financially viable choice. I have a reason to believe that my true scores were not registered in the simple and easy APTIS test as i was not assisted by the APTIS Test Administrator in the same way as the previous candidate whom i observed was assisted in both parts of the APTIS exam. To me in the later part the administrator conveyed that I can leave early if i want again giving the impression that i was not important at all and the selection has already been made, i was just there to fill in the formality. It might be due to the fact that employees wanted to leave early to prepare for EID preparations. Suggestions: The interviewers should use the technique of counter questions to challenge the candidate. It felt like as if it was an aural test or as a boss giving dictation to the subordinates. This interview had 8 repeated questions in the same format, which was later confirmed from one of the candidates who was present earlier who was an acquaintance. Use of a voice recording device as used by the Interlocutors and Camera to record the interview will help in assessing "The Interviewer Behaviours for year end performance review". Final Comments: I did try contacting the British Council karachi to investigate my concerns ,but the answers to my concerns were just to put it in a simple brief way ; "it didnt happen" "Our interviewers are correct & the candidate is Wrong" . Well that is the way how the cookie crumbles .
