Extended Stay Hotels: A Businesslike Setting for Job Interviews

Job interviews are ideally held in the place of business, but when the interviewer is traveling from another location or city, an office may not be available. It is not unusual for interviewing managers to set up an interview in the place they are staying, but it is not really the ideal situation. If the hotel is really the most feasible, a room in an extended stay hotel can make the interview more professional.

I have interviewed on several occasions in hotel rooms in the Chicago area. If you have never been interviewed in this type of venue, it sounds really strange, but it is considered acceptable business practice.

Hiring managers who travel to another city specifically to interview candidates find that their time is really at a premium. They may try to interview as many people as they can fit into a day, which is not really ideal for the interviewer of the job candidate. When a hiring manager is working out of their office they may set a limit on the number of people they will interview in a day, so that they can pay proper attention and courtesy to each candidate. When they are interviewing on location they tend to fill an entire day with interviews and the candidates may start to blend together.

The hotel room is not ideal for another reason. It places both the interviewer and the job candidate in an uncomfortable situation. When I have gone to hotels to interview for a job, there is always a minute of concern that I am stepping into a hotel room with a stranger. It has always been aboveboard, but one would be naïve not to be wary. On the other hand, the interviewer is allowing a stranger into their sleeping space, so it is not ideal for the interviewer either.

Some interviewers will meet the candidate in the hotel lobby or the hotel coffee shop. This offers a more neutral setting which is probably more comfortable, especially for the candidate. Managers who do not want to spend their entire day sitting in a hotel lobby probably find the option of the hotel room quieter and more private for the interview.

Extended stay or suite hotels offer a separate living area, so the setting for the interview is more professional than a traditional hotel room. The separate living area is more like an office or living room setting, with tables, a sofa and chairs or a choice of seating options. For a hiring manager traveling to another city to interview, the living area of a suite or extended stay hotel offers a more comfortable and professional setting for a businesslike interview.

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