Job interview, speed dating style

Today, I had the strangest experience ever during an interview. Yes, they even had a bell after each round.

When we arrived, we were asked to complete a short form that requested the last 3 positions we held, basic responsibilities and what we liked best about each. The form had very limited space and didn't even have a place to put your name. I wondered if that was a test to see who was paying close attention.

For each session the company invited 10 applicants at a time to show up for, what they called, a mass interview. On the stage were 5 tables with 2 interviewers each. Each applicant was allowed 3 minutes per table to "interview" for the various open positions this company has to offer. At the end of the 3 minutes they rang the bell, just like in a speed dating session, and we got up and moved to the next table.

The first 2 ladies were supervisors in their respective areas and the discussion revolved around what hours I was looking for and what types of jobs they had open. Still very little detail about the actual jobs and they forgot to give me the packet of job descriptions that they had until 3 rounds in. Precious time was taken from each session when the interviewers had to complete their comments for the previous applicant. 3 minutes dwindled to 2 1/2 until the last interview seemed to end before I was even fully seated.

We also lost precious time because none of the interviewers had been given a chance to review my resume or questionnaire before we met. 4 of the 5 groups used generic interview questions that didn't give them a chance to really get to know me at all. Here are some examples:

- Name a time when a coworker did something unethical and how did you handle it?
- Tell me a creative solution you came up with to solve a problem at your previous job.
- Name a time when you had to handle a customer with unreasonable expectations.

I honestly can't even remember the others because it all happened so fast...it was a blur! And then, we were done and told we could go. No details about how many people they were hiring, when they thought they would be making additional calls, etc.

I understand they are a huge company and probably have no choice but to do things differently but I don't understand how they can get a good feel about someone in less than 3 minutes. I thought perhaps they were trying to find out who stood out in the crowd of applicants. Perhaps if I had spilled something or tripped on my way up the stairs they would remember?!?!

At any rate, I'm back to the waiting game. Waiting on 2 post-interview responses from 2 very different companies. Let's hope the perfect job comes along soon...and that I don't miss it!