What makes a job interview GREAT? Best practices for recruiters and candidates
There is a saying I once heard that resonated with me. “Changing your perspective changes your experience”. This hits differently depending on which stage of your life you are in or in which areas you want to make adjustments.
For me, it raised questions about how I can improve day-to-day interactions with people, how I can unveil more potential and how I can perfect my craft . As a recruiter and as part of a team of professionals with a true desire of elevating recruitment processes (and interactions in general) to a high level of transparency, respect and kindness.
So the team and I went on a journey to discover the recipe of a great interview!
The prerequisites:
✔️- The Recruiter’s perspective;
✔️- A will to do better;
- The Candidate’s perspective.
Who doesn’t love a good checked-off to-do list? So we extended an invitation to our network, asking them to share that one job interview that stuck with them and which they use as a threshold for future interviews.
They engaged with us and sent us valuable insights about their take on a successful interview, thus satisfyingly ticking off the last prerequisite.
What was left was just piecing it all together. Being immersed in the recruitment ecosystem for many years, we used our knowledge, our experience and your answers to narrow down the key factors to a great interview:
The Mindset, The Interaction, The Approach and The Level of Commitment.
But since “knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice”, we came up with a list of best practices for both recruiters and candidates, based on these factors.
» THE MINDSET
As a candidate
Always keep in mind that an interview may be the first step in your next professional journey. And first impressions matter. From both perspectives.
Doing your research and being prepared means you have one foot in the door already. Check out details about the company or the client.
See if you know someone who works there and ask them what it’s like to be part of that environment, how’s the culture, what are some pros and cons of being on their team. Try to create an overview but keep in mind that every person’s experience is different, so stay open-minded to form your own opinions about the company, without prejudice.
Study the job description of the role you’re interviewing for and write down any questions you have regarding it. Or any details you feel would be worth mentioning: maybe you have no experience with a skill but have worked on some personal projects using it; maybe you consider switching technologies in the future or you have a particular interest in the project or the field etc.
“Interview for a multinational company. While waiting for the recruiters, I had a look at the company’s magazine taking note of the employees’ testimonies about the work environment seen from the inside. The recruiters made me feel that I can be part of their team, they smiled all the time, they showed interest in what we were talking about, they were involved in the discussion but to what purpose if in the end the offer according to discussion and as such did not lead to a completion of the recruitment process…”
Last but not least, remember that, although the goal is to get the job, you don’t have to ignore the journey!
Sometimes interviews don’t end with an offer but that doesn’t mean they were a waste of time. If you commit, you’ll see that it will turn out to be a learning and positive experience. It’s a necessary step in your growth, professionally and personally. You try, you learn, you grow! And next time, you’ll have more confidence in what you want, what you need and what you bring to the table. This will lead you to the opportunity that’s meant for you.
As a recruiter
The first step, preparing for an interview, shouldn’t be done exclusively by the candidates. Great recruiters, ones that truly care about matching a person’s interests, expertise and personality to the role, are the ones that take their time before the interview and do their homework. The candidate’s profile, their resume, their online presence (if necessary) should be carefully screened.
“You should definitely understand what that job is all about. And for that to happen, you have to pay attention and ask the right questions. Don’t get carried away and let the recruiter pitch the job and make you feel like everything will be perfect and amazing. Maybe it will be, but you have to stand your ground and understand what are the requirements of the job so you don’t end up disappointed later about the outcome. “
Keep in mind that the goal should never be to fill a position at all costs, but rather to match a person to a culture and an environment; a process that should be prolific for everyone involved. Be honest and transparent! It won’t serve you or the candidate any good to oversell an opportunity to someone that won’t fit on the long run.
The right mindset adds value, leading to a more meaningful interview and an easy-going interaction.
» THE INTERACTION
As a candidate
Being nervous is absolutely normal. Being nervous means you care!
“I only went to one interview. I entered an office with 8 people working there. They seemed to be enjoying an afternoon together, not like actually struggling and stressing about work. I was quite stressed, the interviewer was funny and he kept telling me to relax because I might “scare the zen out of the room”. Now we’re colleagues. Best job ever!”
Turn those feelings into constructive emotions and don’t let them undermine your personality.
Nobody will judge you if you stutter, if you make a joke, if you take the time to find the right words or ask the recruiter to repeat a certain question or go into more details. Whatever makes you feel more comfortable and confident.
Because in the end, that is the goal, to let the recruiter see your true self. And that is possible only by establishing a connection and feeling free to be yourself.
Keep in mind that communication is 7% verbal and 93% non-verbal, so be natural and don’t try to prove you are something that you are not!
As a recruiter
You often set the tone of the conversation, so be friendly, open, try to engage with the candidate in a way in which you find out more about their personality and which culture they would fit in just by their natural interaction.
“As I have worked as a Recruiter for the last 3 years, I had many memorable interviews. But the best one are the ones when the recruiter and the candidate match, connect and are able to be open. Laugh, share experiences and advice and keep the interview relaxed. Even when asking about the salary expectations, which is a sensitive question on it’s own, if you keep it friendly and open, the candidate will tell you more details about their needs. “
You shouldn’t go into the discussion thinking you have the upper hand and treat the interview like an inquiry. It should be more than ‘questions asked -> answers received’. You have much more to gain by making the candidate feel relaxed and unveil his true potential. More often than not, you are able to distinguish a more comprehensive image of the person standing in front of you.
That’s how you grow your network, add value to your craft and become the best version of yourself as a professional. By enabling.
And in the end, these are the interviews and the recruiters everybody remembers.
» THE APPROACH
As a candidate
Be curious and know that it’s not enough for them to choose you. You have to choose them as well! Make sure you understand all the aspects of the role, the identity of the company, their values and make a decision accordingly.
Enjoy the process!
As a recruiter
Your interviews don’t need to be all the same. And for the sake of a long-lasting career, avoid boring repetitiveness as much as possible :)
“It was an awesome interview due to the fact that I got asked some questions totally different from what I was expecting.”
The goal is to assess particularities about a person’s motivation, goals, culture fit, sometimes more important than the years of experience. Of course, some templated questions should be followed so you can have a degree of comparison of their expertise, but try to personalize the questions as much as possible.
“Hi, The most memorable I had was for “ Medicins sans Frontieres” in Wien. It was 2 days long :) . And it was in many many ways. Until now, was the most important one I ever had, from the classical interview to write a report to different plays in assessment centre, it was combined and I received a feedback after all regarding the way I presented myself during the interview. :)”
Taking into consideration your company or your client’s needs you can resort to different methods of recruitment, besides the classic interview, like an assessment centre or a group interview. There are a lot of pro arguments to doing so, from saving resources to the “out-of-the-box” experience your candidates will have. And most likely remember!
Meanwhile validating the skills and competencies you are looking for without even asking questions, just observing and listening.
“My first interview was the most memorable, 23 years ago with a large international bank. And why was that? It was a common interview with 10–12 young candidates. It was a call center job and the interaction between all candidates made the difference. The interesting approach I’ve never seen since then, especially for jobs requiring communication and people interaction.”
» THE LEVEL OF COMMITMENT
As a candidate
Be fully present!
If you decide to participate in this stage of the recruitment process, try to commit. Give detailed answers regarding your experience, present your motivation and career goals for the near future, be open and honest and concentrate on the questions or tasks that you receive.
Don’t go into the mindset of “Oh, another one!” and just tick off the interview from the to-do list, but try and make the most out of it.
As a recruiter
There are many reasons why your level of commitment as a recruiter may be low. The important thing is to remember that although a job interview may be in your daily agenda, it can be a life-changing step for the candidate. You have to try and give your best every time, even if your best is sometimes not at 100%.
Use a targeted search, understanding who you need to reach and optimize your results. Having dozens of interviews only to discover in the middle of the discussion that the profile doesn’t match mandatory criterias. That’s a waste of time and resources for both the recruiter and the candidate. Think quality, not quantity!
Make a short-list of specific competencies needed for your role and personalize your interview based on that (for ex. Teamwork and Problem Solving are key qualities for almost every role but unless it’s a leadership role there is no need to assess competencies like Business Overview, Customer Orientation, Knowledge Sharing).
This will make for a unique interview every time, going off the answers you receive and exploring the candidate’s personality and fit while also creating a connection and building a better interaction with him.
Be present, don’t dwell on what’s next on your to-do list after this.
Listen and enable the candidates to speak their mind! If you feel you reached a subject that is important to them, let them talk more, get into details, share their view. That’s part of their personality and your job is to capture it.
If they don’t give an answer to your question, maybe try to rephrase it. And have patience. There are no wrong answers.
Provide guidance, especially for people at the beginning of their career. And always give clear, on point and concise information to everyone.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have an extensive job interview experience due to the fact that usually I am loyal to the companies I work for so I didn’t change companies that many times. Out of my experience i like to have an interview with a person who has a genuine interest in the discussion or it cuts it short if it is not the case to keep on going. Also the patience and the resourcefulness can add a huge difference to the interview experience. Thank you for your time and the interest to make the process better.”
In the end, a great interview only means you got something wonderful out of it. A good vibe, a sense of accomplishment, constructive feedback, learning sources, an advice, an addition to your network or, of course, an offer.
You may find out what sets you apart, how you’re perceived by others, how to leverage your strengths and maybe even start acquiring new ones.
Feedback is an on-going process and not just a step in the way. Don’t be afraid to compliment what you admire but also give and ask for constructive criticism. It’s the key to progress and reinventing yourself. And since everything comes from within, after you start understanding yourself, you start improving your connections with others as well.
Whether you’re a recruiter or a candidate at an interview, relax, be honest, engage, be curious and don’t forget that “a smile is the shortest distance between two people”. :)
What do you think? Leave a comment below with your tips or best practices for having a fulfilling interview!
Sonia Ariton
