Your interview is one of the most crucial elements of the recruitment process. The ability to perform well at an interview by being well presented and prepared will place you favourably amongst your competitors. If you do not perform well at interview, you may not be selected for the position even if you have an exemplary career record. Take the time to read through the tips below and should you have any further questions, please liaise with your recruitment consultant to ensure that you are well equipped and confident before your interview.
Preparation
Make sure you know the time of the interview, the physical location of the interview and the name of the client manager/s who will be conducting the interview.
If it is a Teams-based interview, make sure you have a business shirt on (or equivalent), and be aware of the background your camera will pick up. (If necessary, use the “blur background” feature in Teams.)
Familiarise yourself with the client/s’ backgrounds by utilising search engines such as Google or social networking sites such as LinkedIn.
Conduct research on the organisation so that you are in a position to answer possible questions about it. (A classic is: “Tell us what we do as a business.” This is to test if you have done any research / are really interested in them.)
If you are working with a recruitment consultant, ensure that you are familiar with the technical and non-technical elements of the position description, the reason why the position has become available, the organisation culture, the growth plans of the division and organisation, and any other benefits or concerns about the role.
The interview is not only an opportunity for the client to assess your technical and non-technical skills with their organisation, but an opportunity for you to determine whether the organisation will meet your immediate needs and future career aspirations. Ensure you have some prepared questions to take to the interview you would like to ask the client.
Presentation
No matter if the interview is face-to-face or Teams-based, first impressions are crucial.
Always wear a suit and tie (or equivalent) if it is a face-to-face interview, unless you are told it is more casual. The minimum should be business shirt and slacks (or equivalent). Oh, and yes, people do look to see if shoes are polished or scuffed! You can always ask to take your jacket off once you are in the interview if the interviewer is dressed down. As noted above, have at least the equivalent of a business shirt on if it is a Teams-based interview.
Make sure your hair, nails, shoes etc are clean, neat and tidy.
Arrive 5-10 minutes early. Never arrive at an interview late. Just don’t.
It is fine to arrive with a small folder or briefcase. You can take a copy of your resume to refer to; the position description, your questions, and any other information relevant to the interview (eg, prints of some of their web site pages). Always request permission to open your briefcase to refer to notes and take notes during the interview. This also shows that you are prepared for the interview.
Examples of questions you may ask a client
What is the culture of the company?
What are the company’s growth plans?
Does the company have a formal induction / training programme?
Why has the position become available?
What type of person has performed well in the position and what are they doing now?
Examples of questions asked by a client
Always liaise with your recruitment consultant to determine behavioural-based interview questions relevant to the position you are considering. Interview formats vary according to position description together with technical and interpersonal skills required to be successful in a position.
More senior candidates are assessed on their “soft skills and attributes” which are pivotal to their success in a role.
When you are interviewing with a Mackay Executive recruitment consultant, they will be evaluating this just as much as a potential employer.
For this reason, you should expect to get a number of behaviourally-based questions when you meet the recruitment consultant as well as when meeting a potential employer.
Basic examples can include:
(Some of these below are only relevant to permanent roles rather than contract ones….)
What made you apply for this role?
Is there an opportunity to progress at your current organisation? If not, why not? If so, why are you looking to leave the organisation?
What type of organisation are you looking to work for? Why?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time? Do you think that this role will meet your needs in this respect? Why?
For a permanent role: What is your current salary and what is the exact breakdown? (If a contract role, the client should not ask your rate, and if they do, simply refer them back to the recruiter.)
How do you like to be managed?
What are some of your major achievements in your career to-date and what obstacles did you have to overcome in order to achieve them?
Where have you had a failure in the past, how did you overcome this and what did you learn from the situation?
Do you like to work independently or within a team environment?
How do you handle stress?
The Interview
Turn your mobile phone off, or put it in plane mode.
Be polite to the receptionist / secretary. They are often an ‘influencer’ and if you are rude or abrupt to them, they may provide feedback to the client manager with the strong possibility that you will not be considered for the role.
The first 30 seconds of an interview are critical. Always smile, be friendly and courteous, shake hands firmly (no bone-crushers!), look the client in the eye and thank them for the opportunity to meet with them to discuss the role further. First impressions count.
Sit upright in the interview (no slouching) and present with confidence, positivity, energy and enthusiasm. Be a good listener and wait until the client has finished their question before you answer. Don’t cut in.
Throughout the interview smile and always look directly into the eyes of the client when spoken to and when you are providing them with an answer (without staring). Do not be aggressive or present with a “know it all” attitude.
Most interviews take between 30 – 45 minutes. In order to present yourself favourably, it is important that you answer all questions in a clear and concise manner. Answer the question succinctly with an example to demonstrate your capability in this area. The client can always ask you to clarify/extend an answer if they seek further information or clarity.
It is a good idea to ask how long the interviewer has scheduled the meeting for. If it is only 30 minutes, it means you need to be quite focussed with your answers; good to aim for around 3 minutes an answer.
This is quite important if the client / potential employer is a public sector organisation, as they will have a fixed number of questions, and if they do not get through them all, then they have to put a ‘zero’ against the ones there was not time to ask. So, here, over talking your answers can lose you a job opportunity!
The client may provide as a preamble details about the role, the team and the company. It is acceptable to take short notes but do not focus your eyes solely on your pad during this period.
If you are asked about your personal life, keep it short, positive and relevant.
Do not be negative about ex-employers or your current employer.
When you are asked to talk about your work background, clarify with the client the time period they would like you to focus on, especially if you have 20+ years work experience. It is really the past 5-10 years that is going to be particularly relevant. Keep it short, succinct and relevant.
If you are asked about something you do not have experience with, be honest but indicate if you feel it is an area of interest or a learning opportunity for you.
At the end of their question time you should have an opportunity to ask your questions. The client may have covered a lot of the questions that you had prepared and if so, only focus on the ones that you still need clarification on.
Never ask about money/hours etc on first interview. It is your role to present yourself favourably for the role. Once the client has decided that it is you that they want to employ, your recruitment consultant will manage all negotiations and clarifications on your behalf.
At the end of the interview, thank them for seeing you, tell them you enjoyed the meeting and that you are interested in moving forward. Confirm with the client the next steps (they will usually say they will get back to the recruitment consultancy in X days), and before leaving, shake hands again (unless it is Teams-based).
After the interview, contact your recruitment consultant and provide them with feedback on the interview, whether you are interested in the position and if you have any further questions. This gives the recruitment consultant an opportunity to be prepared when the client contacts them to discuss your interview. For example, the recruitment consultant is able to accept an offer on your behalf (particularly contract) or confirm a further interview or reference checks, as required.
If you have not had any feedback from the recruitment consultancy regarding your interview after a couple of days, make contact with them and establish a time period for when feedback should be available. Feedback can be quite slow, particularly if you are the first person they are interviewing, but overall, it should not take more than one to two weeks. If there is no feedback after this time, best to put the role on ‘the back burner’.
