WARNING: SOME OF THEM ARE PRETTY WEIRD
Think your interviewer only cares about your skills, experience and whether you’ll fit in? Think again — that’s just for starters. Dan Hawes, founder of graduate recruitment agency Graduate Recruitment Bureau, tells Graduate Fog what your interviewer is really thinking…
“CAN I TRUST THIS PERSON?”
No, they’re not being paranoid — trust is a really important issue for employers. “If you get the job, it’s likely you’ll be privy to confidential information, so any interviewer will be sizing you up and asking ‘Is this person honest — and can I trust them?'” says Hawes. “Before they give you any responsibility, they’ll want to be sure they can count on you.”
DO: Reassure them with plenty of examples from your past work experience. “In particular, highlight moments when you had real responsibility for a work related project or a leader of a team that were counting on you,” says Hawes.
DON’T: Be tempted to fib — about anything, however small. “Trust is a basic human instinct and getting caught lying — even about something small — will make your interviewer doubt everything else you’ve said.”
“WILL THIS PERSON QUIT AFTER A YEAR?”
Yes, we know — all you care about is Getting The Job. But your interviewer is thinking long-term — even if you’re not. “Graduate recruiters aren’t just looking for someone who can do the job now, they’re after someone who will stick around. If they hire you, they’ll invest a great deal of time and money into you, so they want to know you’re not going to vanish the minute something better comes along,” says Hawes.
DO: Show interest in the organisation’s long-term goals. “Ask about a particular project they are investing in or, better still, how you hope to play a part in shaping their future.”
DON’T: Seem desperate. “Be cool. Try to think beyond how this job will help you pay off your debts and instead ask searching questions. Show you have a genuine interest in this company in particular — and you are taking the decision seriously as you intend to stick around.”
“DOES THIS PERSON HAVE REAL POTENTIAL?”
It’s easy to forget, but you’re not just being interviewed for this job, you’re also being interviewed for the next one up, and the one after that… “Companies love promoting people who are already work at the company — for one thing, ‘internal hires’ are cheaper than finding someone externally, as there are no recruiters’ fees to pay or expensive adverts to buy,” says Hawes. “However junior the role seems, they will be asking themselves whether they can see you doing a more senior job at the company in a few years’ time.”
DO: Demonstrate your natural ability to lead. “Even if this job doesn’t involve taking charge, it’s good to show you can take the initiative if the situation demands it.”
DON’T: Be shy. “This is your chance to talk about your strong points. Give examples of past successes and have conviction in your potential, as well as your current skills and ability.”
“WILL THIS PERSON MAKE OUR COMPANY LOOK GOOD?”
Any kind of job will most probably require visits or tasks outside of the office, such as attending networking events, meetings or conferences. “Therefore wherever you go, you will always be a representation of the company you are working for,” Hawes explains. “This means that employers will be looking for someone who is approachable, friendly, professional and polite as they will want the company to be reflected well in any sort of situation.”
DO: Talk about former employers politely and professionally (yes even if they were vile). “Bad-mouthing your previous boss is a ‘red flag’ for interviewers. They’ll instantly start to wonder whether it’s you who is a troublemaker.”
DON’T: Slouch or mumble. “Be smart, maintain eye contact, give a firm handshake and watch your posture. These are all things your interviewer will expect you to when you meet clients or potential clients. First impressions can make a huge difference so work on it.”
“WILL THIS PERSON MAKE ME LOOK GOOD?”
You always suspected it but now you know for sure — your interviewer has an ego to protect. “Put yourself in their shoes,” Hawes explains. “If you are a hiring manger, you’d be looking to impress your boss with your choice of candidate, wouldn’t you? Don’t forget that if you get the job you will be their choice — in other words, a reflection of their judgement and decision-making skills. Which is another reason why it’s essential you make a good impression personally.”
DO: Be nice. “It’s not hard to be pleasant to the interviewer (and everyone you meet in the office beforehand). You want to come across as a co-operative and trustworthy person.”
DON’T: Be a smart arse. “You don’t need to pretend you know it all — that can actually be a bad thing. If they hire you, they’ll want to mould you to their way of doing things so being closed to new ideas or even arrogant is going to go against you. Looking interested and open to new ideas is a much better look.”
*HAVE YOU HAD ANY INTERVIEWS?
How did you get on? If they were a disaster, what went wrong? If you got the job, why do you think they hired you? Has your technique improved, the more interviews you’ve done? Do you have any tips for overcoming pre-interview nerves?
The typical recruiter has to see too many people in too short a time to properly remember each candidate’s CV and make decent notes of their performance. It shouldn’t be like this (recruitment’s too important a task to be done badly) – but it often is.
As the candidate, it’s in your interests to make it EASY for the interviewer to remember why YOU should be given the job.
Tactfully do some of the thinking for your interviewer. A good tactic is often to start an answer by briefly saying what the employer wants / needs from candidates (eg “in this role you’ve asked for someone with good project management experience”), then follow up immediately with your evidence that you have that particular skill or experience (eg “I planned and project managed the creation of a village well in the Gobi desert. I used PRINCE 2 techniques to ..”). This is a far more powerful approach than telling the recruiter about your achievements but not linking them in to the job / person specification.
Write out in advance detailed but concise information – preferably on one A4 page – on the specifications of the job and how you meet them; offer to leave that information with the recruiter if you sense he or she would welcome that offer. NB this is your “sales” document so don’t mention anything that doesn’t help your case.
The typical recruiter has to see too many people in too short a time to properly remember each candidate’s CV and make decent notes of their performance. It shouldn’t be like this (recruitment’s too important a task to be done badly) — but it often is.
No, that is the domain of the bad and poorly organised recruiter, certainly not the trained and organised recruiter.
@Derrick
The feedback I’ve had from clients and others suggests there are unfortunately quite a few substandard recruiters out there.
In a way, it’s not surprising. Many in-house HR depts have been cut back to the bone and can’t field trained, experienced staff to cover all roles.
I’ve no way of quantifying what percentage of interviewers are good or bad at their jobs but it’s rare in my experience for the few candidates getting feedback on their interview performance to be told anything more than generalities about what they did well or badly. If the recruiters HAD taken decent notes on interviewees’ performances, they’d be able and willing to give more precise detail.
I’ve no way of quantifying what percentage of interviewers are good or bad at their jobs but it’s rare in my experience for the few candidates getting feedback on their interview performance to be told anything more than generalities about what they did well or badly.
That’s generally because they are covering their backsides in case any ET’s are forthcoming.
There is no way to avoid such thinking of an interviewer. They can think so. They like to have an employee who fit the organization. The best way to overcome such thinking is face the interviewer with a positive mentality. Satisfy him with your positive answers.
I don’t think these thoughts are particularly weird. Although from our perspective (as jobseekers), the idea of working for company X in role Y can seem pretty utilitarian, all companies these days want to see enthusiasm and some sort of career plan that fits with that organisation. It’s quite understandable, really, that in a time when everyone is trying to save money, training people just to have them leave isn’t something employers are prepared to do.
@Kayla
I think some of them are definitely weird. It’s never occurred to me that an interviewer might be looking at me thinking “Will she make me look good?” That one was a real revelation to me! When you’re being interviewed it’s easy to focus entirely on the content of what you’re saying, and forget that there’s all kinds of other stuff you’re being assessed for…
@Tanya
I really don’t see that as a shocking thought at all – A reputation is built over many years, perhaps even generations in family run business, but is destroyed in minutes due to a rude or abrasive member of staff, a bad business deal, or someone who is careless or negligent with their work.
Think about it like this: Would you hire a neo-Nazi who is very verbose about his beliefs? Would you hire someone whose previous employer states that they are reckless and smell faintly of cabbage (Theme Hospital reference, anyone?)? Would you hire someone who you know can’t keep confidential information safe?
Of course there are degrees, and there are certain jobs where such criteria aren’t a problem. That is what it means to me “Will s/he make me look good?” and if I were an employer, I’d rank it as highly as “Can s/he do the job?”