Interview Tips

Insights To Help You Win

In my capacity as a headhunter, I've interviewed and assessed thousands of people, at all levels of seniority and across all job functions. The following insights about what works well for candidates when interviewing and what doesn't are based on my observations and feedback from clients.

Screening calls

Prior to deciding to invite a candidate to a first/full interview, many employers will undertake screening calls (voice) first. The call may be with the hiring manager or more likely with internal HR or a recruiter. The purpose is to check that candidates have the base qualities required before committing to a full meeting, typically around 60 minutes.

Expect the call to be around 15 minutes. When answering questions, answer the question AND stick to the point. Because the interviewer cannot see you, your personality will not easily come through, so you need to consider how you can project your personality to enhance your application.

Vary the speed and pitch (volume) at which you are talking – slow/medium/fast and quiet/mid/high – and make use of pauses as appropriate to create impact. Control how you’re talking; too quickly, too quietly, too loudly, or in a monotone/flat way all pose a risk.

Key points to consider:

• Check out the company website, familiarise yourself with the basics of their business, and read the job spec.
• Have key facts and figures to hand so you can give a prompt and meaningful answer about your track record or statistics.
• At the start of the call, clarify the purpose of the call, what they would like to get out of the conversation, and how long they would like the call to last.
• Listen and clarify as appropriate, and answer the question asked.

Questions you can expect – and how to handle them:

What is your current situation? / Why are you looking? If you have been made redundant don’t project any negative feelings. Show that you’ve accepted the situation as fate and see it as an opportunity to move on, and that you are really quite keen on this particular opening.

What kind of opportunity are you looking for? Angle your answer so it relates to the kind of opportunity that you’re interviewing for – both job and employer type. Think of your value to the employer – e.g. “From what I can understand, this position makes particularly good use of my skills and experience, and offers me a challenging position in which to grow my career.”

Questions about your experience They will want to ask about the skills and experience they require. Listen carefully, and if you are unsure, ask them to repeat the question or clarify what they mean.

How do you feel about… They may ask how you feel about particular tasks, approaches or types of work important to the job. You may wish to respond with, “That’s an interesting question, why do you ask?” to draw out what sits behind it.

What is your salary package? Be ready to say what your salary package is and what your expectations are. When a company asks and an answer is given, this sets an expectation. Depending on your situation and the opportunity, it may be appropriate to say if you are seeking a higher salary package than you currently enjoy – or, in some cases, that your expectations are lower than before.

Because screening calls are short, there is limited time for your questions. One you may wish to ask is: “How has the position become available?” If your call is with the hiring manager, you may wish to ask 2 or 3 questions that matter most to you. If the call is with an internal recruiter / HR person, they may have limited knowledge and may need to revert to the hiring manager before inviting you to a full interview.

How to close the interview Many people are uncertain about how to finish the interview, yet everyone wants to find out where they stand. You should finish the call by finding out what happens next AND agreeing to any follow-on action. If they do not volunteer to invite you to the next stage, you may wish to ask if he or she has any concerns, and try overcoming these as appropriate.

Often an employer is looking for the candidate to close / find out where they stand – particularly for senior managers or people in sales or procurement. Sometimes employers are looking for people who are hard-nosed, outcome and results-oriented, and would expect them to close.

Consider asking one of three questions:

1. “I hope that you don’t mind my asking, but how do you feel about my suitability for the role?”
2. “I like the look of this opportunity because (state a reason)… Are there any concerns that you have that I can clear up right now?”
3. “How strong a candidate am I, both for the requirement for which you’re looking to hire into and in comparison, to other candidates that you’re looking at?”

As a minimum, ask: “Would you please tell me about the recruitment process and what timescales are you looking at?”

Video interviews

It’s easy to connect and build rapport in person. Video interviews tend to be shorter and it is easier for the interviewer to cut them short because it’s less personal. You may wish to consider how the following points apply to you and what adjustments you need to make.

Firstly, your backdrop: When people see you and your background, they form opinions. Assuming you are at home, make sure the room is neat and tidy; otherwise you’ll come across as casual and dis-organised i.e. second rate.

What you wear and how you present yourself is important. Employers want to hire people who look smart, are clean-cut and present a professional image; avoid being too casual/complacent. Be careful about wearing light-coloured clothes with light-coloured backgrounds – it can look dull. Consider wearing block colours such as navy/black. Avoid doing video interviews in public places like coffee shops where you or the interviewer may struggle to hear and you may be too quietly spoken.

Interactions are different: The ability to build relationships is weakened. In a video call it can be quite flat – be sure to smile and vary the tone of your voice. Because you’re not in the room, it’s more likely they will interrupt you, change the subject, cut you short, or draw the interview to a close quickly if they’re not impressed.

Sometimes an employer will use a short 10–15 minute pre-screen; otherwise a fuller screening meeting may be 30–40 minutes. At the start of the call, clarify the purpose, what they would like to get out of the conversation and how long they would like the call to last.

When answering, make sure you answer the question which was asked. Listen and clarify as appropriate so that you are answering the right question, in the right context.

Screen sharing is frequently counter-productive; distorted images are often difficult or impossible to read. It may be best avoided. If you’re going to present documents/visuals, consider sending them by email instead.

First interviews

Twelve common interview questions:

1. What do you know about our company? Describe succinctly the nature of the company and the business in which it operates. Be familiar with key facts and figures: when it was established, number of employees, annual turnover, and perhaps profitability and growth rate. Senior roles require a more insightful answer.
2. Tell me about yourself / Talk me through your CV/Resume Many interviewers use this to see how well you account for yourself, project yourself and reveal abilities and motivations. First, find out what they want you to cover and how long they would like you to spend. Most will expect this to take up to just 20 minutes of an hour meeting – and “up to” matters. Keep yourself on track. It’s easy to drift and give long answers; not answering the question will irritate and bore the interviewer.

For senior roles, they wish to satisfy themselves that you have the background and skills to do the job. Make sure what you say is relevant to the company, its line of business and the requirements of the role. Do not go over the top trying to make everything sound relevant. Align your experiences, skills and achievements to the opening, communicate what is particularly relevant, and appreciate that recent experiences and achievements are more meaningful than those long ago.

Include facts and figures which show you in a good light; keep the balance on the positive. Early career experience should be covered quickly; more recent experience in more detail. If you’ve had considerable experience and many employers, keep your answer brief – you may wish to think of your career in three short chapters to bring the interviewer up to date. Whatever you do, don’t go into ‘broadcast mode’ and ramble on at length. Throw the question back to the interviewer as appropriate – ask if there is anything else they would like to know about you.

1. Questions about your CV/Resume Consider the hiring requirement from the employer’s perspective and what is written in their job spec. Then examine your CV and think about the questions you may be asked.
2. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Sometimes phrased as “How would your colleagues describe you?” Emphasise your strengths and align them with the job. Think of a past weakness you or others identified, explain what you did to address it, and how it is now no longer a weakness or less of a weakness.
3. What would you bring to the role? / Why should we choose you? Explain that you have the necessary skills and experience to do the job, and illustrate this with facts and figures: profit, sales, budget, growth, tenure, number of reports, technical capabilities, qualifications. Choosing facts and figures which show you in the best light will make you more convincing. Tell them that you want the job and that from everything you have seen and heard, you think you would fit in well and make a positive contribution.
4. How would you approach the role? Ask any clarifying question you need before answering. Seek consensus on the nature of the role and what is expected, agree or outline timescales and specific goals, and consider breaking down your answer into beginning, middle and end to give it structure.
5. What is your current situation? If you have been made redundant don’t project negative feelings; see it as fate and an opportunity to move on, and emphasise that you are keen on this opening.
6. What kind of opportunity are you looking for now? Angle your answer so it relates to the kind of opportunity that you’re interviewing for.
7. What attracts you to this position with us? Think of your value to the employer – for example, “From what I can understand, this position makes particularly good use of my skills and experience, and offers me a challenging position in which to grow my career.”
8. How will this position fit in with your longer-term career goals? Also asked as “How do you wish to progress your career?” Your focus must always be on the job for which you are being interviewed. Avoid talking more about a future job than the job in hand.
9. What do you like and dislike about your current job? / What motivates you? Talk about things you like which are transferable and of value to the new employer. Don’t bad mouth current or previous employers and be cautious about airing frustrations – you may face similar ones elsewhere.
10. What is your current salary package? If asked, they will be looking for a direct answer and may be irritated if you do not share it. Assuming you want an increase, you may wish to state your salary and that you’re looking for an increase. Negotiating a salary is best left till the end, when you have built your value and they have decided they want to hire you.

Your questions are as important as your answers!

In all interview situations, your questions are as important as answers. Determine in advance what questions you’d most like to ask. If the video call is 45 minutes, that’s c.20 minutes of talk time each – so decide which 3–5 questions you most want to ask.

You may wish to consider questions such as: company today and how they see it developing (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats), how the position arose, nature of the role, key performance measurements, attributes they seek, culture and what it’s like working there, and the recruitment process (how they feel about your suitability, what happens next, and timescales).

Your level of seniority may influence the stage, scope and depth of which you can ask questions. In most interviews there exists a “balance of power” and it can change during the process. Assuming an interview is an hour, you can expect 30 minutes of talk time each. Prioritise around five key areas, put questions in a logical order, and if the interviewer does not outline an agenda, ask how they wish to play it.

Pro job seekers tip: Following your interview make notes about what the interviewer said. Assuming you are invited back, you’ll recall more of what was said and be better placed to tune into the employer’s needs, motivations and impress them more, at every stage.

Subsequent interviews & presenting

You can expect to meet different people at various stages. This is a chance to build a more complete picture of the opportunity and to show that you are the best person for the job. Avoid asking the same questions of the same person; if you repeat a question where someone else is present, you can reference the earlier discussion and explain you’d like another perspective. A second interview is a good opportunity to raise questions not covered before. Shortly after the first interview, write down key points and consider them before the second. Be ready for different questions and for follow-up on areas that exposed your weaknesses or were not fully covered. Ask new questions and delve more deeply into important aspects.

Panel interviews and presentations Expect to see new people, and be as keen at the second interview as at the first. Be even more curious about the organisation, job and where you stand. Find out what is expected and who will be there – ideally in writing: length of presentation, what they would like covered, who is to be present (names and job titles) and any additional insight.

If you are applying internally, use a sponsor or mentor to take a sounding on your understanding of the subject and your overview. An insider may also give you a steer on how the panel sees you as a candidate, your strengths and weaknesses, and what they are looking to hear. Don’t ignore normal presentation rules: give your presentation a structure (introduction, content, conclusion), give them a roadmap of topics, and avoid text-heavy slides. For a 20-minute presentation, use perhaps six or seven simple slides. Don’t try to say too much. Give relevant facts and figures, especially when asked how you would approach the job, your first 30/60/90 or 100 days.

Grab and maintain their attention by describing the problem/opportunities and how you will overcome or realise them. Use visuals for impact and the power of three – express subjects and points in threes. People buy benefits, not technicalities, so convey what you mean to them and talk with passion and belief.

Expect the unexpected People may join late and leave early. Don’t over-run, and be ready to summarise what’s been covered for a late joiner.

Rehearse like hell Most people don’t rehearse, and this is a mistake. Decision-makers can tell how well prepared someone is and rehearsing will help you handle “dialogue”. Each panellist is likely to be working with a set of questions; include each person in the meeting and appreciate that different people may see your strengths and weaknesses differently. Panel interviews are subject to post-interview debrief.

Have relevant questions pre-determined and written down to ask, ideally asking different people different questions and endeavouring to include them all.

How to end the meeting Most companies will debrief after interviewing several people, so an immediate offer is unlikely. They need to be convinced of three things: does the candidate want the job, can the candidate do the job, and will the candidate fit in. You may wish to ask how well you match their expectations, how you compare with other candidates, and what timescales they are working to. If you are interested, end by thanking them for their time, saying you have been pleased to meet them, are excited about the opening, and are looking forward to hearing back.

Final word It’s as much a meeting as it is a presentation. You need to synergize with the people you are seeing, interact with them, and ensure they are happy you’ll fit in. At the start of your presentation, after stating the subject areas you will cover, you may wish to say “please ask questions as we go along” and either answer immediately or indicate you’ll cover that later. Use your common sense: respond properly to the right questions and make sure you complete the presentation.

Negotiating Your Salary Package

This is an opportunity not to be missed. The best time to ensure you are properly compensated is when you join a company – because there’s no time like the present. With the exception of large, highly process-driven employers, it’s not unusual for some people to be paid 10% more than others doing the same job, sometimes considerably more. Once you’ve joined, increases are likely to be modest and inflation-based unless you get a promotion.

Understand what the going rates are for your kind of work. Do your research: adverts, salary surveys, head-hunters, recruitment consultants, colleagues. Determine your strongest point of reference to negotiate the best offer – often the value of another offer, what other companies are paying, a counter-offer, or in some cases that you are the best in your industry or best in class.

Plan in advance what to say when asked about your salary package and expectations. People who inflate their package are frequently found out, which can compromise offers and ruin the start. Be careful about simply stating your current salary, as this sets an expectation and may lead to a like-for-like offer. When asked, succinctly state your current salary and that one of the things you are looking for in a new opportunity is a salary increase.

Know your bottom line and the figure you really want. Focus on the higher number but don’t throw the job away by over-pricing yourself. Ideally discuss salary at the end of the interview process, once you have built your value and they have decided they want to hire you. When giving your current package, give a clear answer including fixed basic salary and TOTAL VALUE of your package, plus any major points such as benefits or a pending pay rise.

IDENTIFY YOUR MOST CONVINCING BENCHMARK. Identify your strongest point of leverage, communicate it, and use it to your advantage: the extra value you bring, what positions above and below yours are paid, other job offers and counter-offers.