Tips For Conducting Interviews

Google, Cisco, and McKinsey all quietly started adding the same hiring requirement. Not skills tests. Not more interviews. They're bringing candidates back IN PERSON for final rounds. The reason has nothing to do with company culture: It's about FRAUD. The DOJ indicted networks using stolen identities to obtain remote IT roles at US companies. Over 100 companies affected. The FBI now explicitly advises: "require in-person meetings." Gartner says 1 in 4 candidate profiles will be fake by 2028. 6% of job seekers already admit to interview fraud. AI did not (and will not) kill the interview. But it’s killing the remote interview in a big, big way. Recruiters are caught in the middle. Candidates hate the friction. Hiring managers demand quality. And recruiters are measured on both speed AND accuracy. Here's how the best recruiters are turning this challenge into a competitive advantage: 1. They're setting expectations upfront Tell candidates in the first call: "We do final rounds onsite. Here's why." Share the fraud stats. Most real candidates appreciate that you're protecting the company AND them from competing against fakes. The ones who balk just saved everyone time. 2. They're selling the onsite as an advantage "You'll work on real problems with the actual team. No tricks, no gotchas." Position it as their chance to evaluate the company too. Gartner found 62% of candidates are MORE likely to apply when companies require in-person interviews. Candidates want real evaluation, not AI-vs-AI theater. 3. They're minimizing candidate burden Batch all onsite interviews into one half-day. Provide detailed prep guides: what to expect, who they'll meet, exact timing. 4. They're making faster decisions The recruiter who wins gets offers out ASAP, same day if possible. Build your debrief into the schedule: 3pm candidate leaves, 4pm team decides, 5pm offer call. Speed correlates with acceptance, and offer-accept rates are trending upward. — This isn't going away. Remote-only interviews are starting to be seen as a liability risk. But here's the opportunity: while your competitors complain about the "old way" coming back, you can be the recruiter who helps companies build fraud-resistant hiring that candidates actually respect. The market has spoken: onsites aren't a step backward. They're how we prove hiring still requires human judgment.

I'm seeing an AI interview problem nobody wants to talk about: Your video interview is no longer a reliable assessment tool. For years, video calls were a practical compromise. Efficient. Convenient. Good enough for early-stage screening. That era is over. We are now in a world where candidates can have AI running in the background during interviews. Listening to questions. Generating structured answers. Feeding polished phrasing through a second screen. Coaching tone, clarity, even strategic framing in real time. At junior levels, this is concerning. At C-suite level, it’s dangerous. Because executive hiring is not about rehearsed answers. It’s about how someone thinks under pressure. How they react when a question lands unexpectedly. How they hold silence. How they carry conviction in a room. Video compresses signal. AI smooths imperfections. The result is a highly curated version of a leader. And that version is increasingly artificial. I’ve seen candidates who look exceptional on Teams. Crisp. Structured. Flawless delivery. Then you meet them in person and the energy shifts. The spontaneity disappears. The depth isn’t there. The presence doesn’t translate. The reverse also happens. Solid on screen. Magnetic in the room. That difference matters. In-person meetings remain the single most reliable way to assess authentic leadership signal. You see how someone handles interruption. How they manage disagreement. How they read a room. No algorithm can replicate that. If you’re hiring someone to run a €500M business unit, negotiate with retailers, or lead a 2,000-person team, you cannot rely solely on a format that can be digitally assisted. Video is fine for stage one. But if you’re making a final decision without being in the same room, you are outsourcing judgment to a camera and potentially to a chatbot. That’s not modernization. That’s risk. In 2026, the companies that win the talent war won’t just be digitally efficient. They’ll be willing to show up physically when it matters. The question is simple. Are you hiring the person? Or the performance? Are video interviews still your default, or are you adjusting your process as AI evolves? #executivesearch #hiring #cpg

In the early days of Addverb, one of our biggest challenges was conducting interviews, and it looked nothing like a structured hiring process.   Candidates would walk into what we called our “office” in Sector 2, Noida. In reality, it was a buzzing manufacturing workshop, with CNC and VMC machines humming and assembly stations spread across. Many candidates took one look and turned back immediately. It wasn’t unusual to see people literally run for their lives after seeing the chaos of our setup.   But those who stayed? They revealed something deeper, curiosity, resilience, and the intent to build with us from scratch. They knew exactly what they were signing up for. Interestingly, this reduced early attrition significantly, even if it sometimes meant positions took longer to fill.   That’s when it struck me: an interview isn’t just about questions and answers. It’s a mutual process, one side assessing skills and attitude, the other evaluating opportunities and culture. As we grew and moved into better-planned facilities, we made it a principle to keep at least one round of in-person interview in every hiring process. Because often, the little things, a nervous smile, the spark in someone’s eyes, their passion and energy, their unscripted curiosity about the workplace, revealed far more than a perfectly rehearsed answer. And just as importantly, candidates got a genuine sense of the workplace they were about to join. Years later, I was intrigued to read that Sundar Pichai reintroduced at least one in-person interview round at Google to counter scripted, AI-polished responses and help candidates experience Google’s culture first-hand. It reminded me of a line from Game of Thrones, when the Blackfish, during the Siege of Riverrun, agrees to meet Jaime Lannister face-to-face to “take the measure of the man.” You can’t truly know someone until you’ve stood across from them. That’s the essence of in-person interviews. Authenticity is best gauged face-to-face, not behind a screen. AI will undoubtedly make hiring faster and more efficient. But it can’t replicate intent, passion, or cultural fit. Resumes may tell you what someone knows, conversations in person tell you who they are.   Do you think in-person interviews are more effective in today’s AI-driven hiring world?

What if there's a better way to write about your career wins? Recently, I reviewed resumes for a few of my course students and I saw the same issue across multiple resumes. Their accomplishments sounded like job descriptions, not success stories. One person's resume read like a task list: "Responsible for effective management of..." So, how do you transform achievements into interview-generating stories? I really like the C.A.R.T. method instead because it weaves in strategic storytelling: C — Challenge: Start with the problem you had to tackle. Paint the picture of what was at stake. A — Action: Give me the specific steps you implemented. This shows your methodology and decision-making process. R — Results with proof: Quantify the measurable outcomes. Revenue generated, costs saved, efficiency improved, problems solved. T — Tie-back to their needs: Connect this win to the challenges your target employers face. Make it obvious because they won't connect the dots for you. Here's an example of before/after: Before: "Responsible for managing organizational restructuring initiative" After: "Halted 60% revenue decline through strategic restructuring; redesigned operations, implemented new processes, and rebuilt team culture, achieving 40% productivity increase within 8 months." The difference is everything. One describes what you can do. The other proves what you did and provides context. Which of your biggest wins needs the C.A.R.T. treatment? #LinkedInTopVoices #Careers #jobsearch Great Resumes Fast | Executive Resume Writers

The interview process has become hyper-competitive in 2024 But with proper preparation, it is possible to stand out. Here are 10 common interview questions, what they really mean, and how to answer them effectively: 1 - “Tell me about yourself.” Do not just reiterate your resume. This is a test of whether you can provide a short, thoughtful overview of your past work, your present, and your career aspirations. Keep it short. Focus on key information, decisions, and insights that will lead to a follow-up question you’re comfortable answering. 2 - “Why do you want to work with us? This is a test to filter out candidates who prefer to "Easy apply". Do not let a generic answer derail your process. Do your research. Write down 2-3 unique points about the company that appeal to you. 3 - “Why should we hire you?” This question might sound intimidating, but it is asked to test your selling and stress-handling skills. It’s a great opportunity to exhibit your preparation. Give a clear, concise review of your relevant skills, exp., and prove that it aligns with the current opening. 4 - "What's your favorite project you've worked on?" This is a test of how thorough you are with your work. Prepare everything from head to toe about a project. Showcase your attention to detail. Give facts and talk about the learnings from the project. 5 - “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” This is asked to check if your career aspiration aligns with what the company has to offer. Keep that in mind. It’s ok if you don’t have a perfect answer. We are living in a fast world and goals change. 6 - “Why are you leaving your job?” This is a test of your attitude. Do not say negative about your employer or manager. Stay positive and highlight why the new company and role is a better fit. 7 - “If I call you manager, what would she say about you?” This is an opportunity to highlight a qualitative strength that you haven’t been able to talk about; e.g. Ownership, Hard work, Dependability. Be honest, reflect on your past reviews, and pick things from there. 8 - "How do you handle a pressure situation?” Saying you don't feel pressure is not an honest answer to this question. Talk about 1-2 specific tactics for stress management. Highlight a time when work pressure led you to rise to the occasion. 9 - "Is there anything else we should know about you?" This is a standard closing question. Resist the urge to say “I have told you everything” to end the interview. Talk about your excitement for the opportunity at this company. Be brief. Leave a good final impression. 10 - “Do you have any questions for us?” This is a test of your interest. Generic questions won’t harm, but they won’t help either. Ask for something different. Here is my favorite: “What are the outcomes expected from a new hire in the first 90 days in this role?” What would you add to the list? Follow me, Vijay Chandola, for more such content on Job Search. #intevriewprep #jobsearchtips Think Sage

7 Follow-Ups To Send When You Hear Nothing (Use These To Reduce Ghosting By 5x) 1. After You Apply (48–72 Hours)  A short, focused note to the recruiter or hiring manager expressing why you think you're a fit (with measurable results) can boost your application views. For example:  “Hi [Name], I just applied for the [role] at [Company]. In my previous role, we [wins from previous role that apply to JD – e.g., “boosted free-to-paid rates by 15% through targeted CRM campaigns”]. I'm excited to bring similar results to [Company].” 2. After a Recruiter Screen (3–4 Business Days)  Silence here is usually bandwidth, not rejection.  Nudge with a value tied to what they said. For example:  “Hi [Name], great chatting on [Date]! You mentioned [team goal]. I drafted 3 ideas to move it: [Idea 1/2/3]. Is [day/time] good to discuss round two?” 3. After a Hiring-Manager Interview (5–7 Days)  Summarize your approach and expected impact so they can react fast. Then, invite specific feedback. Here's how:  “Hi [Name], I sent the assignment on [Date]. My approach aims to move [KPI] from [baseline] → [target] in [timeframe]. I’d value your feedback and next steps!” 4. After You Submit a Take-Home (~72 Hours)  You don't need “Lead” or “Head” in your job title to prove leadership.  You can showcase initiative by telling a story that demonstrates initiative. For example:  “When our trial churn spiked, I brought Customer Success and Product Management together and shared the data. We piloted day-three reminder emails and churn dropped 19%.” 5. After A Referral Or Warm Intro (48–72 Hours)  Referrals work best when you name the connector and show relevance fast. Here's how you can reach out:  “Hi [Name], [Referrer] suggested I reach out about [Role]. In my past role at [Company], I [result + metric] with [tool/industry]. Could we book 15 min to see if my background fits?” 6. After Final Round (~1 Week)  Ask for decision timing and the criteria they’re weighing.  Then, offer to close gaps. Here's a template:  “Hi [Name], thanks again for the final round on [Date]. Can I ask what the decision timeline is and what criteria you are weighing for the offer? I’m happy to share anything else you need!” 7. The Polite “Breakup” (After 2–3 Nudges, No Reply)  Protect your time and keep the relationship warm.  Closing the loop often triggers a response. Leave the door open. Here's how:  “Hi [Name], I don’t want to crowd your inbox. If the process paused or moved on, no worries. Please let me know, and I’ll close the loop. If you’re still interested, I’m excited to continue.” Ready To Turn Crickets Into Offers? 🔄 Jared couldn’t get traction switching fields until we refined his follow-up and positioning strategy. 👉 Want the script + timing for each step? Grab a free 30-min Clarity Call: https://lnkd.in/gdysHr-r

You met all the qualifications. You answered every question well. But… no offer. What went wrong? 🤔 The truth is, strong candidates don’t just answer questions—they shape the interview. They leave hiring managers thinking: “We need this person on our team.” Here are three advanced techniques to make that happen: 👇 1️⃣ Strategic Mirroring: Build Instant Rapport People naturally like those who feel familiar. Mirroring (not mimicking) the interviewer’s energy, tone, and pace helps build subconscious trust. ✅ If they’re formal? Keep your responses structured and polished. ✅ If they’re conversational? Loosen up slightly while staying professional. 🚀 Pro Tip: Listen for keywords they use and incorporate them naturally into your answers. If they emphasize “collaboration” or “data-driven decisions,” weave those into your responses. 2️⃣ Narrative Control: Make the Interview Work for You Interviews aren’t just about answering questions—they’re about shaping how you’re perceived. 🔹 Bridge weak areas proactively. If you lack industry experience, say: "While my background is in [Industry A], I’ve applied the same skills—data analysis, market strategy—to similar challenges in [Industry B]." 🔹 Steer toward your strengths. If a question focuses on a minor part of your experience, pivot to a related strength: "That was part of my role, but where I had the biggest impact was..." 🚀 Pro Tip: Use transitions like “What I think is most relevant to this role is…” to highlight your key selling points. 3️⃣ High-Impact Storytelling: Make Your Answers Stick Hiring managers don’t remember generic answers—they remember stories that bring your skills to life. ✅ Use STAR or CAR—but focus on impact. Both frameworks work, but the key is making your answer concise, engaging, and results-driven. ✔️ STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) → Best for structured behavioural interviews. ✔️ CAR (Challenge, Action, Result) → Ideal for punchy, high-impact storytelling. 🔹 Basic answer: "I led an automation project that improved efficiency." 🔹 Memorable answer (STAR/CAR format): "Our team was drowning in manual reporting (Situation/Challenge). I saw an opportunity to automate key reports and designed a dashboard (Task/Action) that cut reporting time by 60% (Result), freeing up 10+ hours a week for strategy." 🚀 Pro Tip: End with a forward-looking statement: "That’s why I’m excited about this role—because I see a similar opportunity to drive impact here." 🔥 Final Thought: Good Isn’t Enough—Make Yourself the Clear Choice ✔️ Mirror the interviewer’s style to build rapport. ✔️ Control the conversation to highlight your strongest assets. ✔️ Use compelling stories to be memorable. 👉 Found this helpful? Reshare to help others master advanced interviewing techniques!

A client preparing for an important podcast confessed he's a bit "wordy." I complimented him for recognizing what could be a fatal flaw and said, "That's why you're going to keep your remarks to 2 minutes and answer every question with an EXAMPLE instead of an EXPLANATION. Explanations are INFObesity. Examples are INTRIGUING." He agreed but said, "I don't know HOW to tell a short story." I told him, "The key is to put us in the S.C.E.N.E. Here's how: S = SENSORY DETAIL: Start with WHERE to put us THERE. Think of a real-life situation that illustrates your point. What did it look like? Smell like? Feel like? Sound like? C = CHARACTERS: Describe the individual(s) involved so we know their MOOD. We don't need to know they have brown hair. The question is, are they sad, mad? Excited? Frustrated? E = EXPERIENCE IT: Re-enact what happened so we can SEE what you're SAYING. If YOU see and feel what you saw and felt then, WE will too. N =NARRATIVE: If you don't have dialogue, it’s not a story, it's a listicle of events. Use comma/quotes of exactly what was said so it's ALIVE and we feel part of the conversation. E = EPIPHANY: What is the lesson-learned, shift, or AHA where everything comes together and the point suddenly makes sense? If the podcaster asks, "WHY did you write this book?" don't TELL him why you wrote the book. Put us in the S.C.E.N.E. of when and where you realized people were getting outdated badvice, and decided to share your recent research and evolutionary results so they could thrive instead of suffer needlessly. And keep each response to under 2 minutes. If you do, this becomes a rock-and-roll interview from start to finish. You will be infinitely more interesting and people will be motivated to keep listening. #podcasts #storytelling #speaking #samhorn #presenting

🎙️ One sentence yesterday took all the pressure off. I was at the Two Krakens studio for their 'Built Not Born in Business' podcast. Helen Butler shows me around first. We grab coffee. Sit in the recording chairs… and just talk. No performance. No rushing. Just human conversation. Then, right before hitting record, Chris Butler said: “We’ll do this live, but if anything goes wrong, we’ll stop and edit.” Everything shifted. The pressure? Gone. The performance anxiety? Disappeared. By the time they pressed record, it didn’t feel like an interview. It felt like a conversation that happened to be recorded. Here’s the thing about great communication: It starts before the microphones go on. ⭐ Pre-conversation builds real rapport ⭐ Creates psychological safety ⭐ Gives space to clarify angles and expectations ⭐ Lets people relax into being themselves When people feel genuinely at ease, they don’t perform. They connect. And this applies everywhere: → Interviewing job candidates → Hosting a podcast → Leading crucial team meetings → Any high-stakes conversation How you set the tone matters just as much as what you say. The episode drops in March - and I can’t wait for you to hear how natural it felt. What’s one thing you do to put people at ease before important conversations? Follow Arti Halai for practical insights on confident communication when it really counts ✨ Two Krakens - Content First Agency

Want to make a good podcast? Don't ask the same sh*t everyone else does. A lot of the guests I have on Stansplaining are quite well known so they have done lots of interviews. And they always get asked the same questions. Things about their career that interviewers assume everyone wants to know. But the feedback I've gotten from my podcast guests is that I don't ask the questions they're expecting. That's because I don't want to talk about the same things everyone else does. Why would someone listen to Stansplaining if they are just getting the same stuff they get everywhere else? These guests aren't 1 dimensional people, so I try to take a different lens and ask things I actually want to know. Because as I'm trying to get better at interviewing, I think the best way to do that is to find an angle I actually give a f&%k about. Asking them about how they make money and the business side of things gives me the chance to offer something to them as well. I'm not the guy that's going to give someone life advice, but I do know business, marketing, and content creation. So when we get into those types of conversations, I try to offer value back to them because I can speak to that stuff. Not only does that make all these podcast interviews way more fascinating for me, but it means the audience can see I know what I'm talking about. And it means hopefully my guests walk away with something they can use, too.