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The Interview

There is no standard style of interview! Some interviews might be brief, one-on-one question and answer sessions meant to narrow down a list of potential candidates, while others might be all-day group interviews structured to evaluate one's interests, strengths, weaknesses, and ability to work successfully alongside colleagues and people from other departments or countries.

Regardless of a company's interview style, it is useful for a candidate to not be too surprised if the format is different from what one is accustomed to. Particularly if the interviewing company is rooted outside one's own country, it is very possible that the firm is simply doing what they normally do in their home country. Just roll with it and keep an open mind!

Companies might also require physical exams, psychological consultations, online psychometric tests, or even some unexpected diagnostics that might feel like they were plucked right out of a dusty guide to 19th Century parlor tricks, such as handwriting analysis. Some companies might require at the time of the interview or later some type of credit check, proof of current claimed earnings or employment (pay stubs, etc.), university transcripts, professional certifications, proof of a legal right to work in the country, etc. Most typically, the checks that a firm requires have been time tested as useful, according to the standards and assumptions that of that firm. Some tests, such as psychometric tests, are used by some firms to get another window on a candidate's strengths or challenges for a particular role. In some case, a less than ideal score could rule out a candidate from hire, while in other cases an employer just might regard the findings as just another opinion to consider in making a final decision.

Most companies generally don't simply offer a job immediately following an interview - even after a great interview - because when a new person is offered a job, often numerous hiring authorities are stating that they believe that the candidate is a person who is trustworthy and qualified enough to do the assigned role properly. The testing and validation phase is usually often referred to as "doing due diligence,"  but often some checks are less meaningful or scientific than others, and they might seem more like a straightforward "CYA" strategy. Why would company managers and officers feel a need to have some form of plausible deniability regarding their decision to sign off on a particular candidate? Simple. Their careers might be at stake when a person reporting to them is hired.

Most candidates going into an interview either feel that they are obvious choices for the position or that they are in a horse race with a thousand others, all aiming to cross the finish line first. But an interview process is not only about the candidate. It is also about the hiring manager, and that hiring manager's manager, and that person's manager. To some extent, it is also about the company itself, including its attractiveness to suitable candidates, its image within its market, the company's salary structure, and the company's business model, management team, and track record.

If there was a "bad hire," the managers who thought to hire the person are also at risk of being judged negatively by their bosses. And everyone rushes to blame the HR person! Nobody can predict the future, and good candidates and good companies just might not mesh as smoothly as expected. That's just the way life is, but for corporations, a hire that did not work out well could set back a key project for a company or, in roles such as sales, directly affect the quotas of the Sales Head. And a poorly performing VP Sales or Sales Director could be given a negative review by a CEO. A CEO who did not meet revenue goals due to one or more "bad hires" might be dismissed by a Board of Directors.

In general, the higher the rank of the position, the higher the potential risk of that hire to those who are the hiring managers for that person. Because of this fact, often very senior management interview processes take more time to come to a conclusion. There are often many interviews, many more presentations, more stops and starts, more questions, and deeper checks.

You are not obligated to continue in any interview process if you have objections to a company's policies, just as a company is equally not obligated to employ everyone who is interviewed for a job. If you are unsure about a point, you might ask the HR department to explain the test or requirement. If you still have objections, then you might decide that that particular company is not good for you. There are plenty of companies out there.


THE HUMAN RESOURCES INTERVIEW

In some companies, the preliminary evaluation of a candidate by the Human Resources department representative may be considered one opinion among several others, while in other cases, the opinion of the Human Resources representative can be so powerful as to terminate a hiring process before the candidate even has a chance to meet the hiring manager. In any case, it is imperative that the candidate should always be friendly, forthcoming and respectful to all HR contacts. The HR department, even if it seems bogged down in paperwork, could be a helpful coordinator of your hiring process, and HR is the best source for general company information, including employee benefits, data on raises and bonuses, vacation policies, and corporate financial reports.


Ask HR for any literature they could offer about the company, and sort through it carefully when you get home. HR's main function is generally not to evaluate your technical qualifications for a job, but rather to analyze your compatibility with the company's existing personnel and corporate culture. An interview with a firm's HR department can be every bit as critical to your success as an interview with the hiring manager.

 
If you are given an application to fill out that might seem time-consuming or repetitive, fill it out as completely as possible. Even if your resume answers many of the questions in the personnel application, DO NOT write, "SEE RESUME." Many times such actions, as reasonable as they might be, are interpreted as signs of insubordination or as disrespect for company employees or policies. That often ends a candidate being further considered.

Do not lie about your employment dates or degrees earned. These details can and probably will be checked, and if they are found to have been misstated deliberately, there may be just cause for your dismissal. If you have obtained any educational degree from a university that is unaccredited or of questionable status, such as a diploma mill, it is our suggestion to not include bogus degrees in a resume or employment application. A mail-order doctorate does not make you a Ph.D. in the eyes of most employers, and attempts at presenting such qualifications as real educational achievements might cost you a job offer rather than impressing an employer. Such easily obtained papers could have the opposite effect on a serious employer who otherwise might have found your true personal and career achievements of great interest and value.

One of the key points that companies need in an employee is trust. If you have given an employer an idea that you are willing to dissemble, then you are telling that employer that they might be taking a risk in trusting you with a position at their company. So please, if you are an honest, trustworthy person, please do not misrepresent yourself or your qualifications. Just be yourself!

Please be proud of yourself and of what you have done in your life. Taking shortcuts might lose you opportunities that you could have obtained on your own merit.

***Important! Some personnel applications include certain questions or requests for releases of information that, if not processed correctly, could theoretically affect your current position. Most common is a question asking if your current employer or supervisor may be contacted. If your present position could in any way be harmed or jeopardized by such requests, we suggest that you write clearly: "NO! NOT WITHOUT MY PRIOR PERMISSION" or perhaps "ONLY AFTER MY ACCEPTING AN OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT." Then you should politely explain to the HR representative your concerns. Likely it won't be a problem, but it is wise to be safe.

Arrive early for your interview, perhaps by 15 to 30 minutes. Often when companies set an interview time they do not allow enough time for the HR paperwork and interview. You might even request that a company mail you its application prior to your interview. Rather than having to rush through what are important documents or having to cut short a crucial meeting with the hiring manager, you will instead appear to be thoughtful and with a good mind for planning.


LOOK AND ACT YOUR BEST

Fundamentally, the interview with Human Resources and a possible future boss should be no different. Be polite. Look your interviewer in the eyes. Unless there are overriding cultural differences to take into account - rare nowadays- looking away or down is not considered by most major employers today as a sign of respect or deference, but rather that the person might be hiding something. For management positions, it is particularly important to seem confident and direct, while being polite. Shake hands firmly but do not try to crush the person's bones. Prior to your interview, inquire with HR as to the company dress code, and dress accordingly. And please do not help yourself to the department snack and drink counter unless you are invited to do so by the manager.

Make sure that you have slept well the night before and have eaten a good meal prior to your interview. Your energy level during the interview will be taken into account. If the interview goes on for hours, and you are to interview with several people who ask you the same or similar questions, you will need a lot of energy to sound enthusiastic when answering.

Interviews on Mondays, especially Monday mornings, often are disastrous because the odds are that one, several, or all parties involved in an interview are cranky and tired. If it's a face-to-face interview, try for any other day.

Do not schedule important job interviews between your closely scheduled business meetings. You should not be looking at the clock during an interview. Expect that the interview might last longer than you had expected, either because of unexpected lateness by your interviewer, or because you are doing so well that the company wants to get to know you better. Do not lose a good opportunity because of scheduling issues. Prospective employers like to see candidates who are interested in them, and even if you are very busy, do not make them feel as if you are just “fitting them in” between meetings.

If your and their timing during that first interview is going to be unavoidably tight, make sure that you inform them when making the appointment that that week is difficult for you, but that you would like to at least speak with them. Sometimes phone or video calls can be arranged in evenings or weekends, or sometimes a few brief interviews can be scheduled, but this must be a mutually acceptable matter. If you sense that the employer would find it a problem to make alternate plans, you might consider simply changing your other appointments to fit this interview. Changing careers is a serious business, and you should devote a proper amount of time to get to know your future bosses.


ASK THE HIRING MANAGER A LOT OF QUESTIONS

Just as with your interview with HR, your interview with the hiring manager is two-sided. They need to get to know you as much as you need to know them.  Most companies prefer candidates to ask them good questions, so it may be helpful to have prepared some at home and to have committed them to memory.

Please, do not ask questions from a list; this may suggest that you are not able to think spontaneously. Yes, your every slightest action may be easily over-scrutinized or misinterpreted, and, by the way, you might tend to do the same with those people you meet at the company. 

Always be aware that what you assume is natural or “standard” business policy, is not standard, but is just what you have experienced. Employers might come into the relationship with similar assumptions, so it is up to you to always try to imagine how the other party might be evaluating you (from their perspective). Your recruiter might be particularly valuable to you in this matter, because recruiters likely have seen hundreds or thousands of different business models and hiring policies and interview habits. If you are unsure about something, consider asking your recruiter’s advice.

Some questions that you may wish to ask the employer are below.

Please note that all of them might not be possible or practical to ask in a first meeting. If you find that a company hedges their responses too much or does not answer the way that you feel they should, you might not want to take that job. If there are unusual pauses or avoidances, maybe the person being asked is unsure how to answer or worse. Ask your recruiter to try to clarify these matters for you, if possible. Recruiters can do so without it jeopardizing your candidacy. Companies will not normally remove an important candidate from consideration based on the questions of recruiters, but many companies might misconstrue certain blunt questioning by candidates as premature or rude. This may not seem fair or make sense, but nobody ever said human nature is logical.

·    The company history. How long has it been around?

·    How long has this position been open?

·    Why is the position open now?

·    If there was someone who held the position previously, why did that person leave?

·    What did the previous employee do on the job that was good?  What was bad?

·    What would you like to see in the next person in the position?

·    What are the relationships and report structures between this position and other department members and other company departments or divisions?

·    What are the chances of advancement?

·    If the position is supervisory, it is important to know the backgrounds of the staff members, and with what type of management philosophy or style they are accustomed to, or need to adjust to.

·    Budgetary and staffing issues associated with the position. Will you have enough money and resources to accomplish the mission that they would hire you to do?

·    Past company sales and sales projections. What percent of the market does the company hold and what percent could it realistically hold?  What new markets, products or plans are envisioned?  How could these goals be supported with current resources?

·    Are there any problems—financial, corporate or personal—that an incoming employee should know or needs to know in order to do an acceptable job? Are there any forthcoming layoffs, mergers or legal problems that could make this job harder?

·    Ask the hiring manager his or her background. How long has the hiring manager been with the firm? What titles has the hiring manager held?  Where did the hiring manager work before coming to the company?  What was the hiring manager's educational background? You want to see your boss' skills, strengths and weaknesses and depth and you need to learn how they will complement or conflict with yours.


We believe that honesty is the best policy, for both the candidate and the employer.

Most companies will not want to discuss every confidential matter to a stranger in the first interview, but we suggest that before you take any new job, you should at least attempt to ask hard questions of employers. You also might want to consult other sources of inside or public information. Do your homework on any company that you are seriously thinking of working for.

What matters is that you and the company understand each other well and respect each other’s value to the other party. If there is suspicion or lack of respect by one party for the other, in our opinion, these two parties might wish to seriously reconsider working together. A simple annoyance during an interview could result in a major dispute during a full time period of employment. If the job or boss or company does not “feel right,” you probably do not want to take that job.


GENERAL TIPS

Whatever you do, whatever anyone has ever told you to do, do not play "hard to get."

Aloofness or appearing disinterested do not win friends or allies. People just wonder why you are wasting their time. They want you for their job at their company, and they only are interested in speaking with people who are serious about making a job change now. If you are asked the standard question "So why do you want to leave your present job?" do not say: "I don't want to leave" or "I'm happy with my present job" or "I'm just looking around to see what's out there." It is fine and maybe even preferable to state that you enjoy your work and your company treats you well, but it is necessary to quickly add a statement showing that you have some compelling reason to look beyond your current employer. State what kind of challenge you are looking for, or what type of management philosophy you would like to work with.

Please say anything other than the immortal line: "The recruiter told me to come here."

Never say bad things about your current employer or boss, even if every bit is true. If necessary, let your recruiter tell them. When a candidate speaks derogatorily of his or her current employer, some people might regard that candidate as a hot-head or malcontent. Try to be as diplomatic as possible. If your current employer or boss is doing things to make your job harder, you may have to explain the details. That is OK. But let the facts speak for themselves. You do not have to editorialize about the boss’ character or incapacity. Let the facts speak for you, and your interviewer will be able to read between the lines, and hopefully, agree with you.

Strange or annoying interview styles might mean nothing or everything. Some people pick up bad interviewing habits and stick with them. Your interviewer may be uncomfortable with interviewing people, and may appear stodgy, or maybe even weirdly inquisitional or formulaic, when perhaps this person might be a great boss and a very nice person. Your interviewer may be of the "trick question" school and may seem very amateurish in trying to catch a perspective employee off guard. Sometimes how people are interviewed causes people to reject companies needlessly, while other times, people who altogether ignore how a prospective boss interacted with them during an important interview, can later regret that they did not take into account such interpersonal cues.

The problem is that unlike things like Kaizen or profit-loss analysis, business pays little attention to developing standard training in human resources issues. Every company is different, every manager's interview style is different. You may even meet an interviewer who is a natural sales person, a "master of ceremonies" type who may make you feel at ease and happy while in fact being a horrible manager. Make a mental note of anything that seemed odd to you, and see if there are changes or explanations during a second interview.

Do not be overly swayed or discouraged by what you see in a first interview. Style alone may mislead you; rather, look for substance: numbers, percentages, records of success, comparison with competitors. Most important, is that the people you are visiting are people with whom you could spend forty or more hours a week.

Try to reach common ground with your interviewer. Discuss how you may have solved problems similar to theirs, for example, and move beyond until your important questions are answered.

If you like them and they like you, but you have any doubts left after the first interview, ask for a second interview before considering a job offer.

The single most important objective of an interview or a group of interviews is for there to be a "meeting of minds." Both the employer and the candidate should have a reasonably good idea if they could work together well or not.

THE QUESTION OF MONEY

A discussion of the issue of compensation can be mishandled using any combination of style and phrasing imaginable to the human mind. Some people will ask you how much you are making now and how much you expect, require, or desire from the next job, and you could give them honest answers and they might give you what you asked for - or not.

But the dynamics of the hiring process alter the "honesty" of this answer, because what you might think you required at the HR interview might become a different figure—higher or lower—after you learn more about the duties, risks, company prospects and career opportunities. Some opportunities are worth taking pay cuts for, while other jobs you would not want to do for ten times your salary! Make sure that the employer, either directly or through HR or your recruiter, is made aware of any important changes that you need to consider. This can be important if you and another strong candidate are being seriously considered. That other person might require a lower salary, no relocation package, or no other unusual costs, so that total cost of employment for that person could put your negotiations at a disadvantage if you initially overstated your requirements. At each stage of your interview process, ask yourself what you really require for the job, and ask how the job could benefit your career. Your careful analysis of these issues might bring you closer to the company’s limits, and save you from losing a great opportunity due to a miscommunication.

Another problem that you may encounter is that since your interview might involve numerous people, each of whom asks you your salary requirement, if you change your salary statement from one person to the next, your final answer might not be clearly sorted out by them. So when your offer is calculated, it may be all based on your original statement during the HR interview. Be aware of this "too many cooks in the kitchen" phenomenon and make sure that you tell your recruiter or HR your final requirements, so that information could be properly transmitted to the company.

What matters most is that the new company clearly is made to understand what salary you would need to accept a position with them. They may ask what would be your minimum salary or "compensation range." Probably the most prudent response would be to give either a fair range acceptable to you, with the caveat that "it depends on the specifics of the position." Your answer is not meant to be cagey, but to give yourself enough leeway to negotiate. Explain to your questioner that you have to take into account a number of variables, such as company bonuses, raises and benefits.

Comparing one compensation package to another might seem like comparing apples and oranges, but companies really are anxious to know what your bottom line is—not to cheat you, but to see as early as possible if your expectations are realistic and would fit into their salary structures, particularly in comparison with other candidates whom they are considering.

Remarkably, some companies can act very childishly if a person states at the first interview one salary and then after a second interview states a higher number. They sometimes feel the candidate is "taking advantage" of them or has been dishonest, when in fact the candidate's understanding of the job duties and responsibilities or risks may simply have been revealed. Candidates also sometimes feel cheated or taken advantage of ("low balled") if a company offers them a salary at the low end of their stated range. In actuality, the company might have offered the lower number because they simply could not go higher, or because another strong candidate provided them with the comfort that they had an alternative if you reject their offer. Their decision was simply business, not a personal decision.

Regardless of how your salary negotiations are handled, keep in mind that the company is usually at least as nervous about this subject as are you. If they like you, they do not want to lose you, but they may have to lose you if your salary requirement or overall cost is too high. If they are considering a candidate who could do the job as well as you but who requires a lower salary than you or if departmental salary equity issues are at play, they might not be able to offer you your ideal salary. They are not saying that you are not worth what you are asking or more: only that someone else can take less or that their hands are tied and their budget can go no higher.

Be careful with what you say. If you are bluffing, they may just believe you, and instead of increasing their original offer, they may not make you an offer. Remember, that the ultimate decision is yours to accept or reject an offer of employment, but some companies offer their best and final offer once, and they do not negotiate changes in the original offer. It can be hard to predict if the company that you are considering is such a company, so be prepared.

In the early interview stages, it is more important for you to concentrate on the substance of the job opportunity, while always making it clear that you may make a move if the compensation is reasonable.

STARTING DATE AND REFERENCE CHECKS

Sometimes a great potential interview can be ruined seconds after a candidate is asked a simple question: how soon could you start? Most companies want to hear the traditional two or perhaps three weeks (U.S. and Canada), or one to two months (most other countries), or three to six months (in some European countries), but some people have been know to answer: "To be fair to my employer, I really would need to give at least six months' notice."  Generally, companies urgently need positions to be filled immediately. They respect a person who gives the employer the customary notice, but beyond that point, they become uneasy or worse. They are usually open to individual issues, especially if there is relocation involved, but if the starting date is delayed excessively, they may give a candidate no sign of their displeasure. They may smile, tell you “that’s fine,” make a note, and then they just may not make you an offer.

As far as reference checks, it would seem that only an idiot would give bad references to an employer. Actually, the fact is that sometimes people just neglect to keep in touch with their old references, and sometimes when employers call your references they may not remember you very well, or they may confuse you with someone else.

Here are some points to consider concerning reference checks:

·    Before interviewing, contact all of your references. Make sure that you have their correct phone numbers and email addresses. Write down their schedules for the next few weeks. Ask their best availability for calls. If they are in a different time zone from the employer, make sure that you state these times in both the employer's and the referee's time zones.

·    If some of your best references are at your present company, and you would prefer not to speak to them about your desire to change jobs until you are close to a job offer, that's OK. It may be wise for you to alert as few of these people at your company as possible about your desire to leave.

·    Ask your references for their permission to use them as references. You might ask them if they remember your work record well enough that they could give you a good reference. If they do not remember you well or if they do not really feel comfortable serving as a reference, that's OK. It is better than having an employer speak to them and be told, "He was so-so, not bad, not good, just OK."

·    Get references who can speak positively and as enthusiastically about your work habits as possible. It is not enough for them to say that you are a nice person. They have to be able to speak pointedly and clearly about your ability to work well with colleagues and to perform other job-related activities. Employers like to know about a candidate's problem-solving abilities and work ethic. When you speak with your references, remind them of some of your achievements or about experiences that they might want to mention to the employer. You do not want to "rehearse" your references, but you do want them to remember your good points.

·    An employer will likely ask your references to recall your "bad points," so it is wise to use as references people whom you know well and who know what your strengths on the job were. It is OK if they mention some of your mistakes, particularly if you learned how to work better and they could say how the mistake improved you, but if your references do not like you or if they disliked your work, their input could negatively affect your chances of receiving an offer.

·    Sometimes it is hard to produce even one good reference. You could have been a great employee, but your former supervisors who knew of your good work may have moved to unknown companies, retired or died. You may have spent the bulk of your career at one company and all those supervisors whom you could theoretically use as references are your present bosses, and it may be dangerous to tell them that you are looking for a better job outside of their company. Tell your dilemma to your interviewers and ask if you could give references who are other than former supervisors. You might suggest colleagues who have left your company or perhaps customers or vendors who could speak highly of your work. Ask your recruiter for advice or assistance on this important matter. A headhunter is an expert at finding people, and your headhunter might have suggestions on how to track down a lost former boss or others who could speak well of you.

Companies strongly weigh the words of former supervisors higher than those of colleagues or personal references who may know little about your on-the-job performance. The whole point of a reference check is to minimize the risk of hiring the wrong employee. Employers like to ask your former bosses how well you worked. The strongest reference therefore is someone who is your hiring manager’s parallel or superior, not your parallel or someone who cannot say much about your on the job style and performance.


AN INTERVIEW OVERVIEW

Be yourself. If you present yourself as someone whom you are not, then that might be the person whom they would want and expect to have working for them, but that's not you! It is not in your best long-term interests to pretend to be what you think other people want you to be. Let them see you for yourself. You both are taking a chance on each other being what you seem to be. Often a job turns into a bad job precisely because one or both parties misrepresented themselves to the other at the outset. Have fun. Enjoy the learning experience of interviewing. These people want you to do well in the interview!