Career progression: interviews

There are a number of types and styles of interviews and questions each designed to find out in a relatively short space of time if you are suitable for the position and if you will fit into the company’s values and culture. Below are some examples of questions and what the interviewer/s are really looking for.

Top 10 strengths and qualities employers are looking for:

1. Can you work with others? (team work)
2. Can you be in the driving seat? (leadership ability)
3. Do you think things through? (organisation and planning)
4. Can you handle set backs? (mental/physical resilience)
5. Can you cope if things change or things don't go to plan? (flexibility/adaptability)
6. Can you make it happen? (self-motivation, drive/commitment)
7. Are you able to examine detailed information? (analytical)
8. Can you make sensible judgements? (decision making)
9. Can you be honest yet tactful? (communication and interpersonal)
10. Do you know how the industry works? (commercial awareness)

Interview top tips:

• Know your covering letter, application form and CV inside and out
• Research the company, job role and industry before the interview as you will be asked about it
• Consider questions most likely to be asked at the interview and plan what to say
• If you need a moment to think about the question then tell the interviewer that you need a moment to think it through first, this will negate any awkward silences
• Take a copy of your application with you in case you need to refer back to it
• The interview starts as soon as you arrive at the building and ends when you leave, be polite to everyone you meet as they maybe asked to give feedback on initial impressions of you
• Shake hands with the interviewer/s
• Keep good eye contact with the interviewer/s
•  Keep your hands still and don’t over gesture as this can happen when we get nervous
• Speak clearly and slowly
• Be aware of the way you are sitting in an interview, don’t cross your arms as this looks defensive and be aware of personal space

Interview question types

Motivational and enthusiasm questions

1. Why have you chosen to apply for our organisation?

This question is designed to see how much you already know about the organisation and to demonstrate a genuine interest in working there.  You can also show a clear understanding of what the job role involves and how you can match their values and fit into their working culture.

2. Competency based questions

Give me an example of when you worked in a team, your role and how you contributed to the group’s performance.

This question is asking for a specific example of a skill; use the STAR structure (Situation, Task, Activity and Result) to provide a clear and concise overview of the event.  

All about you

3. Tell me about yourself...

The interviewer does not want your life story however they do want to see some of your personality. You could start off by talking about your current role and what it involves, include any previous job roles where the skills set would highlight your compatibly for the job role and end with a few interesting things about yourself, but keep that bit brief.  

4. What is your biggest weakness?

Acknowledge your weaknesses but always counterbalance it with a solution. We all have weaknesses and we want to only focus on our positives at interviews but understating our flaws shows self awareness and integrity.  

Management and experience questions
Interview questions for managerial roles will be slightly different and will ask about people management skills and communication, such as:

5. What is your management style?
6. Are you a good manager? Give an example.
7. Why do you feel you have top managerial potential?
8. What did you look for when you hired people in the past?
9. Did you ever fire anyone? If so, what where the reasons and how did you handle it?
10. What do you see as being the most difficult task in being a manager?
11. What is your biggest weakness as a manager?
12. Different types of interviews

Interview types

Telephone interviews

A telephone interview will more likely be with a large company or a corporate recruiter than a medium to small sized company. They are also especially common for sales related roles where communication skills are paramount. If the vacancy is in another country, telephone interviews are more common also. The average length for a telephone interview is around 30 minutes.

The most important advice is to treat phone interviews just as you would a face to face interview. Get dressed and speak exactly the same as you would in an interview.  In some ways you have a slight advantage in a phone interview as you can have a notepad near you so that you can make notes and write down some key points that you would like to tell the interviewer. If you need to think about a question then tell the interviewer to avoid any awkward silence.

If you feel nervous it is best to stand up with your shoulders back and make sure you take deep breaths before you start. Breathe out for longer than you breathe in to calm yourself down. Try to control the speed of your speech, as you can talk too fast on the phone and the interviewer and yourself will need time to process the question and the answer you give.

Keep a copy of your application and CV nearby so that you can refer to it if needed, as they will also have a copy on the other line. You need to know your CV, application and cover letter inside and out.

Skype interviews

Conducting interviews via Skype offers employers all the advantages of a telephone interview in terms of cost-effectiveness with the bonus of being able to see the candidate. While they are still not as widely used as telephone interviews they are particularly helpful for international recruitment when interviewing the candidate in another country, or to demonstrate IT ability in roles that require this.

During a Skype interview it will not be so easy to refer to your notes and CV as they will be able to see you, however keep them nearby just in case you need them.

Think about where you will be when you have your Skype interview.  If you are at home ensure a clear area with no distractions in the background and in a quiet area. Consider a friend skyping you first to check on lighting and visuals to get some feedback before your interview.  Also consider what you are wearing and treat it just as you would a face to face interview.

Panel interviews

This is the most common form of interviewing when you have a panel of people, generally 2-4, interviewing candidates and asking questions.  Usually each person on the panel will ask questions as the others make notes on your answers. Ensure you greet the entire panel and continue to make eye contact with everyone even if another person asked you the questions to include them in your answers. This shows communication skills, networking and that you can build a rapport with a group quickly.

Presentations

Some interviews require candidates to prepare a short presentation as part of their interview process. In these cases the candidate will be given a topic and/or task to discuss along with a time period in which to complete it.

You will need to know what equipment will be available on the day of the interview/presentation, what systems they use i.e. Mac or PC and always have a back up saved on an additional USB just in case.  

Some interviews like to surprise the candidate with a presentation to see how they work under pressure and to a tight deadline. In this scenario they will give you an allocated time i.e. 20 mins to prepare for a 10 min presentation on a particular subject. In these cases keep calm and use your time wisely, write down the main objective of the presentation and plan a few key points that you want to hit. Talk around those key issues and think about how you will summaries and reflect on your presentation at the end. Always keep within the allotted time.

Second interviews

Generally second interviews are used by medium to large companies and they are more likely to be with different people than the first interview.  The interview will also be more closely related to the work role and maybe with the line manager attending.

They will go into greater technical depth with you and senior members of staff may be present to see if you are the right fit for the company.  Be aware that something you said in the first interview they may want you to expand on, so keeping a note of what was asked in the first interview would help with this. They will also look at your weaknesses and knowledge base as they are seeing if you would be a good candidate for the job role.

This stage of interview may also include a tour of the premises and meeting other staff members and potentially the team you would be working with. This is all a part of the interview so make sure to make a good first impression as their feedback may also be sought in the selection process.

Assessment centres

Assessment centres are designed to assess the full range of skills and personal attributes required for the job role. They are seen as one of the most reliable methods of assessing candidates with a 68% accuracy rating. It is a fair method of selection, with candidates proving what they can do rather than how good they are at an interview. These are normally used with large companies when they are hiring a number of candidates at a time, they can also be set up in-house during a large recruitment drive.

The main skills tested at an assessment centre are:

• Leadership skills
• Analytical skills
• Working under pressure
• Teamwork
• Cooperating with others
• Verbal written and communication skills
• Numeracy

Typically these will last for 1-2 days with around 6-8 candidates in a group. Tasks will be taken individually as well as in a group, with assessors observing and taking notes throughout. These can be managers from the company or external agency staff. There is not one specific important area, the interview is the entire day from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave.

The assessment centre can include:

• Psychometric tests – designed to test your numerical, verbal and spatial abilities and they are timed.  It is common for there not to be enough time to complete this so work through the pages systematically and priorities questions and answers. There are lots of practice question papers on the Internet so practice first so it doesn't come as a surprise.
• Personality questions – gather information about how and why you do things in your own individual way. They look at how you react or behave in different situations and your preferences and attitudes. One example is MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicators) which are sometimes used to identify how you work and engage with information, decision, structure and your personality type.
• In tray exercises – candidates maybe given a selection of letters, memos, reports or emails and asked to decide the priority and actions that need to be taken on all of them.  You may also be asked to draft a report or reply to some of the more important sections.  This is to test your decision making, analytical and time management skills.  This will also be a direct replication of the potential job role.
• Group discussions and group tasks – these take a variety of formats including discussing a general topic, debating a work related issue or completing a task as a group.  The important thing to remember is not to compete against others in your group as the assessors are looking for teamwork, cooperation and the ability to listen to others.  They are observing how individuals function within a group dynamic.
• Presentations – this maybe on a topic that you have been given in advance with a time frame on which to talk about or giving a short spontaneous elevator pitch or half an hour to plan a short presentation.
• Social – although lunch and break times are not a formal part of the day assessors will still be observing you and seeing how you interact with one another.

Remember you are still in an interview and ask questions and be interested in the work and organisation.

Common reasons why people are not hired after assessment days:

• Poor preparation
• No research of the company or what to expect on the day
• Lack of understating of the role
• No consideration of what challenging questions could be asked
• Poor rapport building
• Not reading or clarifying task instructions
• Running out of allotted time
• Nerves
• Losing confidence after a poor performance in one area
• Allowing another person in the group to take over
• Controlling interview nerves

Tips

Let’s face it nearly everyone gets nervous about an interview. Try to remember that you have already got through the first stage and they actually want to meet you so they must already think you have potential to do the job.  They also want to see the best side of you and to see if you will be a fit for the company.

Don’t speak too fast:

Nerves tend to make us speed up, so while you're waiting for your interview, breathe in through your nose very slowly for a count of three. Then breathe out through your nose for a count of six. Repeat this three times. That should take you a total of 27 seconds. In that time you will have significantly lowered your heart rate and when you speak, you'll find you won't rush.

Stop yourself shaking:

Simply squeeze your thigh muscles. It's almost physically impossible to have shaky hands if your thigh muscles are clenched. This technique will help you feel and appear more confident and your clothes will completely mask your actions.

Stand up while you wait:

You will often be shown into a boardroom before an interview and offered a seat while you wait. Don't take it. You don't want their first impression of you to be struggling up out of a chair, so stay standing. You'll look more confident if you are on their level as you first meet them.

Find your best sitting position:

Don’t trust the back of a chair. You can easily end up leaning too far back which can tighten your throat. Sit upright on your chair as you’ll look and feel more dynamic if you sit in this position.

Show your hands:

It has been proved that we are much more likely to get a job if we have our hands visible on the table in front of us rather than hiding our under the table as showing our hands is a sign of honesty.

Make the other person feel special:

Many people try too hard in a job interview and come across as arrogant or over-confident.  We have all been bored by other people going on about themselves without being the slightest bit interested in us. Remember to ask questions and be genuinely interested in the reply. Obviously it's important to look keen and passionate about the job on offer but try not to simply blow your own trumpet too much.

Listen:

When we're crippled with fear and in full flight or fight mode, we find it hard to listen and often answer the wrong question. So try to slow down your body's natural responses and listen as it will also help to make the other person feel special and show you value their question.

Use your own voice:

Try to use your own voice rather than putting on a formal public speaking voice. Often this is as simple as not speaking too loudly, try to speak as if you were talking with a group of friends.

Be yourself:

If we are being ourselves when meeting other people we will come across as relaxed, authentic and confident. Try to use words you usually use.

So try to enjoy the interview and be proud of your achievements as you're already on the shortlist so they must think pretty highly of you already. Remember to slow down, listen and be yourself. If you do that you'll come across as relaxed, authentic and confident.