The Interview Oct 21 2013.pptx

8/14/2019 The Interview Oct 21 2013.pptx

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Goals of the Interviewer

Ensure that the candidate has the technical skillsand experience required for the job.

Access whether the candidate has the requisitesocial skills to become a good member of the

team.

During the workweek, the new employee will spend

as much, if not more time, with her/his colleagues at

work then at home with her/his family.

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Your Goals

To provide information to demonstrate that youare well qualified for the job

To address the interviewers main interests

To find out as much additional information as

possible about the job

to determine if the job is a good fit for you andto better prepare yourself for any follow-up

interviews

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Caveats

There is no single interviewing process. It will varyby company and even within companies.

Some companies will use a structured processwhich interviewers will follow. Other companies

do not have a structured process.

In all cases, the interview should be treated not asan inquisition but, rather, as a dialog.

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The Interview Process

An initial screening interview, usually by phone, todetermine if you are a viable candidate.

A face to face interview to determine if you havethe requisite technical skills.

One or more follow-up interviews to select the

successful applicant from a small group ofqualified candidates.

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The Telephone Interview

Be prepared at all times for such an interview.

Have a script prepared, possibly several three-by-

five cards with key points and phrases.

Be natural; be yourself. You are valuable; let thatcome across.

Dont ramble. A telephone interview is not a chat

with a friend but a business call.

If the interviewer calls at a bad time, mention itand arrange a follow-up call. Make certain youre

free from distractions while on the phone.

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Two Questions You Should Ask

the Interviewer

1. What exactly are the companys expectations ofsomeone in this position?

The answer to this question will allow you to better

formulate your answers.

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Two Questions You Should Ask

the Interviewer

2. Please define your companys culture.

The answer to this question might save you a lot of

time. For example, if the company is looking for

someone wholl put the companys interests aboveall else, and this isnt your priority or if the company

wants someone to be a self starter and you feel

more comfortable in a structured environment you

might want to look elsewhere.

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Outline of Material

Preparation

Your goals

The actual interview

The follow-up

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Preparation

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The Company

Try and establish contact with one or moreemployees to gather information about the

company.

Read the Annual Report of public companiesespecially the Mission Statement, Corporate

Values and the Chairmans letter. For more detail

look at 10Ks.

Check on-line blogs and the Companys web-site.

Do a Google searchnewspaper and magazine

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The Jobs Objectives

Consult the job posting, the recruiter or

employment agency, if you use one, or the

companys HR person.

Identify how your skills and background will meet

those objectives.

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The Interviewer(s)

Determine who the interviewer(s) will be.

Titles and responsibilities

Your technical complexity in your answers to

questions should depend on the background of the

interviewer.

If there is more than one person conducting the

interview, determine the decision maker. Make a crib sheet showing the names of all

interviewers.

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The Interviewer(s)

If possible try and determine something about theinterests, hobbies etc of the interviewer(s).

Ultimately, the decision as to who to hire will be

based on your skills to fill the requirements of a

particular job. But in an environment where there

are many people technically qualified for a job,

any personal edge you can get may be the

difference maker.

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The Interview

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Physical Appearance

Personal groomingGive a freshly scrubbedlook. You are not going to a party or on a date,

tone down the use of perfumes, deodorants.

Wash your hands if youve been reading a

newspaper.

Avoid garlic and other foods which cause bad

breathuse a breath mint

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Physical Appearance

Clothing appropriate to the businesssenvironment; clean and pressed. Shoes shined.

Avoid ostentatious jewelry.

Avoid drinking too much beforehand, especially

diuretics.

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Physical Appearance

Practice a firm dry handshake.

Sit tall, but not at attention.

Face the person asking the question. If there are

multiple people in the room, slowly move your

focus from one to another.

Do not stare into space or look away when asked aquestion.

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Provide Information

Be prepared to discuss your background,

accomplishments, skills, abilities and personal

characteristics especially as they demonstrate

your suitability for the job.

Be prepared to flesh-out information you put on

your resume.

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Address the Interviewers Main

Interests

Remember that the interviewer has goals also.

Is this individual a strong candidate?

Will he be successful?

Is he a fit for the organization? Will I enjoy working with him?

Is he someone who can reflect favorably on the

organization and on me?

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Obtain Information

About the position, the organization and yourprospective boss to determine if the job is a good

fit for you.

You should have acquired a good amount of

information through your research prior to the

interview. During the interview you can validate

some of that information and seek additional

information.

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The Substance of the Interview

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The Substance of the Interview

Practice answering tough questions

Do not memorize answers.

Practice the interview with a family member orfriend asking the questions. Film it, if possible.

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Responding to Questions

Listen before you speak! Let the questioner finishasking the question. Do not talk-over the

question.

Before you start your answer, take time after each

and every question to gather your thoughts.

Repeat the interviewers words in your answers.

If you dont understand the question, restate it or

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Usually you need a focused answer, consisting ofa few short sentences about specific performance

behaviors, not vague generalizations.

Respond briskly and concisely. Emphasize your

main points; over elaboration in an interview is a

mistake.

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If a question solicits a yes or no answer, give it

followed by any explanation or clarification you

feel is pertinent.

In your responses, try and present your prior

accomplishments and how you might add value

to the company.

Be sensitive to company values; i.e. teamwork,

initiative etc. when framing your answers.

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Communication Skills

Observe (1)the way your interviewer behaves andlisten to what he has to say. Look for non-verbal

communications from the interviewer that may

suggest impatience or indifference. Try to modify

your approach depending upon the listenersreaction.

Check for understanding.No matter how clear

you may think you are, the interviewer may

misinterpret what you have said. Check with theinterviewer if you have a question about her

understanding.

(1) Obviously, this doesn't apply to a telephone

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Sample Questions Leadership: Tell me about a time when you

envisioned a better outcome and energized others to

achieve the desired results.

Strategic Focus: Talk about a situation that required

you to make the best use of your time and energies.Tell me why you made the choices you made.

Innovation: Tell me about a time when you contributed

to a new and better way of doing something.

Mastery: Give an example when others used you as a

resource in your area of expertise.


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Sample Questions

Mutual interdependency = Collaboration:Describe a situation where you were able to

influence a group decision to your point of view.

Give an instance of when you had to make a

decision without all of the information?

What is the biggest mistake you ever made at

work and how did you turn it around?

Tell me about your most successful experienceworking in a team environment.

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Impossible to Answer Questions

Some interviewers will try and befuddle you byasking a question you obviously will not be able

to answer. They are not looking for an answer,

but rather, how you respond.

Do you panic?

Do you just shut-down?

Do you attempt to elicit more information so as to

try to develop an answer?

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Honesty

Above all, be honest in your answers.

This does not mean that you have to volunteernegative information, if not asked.

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Resources

SPCjobseekers.wordpress.com Hiring the Best: A Managers Guide to Effective

Interviewing Yate

Howdini.comsearch for interview videos

Bingsearch for interview videos


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Closing

Be prepared to ask any questions you might haveincluding what are the next steps in the selection process

and the time frames.

Ask how the interviewer feels about you as a candidate. Ifsome concerns are voiced, respond to them before they

become roadblocks .

Be prepared to offer any clarifications to previous answers.

Be prepared to open topics not addressed by the

interviewer that will help sell you.

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Closing

Have a concise closing statement as to why youshould be the preferred candidate by

emphasizing your accomplishments, relevant

skills, and winning attributes.

Be sure to express strong interest in the job!

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Afterward

Follow-up with a written thank-you-noteexpressing your interest in the job.

Continue to follow-up at the appropriate time by

email or phone.

Demonstrate initiative to keep your chances high.

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THE SECOND INTERVIEW

If youve asked the right questions in your firstround of interviews then you should have a pretty

good idea as to what you will need to do to be

successful.

Almost all of what applies to the first interview

applies to subsequent interviews, because you

are usually meeting more people from the same

organization for the first time. The greatest

difference is likely to be in the level of

understanding that you have about the

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Expect some of the same questions you wereasked in the first interview, but some new ones as

well.

Second interview questions may delve more into

your personality, or they may be more targetedtoward specific technical skillsor both.

Plan to keep your responses fresh yet consistent

for each person you meet. Dont worry about

repeating yourself

try to find out something about each interviewer and

tailor your response specifically to that person. You

can also vary your delivery to freshen your

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Expect behavioral questions, which arecommonly asked in second interviews.

Listen for clues that get at the heart of what the

employer seeks in the person hired for this

position and key into the needs, concerns, issues,and problems that you would be expected to

handle.

Be prepared with lots of questions. You will likely

have more opportunity to ask questions and will

be expected to make more sophisticated inquiries

than you did in the first interview.

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Be prepared to identify what you can do for thecompany.

Tailor your answers to include such a focus.

Have a closing statement that summarizes what

you can do.

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Closing

If you want the job, ask for it, i.e.

This job is just what Ive been looking for. I like its

challenges, I like your organization and I know

that I would fit in and do a good job for you.

The Interview Oct 21 2013.pptx

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