Tag: job interview coaching

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Telephone Interviews are Dead

In 2020 the telephone job interview is dead!

That’s right, a recent decline in telephone interviews is convincing career guidance professionals to advise job hunters to spend their efforts on the video and face to face job interviews.

Why telephone interviews became popular

During the 1990s are a large number of organisations used the telephone interview as a screening process before inviting successful candidates to a face to face structured interview.

The telephone was a cost affected method, compared to inviting candidates down to head office, of getting rid of the undesirable job hunters. As the telephone screening process became more popular, the fear around answering job interview questions on the phone was commonplace, with many interviewees stating they feared the telephone job interview more than face to face recruitment processes.

The telephone interview; an informal process

In the main, the interview by telephone was an informal job interview with no set questions; a more ‘get to know you’ conversation. Recruiters formally named this as an ‘informal job interview’. Informal interview decisions about taking a candidate to the next level of the recruitment process, or not, relies on ‘gut reaction‘ – there’s something about this applicant that I like!

The structured in-person interview is more analytical with applicants being asked interview questions that are marked on an interview scoresheet.

Employers, even though they are leaving the telephone interview call back in time, still require a way to reduce the number of applicants who have applied for the position (the applications for each advertised position is higher than ever before) down to 6 suitable candidates to complete the high-time structured job interview (the face to face interview)

So, what is replacing the telephone interview screening process

Not much of a surprise; the online interview is the new screening process. Being interviewed online can be a bonus as the interveiwers see’s the applicant’s non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication, such as smiling and natural use of gesture increases likeability – a factor in the interview scoring process.

It is also easier to sell yourself when you, the applicant, can see the interviewer, especially when they nod and smile during your answer.

A downside is unconscious bias. research has shown how the way someone looks affects the decision-making process with one piece of research showing how an obese candidate is less likely to get hired than an ‘average’ sized person. Being viewed as beautiful or ugly, male or female (depending on the role) also creates a visual unconscious bias.

Job Interview Advice

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4 Questions to Ask Before You Agree to a Job Interview

  • Vision
  • Culture
  • Development
  • Location

Job hunting is a time consuming activity, but one with a great pay off.

Having a successful CV, Resume, or Application Form will result in a large number of invitations to be interviewed.

Organisations are in constant search for the best talent. If an applicant possesses the required level of knowledge and experience, employers will want to hire them! With a high number of interview offers, some with competing dates, career professionals need to make the tricky choice of which interview offers to accept.

In fact, it’s pointless attending a job interview if by the interview end you can’t wait to leave. The worst situation to be in is to be employed by an organisation that you cant do business with.

These 4 questions will help you decide if it is even worth attending the job interview in the first place

Should I attend the job interview question 1

Do you believe in the company vision?

The company vision is crucial to an employee’s workplace happiness. The vision is aligned to the company’s values and the company values influence management decision making. Workplace happiness comes from shared values between the employer and employee. Say, for example, that the employee values include being environmentally friendly, but the organisation values profit before anything else. In this scenario, the employer makes decisions based on profit which could include cheaper but not environmentally friendly purchases, which affect the employee’s motivation.

Compare this to an environmentally friendly employee who works for a ‘green’ organisation. The employee works harder and is happier as their vision of the company is the employee’s personal mission.

Should I attend the job interview question 2

Culture kills motivation

The culture of a company increases and decreases employees’ motivational levels. Imagine an employee who is very creative and innovative, after being highly successful in one organisation they move to a new company – doing the same role, in the same sector, only for a salary increase.

On paper everything is the same, so surely the industry expert should perform just as well as they did in their last position? In the new company, though, the culture is more procedure driven, deadlines, data and planning are the key to the new organisation success. This disparity between how the employee and organisation work demotivates the new employee, reducing their ability to be creative and therefore successful.

Should I attend the job interview question 3

Development or die

One thing that is clear for a successful career in the current climate is having workplace and professional development. As the world of work keeps changing at a rapid pace, career professionals need to keep on top of industry-related changes and sector updates.

Without gaining new skills, gathering new qualifications and understanding the impact of sector technology, a career professional can be left behind. Purchasing your own development opportunities can be highly expensive.

For continuous development, the career hunger individual needs an employer who will fund their professional development.

Should I attend the job interview question 4

Location, location, location

What is the flexibility of the new organisation? Can employees have a home office, is their flexibility in start times, is remote working an option?

If the job is office-based, what is the duration of travel to and from work? What route would the applicant take to work? Research shows how travel affects stress and stress affects work happiness

Plus the cost of travel or not traveling adds up and can take a big chunk out of the employee’s pay package.

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What questions are asked in a job interview

  • Opening questions
  • Organisational questions
  • Work ethic questions
  • Experience questions
  • Questions to ask the employer

Common asked job interview questions

What will an employer ask you in a job interview?

By understanding what interview questions an employer will ask in a job interview, allows an applicant to prepare relevant job interview answers.

Opening Questions

The initial questions asked in an interview are really designed to relax an applicant. These ‘welcome’ questions are not scored against the job criteria (they won’t even reference the job role) but do help an interviewer create a first impression about an applicant before the start of the ‘official’ interview.

“Did you have any trouble finding the premisies?”

“Did you drive or use public transport?”

“Did you watch the (insert any big event) last night?”

Organisational questions

The first official interview questions, commonly, will be based on the applicant’s knowledge of the organisation. Employers here to wanting to check keen an applicant is to work for their organisation.

“Do you know what the company mission and vision is?”

“How long has the organisation been in operation?”

“What made you apply for this role?”

“What values do you look for in an organisation?”

Work ethic questions

Employers, these days, are asking more work ethic related questions than ever before. The changing job market driven through globalisation and technological advances has resulted in career professionals ‘job-hopping’ on a regular basis. Employers will question applicants or their employment reliability

“When did you go above and beyond in a previous role?”

“What is the average time you spend with an organisation?”

“What keeps you motivated in work?”

“How would a previous employer describe you?”

Experience questions

The key section to any job interview is the question around a candidate’s experience. It is the answers to these ‘experience’ questions that result in job offers or the ‘unsuccessful’ phone call.

“Give me an example of when you have solve a problem”

“Tell me a time when you (add any industry related situation)?”

“How do collabrate with other team members?”

“Explain a set back that you had to overcome to achieve an operational objective?”

“How would you deal with (add any industry related problem)?”

Questions to ask the employer

At the interview end, applicants will be given the chance to ask their own questions. This creates a two-way process for the interview; the interviewer checking if the candidate is a suitable person to recruit and the candidate deciding if they would enjoy working for the organisation.

“Can you tell me why do you enjoy working for the company?”

“What does an average day working here consist off?”

“What development and training opportunities are available for new members of staff?”

“How does the company ensure its values are being met?”

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What are the 5 steps for a successful interview

  1. Identify the job criteria
  2. Deliver answers within a structured framework
  3. Be a self-promoter
  4. Communicate with confidence
  5. Ask questions

Step 1 for a successful job interview

Identify the job criteria

The scoring process, for a structured job interview, is to score the interviewee’s answers against the job criteria.

Each of the essential criteria, on a job specification, is discussed through the process of interview question(s) and answer(s). If the job criteria are referenced in the applicant’s answer, the answers are scored higher on the employer’s scorecard.

By identifying the job criteria for each job interview, applicants can prepare high scoring interview answers. The highest scoring candidate is offered the advertised position.

Step 2 for a successful job interview

Deliver answers within a structured framework

Two mistakes can kill job interview success; not talking enough and talking too much.

A lack of information results in low scoring job interview answers, whereas verbal diarrhea ends with too much irrelevant information that can be confusing for an employer.

The solution is to use an ‘interview structure’ for each answer. Typically, a perfect answer follows 3 steps:

Step 1 – Use a hook to grab the employers attention

Step 2 – State a problem and solution

Step 3 – Explain how the discussed ‘skill’ can be beneficial for the new employer

Step 3 for a successful job interview

Be a self-promotor

Interviewers can only score applicants based on their answers.

If you don’t self-promote, employers won’t have any idea of what the applicant can bring to the team. For some, self-promotion feels awkward, but in the job interview self-promotion, isn’t just required, it is expected.

To be successful, the interviewee needs to give an answer to tricky interview questions that not only highlight their strengths but that also sell the career professionals unique selling point

Step 4 for a successful job interview

Communicate with confidence

No matter how much criteria are mentioned in each job interview question, applicants will only score high if each answer is communicated with confidence.

This is because non-verbal communication affects the employer’s likeability factor. If an employer views an applicant as confident, they are more likely to have a stronger rapport with the applicant, which can be the difference between or 3 or 4 scores.

As job offers often go to candidates with only a few points higher then there nearest rival, each additional point does make a difference.

Step 5 for a successful job interview

Ask questions 

Most interviewees wait until the interveiw end to ask questions about the company vision, CPD and salary. But the job interview is designed to be more conversational.

Successful applicants will ask questions throughout the job interview. The key is to ask for specifics when the interviewer has asked a generic question. This ensures that the candidate’s answer is relevant to the asked question, ending with a higher scoring answer

Employers are looking for the best suitable applicant. They don’t want to trick the interviewees, but the job interview process has flaws – the most suitable candidate doesn’t always get offered the advertised the position. To be successful in the job interview, the candidates need to present themselves in the most positive light. 

The interview prediction grid is one way of understanding how an employer sees you in terms of value.

Job Interview Advice

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Job Interview Tips 2020

6 job interview tips to help you pass your next job interview.

Need more support? Scroll down to access 101 job interview questions

Job Interview Tip #1

Focus on criteria, not confidence 

The biggest mistake job applicants make is not referencing enough of the job criteria in the job interview. Instead, they focus on small talk, having a quick response and asking the interviewer mundane questions about salaries and annual leave. 

Criteria is king in the job interview 

Ignore it at your own demise 

Job Interview Tip #2

Posture creates perfection 

Candidates look confident when their posture is perfect. A straight back, head held high and relaxed use of gestures results in an impression of confidence

Confidence creates authority, authority results in job offers

Job Interview Tip #3

High performing answers show value 

Giving everyday examples for technical questions doesnt cut the mustard. To stand out, always present ‘best performing’ answers. Each answer should state an industry-related problem that would cause a major disruption, before blowing the interviewer away by explaining how only you could save the day.

High performing answers create high performing employees 

Job Interview Tip #4

Self-promotion isn’t only good, it’s expected 

If you don’t self-promote in a job interview, the interview is dead. Interview self-promotion is gold. To be successful in the job interview you must always state clearly what it is you can bring to the team, your unique selling point.

Self-promote for a promotion

Job Interview Tip #5

Dress to impress 

Your interview outfit is your armor. What you wear creates that all-important first impression. Your outfit, haircut, scent, everything about you helps to showcase you at your best.

Your armor needs to shine

Job Interview Tip #6

Worry about self-disclosed weaknesses 

The biggest barrier to interview success is self-disclosed weakness. Stop giving away information that will ruin your job interview. Focus on strengths, not weaknesses. Focus on successes, not failures. Focus on the good, not the bad.

Employers hire people for their strengths, not  their weaknesses 

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Culture is More Important than Salary

If you asked a career professional what is the key criteria when assessing which positions to apply for most would answer – salary.

I would disagree. What is more important then a small pay rise is the company culture. An organsiations vision, mission and values set the culture. It is the culture, the day to day running of a business, that indirectly affects employees’ motivation levels.

Let me ask you this – is a £4000 pay rise worth leaving a job you love, to go to an organization that you feel you don’t fit in with? To go from motivation to demotivation? From workplace happiness to workplace misery?

£4000 per year is less then £77 per week – £77 to lose your workplace motivation and career happiness! This article will teach you how to uncover the organisational culture during a job interview, helping you to find the right employer based on what you deem to be important in the workplace.

Happy Career Choice

Content career professionals will work in a job sector that has a natural affinity to their personality, or will for an organization that has a mission the employee believes in. This is easily achieved by taking a career test to help understand what drives you when choosing a new career.

The second factor for career bliss is company culture. Most people fall into a career due to happenstance, but for true workplace satisfaction employees need to find a business that has a culture that links to their motivational traits.

Motivational factors can, on the face of it, look simple – do you prefer wearing a smart or casual dress? Reading this question you may ask “does workplace outfit choice even matter?”

For some people yes; a casual preference employee can feel awkward wearing a suit, or someone who feels professional when wearing a suit feels like they can’t be taken seriously in casual clothes.

Recently I was explaining the motivation of company culture to a friend who works in a professional setting. He joked, saying that people can go to work wearing beach shorts and a loud shirt, but their business won’t ever be that successful if people (employees) are always messing around.

Ever heard of innocent Smoothies? Innocent smoothies are a multimillion business who has company culture at the heart of their business ……and no, you don’t wear suits and ties in their office!

Just read their mission statement: “When we’re old and grey, we want to be able to look back and be really proud of the business we helped create. We think the best way to achieve this is by living the values that are closest to our hearts. Our five values reflect what we are, how we do things, and where we want to be. They hang above every loo in the building so we get to look at them every day.”

How Can You Predict the Company Culture?

In the job interview, you can easily gain an insight into the culture of the business. Vision and mission statements are a good start but not all businesses truly believe in their statements creating a conflict between the face of the organization and the day to day business operations.

Company culture comes down to 3 key elements; the day to day working environment, conflict resolution, and employee engagement. Each of these elements can be discussed in the job interview, helping an applicant make the right choice when offered multiple job offers.

Job Interview Questions for Company Culture

The questions below can be asked throughout the job interview, at the appropriate time, or during the final section of the interviewer when candidates are given the opportunity to ask some questions of their own.

Day to day working environment

Interview Question 1 – how are staff successes celebrated by the organisation?

Interview Question 2 – how do managers keep employees supported?

Interveiw Question 3 – can employees work from home?

Interveiw Question 4 – how manay managers use to work in team poistions?

Interview Question 5 – do you support staff to taker up voluntary positions during work time?

Conflict resolution

Interveiw Question 6 – how are key company decsions that affect teams made?

Interview Question 7 – are there any conflicts of interest across any departments?

Interview Question 8 – what is the approach to resolve anyconflict?

Interview Question 9 – how do senior leaders and stakeholders engage together?

Interview Question 10 – how is employee feedback collected?

Employee engagement

Interview Question 11 – what is the average duration of an employee working for this firm?

Interveiw Question 12 – describe an normal day for you?

Interveiw Question 13 – how much staff development is on offer?

Interview Question 14 – what is your proudest achievement while working for the organization?

Interview Question 15 – how can the company improve in terms of a supportive environment?

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The Interviewers Perception of a Candidates Experience

Understanding how one’s level of knowledge and experience is perceived by an interviewer is often misunderstood.

The unconscious bias created the first impression when the interviewer and interviewee were both introduced to each other. As the first interview question is asked the interviewee’s level of knowledge and experience can alter (or reinforce) the initial assessment.

The schema, fired by the initial meeting, subconsciously creates a prediction that the interviewer will be expecting (cause and effect) on how an applicant will react to a question. When this pattern is interrupted via a confident self-promoting answer, for a perceived nervous candidate, the interviewer’s mind becomes fully alert. It’s the same process when you are walking through a busy town center, minding your own business when a car backfires – you become instantly alert (your conscious mind kicks into action – in this case looking for danger) because something isn’t as it is expected to be; the pattern of walking from A to B was interrupted. In the job interview, the interruption of a pattern (initial impression = unsuitable for this position)  creates a second chance for an applicant to redeem themselves. 

The interview environment is an analytical process whereas the original opinion of an applicant is subconscious. Because interviewers are forced to be highly conscious, in the interview environment, analysing the interviewee’s answers, a new funnel can be created through the creation of an interview identity.

Within a structured interview process, the interviewers will be making notes that they later reference against the score criteria. An applicant who is referencing the high scoring criteria, especially when delivered in a confident manner, can be seen in a new light overriding the pre-interview assessment. 

Therefore the perceived level of knowledge and experience is, in the main, a logical process; the interviewee states or doesn’t state the criteria on the scorecard. The initial bias, though, can still influence the logical decision, potentially giving a point higher or lower than a similarly skilled candidate, delivering an identical answer who didn’t create the same bias at the interview start.

Imagine, as an example, that an interviewer doesn’t believe a female should perform a traditionally masculine role. The initial bias is a negative one. As the female candidate states her skills, knowledge and expertise with a confident and charismatic delivery style, the interviewer is swayed and the limiting belief is first interrupted then changed – this female is suitable for a traditionally masculine role. The next candidate has the same experience, skills and qualifications as the female applicant, but is male. Even if both the female and male applicants possessed the same experiences, gained working for the same employer, and, word-for-word, gave the same answer, it is likely that the interviewer will score the male candidate higher due to their initial schema.

It is very common for employers to be torn between two similar scoring applicants. While reviewing the allocated points against the job criteria, it is often the intuitive ‘gut’ feeling (affected easily by bais) that makes the difference between an applicant being offered the position over another equally suited candidate. 

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Job Interview Reflection Questions

Do you know the difference between successful career professionals and those who get left behind?

“Career success comes from interview success“

To develop your interview skills research explains that you need to follow 3 interview rules

Rule 1 – Identify the Job Criteria

Rule 2 – Be a Self-Promoter

Rule 3 – Communciate with Confidence

To improve your interview ability use the 10 interview reflection questions

Interview Reflection Question 1 How did you showcase your strengths?

Interview Reflection Question 2 Which question(s) did you answer well?

Interview Reflection Question 3 Which job criteria did your answers reference?

Interview Reflection Question 4 In what way did you actively promote yourself?

Interview Reflection Question 5 How did you portray confidence?

Interview Reflection Question 6 What do you need to do differently?

Interview Reflection Question 7 Which question(s) were you less confident in answering?

Interview Reflection Question 8 In which way did you show nervousness?

Interview Reflection Question 9 How did you self-disclose weaknesses?

Interview Reflection Question 10 What do you need to do to improve your interview performance?

By reflecting on your job interview process you can review what you need to develop in terms of increasing job offers. When answering these 10 job interview reflection questions for several of your previous job interviews, not just one. This collated data will allow you to understand in your job interview performance meets the 3 interview success rules

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How an Interviewers Expertise Affects the Job Interview

During the job interview and in generic social interactions, humans want to be ‘accepted’ and will avoid situations that draw negative attention towards them.

Being seen as weak or vulnerable is perceived to be negative. This ‘weakness’ rule is prevalent in the job interview, not only with an interviewee but with an interviewer.

If a candidate states they have expertise in an industry sub-niche that the employer isn’t familiar with, many interviewers, depending on their level of self-esteem, will make reference to the sub-niche but wont specifically question the interviewee on their knowledge level.

The belief is, if the applicant knows more about the sub-niche then the interviewer, the interviewer will look weak. An ‘expert’ interviewer, an interviewer with the highest levels of knowledge and experience, or a highly confident interviewer, will happily challenge the candidate to test the levels of expertise to help predict the applicant’s job performance levels. 

When being interviewed by an interviewer with a low level of knowledge/experience within a sub-niche, a self-promoter (possessing high levels of confidence) recognising a lack of employer expertise, is likely to increase self-promotion during the answer to this specific question to create authority.

A confident applicant attempting to trick an ‘expert’ interviewer into thinking that they possess a higher level of knowledge/experience than is true, will do so to their detriment. Interestingly, the applicants at the extreme end of high levels of confidence (the extremist being a narcissist), will argue a point with an ‘expert’ interviewer who is an authority on the subject, even when evidence contrary to their statements has been presented. 

The goal of an interview, for the employer, is to assess an applicant’s job performance not provoke that applicant’s behaviour, but as each cause has an effect, all actions influence the interviewee’s behaviour.

One reason why many interview processes start with asking non-job-related questions “did you find us OK?” or explaining the organisations history, is to help to relax the candidate so they can, ideally, be ‘themselves.’ As explained, this ideal is impossible, as each applicant is affected by the behaviour of the interviewer. 

Understanding how the subconscious cause and effect influences the recruitment process explains why the job interview process isn’t as fair people believe it is.

Recognising their interview identity allows an applicant to develop aspects of their persona within the interview environment to create a more positive perspective from the employer’s viewpoint.

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The Interviewer Influences the Interviewee

A psychological barrier to a successful interview outcome is ‘projection’.  When an interviewer has a strong dislike, based on a prejudice, that makes them uncomfortable – “I don’t think females should work in masculine jobs but I know I shouldn’t be thinking this” they will deflect their own emotional turmoil by projecting their emotions onto the applicant.

This reaction, which is common in all areas of life, is a self-defense mechanism. Humans are more comfortable observing negative qualities in others then confronting a negative trait that detracts from the identity they are portraying to the world. 

Projecting emotions or beliefs onto others, that they themselves are struggling to come to terms with, is just easier.

But projection has a secondary implication: If the interviewer dislikes someone (because of a deep-rooted prejudice) and projects this feeling on to the candidate, they can then come to believe that the candidate themselves dislikes them, the interviewer. 

Evidence shows that people like other people more if they believe that said person likes them first. If the interviewer presumes that the candidate dislikes them, there will be a decrease in rapport. 

Dyadic social interaction research shows that individuals will reciprocate the behavior that is projected by another person. If, for example, an interviewer has good eye contact and smiles at the applicant, the applicant will reciprocate the behaviour.  

The reaction to these nonverbal cues can alter the applicant’s level of confidence. A ‘warm’ interviewer, offering encouragement with smiles and nods of the head, will increase the interviewee’s confidence levels. In contrast, a ‘cold’ interviewer, frowning and tutting, will reduce the candidate’s confidence and self-esteem. 

Applicants with low self-esteem perform as well as high self-esteem candidates when interviewed by a ‘warm’ interviewer (both interviewee types will discuss their knowledge/experience) but when interviewed by a cold interviewer, the low self-esteem applicant is more likely to withdraw.

The employer, perceiving the lack of communication as an indication of a low level of knowledge/experience, can also withdraw becoming more ‘cold.’ This ‘cold cycle’ process rarely allows the interviewee to promote their skill set, resulting in a distorted version of the applicant, as an inaccurate and unfair assessment of the candidate has been created.

As mentioned earlier highly confident interviewees, through their ability to externalise the interviewer’s behaviour, are rarely affected by a ‘cold’ interview. 

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