Tag: job interview tips

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Unveiling the Hidden Bias in Job Interviews: A Quest for Fairness and Diversity

Job interviews serve as critical gateways to employment opportunities, helping employers assess the skills and qualifications of potential candidates, while at the same time, allowing job applicants to showcase their suitability for the advertised job position.

However, beneath the seemingly objective facade of a fair interview lies the lurking shadow of bias, which can significantly impact hiring decisions.

Unconscious biases, stemming from preconceived notions and stereotypes, may inadvertently influence interviewers’ scores given to each job applicant.

This subconscious manipulation of interview data can often lead to the most suitable interviewee not being offered the role. This is because, the brain, to save time and energy, doesn’t allocate the same level of attention to each decision.

Understanding biases, how there are formed, and the various types of unconscious biases, can help foster a more inclusive and diverse workforce, who possess the required skills, qualities, and experiences required for a competitive organisation.

Understanding Bias in Job Interviews

Much research has shown how a structured job interview, the asking of predetermined interview questions to all candidates, with answers being assessed against a scoring criteria, is the best way to predict the job performance of each job applicant.

The flaw in the system is humans’ natural shortcut to decision-making, using generalisations, stereotypes, and beliefs based on previous experiences, which we call unconscious bias.

Bias refers to the inclination or prejudice towards specific individuals or groups, often stemming from implicit assumptions or stereotypes rather than objective judgment.

In a job interview, biases can arise from a myriad of factors, such as gender, race, ethnicity, age, appearance, and even the candidate’s surname. Other influencers include subtle aspects like accents, mannerisms, the interviewee’s choice of outfit, their perceived attractiveness (what is beautiful is good bias), or their confidence level.

Biases can lead to unfair treatment, discriminatory practices, and the exclusion of qualified candidates from job opportunities. This not only hampers individual career growth but also perpetuates inequalities in the workplace.

The average cost of a bad hire is up to 30% of the employee’s first-year earnings.

Source: Apollo Technical

Different Forms of Bias in Job Interviews

Halo and Horn Effect

The halo effect occurs when one positive attribute or impression about a candidate influences the interviewer’s perception of their other qualities.

Conversely, the horn effect works oppositely, wherein one negative attribute overshadows the candidate’s positive traits.

An example of the halo effect is when a job applicant has recorded the name of a prestigious university they attended on an application form. The interviewers short cut is ‘name of the prestigious university = intelligence’

This bias could be true, the candidate who attended a well-known higher education establishment may well have gained high grades, but without further inquiry, the truth could be much different:

  1. the applicant may have failed the exams
  2. the qualification is in an unrelated industry
  3. the student may have only just passed the qualification

A late interviewee could be affected by the ‘horns effect’. Being late for an interview is seen as a huge negative: ‘if you can’t turn up on time for an interview, then you are likely to be late once employed’.

Is a late applicant always a bad worker? What if the lateness was caused by an unlikely situation, like a crash on the motorway which resulted in the police closing down the motorway, does the ‘lateness equals a poor worker’ still apply?

Similarity Bias

The likability factor of a candidate increases if an interviewer finds a similarity between themselves and the applicant.

Similarity bias is common as humans create ‘in and out’ groups, and those that are in are in because they possess a similarity to the interviewer.

Humans are highly motivated to see themselves and those who are similar in a favorable light.

Source: neuroleadership

Interviewers may favor candidates who share similar backgrounds and experiences, inadvertently sidelining candidates from diverse backgrounds.

Similarities can include:

  • Sense of humor
  • Similar in appearance
  • Thought processes/belief systems
  • Cultural
  • Hobbies and interest

When it comes to the similar-to-me effect, this prototype is often our perception of ourselves. For example, if you wear glasses and believe that you are intelligent, when you see someone wearing glasses, you will think that they seem intelligent.

Source: the decision lab

Confirmation Bias

Once an opinion has been made, it is hard for that person to change their outlook.

Interviewers with a strong belief ‘this person doesn’t seem suitable for the role’ will, according to confirmation bias, seek information that confirms their preconceived notions about candidates’ abilities, rather than making an objective evaluation from their interview answers.

Confirmation bias in a job interview can be positive or negative, depending on the employer’s initial appraisal of the candidate which includes information from the Halo or Horns effect, similarity bias, and stereotypes.

Philosophers note that people have difficulty processing information in a rational, unbiased manner once they have developed an opinion about an issue

Source: britannica

Unconscious Stereotypes

Stereotypes, deeply ingrained in societal norms, can seep into the interviewer’s judgment, affecting the assessment of candidates from different demographic groups.

As an example, careers can be gender biased. The unconscious stereotype is ‘men or women are better suited to a particular job role’.

There is a general consensus in managerial and sociological research that certain occupations are gendered. For example, public relations, nursing, and teaching are considered “female-gendered” occupations, whereas stock trading, engineering, and construction are considered “male-gendered” occupations. 

Gender and the Economy

Even when an interviewer doesn’t truly believe the stereotype, the ingrained belief system has a subconscious influence on the employer’s decision-making process.

As mentioned previously, the structured job interview, the set of predetermined interview questions that are scored against set criteria, is easily influenced.

It’s common for the scoring process to be on a scale, let’s say a scale of 1-4, with points being the highest scoring answer, the answer that meets the job criteria in full.

Biases and stereotypes can influence the allocated score. If two applicants, one male, and one female, apply for a perceived masculine or feminine job role, the interviewer is likely to score the same answer one point higher or lower than the applicant with the opposite gender.

As the three highest-scoring interviews only have one or two points between them, being scored higher or lower for even one interview answer can be a deciding factor in who is offered the vacant position.

Mitigating Bias in Job Interviews

Many organisations are working hard to overcome the recruitment bias problem. Initially, human resource teams undertook mandatory unconscious bias training, which didn’t have a positive effect

The evidence against unconscious bias training is mounting. One recent meta-analysis of over 490 studies found that whilst training might raise awareness in a couple of weeks following, it did not lead to long-lasting behavioural change.

Fair HQ
Evolve the mind book on Amazon

Other research shows that voluntary attendance at unconscious bias training had a better outcome.

Instead, employers reflected on their interview processes and found ways to remove potential bais from the recruitment system.

  1. Standardize the Interview Process

As previously discussed, the most common form of the interview process is the structured interview format with a set of predetermined questions, ensuring that all candidates are evaluated based on the same criteria.

Previous to this, and still used in many organizations, is the ‘informal’ job interview. Asking ad-hoc questions to ‘get to know’ the applicant, and their values, behaviors, and temperament.

Much research has concluded that the most accurate way to predict the performance of potential employees is via the structured job interview.

  1. Blind Application

Conduct “blind” interviews by removing identifying information like names, gender, and educational institutions from job application forms.

The ‘blind’ application removes the halo and horns effect that could be created from the name of a university, the applicant’s age, or any commonality with the interviewer.

Having a ‘blind’ application allows the interview panel to focus solely on candidates’ qualifications, experiences, and qualities for the advertised job role.

In some companies, the person interviewing the applicant is different from the staff member who read and approved the job application forms.

  1. Diverse Interview Panels

Form diverse interview panels to bring a range of perspectives and reduce the influence of individual biases.

In large organizations, it’s common to have three or four interview rounds, where similar questions are asked by different interviewers. The interview answers, from all the interview rounds, are then analyzed and reviewed.

  1. Interview Times

The timing of the interview influences the interview outcome. Interviewers are tired at the end of a long day of interviewing or commonly feel more drained after dinner. To overcome the time problem, interviewers can interview just two applicants a day over a 5 day period instead of squeezing 10 interviews into one day of interviewing.

Another helpful solution is interviewing practice. Many interviewers are untrained and nervous. The first interviewee is affected by this, as the interview panel is less familiar with the interview questions at the start of a day of interviewing.

The number of follow-up questions, or their natural process for scoring the applicants, differs from the first to the last interview. Being able to practice asking structured job interview questions helps improve confidence through familiarity.

Periodically review and update interview practices, aligning them with the organization’s diversity and inclusion goals.

Recognizing and confronting bias in job interviews is crucial to building an inclusive and diverse workforce.

By understanding the different forms of bias, implementing strategies to mitigate its influence, and redefining the hiring process, organizations can pave the way for fairer, more equitable hiring practices.

Embracing diversity not only enriches the workplace but also fosters innovation, creativity, and ultimately, success for businesses in the ever-evolving global landscape.

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Mastering Asynchronous Video Interviews: Your Guide to Landing Your Dream Job

In the rapidly evolving landscape of job interviews, the latest craze in recruitment is asynchronous video interviews (AI bot online interviews).

Asynchronous video interviews (AVIs) have emerged as a popular screening method due to the low cost, compared to human intervention, for choosing suitable applicants from the thousands of job seekers that apply for the advertised job role.

This new recruitment technology allows an interviewee to record a live response to, on average , three behavioral-based job interview questions via a video portal.

For the applicant, the advantage is that they are allowed to record their interview answers at their convenience during a short period of two to three days. One applicant might complete their AVI at 09:00 am and another at 3:00 pm. As there is no human intervention from the employer’s side, interviews no longer need to take place during working hours.

However, navigating asynchronous video interviews requires a strategic approach to leave a lasting impression and increase your chances of landing that dream job. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the ins and outs of asynchronous video interviews and provide valuable tips to help you shine in your next AI Bot online interview.

Understanding Asynchronous Video Interviews

What are Asynchronous Video Interviews?

Asynchronous video interviews is an online video interview with an AI interface. Candidates will open a recruitment webpage, sign in, and, using their video camera, participate in the interview.

The AI bot will, using text or audio, state a job interview question, before allowing a set duration for the applicant to record their interview answer. The duration is around 60-120 seconds.

Once the duration is up for each individual interview question, the AI bot will then move to the next interview question, even if the interviewee hasn’t finished speaking – so preparing and practicing short and succinct interview answers is a must.

Unlike traditional interviews, there is no real-time interaction with a human interviewer, making it more flexible and convenient for candidates.

It is also useful to understand the company’s values, mission, and recent achievements, as well as the responsibilities and requirements of the position. But, at this stage of the recruitment process, the AVI interview questions are normally based on the job role rather than questions around knowing the organization’s history or business objectives.

The Advantages of Asynchronous Video Interviews

Time Flexibility:

Candidates can choose when to record their responses, accommodating their schedules and allowing them to perform at their best. This can be morning, afternoon, or night. During a working day, bank holiday, or weekend, as long as it is within the time frame the employer sets out.

Location Independence:

Asynchronous video interviews eliminate the need for candidates to travel, enabling them to interview from anywhere with a stable internet connection.

Location independence also allows job hunters to attend the AVI even if they are holidaying abroad.

Preparing for an Asynchronous Video Interview

Research the Company and Job Role

Interview preparation is key when attending an AVI.

Begin your preparation by conducting thorough research on the company and the specific job role you are applying for.

Remember, in the main, an AVI is a screening interview. Successful candidates, once they pass the AVI stage will be asked to attend a structured job interview. You can predict what type of interview stages you will be asked to attend here.

Familiarize Yourself with the Technology

Ensure that you are comfortable with the video interview platform and its features.

Prior to the job interview, it is key to test your microphone, camera, and internet connection to avoid technical glitches during the actual interview.

The most important piece of advice to help prepare for an AVI, is to practice online AI interviews. There are many websites that offer free AI mock interviews that give you instant feedback, including one on Linked-in and Google.

As the saying goes practice makes perfect. For candidates who need more specific advice to pass the job interview, you can book an online (human) interview coach.

Create a Suitable Interview Setting

Choose a quiet and well-lit location for recording your responses.

Ensure that the background is free from distractions and presents a professional image.

Close down any other apps to reduce sound interference. An example of this is the ‘ping’ noise you hear when receiving a new email.

Ensure no one will walk into the room unannounced.

Think about the camera frame, ideally, use a shoulder-to-head frame. For more online interview tips click here.

Dress Professionally

Treat an asynchronous video interview like an in-person meeting and dress appropriately.

Wearing professional attire will help you feel more confident and leave a positive impression. Much research has looked at how dressing smart increases confidence.

Even though the AVI AI bot can be programmed to review eye contact, tonality, and even the candidate’s background, in most cases hiring decisions are based on the interview answer, not appearances.

Mastering Your Responses

Evolve the mind book on Amazon

Analyze the Questions Carefully

To pass any job interview a job applicant needs to follow the three rules for a successful interview.

Rule 1 – identify the job criteria

Rule 2 – be a self-promoter

Rule 3 – communicate with confidence

Read the job profile questions thoroughly and use the essential criteria, and your understanding of the job role, to help predict the potential job interview questions.

By understanding what the employer is looking for, a n interviewee can tailor each response in a self-promoting way.

Use the STAR or SAP Method

For behavioral questions, use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or SAP (Situation, Actions, Positive Outcome) method to structure your responses effectively.

These interview answer structures, help applicants to create a concise and compelling story that showcases their abilities and accomplishments.

Having a simple structure during an AVI is important as the interview example is delivered in a logical format, and is easy to prepare and deliver within the set timeframe given for answering each question.

Be Concise and Engaging

As with all communication, be clear and to the point.

Avoid rambling or going off-topic, and reduce the use of filler words, and the number of times you stutter.

Practice diction, to ensure the AVI AI bot can clearly understand the words you are using.

Reviewing and Submitting Your Video Interview

In most cases, the candidate doesn’t have an opportunity to review their answers before submitting them. Some organizations do allow this, if this is the case, carefully review your recorded answers and edit any mistakes or areas for improvement. Ensure that your responses are well-polished and align with the desired message.

When starting the AVI, there is normally a chance for a practice interview question and answer (within the set timeframe) before moving on to the actual interview.

Use the practice session to check the audio, video, and communication issues (filler words etc) and keeping to the interview answer duration.

Follow Submission Guidelines

Adhere to the provided instructions for submitting your video interview. Double-check the deadline and ensure you complete all necessary steps.

Conclusion

By mastering the art of asynchronous video interviews and following the tips outlined in this guide, you can confidently approach your next job interview and increase your chances of landing your dream job.

Embrace the flexibility, leverage your research and preparation, and let your authentic self shine through the lens. Remember the AVI is a screening interview so, in the main, there are no complicated questions.

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Can You Predict The Type of Job Interview You Will Be Asked to Attend?

The recruitment process is becoming really tricky, with a wide range of different types of job interviews that are delivered by individuals, panels of experts, external recruitment companies, and even AI bots. Interviews can be virtual, face-to-face, or even in the Metaverse. Is it me or is getting a job becoming even more complicated?

Here is a long list of the various types of job interviews that a job seeker will have to attend:

  • Behavioural Interview
  • Situational Interview
  • Structured Interview
  • Strength-based interview
  • Screening Interview (by phone/webcam)
  • Antonyms Video Interviewing – AI bot interviews
  • Assessments Centres
  • Working Interview
  • Role Plays (conducted by trained actors)
  • Values Interview
  • Stress Interview
  • Informal Interview
  • Group Interview
  • Interview Presentation
  • Panel Interview

With such a long list of interview options, it’s hard for a job hunter to prepare, and therefore pass, a job interview.

To help career professionals understand a potential forthcoming recruitment process, it is important to look at the level of job role and the size of the organisation.

Why the job level affects the type of job interview you will attend

The level of job role, from low-to-high skilled positions, has a direct result on the number of job interview stages and type of job interview questions an employer will ask.

Low-skilled (sometimes referred to as un-skilled) job roles include:

  • Waiter
  • Janitor
  • Transport driver
  • Warehouse operative
  • Care worker
  • Food production worker
  • Security guard
  • Farm worker

Source Indeed

As low-skilled positions often require physical or repetitive tasks to be performed, rather than the use of knowledge, creative problem-solving, or project management, employers will ask simple questions often based on the skills required for the vacancy:

  • Give me an example of working within a team?
  • Do you have experience of working in a factory?
  • How much time did you have off in your last role?

High-skilled roles require an employee that has had specialized training/higher education in order to operate, manage or participate in a project – this can be physical or mental.

Source: Investopedia

Larger salaries are normally associated with high-skilled positions, and therefore employers ask more specific and tricker questions to test the applicant’s ability to complete the day-to-day tasks related to the position being advertised. The interview questions can be based on actual duties or the required skills, IE, problem-solving.

  • What would you do if (situation) happened?
  • Give me an example of managing multiple projects with various deadlines. How do prioritise tasks, stay on budget, and collaborate with stakeholders?
  • How would you work out how many drainage grids are in London?

Research shows how a structured job interview, the asking of the same questions to each interviewee, with answers being marked via a scoring system, is the best way to predict job performance.

High-skilled job roles often require a level of knowledge/experience which results in the majority of employers adopting the structured job interview when recruiting high-skilled employees.

Senior positions, which often require either a long duration in the industry and/or sector-related qualification above a degree level, result in many recruiters wanting additional proof of knowledge/skills/experiences.

Additional interviews are common for high-skilled roles to check suitability. As are other interview stages: AVI screening interview, assessments, role plays, and working interviews.

Low-skilled interviews are either formal (unstructured) or informal (structured). In the main, employers adopt the informal/formal job interview based on the size of the organisation.

For low-skilled positions, a one-off 1-2-1 job interview is enough for a hiring manager to make a hiring decision. Some sectors have an additional group exercise task to review teamwork and communication – the size of the company influences the number of interview stages a low-skilled applicant has to go through.

The size of the organisation

Employer size, and popularity, have a massive effect on the time spent on recruitment from an employer’s perspective. As an example a small family company looking to recruit an IT analyst will receive, let’s say, 20 applications. A large and well-known brand, such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, can receive in excess of 20,000 applicants.

Source: PathMatch

Such a high number of applicants per vacancy has resulted in large employers adopting AI to support HR hiring decisions.

To screen such a vast number of potential employees, hiring managers will ask additional shifting questions on the application form (relating to essential criteria) and will use AVI – autonomous video interviewing. AVIs in short are artificial intelligence interviewers, that ask around 3 structured interview questions and are programmed to cross-reference an applicant’s interview answers against the job criteria.

AVIs are a quick and easy way for a large employer to reduce the number of candidates without human intervention. Many employers recruiting for low-skilled employees, such as fast food servers, have embedded AVIs into their recruitment process.

Most employers still require a face-to-face formal or informal interview following the AVI, but anyone unsuccessful following an AI bot video interview will need to reapply for any further positions.

Larger employers, in the main, have well-embedded recruitment processes and procedures, which often include multiple interview stages for high-skilled roles, and less stages for low-skilled positions, with at least one interview stage being a structured job interview.

On the other hand, small companies have fewer interview stages even for senior roles, and, especially for a small family-run business, may adopt an informal interview. The informal interview is viewed as important for a small business as ‘fit’ is an important aspect of the hiring decision-making process. As is ‘loyalty’ – with loyalty meaning the duration an employee would stay with the small company.

Time and money influence the type of recruitment process a small or large company adopts. Smaller businesses, who recruit ad-hoc, are less likely to purchase an expensive AVI system, whereas the AVI is viewed as an investment and time-saving piece of tech for a large business.

The number of interview stages is also adjusted depending on the size of the company. Large brands will often have several rounds of interviews, especially for high-paying positions, to ensure they only recruit highly skilled and suitable professionals. Smaller companies are often satisfied with one interview stage for low-skilled roles and just two higher-skilled positions.

Evolve the mind book on Amazon

Can the job interview be predicted?

The three rules for passing a job interview are:

  1. Identify the job criteria – essentially predict the job interview questions
  2. Be a self-promoter – use various stories and examples that highlight the added value and the possession of the essential job criteria
  3. Communicate with confidence – which includes rapport building, easy to follow answer, persuasive language, and non-verbal communication

Knowing the job interview type, and therefore improving interview readiness, always helps to reduce job interview anxiety.

Even with an understanding of the common recruitment practices of large and small businesses and the level of job role, it is still hard to predict the interview stages for the job you are applying for. Or is it?

The goal of the recruitment process is to predict the job performance of the applicants. The barrier is that the anxiety created by the interview stages can create an environment where applicants don’t showcase their true self.

As mentioned previously, knowing the style of a job interview can reduce nervousness. With this in mind more and more employers are now stating the various stages of the interview and even explaining the type of interview questions, behaviour, or situational, that they will ask.

This openness from some employers hasn’t been rolled out to the masses. To date, many employers only state the interview duration. Also, there are no rules when it comes to job interviews, some employers will utilise one interviewer while another will use a panel of five. Interviews can last for 30 minutes or be a whole day assessment. Questions can be fixed or mixed, and some employers value skills or fit and vice versa.

The training an interviewer undergoes affects the interview environment, with many having no interview training at all. Some hiring managers will be nervous or confident, some will ask follow-up questions while others stick to the list of set questions, interviewers can be cold or warm, and some are experts in their industry. And, as discussed previously, interviews can be with humans, robots, and even some are now taking place in the metaverse.

Source: spotlight data

Based on the size of the company and the level of advertised position this interview grid can indicate the type of job interview a career professional will attend for various roles, helping job candidates prepare for a forthcoming interview.

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Why You Are Failing Job Interviews

For an activity that is so regular, many job seekers fail to prepare for the job interview.

A lack of preparation results in common, and avoidable, mistakes being made that often result in a job rejection.

This article will explain the top 5 common job interview mistakes and how to avoid them.

Believing that all interview questions are the same

A common misunderstanding is that interviewers across all job sectors ask the same interview questions.

This is why searching for ‘job interview questions’ is more commonly searched (around 1-10k per month Source Google keyword planner 20/22) than, as an example, ‘job interview questions for engineering’ (around 100-1k per month. Source Google keyword planner 20/22).

There are a few commonly asked job interview questions, that we will list at the bottom of the article, but in the main, recruiters ask specific questions relevant to the job role and company culture. As an example, a teacher job interview will be filled with questions about lesson planning, classroom management, and preparing for Ofsted visits. Whereas a manager job interview will feature questions on financial planning, leadership skills, and project management.

That much is obvious. What isn’t as obvious is the difference in interview questions for the same, but in different organisations. A misconception is that all (sector) employers ask the same questions. This is true to an extent. A retail interview, for various retail outlets, is likely to feature a job interview question relating to customer service.  This doesn’t mean that every question will be repeated with each employer.

With the retail example, one interviewer from a food retail outlet may focus questions on stock rotation, dealing with spoiled food, and food contamination. A second retail recruiter, from, let’s say a clothing retail store might ask questions on communication, fashion knowledge, and dealing with returns. 

The first rule for a successful job interview is to identify the job criteria. Review the job specification, read the job advert, research the company culture, vision and values. In fact, researching values and company culture is highly important as more employers use ‘value interviews’ and ‘strength-based interviewing’ as part of their recruitment process.

Only using examples from your current role

The most popular job interview is a behavioural interview, part of the structured interview process. The behavioural interview asks for examples of how the candidate has previously acted in past situations.

Example behavioural interview questions include:

  • Give me an example of when you have collaborated with stakeholders?
  • Have you ever had to deal with competing deadlines, what did you do?
  • Describe a time that you have influenced others to agree to one of your suggestions?

Most behavioural interview questions can be predicted. The key common tasks for the new role, in most cases, will be discussed in the job interview in the form of a set of behavioural interview questions.  

The problem comes when a candidate is nervous. An interviewee’s anxiety level affects their memory professing. The increase in cortisol, the stress hormone, results in memory loss. It becomes harder to recall details, such as answers to interview questions, or remembering the details of the experience the job candidate planned to discuss during the recruitment process.

The interview stress problem results in the overuse of one example. The interview panel ask an easy-opening interview question about a generic skill, teamwork or communication, and the applicant gives an example of using the required skill. The second question becomes more specific “Tell me about a time you used (required skill or knowledge)?” The nervous applicant struggles to find a suitable example, so reverts to using the same example from question one: “As I said, when I was…(previous example)…I used (required skill)”

From the interview panel’s perspective, the repetitiveness of the same situation doesn’t showcase enough variety, experience or knowledge for the recruiters to see the value of hiring the nervous applicant.

This is a very similar problem to only using examples from the current employer. In a job interview, when anxiety is often higher, it is easier to recall information from the current role. This is fine, often expected, for a least one or two interview questions.

Using only one employer example has one key barrier – the candidate can only highlight the skills and knowledge from that particular role, rather than showcasing a diverse set of skills, knowledge and experiences, that is gained by sharing examples from various roles and positions.

To prepare for a job interview, write down at least 10 behavioural interview questions that are likely to be asked. Next, reflect on 5 situations from at least 3 different employers.

The situations will become the examples that will be embedded into the interview answer. The ideal situation is one that required multiple skills and knowledge to create a successful outcome; teamwork, communication, leadership, industry knowledge, collaboration, stakeholder engagement, etc.

This allows the savvy interview applicant to reframe the example and situation depending on the interview question and the required skill or knowledge the employer is looking for the applicant to discuss. Remembering 5 examples that can be used for multiple interview questions is much easier than having to prepare 10-15 single-use interview answers.

Believing the interviewer is psychic

There is a myth that interviewers are superhuman.

The nervous interviewee believes that the employer is highly confident when interviewing, in fact, many are just as nervous as the job applicant. Some organisations allow their trained HR team to conduct the job interviews, which means they are skilled in interviewing but not always with the sector technical know-how.

The biggest misconception is that the interview panel is psychic. A high number of career professionals fail to mention key information during their interview answers. As an example, the applicant will describe a problem they faced and the actions they took to overcome the problem. On the face of it, the interview answer format sounds positive. In reality, the interviewee will delete essential information from the interview answer:

  • Decision-making skill
  • Reasons for declining an option
  • Creative thinking process
  • Time management
  • Communication skills and stakeholder relationships
  • Work ethic and commitment

The list can go on and on. It is important, therefore, to give as much detail that relates to the interview question as possible. In fact, some research has found how the higher number of words per interview answer increases the likelihood of a positive interview outcome.

A more basic problem for internal interviews is not understanding the impact of an interview scorecard. In a structured interview, each interview answer is cross-referenced against a set of job criteria recorded on the interview scorecard. The criteria includes skills, qualities, and experiences. Each interview question is scored on a scale, for example of 1-4. The interview panel can only score an applicant high if they reference all the criteria on the interview scorecard. This is why ‘identifying the job criteria’ is of the most importance.

Because the applicant, in an internal job interview, knows the interviewer has seen their work, they will naturally miss out key information. This lack of detail only results in a low-scoring interview answer.

To overcome the missing information problem 1) identify the job criteria 2) be a self-promoter 3) communicate confidently

Disclosing irrelevant information

If you this next common interview mistake you must stop straight away

One of the worst errors an interviewee can make is the self-discloser of weaknesses. Time and time again candidates will randomly disclose a weakness even when they haven’t been asked.

When asked a technical question, it is easy to let slip out ‘I’ve never worked on something like that’ Instead it is better to confidently communicate your knowledge on the subject. Discussing knowledge will create a stronger interview identity than explaining that you lack experience.

Other negative slippage includes ‘I prefer working on my own initiative..’ to questions about teamwork. Or, ‘Others in my team focused on that area of work’ when asked about a particular skill.

The interview isn’t just about past experience, its about potential. Negative slippage ruins a positive interview identity. The barrier here is that career professionals don’t even know they are leaking negativities. When I coach career professionals to pass a job interview, I will record and list all of their negative communications – verbal and non-verbal, and most applicants are unaware of around 95% of the negative communication that is affecting their chance of winning a job offer.

Not being ready for the basics

Understanding the job interview format creates familiarity, familiarity increases confidence.

Failing a number of job interviews have a secondary gain, the applicant becomes familiar with the interview process, which in turn increases their self-esteem during the recruitment process.

You don’t need to fail to win. A little research and some mock interviews are enough to become more confident. By understanding the format and preparing for commonly asked interview questions (as well as sector-specific interview questions as discussed above) helps reduce interview anxiety.

Most job interviews last around 45 minutes. The interview panel is made up of around 3 staff members, often including a HR manager. Interviewees will be told about the interview process before being asked, on average, 8 questions, including sector-specific questions and a few of the generic questions recorded below.

Evolve the mind book on Amazon

The 10 most commonly asked job interview questions:

  1. Do you have any questions for us (asked at the job interview end)
  2. Tell me about your experience
  3. What are your weaknesses
  4. What do you know about our organisation
  5. Give me an example of using (skill/knowledge)
  6. Describe a time that you worked well within a team
  7. How will you manage your time when you have competing deadlines
  8. Explain how you would (deal with a future duty/task)
  9. What are your salary expectations
  10. Give an example of developing your skills or knowledge

Chris Delaney

Chris Delaney is one of the leading job interview coaches in the country, helping career professionals to successfully pass job interviews. Delaney is the author of several job interview reference books including ‘what is your interview identity’
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10 Job Interview Facts You Must Know Before Your Next Interview

10 Job Interview facts

Everyone, at some point or other, will attend a job interview. In fact, most people will attend 20-50 job interviews over their lifetime.

These 10 amazing job interview facts will help you to better understand the interview process and help you to land the job of your dreams.

The first job interview ever was conducted by Thomas Edison in 1921

Job interviews are conducted every day, for every job role, in every job sector, and in every country around the world.

Why are job interviews so popular and how did they originate?

In 1921 the New York Times headline read: “Edison’s questions stir up a storm” To gain a better level of employees Edison created the ‘Edison test’ – the original job interview.

There were hundreds of questions that could be asked, with people complaining that you needed to be a ‘walking encyclopaedia’ to be hired.

After being interviewed, Edison would take successful candidates out for dinner to be tested by eating soup. The famous ‘soup test’ was simple; Edison would watch if the candidate would salt the soup without tasting the soup first. This is because Edison wanted to hire ‘curious’ people and felt that people who salted the soup without testing it – as Edison didn’t want to hire people who replied on assumptions to make opinions.  

Source

Since the pandemic, 86% of recruiters have been conducting virtual interviews

Prior to the pandemic recruiters had stated to use virtual job interviews. Covid, which kicked off the work from the home initiative, simply sped up the use of video technology in job interviews.

Online job interviews include human-delivered Q&A interviews, online psychometric tests and AI bot interviews – being interviewed by a robot.

Virtual interviews save time, no travel is required but do require an investment in technology and good internet speed.

Many HR professionals say that virtual interviewing is the new standard with an additional increase in AI bot systems being a major factor in hiring decisions.

Source

The average time for a job interview is 45 minutes

The interview process is in the process of change, especially for high skilled roles.

Previously one or two job interview rounds were enough to highlight enough of the job criteria to gain a job offer or rejection.

The structured interview, which is adopted by most employers, is the key recruitment intervention in the hiring decision. In a structured or formal interview, each applicant is asked a series of job-related interview questions within a 45-minute time frame.

In the main, the applicant is asked 8 interview questions, which are verbally answered by the applicant. Each answer, on average, lasts for around 3 minutes. Some research shows how the longer the duration of the answer the more likely you are to score higher on the interview scorecard, as long as the answer is relevant to the job criteria.

Interview identities, with a high position on the confidence axis, are more likely to give a self-promoting and detailed reply.

Source

Most applicants expect to hear back from an employer within 5 days of the interview

We have all been to a job interview only to wait days, weeks and sometimes even months to hear back from the employer.

There are numerous reasons for a delay in response; multiple interview rounds, staff sickness, and job offers need to be signed off by senior leaders, to the requirement of a DBS check.

Currently, with an increase in job vacancies due in part to the great resignation, job seekers are becoming restless – they want a quick turnaround.

In fact, the late response is affecting the recruitment of first-choice applicants. First-choice applicants, those candidates who are offered multiple job roles won’t hold out for job offers, even for recognised brands.

The average time for hearing back from an employer following a hiring round is 1-2 weeks.

Source

Over 75% of hiring managers use behavioural interview questions to test soft skills

There are many different types of interview questions from situational interview questions to value-based questions.

When hiring, employers need to evaluate sector knowledge, level of expertise, and essential soft skills needed for the advertised position.

The structured job interview is proven to be the best way to predict job performance. Two common types of interview questions, within a structured interview, are behavioural and situational questions.

Situational questions are based on future scenarios and behavioural questions are based on previous behaviours in past job roles. These questions include the famous opening: “give me an example of using X skill”

This type of questioning does have a downside. The best way people learn is through making a mistake. Also, job maturity changes the way a person would approach a similar work base situation. The framing of the question in the past can limit how the applicant responds and promotes their skills.

Source

On average 250 applicants apply for every advertised job

If a future me were asked how many job applicants apply for every advertised position, I would likely say 500, 1000 or even 5000.

These large figures may sound ridiculous. But it wasn’t that long ago when the average number of applicants was around 25 per position. Further, we have already seen some companies receive over 25,000 applications for a job role.

The number of applications increases because of two key reasons. One, technology and globalisation are allowing people around the globe to apply for roles. Two, it is much easier and quicker to upload a resume, CV or application than it was to hand write an application as was previously required.

Source

Evolve the mind book on Amazon

60% of skilled workers will quit in the middle of an application if it is too lengthy

Applications are boring! The biggest killer of talented and high-skilled applicants is having a long and boring application process with various steps, assessments and uploads.

These days job seekers want to apply for lots of jobs quickly. Ideally by uploading an application, CV and Resume for various positions.

Some large organisations have already recognised this barrier to recruitment. Companies like the NHS allow a job seeker to upload one application that they can then send off for various NHS roles – each application can be edited if the applicant prefers.

Other research shows how having a count down ‘only two questions to go’ or ‘page 2 of 3’ can keep candidates engaged, as they know the application process is soon coming to an end.

Source

Only 2% of applicants receive a job interview

The top 2% have what it takes…to write a good application.

The problem with job hunters wanting a quicker application process is that the targeting of individual applications is highly reduced. A reduction in targeting, and therefore meeting the job criteria, reduces the perceived value an applicant can bring to the company which results in a higher number of rejection letters.

The acceleration in AI bot automated tracking systems, where the AI bot scans an application searching for job criteria before deciding whether of not to offer the applicant a job interview, has a big impact on those job seekers who use the same generic application for all roles and for various organisations who have their own specific criteria based on that company’s values and vision.

Recent research found that 98% of fortune 500 companies now use an application tracking system.

Only, around, 8 applicants receive a job interview. This means competition is high. Some sectors will have a more flexible approach to recruitment as there is a need for staff but in others, where recruitment is less of a problem, a generic application just isn’t good enough.

Source

40% of employers decline interviewees who show no enthusiasm during the recruitment process

The logical hiring process, scoring interviewee answers against the interview scorecard, isn’t that logical.

All logical hiring decisions are influenced by the emotional section of the brain. It is this part of the mind that uses unconscious bias as a starting point in the recruitment process.

The research for the interview prediction grid model – a framework to reflect on how an interviewee is perceived during a job interview and therefore the outcome of the recruitment process, states the importance of confidence within a 1-2-1 or panel interview.

Confidence creates likeability and is associated with other positive attributes; being enthusiastic, intelligence and teamwork.   

It is clear then that a lack of confidence during the interview reduces the chances of a job hire.

90% of people who use an interview coach get a job offer as twice as fast as job seekers who don’t prepare

More and more people are now booking job interview coaches. This is especially true for high-skilled roles where competition for positions is high.

Interview coaches increase confidence through role plays, feedback and sharing job interview techniques.

The main reason why job seekers turn to professional interview coaches is that public speaking is cited as the number one fear in the world.

Chris Delaney

Chris Delaney is one of the leading job interview coaches in the country, helping career professionals to successfully pass job interviews. Delaney is the author of several job interview reference books including ‘what is your interview identity’
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Does your background matter on a virtual job interview?

The number of online job interviews has rapidly increased over the past two years and only seems to be becoming ever more popular. In a recent Indeed poll, 82% of employers said they are using virtual interviews.

A virtual interview, from an employer’s perspective, is quicker, easier, and cheaper. The convenience of being interviewed at home also has similar advantages for the potential employee – no travel required, saving transport costs, and having to put time aside to travel. But it also has a downside, the hiring manager gets a glimpse at the applicants’ private lives.

This sneak peek is a peephole into an applicant’s personal life. Just like a face-to-face job interview, where the candidate’s clothes create an unconscious bias, the background of a virtual interviewee can influence the employer’s hiring decision-making process.

Background Matters

Many online platforms offer fake backgrounds; a beach, a beautiful countryside, or an office setting. These backgrounds either look fake, seem inappropriate for a job interview, or create a ghost effect – where the applicant’s body has a white shadow around it.

The number one rule for a virtual job interview is to use a real background.

3 Background choices

With a real background there are three obvious choices:

  1. Clean space (often a white wall)
  2. Single item (plant)
  3. Full view (able to see the whole room)

It is common for interviewees to choose a clean space, a close-up camera that captures the applicant’s face with a blank background – a painted wall.

The camera position is highly important as discussed in our ‘online interview tips’ article. But a blank background can be boring. A white wall doesn’t say anything about the candidate’s personality. Some hiring managers may even feel the applicants are hiding something.

If a blank wall is chosen, use a coloured wall. Ideally blue. Blue conveys relaxation, calmness and as discussed in Very Well Mind, blue is associated with stability and reliability.

Your Background Shows Who You Are

The background an applicant chooses says a lot about them, often speaking to the employer’s subconscious decision-making process.

Having one or two items in the background makes the who image a little more interesting. Too many items make a ‘busy’ image that can be distracting.

The question is, what to choose to place in the background? A bookshelf filled with industry-related books can create the impression of authority or knowledge. But bookshelves can be overcrowded.

A few books on each shelf separated by an additional item can make a cleaner and more professional background.  

Plants are ideal for an online interview background. Potted plants, especially in bloom, are pleasing to the eye. They look good in the background and help create a calming atmosphere.

Ensure the plant isn’t looking dried up, shriveled, or dead.

Whichever object is chosen should be to one side of the frame, not taking more space than 1/6th of the whole space.

Don’t Show Everything

A full room frame is bad for virtual interviews. One, in a full view, shot the applicant’s face is less clear which leads to less non-verbal communication, facial expressions.

In addition, a full view of the room will either show too much – which is distracting, can highlight mess which doesn’t create a good impression, or has lots of clear space, which is seen as boring.

Camera, Lights, Action

Finally, think about the essentials of creating a video. The virtual interview setup is similar to setting up a space for a video or film.

One of the most important elements of being on camera is the lighting. Some candidates will set up the camera with a large window behind, where the sun blinds the interview panel, hiding the applicant’s face.

Others will set up the video call in a dark room with little like creating dark shadows that create a horror film type of environment.

If a job seeker has the equipment, they can set up lighting behind the camera facing the interviewee which lights up their face. If not, a cheaper option if to have the camera in front of a large window, facing the job candidate, allowing the sun to naturally light up the room.  

The idea is to find a well-lit clean room where the job hunter feels relaxed and calm. Ensure the room is clean and add one or two small items in the background, a flower or book.

Evolve the mind book on Amazon

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7 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Job Interview Outcome

Job interviews are tricky, aren’t they?

Most job applicants fear the job interview. Some, who are highly anxious, will even go as far as turning down an interview offer due to excessive low confidence.

This fear is real. In fact, the fear of speaking in front of strangers or in public – also known as glossophobia, is the number one fear in the world.

The job interview can double the impact of glossophobia and many candidates put an ‘all or nothing’ association on the job they are applying for – “if I fail this job interview, I will always be stuck in a job I hate”.

An article on Psychology Today explained how confidence comes from experiencing achievement in a task. There more you are successful in a task the more confident (in that task) you will be.

Most people fear public speaking, job interviews, or talking to strangers because of a previous negative experience. The experience of failure increases anxiety and fear.

As an example, a job hunter will fear being invited to an interview for a job they truly desire because of a past memory: when they were asked to read out a text in front of their classmates in school or their first public speaking experience that ended in disaster.

The job interview should be easy. Interviewees are asked questions about something they know well – themselves. Job applicants’ confidence should be high. If an application has resulted in a job interview offer from one company, it should then result in a second interview from another organization. This means a failed job interview can be a learning point that will increase future job interview performance and the applicant’s interview identity.

These 7 ideas will help you improve your interview confidence and interview performance.

People buy what they like.

In the psychology of sales, the ‘liking principle’ is quoted as one of the key determinators in persuading customers to make a purchase.

It works through creating a likeability association. As an example, many brands will use celebrity endorsements to sell their products. Example: The audience likes George Clooney, so they will like a coffee brand if they see Clooney drinking that coffee brand in a TV advert – even though the audience knows Mr. Clooney was paid to star in the TV commercial.

Tupperware famously embedded likeability into the sales of its product. Rather than have their products in retail stores (they tried this approach and it failed) they created Tupperware parties. A host would invite friends and family round for a party and promote the Tupperware products. People purchased the products, not because they were good or they needed them, they made purchases because they liked the host – their friend or relative.

To improve your interview outcome, you can create likeability.

Likeability can start prior to the job interview. We know from recent data that 70% of employers check social media before a recruitment day. Create likeability through a second persuasion law – authority. If an employer views an applicant’s LinkedIn profile and the feed is filled with relevant industry insights, sector-related intelligence, and positive opinions the employer will create a halo effect that will have a big influence on the interview outcome.

Research has also found that commonality creates likeability. By disclosing information that highlights commonalities with the hiring manager a positive impression will be made. Commonality can include, well anything: same interest or hobbies, attending the same university, or living in the same town.

Which interview timeslot to choose

Timing makes all the difference. The interview timeslot allocation given to each interviewee makes seem unimportant. In fact, the timeslot can change the way an employer scores the applicant.

The timeslot is related to the hiring manager’s confidence in conducting the interview, the interview panel’s tiredness or alertness, and if you become the baseline applicant.

Research has found that the first interviewee becomes the baseline applicant – following interview scores for other candidates are influenced by the original scores given to the initial interviewee.

The final applicant of the day is often interviewed by a panel of hiring managers who are tired from a full day of recruitment affecting how they view the last interviewee. And post-dinner candidates are affected by biology – the process of digesting food affects a person’s decision-making processes.

It’s the second or third interview time slot around 10:30-11:00 that is the ideal interview timeslot.

What we see we feel

Whatever the mind focuses on the body feels. A person looking forward to a holiday, a networking event or a job interview will feel positive. Whereas someone who fears flying, is anxious about meeting strangers or someone who hates talking about themselves will have a negative response to a holiday, networking event, or job interview.

Perspective creates motivation. Previously we mentioned how confidence is created through positive experiences. What is interesting is that the brain doesn’t see the difference between a real-life experience and a vivid memory. This is why dreams can feel real.

If what you imagine you feel, you can feel positive about a job interview by imagining yourself being successful in a forthcoming recruitment process.

To have a lasting impact, the process has to start with a relaxed state. Taking deep breaths or imagining being in a relaxed place; a countryside or peaceful beach helps to calm the mind and body. In this peaceful state imagine by relaxed during a job interview, then imagine being confident in a job interview, and final imagine being charismatic in a job interview. Make each visualisation vivid; see yourself confident, hear yourself being confident, and feel confident.

The repetition of the visualisation creates new neuro-pathways that create a positive association: job interview = calm and confident.

The hands have it

A little technique to help improve the first impressions is to manipulate the hands.

Anxiety kicks off the fight or flight response which sends oxygen from non-virtual parts of the body (hands and feet) to essential organs. The redirection of the blood cells leaves hands feeling cold and clammy.

At the initial introduction, where a welcome handshake is expected, the first impression is weak as a damp and cold handshake has a negative unconscious bias.

To be viewed as confident requires a warm and firm introductory handshake. When you arrive for the interview, either accept a cup of coffee (and wrap your hands around the warm cup) or visit the bathroom and hold your hands under the warm water for a few seconds, to warm the hands.

Evolve the mind book on Amazon

Turn off your phone the night before

One sleep study showed how using your phone three hours before you plan to go to bed can disrupt your sleep.

In addition, many people charge their phones overnight in the bedroom. If the phone is left on small LED lights will be on display. The brain is trained to stay more awake when there is light. Charging the phone in a different room, and having thick curtains to cut out any streetlights allows for a deeper sleep.

Deeper sleeping restores energy, increases blood supply, and improves cognitive ability. All this helps the brain to respond to tricky interview questions.

Create high status

How we view ourselves, as high or low status, is leaked through our language. The language used in a job interview is subconsciously filtered by the hiring manager creating a ‘gut feeling’.

As an example, a low status would use weak language such as ‘try’ – ‘I would try my best’ compared to a high-status person who uses assertive language ‘will’ – ‘I will achieve the task’.

One experiment found that writing a letter to yourself that assertively states skills, strengths and abilities increase self-worth, creating high status. The letter must use positive language, be true, and be assertive.

Get good at asking questions

The tip to improve a job interview outcome seems a little odd, it’s to be good at asking, not answering questions.

Obviously, in a job interview, the ability to confidently communicate competencies within a job interview answer is essential. But what makes a person stand out is their ability to ask the interview panel questions.

Questions create a conversation. Conversations improve likeability. Likeability, or rapport, increases job offers.

Also, the ability to ask questions relaxes the interviewee and helps them to clarify the required content of the interview answer.

At the interview start, the applicant can ask the interview panel questions about their day or the company.

During the questions, the candidate can ask for specifics to generic questions and can ask the employer’s opinion or an aspect of the interview question.

Towards the interview end, the employer will allow the interviewee to ask any questions to help clarify the company culture and job role.

Asking questions shows confidence, and confidence is a quality that all employers want staff to possess.

Questions, or their answers, also allow the applicant to decide if the employer is one they want to work for.

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Final Interview Questions and Answers

High skilled positions often come with a long recruitment process, consisting of several interview stages:

  1. AVI – asynchronous video interview (a virtual job interview conducted by an AI bot) used to screen applicants
  2. Technical interview to check a candidates competencies – this may include practical tests
  3. Group interview and/or values interview to review suitability/company culture fit
  4. Final interview for shortlisted candidates

A large number of career professionals on platforms such as LinkedIn express their concern over the high number of interview rounds – or ‘hoops’ they are made to jump through to secure a job offer.

So, why do employers have multiple interview rounds?

From the employers perspective, when paying a high salary for a highly skilled role, the hiring manager needs to ensure they recruit the right person. Often a single interview gives an indication of a persons suitability but doesn’t always highlights the individuals temperament, skills, knowledge, work-ethic, and values.

For low to medium skilled roles, most employers will have one or two interview rounds. For leadership positions, high-skilled roles, technical jobs the recruiters must hire someone who can add value, this requires a more in-depth recruitment process.

What does a final job interview mean?

Research shows how the top three candidates in a job interview will only have one or two points between them – the structured job interview is a close run thing.

Having such a close match can result in the interview panel being influenced by an unconscious bias. Rather then being forced into a decision, the recruitment team, often led by a human resources hiring manager, will invite the top performing interviewees to a final interview.

The final interview means that all the candidates are employable, they all meet the essential criteria and can add value to the team.

Only three to five applicants are offered a final interview round. This shortlist of candidates will all hold relevant industry qualifications , many years of sector experience and the confidence to delivery high-scoring job interview answers during the recruitment process. In short, they have a strong interview identity.

Competition, therefore, is high in terms of quality but low in terms of quantity – as the weaker candidates have already been dismissed.

Border force job interview is competitive

Interview Specifics:

Structural job interview last 45 minutes with 8 interview questions being asked

Can you demonstrate the relevant knowledge and experience to pass a final job interview?

  • Do you give detailed examples?
  • Do you state measurable data during examples?
  • Do you reference industry models and theories?
  • Do your answers meet the job criteria?
  • Are you a self-promoter?
  • Are your answers delivered confidently?
  • Do you use an excessive number of filler words?
  • Does your unique selling point stand out during the interview?

Check the average pay for your job role.

How to prepare for a final interview?

The biggest mistake most career professionals make during a final interview is not repeating examples from previous job interview rounds.

For all rounds, the job interview panel must score applicants based on the answers given in that interview round. Remember that each interview round maybe conducted by a different interviewer.

Not that all previously used examples will be needed. Each employer has their own way of conducting a final interview.

Some employers, will ask similar questions throughout all the interview rounds (worded a little different) to check that the applicant does possess the required skills and knowledge for the job vacancy.

In this approach, the final interviewers – often trained HR and senior leaders will ask more specific interview questions looking for data and evidence that they can measure.

As an example:

  • Interview round 1 question: “Tell me about a time when you worked with stakeholders?”
  • Interview round 2 question: “Tell me about a time when you had to influence a stakeholder?”
  • Interview round 3 question: “Give me an example of when you have influenced a senior stakeholder to overcome an objective on a collaborative project?”
  • Interview round 4 question: “Explain the specific steps you took to get a stakeholder with an objective to a project to agree with a proposal you had created?”

In other organisations, the final interview round will be focused on added value. The interview questions maybe open, even informal, to understand how an applicants experience will make a difference in the current team, on a project, and/or to achieve the company vision.

The employer is looking for:

  • Unique selling points
  • How an (experience) can be used to improve production or output/increase profit
  • What industry related knowledge can help progress the company
  • Specific skills and how they can be used to influence the workforce/achieve an objective
  • How the (applicant) can raise the bar

Final job interview tips

By the final interview stage, the employer has a high opinion of the candidate. The opinion must be reinforced.

It is often the confident, the charismatic interview identity, who is finally offered the role.

This is because employers value confidence. A self-assured employee gets things done. Humans also associate other positive personality traits to confident people. We believe they are hard-working, skilled, knowledgeable, and that they possess good personal skills; communication, listening, teamwork.

To be viewed as confident:

  • Be assertive with your communication
  • Use the power of a pause – don’t rush your answers
  • Add characters and storylines to your examples – entertain as we as explain
  • State researched information about the company within the interview answer
  • Be a master of the basics; eye contact, positive posture, power voice

Be ready to answer scenario interview questions.

Employers recruit for a reason – there is a recruitment to gain a person with the knowledge and experience to achieve a key objective.

The final job interview often focuses on the candidates abilities to achieve these objectives. The questions asked can be both open or closed:

  • What do you know about X?
  • What would be your 5 step plan to achieve (objective)?
  • We are facing a (barrier) who would you turn this around?
  • Describe the operational plan, over a 5 year period, you would implement to achieve (objective)?
  • Tell me more about that?

The employer leaves it to you!

In the final interview, don’t wait to be asked follow up questions. If questions are ambiguous:

  • Tell me more about that (often used in informal job interviews)
  • Describe your leadership style
  • Give me an example of success

It is up to the interviewee to provide the detail. Research shows how the higher number of words per answer often results in a high number of job offers.

Give detailed and specific answers as this increase word count. This can be achieved by:

  • Talk about the pro’s and con’s of a situation, management style, product, machinery, process
  • Use multiple situations in answers. As an example, to answer a ‘leadership style question’ talk about using different leadership styles in different (sector related) environments
  • State a theory or model and give an example of the theory/model in use
  • Embed short metaphors and examples into a longer example, ensuring their is a golden thread

Create a conversation.

Dont wait until the end of a job interview to ask the employer questions about the company.

Ask questions throughout the recruitment process and use the answers to give your own suitable replies. As an example if, by asking the interview questions, it is clear that the company value innovation, ensure you reference times you have been creative and innovative.

Mirror the language an employer uses; build on their metaphors, copy jargon and acronyms. By using a similar level of language a stronger level of rapport will be built.

Final job interview questions and answers

Final job interview question: Tell me what would you do in the first 3 months of working for the organization?

The interviewer here, is checking that the applicant is a self-motivated individual who can get things done.

Explain:

  • Understanding the vison/project brief
  • Planning for risk
  • Reviewing budget spend
  • Team motivation
  • Taking action
  • Being results driven

Final job interview question: How will you motivate the team to achieve the objective?

A leader creates a vision that the team work to achieve. The two parts vision and action(s) come together by ‘motivation’.

Discuss:

  • Different leadership styles
  • Staff motivation models
  • Operational plans
  • Previous examples of motivating teams

Final Interview Questions: What problems do you foresee?

Nothing is streamless in the world of work.

All managers, senior leaders and project managers can predict and manager risk. To answer the ‘problem’ question:

  • State potential problems
  • Discuss risk management models
  • Give solutions to common industry problems
  • Explain reactive and proactive approaches
  • Talk about risk budgets

How competitive is a final job interview?

Final job interviews aren’t competitive in terms of numbers.

The average number of applicants per vacancy is around 250. The average number of interviewees for each role is 8-10. The average number of final interviewees is just 2.

The two final interviewees will be highly skilled, knowledgeable and experienced. In these terms competition is high, because both job candidates are equally matched.

Often, the job offer goes to the candidate who has best prepared, and therefore the most confident in delivering high-scoring interview answers.

For a final job interview, high scoring answers are the answers that give specific and measure data that highlights the candidates competencies relevant to the job criteria and beyond.

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Common Interview Questions for Entry Level Jobs

In years gone by having a degree open the doors to a new career.

In more recent times the number of people attending university has risen meaning having a degree alone isn’t enough to secure an entry level position.

One study precited that ‘the number of young people aged 24 to 34 completing a tertiary degree across OECD and G20 countries is expected to increase to 300 million by 2030, up from 137 million in 2013‘

This is because the data shows that having a degree will:

  • Increase your chances of employment
  • Help gain a high-skilled job role
  • Increase earnings compared to non-degree employees

An entry level job role is a the starting position on the career ladder. Employers, in the main, will create an entry level position with additional support, training and mentoring to introduce the new employee to the word of work even though they lack industry experience.

With an increase in degree level applicants an increase in competition has become common, with job offers going to the candidates who perform best in the job interview.

This article will explain what a graduate can do to pass an entry-level job interview.

How competitive is an Entry Level job interview?

Interview Specifics:

Informal job interview lasts around 30 minutes with 6 questions being asked

Can you demonstrate the relevant knowledge and experience to pass a Entry Level job interview?

  • Relevant qualifications
  • Any sector related experience including placements, internships, and work experience
  • Personal skills and work ethic, related to the job role
  • Knowledge of industry related model and theories
  • Being a life long leaner
  • Commitment to organization as they invest time and money into the graduate
  • Skills gained from being a graduate
  • Any unique selling points

Check the average pay for an entry level job role.

Job offers are given to the graduate who is viewed by the employer as being the best fit. This means the way a candidate is perceived by the interview panel, the applicants interview identity, which is based on their perceived level of knowledge/experience vs their level of confidence, is an important aspect of the hiring mangers decision making process.

In fact, the applicants interview identity for an entry level position is important for a second reason. On average, all the interviewees will have a similar level of qualification (the sector related degree) and therefore a similar level of knowledge.

Each candidate, in the main, wont have in-depth experience of recruitment processes, so will be nervous during a job interview. And most will have equal work experience and/or placements.

In short, an entry level job interview is a level playing field. That means the interview performance can be the difference between or job offer or job rejection.

Job Interview Questions and Answers for an Entry Level Job Role.

Most employers adopt an informal job interview process for an entry-level job role. This is because, in many cases, the candidates wont have enough experience to answer behavioral job interview questions.

An informal job interview is a 30-45 minute job interview where the employers ask several planned job interview question that create a conversation, before asking follow up question depending on where the conversation is leading.

Whereas, a structured job interview – the most common type of job interview will ask the same questions to all applicants, with no ad-hoc follow up questions.

Entry Level Job Interview Question 1 – why did you apply for this position?

Before planning the answers to interview questions, it is wise to first think about the interview environment.

Has the employer requested a virtual or a face to face interview? Tips for a virtual interview can be found here: Online Job Interview Advice

The most commonly asked entry-level job interview question is the ‘why this position?’ question, sometime framed as ‘Tell me about yourself and whey you applied for this role?’

Unstructured job interview questions are often ‘open’ allowing the interviewee to discuss anything they think may be relevant.

Two mistakes graduates make is either 1) not giving enough information and detail, or 2) discussing experiences and skills irrelevant for the advertised position.

To answer the initial opening question discuss three key elements:

  1. Your character
  2. Your journey
  3. Your reason for applying

“I have always had a passion for (industry) this is due to (give reason). What I particular interested in is (give a specific element of the job sector that you care about). My experience (in university studying an X degree/working in job sector) has given me an in-depth knowledge on (job sector criteria) as an example (state 1 or 2 job sector relevant data/knowledge)

I recently completed my (qualification) at (university name) where I (give selling point: achieved a 2:1 or had a work placement at (famous company). In addition to studying I also (describe relevant work experience gained)

People describe me as a (name three qualities). This is because (give reason for the character reference). The reason I applied for this position is because of the company reputation. I am looking to work for an organization that (add facts about the company) which is why I want to work here. I was also impressed with the company vision (state company vision) which is something I also deem important”

Entry Level Job Interview Question 2 – how do you develop yourself?

Employers understand that entry level employees lack sector knowledge and industry experience.

The reason for the lower waged than a more experience career professional is due to the fact that the employer will train, mentor and support the graduate in the position.

Hiring managers are looking to recruit staff members that are life long learners. Technology, politics, customer demand, globalization, among other things, are the drivers of change that evolve each industry.

In time gone by these same drivers of changed happened, but at a slower rate. The fast pace rapid sector changes require a flexible workforce who can absorb new knowledge, changes in industry policy and quick adopt to new ways of working.

On a smaller level, a graduate new to the world of work needs to have the ability to pick business-as-usual tasks and job duties quickly. Over a 3 year period, an entry level employee will learn the same level of knowledge as they did during their degree course.

In short, employers need applicants to demonstrate they are keen on professional development and learning.

“I’m a life long learner who values personal and professional development. Over the past three years I studied for my degree where I gained a (qualification level). As well as attending the lectures, I also decided to improve my sector knowledge by (add any additional studying; attending online courses, watching additional lectures on YouTube or attending study groups). Because I have a clear career direction, I also applied for and gain a (part-time sector job, placement, internship, etc) where I learned about (describe a sector related knowledge).

Because I value development, I often reflect on my strengths and weaknesses and attend short training courses to improve skills and knowledge. Recently I felt I could do with improving a (soft skill) as I knew this skill would be important when (completing a job duty) so I attending a (course) which helped me to (course objective).”

Entry Level Job Interview Question 3 – what can you bring to the team?

The informal job interview is designed to get to know the applicant.

The goal of the informal interview is to find out what the candidate can bring to the team and if they would work well within the company culture, which is why many employers directly ask ‘what can you bring to the team?’

To answer the interview question well, a candidate must remember the tree rules for a successful job interview outcome:

  1. Identify the job criteria – the skills, qualities and experiences an employers deems relevant for the job role
  2. Be a self-promoter – detailing experiences, explaining knowledge and using self-promoting language
  3. Communicate with confidence – delivering interview answers in a clear, concise and confident way

One barrier to gaining a job offer is the relevance of a job interview answer. Some applicants will give detailed and self-promoting answers but still struggle to gain a successful job interview outcome.

The reason is the content of the interview answer. By identifying the job criteria (knowing what the employer is looking for in a new team member) helps to craft an answer that references the job criteria.

“The three key elements that I can bring to the team are X, Y and Z. I’m am highly skilled at X, which means I can (describe how being skilled in X will be a benefit to the organisation). My key strength is Y. As a team member I can use this strength (to gain a positive outcome). And finally, being highly knowledgeable about Y can help in (describe a future scenario where the knowledge would be of high importance).”

Entry Level Job Interview Question 4 – tell me about your course/degree?

The trap, most entry level applicants, fall into when asked a question about their time at university is that the interviewee will simply describe the duration of the course, the course content and their opinion of the degree.

What an employer is really asking is: ‘what skills and knowledge did you gain from studying a degree and how will those skills and knowledge help you in this job role?’

Again, as with all job interview questions it is important to first identify the skills, qualities, and experiences and employer deems to be important and then to reference these throughout the interview answer.

“What I really enjoyed about the course was how it improved my knowledge in (a specific area). As an example, I know have a level of understanding about (technical element of the job role) that would be of great use when (describe relevant work-based scenario). I also have a great knowledge based of (describe three additional knowledges).

Throughout the course, I also able to recognize and build upon some of my skills and qualities. In particular, one of my key strengths is (add strength). On the course I (describe a situation/problem). To overcome this barrier I (state three actions took, describing in detail how yo use your strengths, skills and qualities). This resulted in (state a positive outcome).”

Entry Level Job Interview Question 5 – what were your favorite classes and why?

The ‘favorite classes’ job interview question is asked as an alternative to the ‘tell me about your degree’ question. It is mainly asked in apprenticeship job interviews.

The format of the interview answer is the same for both questions – a focus on how a particular class or classes gave the interviewee the skills, knowledge and experience relevant to the job role.

The above interview answer template can be tailored for both questions.

Entry Level Job Interview Question 6 – what do you like to do outside of university/work?

Businesses complete risk assessments on all aspects of the business, including recruitments.

Hiring a highly experienced and qualified employee is deemed as low risk, as the cost of recruitment vs the experienced gained is viewed as beneficial.

The risk of recruiting a graduate with no industry experience and therefore no way of knowing how the react the pressure of a job role, how they work within a team and their work ethic is viewed as high risk.

In addition, employers spend time and money to support and develop entry level employees. The pay off, for the employer, is that they get to train the new employee to work in a way that suits the culture of the organization.

But culture fit also depends on an applicants personality. By asking ‘what do you do outside of work?’ is an indicate to that persons temperament.

Stay ways from answering the question with anything to do with:

  • Drinking
  • Staying in bed
  • Parties

“I like to make the most of my time. I spend a lot of my evenings exercising, going for short runs, walks and doing yoga. Exercise is one of the best ways to stay fit and healthy but also helps to build a positive mindset.

I mentioned previously that I enjoy professional development. I am currently applying to attend (short course) that will teach me (state course objective).

I also enjoy (describe hobby). What is interesting, even though the hobby doesn’t directly related to the job role, is that this hobby helps me build up (a skill) that can be used when (job duty).”

Evolve the mind book on Amazon

Entry Level Job Interview Question 7 – Do you have any questions for me?

Each hiring manager during all job interviews will ask each interviewee if they have any questions for the employer.

Knowing that the final ‘ask me’ question will be asked, a set of questions needs to be prepared.

  • What will the first few weeks as an entry level employee look like?
  • How would you describe the team?
  • What have previous graduates gone on to do in your company?
  • Why do you proactive employee graduates?
  • Do you offer training for new employees?

This site uses the ‘LMI for All’ online data portal to access official government ‘big data’ sources. This powers the labour market data provided on this site.

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Interview Questions for Retail

Retail is one of the largest job sectors with over 2.9 million employees in the UK alone.

This article will focus on the job interview questions for a retail worker which incldues:

  • Shelf-stacker
  • Till operator
  • Customer service

Retail supervisors and managers attend a more structured job interview where they are asked leadership questions.

A third of retail staff are under the age of 25 and over half are part-time employees. This role attracts both students, looking for a part-time income and full-time retail staff looking for a career in retail.

In the main, the larger retail organizations have an ongoing recruitment campaign and like to hire a diverse workforce.

Due to the time spend on recruitment, many employers deliver short informal interviews that are designed to check a applicants work-ethic, attitude and personal skills.

This article will list the commonly asked interview questions for a retail position, and explain the best way to answer each question.

How competitive is a Retail job interview?

Interview Specifics:

Informal job interview lasts around 30 minutes with 6 questions being asked

Can you demonstrate the relevant knowledge and experience to pass a Retail job interview?

  • Customer service skills
  • Communication skills
  • Numeracy and literacy
  • Reliability
  • Flexibility
  • Teamwork
  • Till/handling cash experience
  • Stock rotation knowledge
  • Sales techniques (for some roles)

Check the average pay for a Retail job role.

Retail job interview questions will vary from one retailer to the next. As an example a food retailer will ask about stock rotation and food hygiene awareness, whereas a clothing company will focus their interview questions on personal skills – being helpful, smart in appearance and communication skills.

All retailers will ask a variation of the common retail questions listed below, but it is important to follow the three rules of a successful job interview:

One – identify the skills and experiences each retailer requires you to possess

Two – be a self-promoter by highlighting customer service skills, reliability and your work ethic

Three – communicate confidently. In retail communication and customer service is a key skill. The whole of the job interview is an assessment of how you come across to a potential customer.

Job Interview Questions and Answers for a Retail Position.

To pass a job interview for a retail position is relatively easy.

Employers don’t ask tricky interview questions, they are rarely ‘scary’ and in the main try to create a relaxed environment to help the interviewee to open up.

At the bottom line, the interviewers want to get to know the potential employee.

The barrier here then is the number of applications each employer receives, which is much higher then the number of job vacancies.

To pass a retail job interview, it is important to predict the interview questions and practice the delivery of the interview answers.

  • Mock interviews help to practice an interview in full
  • Re-writing interview answers helps with memory
  • Talking in slower pace (as interviewees then to speed up due to nervousness) helps the employer to record your experiences and skills

Below is a list of retail questions and an explanation of how to answer each question.

Retail Interview Question 1. Tell me a little bit about yourself?

In all retail job interviews, the hiring manager will ask a generic opening question:

  • “Tell me about yourself?”
  • “Do you have any retail experience?”
  • “Give me an overview of your relative experience?”

The idea with asking a generic interview question is for the interview panel to get to know the job applicant, while at the same time getting them to open up.

By talking about oneself often gives confidence to the candidate, which helps later in the recruitment process when the hiring manager will ask more specific questions.

Employers will make a hiring decision based on the interview answers each candidates give. For a retail job role, the employer using a applicants retail/customer service experience as well as their personality/confidence to create an opinion.

We call the the interviewees Interview Identity.

Interview Answer Template.

“I have worked in (retail/customer service) roles for ‘X’ number of years. I really enjoy the (state a positive challenge) aspect of the role.

One of my key skills is (add retail related skilled IE customer service, sales, problem-solving) an example of this is when I was working as a (job role) at (company). A customer (describe action) to help get a positive result I (describe actions). The outcome was (positive outcome)

People describe as (list qualities). In my last role I was known as the employee who would (add quality; arrive on time, help customers, go above and beyond).

I am currently (studying full-time/looking for a career in retail) and I applied for this position because of (reference a positive aspect about the company)”

Retail Interview Question 2. Why did you apply for a job with our company?

Retail managers know that there is a vast amount of retail job roles, all with varying pay and conditions, available for people to apply for.

With this in mind, a high number of hiring managers will ask the reason why a candidate is applying for their vacancy rather then another.

The reason for this interview question is due to staff retention. The longer a staff member/retail team work for one company the more skilled that team will become (as well as saving on recruitment cost).

Don’t answer the ‘why us’ question with any of the following reasons:

  • Financial
  • Near to my home
  • I just need a job
  • Don’t know

Instead create an interview answer that highlights how the company values, vision and culture appeal to you.

Interview Answer Template.

“When I started job searching I saw a high number of retail vacancies, but when I saw that your company was advertising I knew I had to apply.

What I like about your company is the fact that you (add a company value/vision). This is something I can relate to. I also am passionate about (add a passion that relates to the company value/vision).

I also like where the company is heading. When I was researching the organization I read how you are (add a recent quote from a media source) I think this is a great idea as more people are (give a future action related to the quote IE shopping online).

One of the main reasons I applied for the role, is because I shop at your company and I love (the products/the way customer are treated/the environment)”

Retail Interview Question 3. What does customer service mean to you?

Customer service is a fundamental part of any retail job role.

Retail employers always ask a customer service related interview question:

  • “Tell me about your customer service experience?”
  • “What would you do if a customer did X?”
  • “Give me an example of going above and beyond for a customer?”

An article on Salesforce talked about the 8 principles of customer service:

  1. Teamwork
  2. Listen and share
  3. Friendly
  4. Honest
  5. Improved empathy
  6. Deep product knowledge
  7. Timeliness
  8. Improving processes

One way to answer the customer service interview question is by stating what makes good customer service and then giving an example of delivering excellent customer.

Interview Answer Template.

“For me, customer service is the key part of my job role. Good customer service includes being a great listener and communicator, while being able to build rapport. It is also about being a time-sensitive problem solver and looking at a customer problem from their viewpoint, and most importantly its about helping to create loyal customers.

I have always had a natural ability to give great customer service, as I am a natural peoples person. An example of this was when I was (describe a situation), to help the customer I (add 3 steps: Listened to the issue, discussed options and used my personal skills to get a positive outcome)”

Retail Interview Questions 4. How would you handle a rude customer?

Helping a pleasant customer is easy, they ask for help, help is given and everyone is happy.

On the other hand, having to deal with an angry, rude or disruptive customer is much more difficult.

In fact, the whole reason that customer service is the hot topic in retail job interviews is because of the fact the employers need to hire retail staff that can respond professionally to any customer service situation.

An article on MindTools explains 5 steps to dealing with a rude customer:

  1. Stay calm and don’t react
  2. Don’t take it personally
  3. Listen and apologise if needed
  4. Stand firm
  5. Solve the problem

Interview Answer Template.

“I have helped many rude customer in the past. I don’t get affected by a rude customer as I don’t take the rudeness personally. I know that many customer s act rude because they are frustrated and once they see that I am willing to help them resolve their issue, they will calm down, often applogise and become helpful.

An example of helping a rude customer is when I worked at (company name) and a customer was angry because of (state issue). First I stayed calm and listened to their complaint without interrupting. I then summarised their problem and asked what outcome they wanted. I then though about two options (describe options) and asked the customer a few questions to help them decide which option was best. By being calm, patient and by wanting to solve their problem I was able to get a customer, who initially was rude, to leave a positive comment on a store feedback card.”

Evolve the mind book on Amazon

Retail Interview Question 5. Do you work well within a team?

A retail store is a well oiled machine.

All the various cogs; shelf-stackers, cahiers, cleaners, security guards, customer service desk, buyers, warehouse staff, etc, etc work together to display products that customers want to buy.

The team collectively works well when all team members embrace being team.

Many retail company’s will create a team culture through teambuilding activities, team meetings and highlighting team achievements.

In a retail recruitment process, the hiring manager isn’t just looking for a skilled worker they are searching for a team player.

The best answer to give is to share an example of teamwork in action. When sharing a teamwork example it is important to explain the problem the team were facing before the candidates shares what actions they took to help the team achieves its goal.

Interview Answer Template.

“I really enjoy working within a team. I like that everyone helps and supports each other to achieve a common goal.

An example of me working within a team is when I worked at (organisation). The team had to (achieve an objective) but the problem was (describe a barrier the team faced).

The team didn’t know what we should do, so I suggested that everyone should share an idea. We all did, and that led to a natural discussion. I took the lead and asked my team mates for their opinions on the ideas and before long it was clear that we all wanted to try a particular suggestion. We the divided up the jobs, I was responsible for (task) and went to work. By the end of the (day/project/task) we had (positive outcome).”

Retail Interview Question 6. Do you have any questions for me?

Each hiring manager during all job interviews will ask each interviewee if they have any questions for the employer.

Knowing that the final ‘ask me’ question will be asked, a set of questions needs to be prepared.

  • Can you talk me through the training that you offer new staff members?
  • What are the busiest times of the year?
  • How would you describe an average day?
  • How would you describe the culture of the company?
  • How many staff work full time and part time?

This site uses the ‘LMI for All’ online data portal to access official government ‘big data’ sources. This powers the labour market data provided on this site.