Tag: job interview

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How Varying Language Improves Interview Outcomes

The focus, in a job interview, has always been on the content of the job interview answer.

Content is important, as the description given within a job interview answer determines the score the interviewer(s) allocate to each job interview answer.

In short, an employer will cross-reference the elements discussed by the applicant to the job criteria on the interview scorecard.

Generalising, the more criteria reference within the job interview answer, the higher the score an applicant will receive.

This makes logical sense. It’s the same as scoring a boxing match; the more punches a boxer gets on an appointment the more points they receive. The best boxer, or interviewee, wins.

Research is showing how the referencing of job criteria, alone, isn’t enough to create high scoring job interview answers.

What is also key to a successful interview outcome is the language, or the varying language, used throughout the whole recruitment process.

Language creates an emotional response in others, changing how an employer views an applicant, therefore affecting the scores allocated in the job interview.

Interview language. 

Highly confident interviewees have a natural tendency to utilise strong assertive communication, whereas low confident candidates fall back on weaker language. 

‘Try,’ as an example, presumes failure, whereas ‘will’ presupposes action will be taken. This small change in language, consciously choosing an appropriate verb, creates a different reaction – how they view a candidate, from the employer.

Substitute passive words;

‘Try’ to ‘will’

‘Think’ to ‘know’ 

‘Could’ to ‘Always’

‘I believe’ to ‘I’m confident’ (or ‘convinced’)

Read the following two interview answers and compare the impression gained of the two interveiwees from the language used.

“I believe I am a good fit for the team and would always try to meet my targets. In my previous position I worked on a similar task and I always achieved my KPIs.”

“I’m convinced I am a good fit for the team and I will meet my targets. In my previous position I worked on a similar task and I always achieved my KPIs.”

Weak communication.

Other language barriers come in the form of unnecessary communication.

Anxious applicants are known to add additional ‘weak’ words to job interview answers that simply aren’t required. Any low scoring words need to be removed from job interview answers.  

Say more with less.

When planning to give a detailed interview answer, candidate are advised to pick only strength words that will ensure they standout from the group.

Delete the following unnecessary sentences/words during a job interview;

‘In my opinion..’  

‘Did my best..’

‘Maybe..’ 

‘Only..’

‘Sorry..’

Any filler words.

Filler words.

An example of unnecessary communication is ‘filler words.’ Filler words are subconsciously used by nervous interviewees to fill the gaps between sentences while delivering an interview answer.

Common filler words are sounds ‘er’ ‘um’ ‘ah’ but can also include the words ‘so’ ‘like’ ‘well’ ‘you-know’. This constant interruption, created by filler words, distracts the employer from the value of the applicant’s interview answer, resulting in a lower-scoring outcome. 

“Um, well, yes I do have experience, but, er, like it’s relevant but…”

To reduce filler words applicants can replace the ‘filler word’ with silence in the form of a pause.

As filler words are used naturally while a candidate is thinking of what to say, the applicant during this time can count to 3 in their head to divert their attention. The focus on counting is a conscious process that removes the unconscious process of using filler words. 

Another technique, prior to the interview, is to practice the delivery of answering interview questions by making a mark for each filler word used. The process of recognising the number of filler words used, which is often more than expected, creates an awareness that helps to reduce this subconscious habit. 

High scoring language. 

Varied language is a key element to high scoring answers.

Finding new ways to say common words can create the desired variety to improve interview language. As an example, the words begin, start, commence, and initiate are all synonyms of one another.

As referenced earlier, words have different emotions attached to them. If asked about a particular skill, an interviewee might state they’re ‘good’ at the skill, but the words ‘great’, ‘excel’ or ‘highly skilled’ all answer the question positively, but each word has a different emotional association. Word choice, therefore, elicits a different emotional trigger from the interviewer. 

Pronouns, ideally, need to be mixed. Singular pronouns (I) help to reference personal actions in team activities, whereas plural pronouns, which research shows are in coloration with high scoring interview answers, are used by confident candidates to help build inclusion and rapport, as ‘we’ is viewed as being ‘friendlier’. 

Positive emotional terms, embedded throughout the job interview, again improve interview scoring as the words used have an emotional attachment and help applicants to communicate persuasively. 

Positive emotional terms:

Joy

Happy

Gratitude

Pride

Interest

Amusement

Excited

Hope

Kind

Negative emotional terms:

Fear

Sad

Angry

Disgust

Rage

Loneliness

Annoyed

Nonverbal communication.

A common misunderstanding of hiring decisions, is that the content of the interview answer is the most significant part when it comes to scoring an answer.

As we have discussed in previous articles, prejudices, unconscious bias, the interviewer’s behaviour and the applicant’s level of confidence create ‘filters’ that answers are viewed through. 

Studies show how nonverbal behaviour influences the interview. For example, research has shown that smiling increases attraction and likeability.

Confident communication, eye contact and posture also help to shape the appraisal of an applicant. 

Research into micro facial expressions shows how a fleeting expression can be read by an observer, even though the expression only lasted milliseconds. Therefore, faked happiness isn’t believed as an applicant’s microexpression, as an example, showed fear before the fake smile is applied. 

There are 7 basic human emotions; anger, contempt, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise, each with its own unique characteristics. Each expression, which is an expression of an emotion, is involuntary and outside of the awareness of the individual. 

Facial expressions can also elicit different meanings depending on the schema of the interviewer. A smile could be seen as sarcastic or joyous. 

Generally speaking, though, the following nonverbal cues will increase rapport with an employer, improving the interview scoring:

  • Initiating interaction to show confidence.
  • Giving your full attention to the employer – being externally focused.
  • Smiling and laughing.
  • Strong eye contact.
  • Gesturing to reinforce verbal communication. 
  • Taking up space with your body as this creates authority. 
  • Confident firm handshake. 
  • Head held high shows self-assurance. 

Job Interview Advice

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3 Hidden Forces Affecting Hiring Decisions

Logically, the most suitable applicant will be hired for each advertised position.

This article will look at how an interviewees interview performance is affected directly by the interviewer.

Prior to the job interview, many factors affect which type of candidate will apply for the advertised role; the job advert copy, organisational reputation, the salary on offer, and several other factors.

Factors, simply put, create supply and demand.

A high paid job role would attract a high number of applicants, even those career professionals who are happy in their current position.

Jobs that require a particular skill or a rare qualification will require an HR team to encourage applicants who will feel, due to the level of their expertise, can get a high paid job in a number of companies. This can lead to recruitment managers recruiting less experienced employees than they had planned to.

On the other hand, recruits advertising for common skilled jobs may receive a vast amount of applications, requiring a recruitment process that can quickly reduce the number of applicants the organisation is interested in interviewing.

Without going into too much detail, the popularity of the job role, the employer’s need for a certain skill, and the salary band of the job position, from an applicant’s perspective, increases or decreases competition.

The less competition; the number of applicants applying for the job role, the level of other interviewees’ knowledge and experience, and the interveiw performance of all candidates, increases or decreases the likelihood of an interviewee being successful or not.

Unforeseen forces

In addition to the factors affecting the number, and competency level, of applicants attending a job interview, or even applying for the job role, is the unforeseen forces affecting the applicant’s ability to highlight their level of industry-related skills.

Two types of interviewers

The size of an organisation gives a clue to the skill level of the interviewer. Generally speaking, small businesses, due to the average annual company revenue can’t afford to hire a full-time recruitment team.

Often in start-ups and small sized companies, the owner will interview applicants for the new role. Even medium sizes business often fail to use skilled interviewers for recruitment, relying on team managers to conduct the job interview.

Whereas large organisations often have an HR (human resource) team with staff members dedicated to recruitment, or at the very least offer training on: how to conduct job interviews, the barrier of unconscious bias and how to recruit high-performing teams.

In short, large business, compared to smaller companies, will use trained job interviewers.

How an interviewee’s performance is affected during the job interview.

Prior to the job interview of each applicant, the hiring manager will initially read the candidate’s application to help form an impression of the individual they will be interviewing.

The candidate’s previous education, workplaces and positions held, create an assumption. This opinion, created from the application form, creates the halo or horns effect.

A pre-interview, positive (halo) or negative (horns), impression can be the difference between an applicant being offered the advertised job role or receiving the rejection letter.

This is because humans use once piece of criteria – attractiveness, as an example, to presume another trait without having any evidence. Experiments show, as an example, how people presume an attractive person to be intelligent.

Having worked at a well known company, or attended the same university as the recruiter or stating industry facts, models and theories on the application form can create a positive (Halo) generalisation.

This belief, in this example, is that the applicant is hirable, is taken, unconsciously, into the job interview.

The interviewer, believing the candidate deserves the job role, makes subconscious micro-changes to the way they act within the job interview, which encourages a better performance from the applicant, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

It is the little, seemingly non-significant, actions that affect an interviewee’s job interview performance; smiling, eye contact and the nodding of the head from an employer can be seen as signs of likeability and encouragement to the applicant.

Pre-learnt judgements

Strongly held beliefs by an interviewer have a direct impact on the outcome of a job interview.

If, as an example, a start up company believe that ‘older’ applicants aren’t creative, this belief will be hard to break even when evidence, that contradicts the opinion, is presented.

Generalisations, stereotypes and prejudices create an unfair job interview process.

Organisations, to counter the interviewer’s perception disorders, put employees and recruitment managers through mandatory unconscious bias and diversity training.

The problem here is that research has shown how unconscious bias training alone isn’t enough to make the required changes needed in the recruitment of a diverse workforce.

One reason for this is that people react negatively to being ‘controlled’. It is the ‘mandatory’ element of training that creates the feeling of being ‘controlled’ meaning that a voluntary option would improve the change process for those who opted to take up the offered courses.

What is needed is a change in workplace culture, where unconscious bias training is part of a wider programme. Evidence over the last 20 years, from implementing health and safety into the workplace and into employees’ conscious awareness, reducing death and injury numbers, has shown how multiple approaches for change can be highly effective.

Common prejudices that affect recruitment processes include:

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Religion
  • Ethnicity
  • Disabilities

Perceived competencies

A recruitment programme, and therefore the job interview, is designed to predict the job performance of each applicant.

The ability to predict how a future, potential, employee would act within the culture of the organisation helps employers to build high-performing teams.

The final hidden force affecting the hiring decision of a recruitment team is the interview identity associated, unconsciously, to each applicant.

As the process of asking structured interview questions helps hiring managers cross reference the applicants skill set and experiences – their competencies, against the essential knowledge and experience required for the job role in question.

The process, throughout a full job interview, is taxing. Whenever the brian has to compute a vast amount of data it will use a shortcut.

The shortcut, in a job interview, is the process of creating an ‘interview identity’.

Based on the employers perception of the candidates level of knowledge and experience, and their level of confidence, the interviewer after asking the initial interview questions will, at a basic level , categorise the applicant from incompetent to employable.

Once a generic identity has been associated to an interviewee, the interviewer will use the generalization as a filter. Similar to the ‘halo’ or ‘horns’ effect, but based on job competencies, the interviewer’s behaviour can change, positively or negatively, depending on 1 of 16 ‘interview identities’.

Interestly, highly skilled and experience applicants can miss out on a job offer due to the associated interview identity.

It is the applicants behaviour, during the interveiw start, that creates the generalisation.

Negative identities are created by:

  • Self-disclosing weaknesses
  • Lack of eye contact
  • Not knowing the job criteria
  • High use of filler words
  • Weak answer that are short and lack detail

Whereas the following help to create a positive interview identity:

  • Being a self-promoter
  • Good use of language; varying words, unique words and generally using a large number of words
  • Smiling and being seen as confident
  • Varying projection; volume, emotional voice and use of pauses
  • Using examples

Your own interview identity can be discovered by taking the interview prediction grid test:

Source:

PSU Handbook Psychology

Factors influencing recruitment process

Automated prediction and analysis of job interview performance

Interview prediction grid

Halo effect

Diversity training doesn’t work

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3 ways to answer ‘give me an example…’ interview question

One of the most common job interview questions, that comes in many guises, is the ‘give me an example of……? question.

‘Example’ questions are asked in behavioural job interviews. Behavioural job interviews fall under the ‘structured’ job interview family. During a structured job interview, each interviewee is asked the same set of questions (for behavioural job interviews, many questions will be ‘give an example of…’).

The applicants answers are captured, ideally verbatim, by a panel of job interviewers, who, whenever possible, will be the same personnel interviewing each candidate for the same position, as this is a fairer process.

Each recorded answer, for each of the interviewees, is then allocated a score from a scale that was predetermined prior to the interview start.

Scores are allocated to each interview answer based on the number of job criteria, which is an indication of the applicant’s level of sector knowledge and experience, referenced during the interview answer.

The more detailed the answer is, for each criterion, the higher the score is likely to be.

If, for example, the interview question is about risk assessments, a candidate may answer by giving an explanation of what a risk assessment is.

A second interviewee may state proven models for carrying out risk assessments. And a third applicant could highlight their knowledge of risk assessments by giving an example of previously using risk assessments in a past job role.

Each of the answers show competencies for the required criteria, but each answer may be scored differently, as the interviewers perception of each applicants level of knowledge will vary depending on the answer format the candidates have chosen.

Employers who preference behavioural job interviews believe that past behaviours are the best indication of how an interviewee would perform if offered the advertised role.

With this in mind, the applicant giving an example of using a risk assessment in a past role is more likely to be hired then the other candidates.

Behavioural Job Interview Questions.

All behavioral job interview questions, even though each question is framed slightly differently, are asking for ‘examples’ of the required skill set needed for the position being advertised.

Example behavioral interview questions include:

  • Give me an example of planning a project from the initial project brief through to the project closure?
  • Have you ever had to remain calm during a crisis?
  • What experience do you have working in stressful environments?
  • Tell me about a task you wished you had approached in a different way?
  • How have you previously handled conflict between two colleagues?
  • Describe a time when you had work with a senior manager that you didn’t get on with?
  • When you are working on multiple projects how do you prioritise your workload?
  • How have you dealt with past failures?
  • Which previous job was the hardest and why?
  • Give me an example of when you have increase income for the business?

Behavioural job interview questions are easy to spot as they generally start with:

  • Tell me a time when…
  • Give me an example of…
  • How have you…
  • Describe a time when you…

Even though each question is worded differently, the behavioral interview question is designed to encourage an interviewee to highlight their competencies through a past experience and each answer requires a real-life ‘example’.

Beware, as some employers embed the ‘example’ question within a longer worded interview question: ‘Everyone has learnt from a mistake, what mistakes have you made that has helped to improve your skill set?’

In the main, the phrasing of the interview questions naturally encourages an ‘example’ answer.

Using example answers in a job interview.

Generally speaking, real life examples is one of strongest interview answers an applicant can give to help highlight their industry knowledge and skill set.

Example answers often take the format of a story . Storytelling creates an emotional response in the job interviewer, often helping to increase rapport. In addition, a story or example, rather then just stating facts, models and theories, makes the interview answer seem more relevant to the position being applied for.

This is because a story sharing an example of using an industry skill makes it easier for the employer to associate the example with the job role that they are recruiting for.

Even with story interview answers being naturally powerful, many candidates adopting this approach fail to score high during the job interview.

The problem here is, not everyone is a great or even a good storyteller.

Stories, as do job interview example answers, require scene setting, intrigue and a conclusion.

From an employers perspective, they ideally want everyone to give a detailed answer highlighting their level of industry competencies, this way the interviewer is better equipped to predict the applicants future job performance more accurately.

If 5 job interview answers highlight how one applicant has a creative approach to problem-solving, whereas another interviewer shows a more logical approach for overcoming problems, the interviewer, knowing this, will choose which candidate will fit in with the culture of the company.

In truth, many career professionals who are skilled in their desired job role fail to highlight this unique skill set as they lack the ability to tell stories through the expression of their examples.

Most, failed, applicants when giving an example will quickly state the situation, summarise the actions they took and finally mumble the results they received from the actions they took.

It is this lack of detail that is the undoing for highly skilled and experienced industry professionals, who fail to be successful on a regular basis during job interviews.

3 different approaches for answering questions with examples.

I will share 3 ways to answer the ‘example’ job interview question. In behavioral job interviews it is advised to use a mixture of the three approaches as this ensures that each answer structure is different, which helps to keep an employers interest.

Each approach will answer the same question to help highlight the variations of each interview formulation: ‘give me an example of being successful?’

Start with a question.

Asking the employer a question at the start of the interview answer creates a pattern-interrupt.

A pattern-interrupt is a process where the mind expecting a certain response to an action, becomes, initially, confused when the response is not as expected.

A non-interview example of this would be an adult putting their hand out to shake another adult’s hand, but instead of accepting the handshake, the other adult presents the first adult with a welcome dance. This interruption of what is the norm creates shock.

In the job interview, asking the interviewer a question when the interviewer presumed the applicant would simply answer the question creates intrigue, especially when the question is designed as a ‘hook‘.

An example could be: ‘would you be interested in knowing how a computerised system saved over 35% of the overhead cost of one of your competitors, through the use of a simple algorithm that I created?’

Any bold statement that references increasing profits or saving overhead cost (this can be framed as increasing production, reducing staff turnover or building a customer base) helps to create interest.

After the opening question, that has resulted in the employer wanting to hear the story, the applicant can simply start the example from the beginning.

How to structure the example answer.

When using examples it is important to set out the problem or barrier the organisation was facing and how, if a solution wasn’t found, this barrier was going to have a negative impact on the business.

As an example, stating that ‘the increase in online shopping on competitors websites was going to result in the loss of a large workforce that would cost a predicted £x in redundancy fees, which would put this business model back by 5 years’ sounds more disastrous than simply saying ‘more of our customers were shopping on competitors websites.’

The lesson here is to give the negative outcome to any potential problem, not just the problem itself.

Once the situation has been explained fully, which also adds to the intrigue, the next step is to state any actions that needed to be carried out for you to be ‘successful’- these actions must highlight your thought process, any unique skills you possess and the solution.

‘I knew we had a short period of time to create more income. As an experienced manager, with 20 years of industry experience, I knew that simply improving the website wouldn’t be enough. What was needed was an activity that would put our brand on everyone’s lips – we needed to create something that would go viral, increasing hits to our webpage.’

‘My process was A, B and C..(add the steps you took to create a success)

  • Don’t focus on the idea process, the ideas you thought about and disregarded. Instead, discuss the idea that you took forward to create a success
  • Reference only 3 main tasks, steps or actions you undertook, as a longer answer can become boring breaking interviewer rapport
  • When discussing each task, step or action summaries what it was you did, as you don’t want to confuse the employer with too much information

Once the detailed description of the steps you took has been discussed, the interveiw answers need to end with a positive outcome.

‘The result from these actions was (add positive outcome)

Start at the end

The second approach to answer the ‘example interview question is to start the answer by stating the outcome:

‘My greatest success was when I single handedly gained the largest sales contract.’

This power statement, again, creates interest. How? the employer is thinking.

An intrigued interviewer will listen more intently to the interview answer. The more intently the employer listens the more details they will record on the interview scorecard, increasing, if the criteria have been mentioned, the interview scores.

The second part of the interview answer, giving an example, follows the process mentioned in the above example.

Using industry models and theories.

The final way to answer the example question is by stating a sector-related model or theory at the interview start.

By stating the steps required within a model or theory, the applicant, is likely to meet many of the job criteria on the interview scorecard.

‘My success comes down to my ability to be well organised. When faced with competing deadlines, new project starts and month end reports, it is easy to become overwhelmed and stressed. To combat this I used the ‘time management matrix’ model. The model…(explain whichever model or theory you are discussing)’

This section should be kept relatively brief, highlighting the key elements of the theory or model being explained.

Next, give the example which reaffirms that you have met the job criteria for the high scoring interview answer.

‘3 months ago I had two competing demands from two high profile customers. To decide the urgency and importance of each demand I compared the pros and cons of working on each customer’s demands first. This allowed me to collect the data required to use the time management matrix model, allowing me to choose logically what actions to complete first…’

To end the ‘model’ example interview format summaries the power of using well-established models.

‘Using the model in my day-to-day tasks ensures that I am able to confidently meet any new challenges head-on without having doubt in my own abilities or without becoming stress, as others do when unforeseen situations present themselves. ‘

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Understanding strength-based interviews

Human resource interview research is designed to find the best way to predict job performance by reviewing predicted performance of a job interview applicant to actual performance within the workplace.

To date, the most successful interview format for accurately predicting job performance is the structured job interview. The flaw of the structured interview is the design of the interview questions.

A structured job interview uses behavioural and situational interview questions. This set of job interview questions, in the main, focus on competencies, asking if the applicant can complete the business-as-usual job duties.

Only asking questions based on job duties, does not take into account motivational factors within the workplace. A career professional may perform better in one organisation over another due to the culture of the company.

Interviewer’s, therefore, need to ask questions relating to the company culture and the personal values and motivational traits of each applicant to better predict the potential employee’s job performance.

The aim of strength-based interviews.

Strength-based job interviews, which focus the interview questions on what an applicant ‘enjoys’ within a workplace, help an employer to cross-reference the company culture and job duties against the candidate’s answers. 

Strength-based interviewers ask questions to help to uncover a candidate’s interest and best working styles. Whereas situational and behavioral interview questions, in the main, have a focus on the applicant’s ability to complete the required duties recorded on the job criteria form. 

Initially from the field of positive psychology, the idea is an employer, by identifying an applicant’s strengths required for the advertised role, will hire a high-performing team.

By focusing the questions on what the applicant enjoys should result in an employer recruiting an applicant who will enjoy working within the culture of the company, thus, hiring a highly motivated employee.

Strength-based interview questions then ask;

‘What do you like to do?’ instead of ‘What can you do?’

How to answer strength-based job interview questions.

With strength-based interviews, there is no right or wrong answer, instead, employers are looking for honesty to create a good match between employee and culture.

Strength-based interviews should be two-way. If the applicant answers truthly and is then rejected for the job role, this, long-term, should be a positive outcome, as it is unlikely that the candidate would have responded well to the company culture.

Interviewees still need to present answers confidently, highlighting a high level of knowledge and experience for the job role in question. Being ‘honest’ still requires self-promotion.

The ‘can-do’ vs ‘enjoy to do’ interview both have advantages and disadvantages, for both the employer and interviewee.

What is important for a career professional is to be able to recognise the type of interview question being asked. 

Strength-based interview scoring.

All interviewers, to help predict job performance, require applicants to give an honest answer.

A frank applicant has to be careful. Even though an interviewer’s objective is to hire the best candidate, in terms of job performance for a ‘typical’ day, an interviewee, answering questions with a ‘typical’ behaviour answer will be scored lower than a competitor who only states ‘best’ performance answers confidently, due to the interview scoring system. 

This is true with strength-based job interviews. Even though strength-based job interview questions ask ‘preference’ questions, each answer, to showcase the candidate’s level of knowledge and experience, often include an ‘example’ of the preferred approach.

Each real-life example needs to show how energised (or motivated) the applicant is by what the job entails. 

Some employers use a blended approach, with a mixture of behavioral or situational interview questions and a set of strength-based questions. Whereas other employers use only one interview format.

For all options, interviewers allocate a score for each applicant’s answer.

For blended strength-based interviews, the interviewer will either score the answer in a similar way as they do for the structured job interview, as each strength-based interview answer should be accompanied with an ‘example’.

When all questions are strength-based, many interviewers will ask additional questions to pin down an applicant’s motivational factors, using the combined answers to help them score the applicant on a large sliding scale.

In addition, the employer will ask multiple questions, framed differently, based on the same criteria or strength.

Strength-based interview question examples.

‘How would you respond in X situation?’

‘Do you prefer to be told what to do or to do tasks in your own way?’

‘How would colleagues describe you?’

‘What do you use to measure your success?’

‘When working to a deadline, do you prefer to make decisions or to be told what needs to be done?’

‘Who do you look up to and why?’

‘Describe a perfect day?’

‘What task do you most enjoy doing?’

‘What task do you always start first?’

‘Do you prefer starting or finsihing tasks?’

‘Does this position play to your strengths?’

‘What would you dislike about this role?’

‘How do you prefer to be managed?’

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Don’t Fall For This Interview Trick

In a structured job interview points are awarded to each applicant based on their interview answers.

Some employers, as well as using the traditional structured job interview, will use out-the-box recruitment tricks to test the suitability of each applicant.

This week a candidate attending a job interview, with an undisclosed employer, failed before the job interview officially started.

On the ‘Life Pro Tips’ forum on Reddit, a Chief Financial Officer explained how a male applicant failed the company values test. She wrote: “Today, a candidate blew his interview in the first 5 minutes after he entered the building.”

The Interview Hidden Test

What many job applicants fail to understand is how an opinion of each interviewee is created at the initial employer meeting – as the applicant walks through the employers door.

On reddit, the hiring manager explained how the receptionist greeted the candidate, he was “dismissive” she stated.

The receptionist then attempted to engage the applicant in a conversation, but was again confronted by poor people skills “again, no eye contact, no interest in speaking with her.”

Unknown to the interviewee was the truth that the receptionist was in fact the hiring manager. In the end she asked him into the conference room and explained ” how every single person on our team is valuable and worthy of respect”

The employers goal here was to check personal qualities – is the applicant a team player?

She later explained to the applicant he wouldn’t be a good fit for the company and thanked him for his time before ending the interview.

Why Trick the Applicants?

Some career professionals will view this type of interview test as underhand.

These days applicants can search for commonly asked job interview questions by industry, and even by company.

Research allows each candidate to prepare the ‘prefect’ high-scoring interview answer which can damage the recruitment process.

Research shows, how an applicant, being aware of the interview questions, can distort the interview in such a way that the employer believes that the interviewee will perform better then they actual will do.

This distortions can result in suitable career professionals being rejected for job roles they are highly suitable for.

In addition, employers also need to hire a team that meets the organisations culture and values. This is why some hiring managers ‘trick’ the applicants.

Interview Observations

One customer service employer invited all applicants to an all-day interview.

Around 100 potential canadines attended. Each interviewee was asked to stand up in front of the other candidates and deliver a 1 minute introduction speech.

The employer went on to explain how they valued customer service – listening and communication, and these skills would be assessed during the 1-minute talks. In addition, they asked for all candidates to be polite and listen to whichever speaker was on stage.

What wasn’t discussed was how the interviewers, who were situated around the room, were observing the seated applicants, not the interviewee on stage. they were looking for who was listening or who was ‘on their phone,’ which candidates were encouraging and which were dismissive.

The golden rule for the job interview is to be professional from entering the employers building to leaving, as you never know who is watching!

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Tips for Online Interviews

With an increase in organisations opting to deliver job interviews online, applicants don’t only need to learn how to create job-winning answers, they now learn to become experts in video calls.

Video calls sound easy. You turn on your computer or phone, speak to the camera and that’s it – or is it?

The virtual setup is key to winning job interviews.

Most job seekers understand the importance of their wardrobe choice on the interview day. What you wear creates the first impression; the snap judgment made at the initial introduction before the start of the job interview itself.

The virtual setup is the same. A mumbling applicant asking ‘can you hear me’ or a poor internet signal distorting how the employer views the applicant both result in a negative impression.

Covid has increased the number of online interviews and employers, releasing the cost-saving benefits of recruiting virtually, are likely to continue with this trend. The Covid interview is here to stay.

The question that all interviewees are asking is how they can pass the online job interview? Because we live in a virtual world, where social influencers speak daily online, we can learn the techniques they use when presenting via online video.

This article will cover:

  1. How to create the perfect professional video frame
  2. How to reduce technical problems when interviewing virtually
  3. How to increase likeability even though you are being interviewed online

Virtual Job Interview Tips

After speaking to actors, directors, professional public speakers, online trainers I have compiled a list of tips to help any career professional, no matter which industry they are in, to pass a virtual job interview.

Create a professional frame

Framing refers to the image seen on the video call.

This little adjustment, in how an applicant sets their camera, makes a big difference in the none-communication of the applicant.

For job interveiws the 3 most common frames are:

  1. Full shot (FS) – FS shows the whole body from the head to the toe.
A female interviewee - full body shot, head to toe

The advantages of a full shot is that the employer can see, and the therefore gain additional non-verbal communication, the applicants body-language.

If using a full shot it is necessary, wear a lapel microphone connected wirelessly to the computer or the employer will struggle to hear the interview answers.

The full shot is best used for delivering an interview presentation, especially if using props. But even in this scenario the full shot still has several disadvantages.

The negatives include:

  • It is hard to see the interviewee’s facial expressions which express emotion – a powerful rapport-building tool.
  • The full shot will include the environment – if the applicant is using a bedroom camera, this can look inappropriate.
  • Without professional lighting, the room can look too dark which is far from ideal for an interview of any type.

Employment King recommends staying away from a full-body shot frame.

2. Medium Close Up (MCU) – MCU shows from the chest to the top of the head.

Medium head shot of a young interviewee, chest to head.

The medium close up is the best of all frames. The chest-to-head shot is far enough away to allow employers to view gestures while observing facial -expressions.

A lapel microphone is always an advantage but not required for a medium close-up. Another advantage is that the candidate can see the employer’s faces, enabling them to ‘read’ how the interview is going, or if an interview answer hits the mark.

Two-way communication is perfect with the MCU. Another plus for the medium close-up frame is that it encourages the employer’s attention and is more intimate.

The key, though, is the close-up allows employers to view gestures. Gestures, as most know, are a non-verbal communication tool. But, more importantly, research shows how using gestures improves communication because the person (the interviewee in this instance) using hand movements will improve their language organisation skills. Gestures help organise the formation of sentences, of the interview answer.

Employment King recommends using the medium close-up for 99% of job interviews, but even with this recommendation there are a few weaknesses with this frame:

  • Removes 50% of body-language
  • Often space is created on the left/right-hand side of the interviewee

3. Close Up (CU) or Extreme close up – Interviewees face fills the screen.

Close up headshot, older white male

By far the most common frame used in job interviews is the extreme close up. It maybe the most common but it isn’t the ideal frame for a virtual job interview.

The close-up does have one major advantage – the employer can easily see facial expressions. Micro facial expressions have a powerful, subconscious, effect on the job interviewer.

Being able to observe a close-up of an applicant’s face, allows an employer to see if they are excited or bored, their interview identity. But, unknowing to the interviewer, the applicants micro facial expression also influences the interview.

If an applicant shows contempt, disgust or joy, as an example, the interviewers mirror neurons, pick up the micro-expressions, and feel the same emotion. So an applicant feeling ‘joy’ influences the interviewer to feel ‘joy’ which can create an association between ‘applicant’ and ‘feeling good’.

The extreme close-up is, well, a bit weird and should be avoided. No one once to view an extreme close-up; warts and all!

Other negatives include:

  • No room for gestures
  • The face looks too big and can be off-putting
  • Employers can see clearly stubble, make-up errors, hair in places it shouldn’t be!

Camera Angles Change the Psychology of the Interview.

The angle of the camera changes the overall impression from, both, the employers and applicants’ perspectives, as the angle of the camera affects the psychology of the interview.

In a job interview, there are 3 commonly used camera angles:

Low Camera Angle.

When shooting from below the person above can seem larger than life – they look big, imposing in the frame.

In the idea of an online interview, the employer will feel at ease, relaxed when talking to the applicant. If the camera angle creates intimidation the employer will want the interview to end quickly.

On the opposite side of this effect is the ‘nostril’ problem. Rather than a low-framed camera angle creating intimidation, shooting from below with a close-up frame can result in 50% of the screen being covered by the applicant’s nostrils – not a good look for anyone, especially in a job interview.

Often interviewees using a laptop or phone, due to the appliance design, will default to this angle without a second thought.

From Above Camera Angle.

The opposite camera angle will then have the opposite effect.

The interviewee, who has chosen this angle (naturally used by interviewees on a traditional computer as the camera is often attached to the top of the screen) can, themselves, feel vulnerable as they constantly feel as they are looking up at the employer who hovers above them.

The ‘bald head’ approach, named as the camera points down on an applicant’s head, which with a poor lighting set can create a shine effect, also results in a lack of face visuals, again affecting the number of emotions an employer can read on the applicant’s face.

This shot distorts the applicant’s features, with interviewees looking smaller, but with large eyes and forehead, creating an overall ‘weak’ impression.

Straight On Camera Angle.

The ideal camera angle is straight-on.

Being straight-on creates a more realistic job interview scenario, with the applicant and employer having a face-to-face type impression. This eye-contact creates the feeling of honesty which if highly required in a job interview.

Creating Eye Contact Online.

One of the most crucial skills in a job interview is the ability to hold eye-contact.

Eye contact is important as it is associated to confidence as we form low opinions of applicants who avoid direct eye contact. Emotions, are also enhance when an applicant has good gazing skills.

The barrier, here, is the screen. In the main, applicants will use a PC or laptop for their job interview. When listening and speaking, it is natural to look at the person during the communication. But this creates a problem when being interviewed remotely.

When an applicant is watching the interviewer on the screen the applicant’s eye contact is looking down, not in the eyes of the interviewer. This is because the camera, in most cases, sits above the screen.

When looking directly at the camera lens, not the screen, the employer will feel they are receiving direct eye contact. This small change in where to look increase an applicant’s perceived confidence level.

Tip – During the opening of the interview answer, look at the screen. When making a key point, giving specific facts, or any other important information, look directly into the camera lens for a few seconds.

Improve Online Rapport.

Rapport is significantly harder to build online, compared with face-to-face meetings.

The computer is the barrier that needs overcoming. Face-to-face, applicants (who are enthusiastic) come across more enthusiastic when in person than virtually, even if the enthusiasm is at the same level.

This is because it’s harder for an interviewer to read non-verbal communication online.

Overcoming this hurdle is easy. Enthusiastic applicants need to bring more enthusiasm. If, in real life, you are 50% enthusiastic, online to gain the same effect you need to be 70-80% enthusiastic.

Rapport is gained through communication:

  • Increase volume
  • Improve diction
  • Enunciate when speaking
  • Slow down and create a good speaking pace
  • Add emotions to your spoken words

Using the communication tips, and the non-verbal communication suggestions above will, when combined, have a massive impact on the rapport between an employer and the interviewee.

Technical Problems.

Anyone giving a general job interview advice will suggest setting off early to ensure you are not late for the job interview, often suggesting to ‘set off early encase of traffic’.

The underlying advice here is to be prepared – anything can go wrong.

Online is the same, applicants need to be prepared for anything that can go wrong. In the virtual world, the problem won’t be lateness, rather it will be more technical.

Technical Tips.

  1. Plug your computer directly into the router as this produces the best connection – stay away from wifi if you can.
  2. If in the interview there is an echo, turn your microphone on mute when the employer is talking.
  3. Close down any other apps to reduce sound interference. An example of this is the ‘ping’ noise you hear when receiving a new email.
  4. Lighting – remove any lights from behind you as this creates a dark image, and be aware of a string frontal light and this produces glare. Natural light is best, but if lighting of needed set it up so the light is in front of you but off to the side.
  5. Have a backup device. Depending on the interview platform; zoom, teams, or google meets, depends on how the computer responds. A chromebook or tablet, as an example, may not work for certain platforms – always check in advance.
  6. Have any presentation slides on a pen drive as a backup.
  7. Use a lapel mic for better audio quality.
  8. Check your internet upload speed – this changes the quality of the video stream.

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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How to plan for a care assistant job interview

Care assistant employers, when interviewing applicants, look at candidates’ work ethic and personal skills.

A desire to help people is key, but employers also look for communication skills, empathy, patience, calm when in a stressful situation and an employee who can follow directions accurately.

Care assistants can work in a care home or in the community, supporting vulnerable people living in their own homes. The interview questions asked in a care assistant job interview will be based on the applicant’s temperament as well as their ability to perform caring duties which can include;

  • supporting people with their physical needs
  • completing household tasks – washing, cleaning and cooking
  • monitoring health and communicating with nurses

To prepare for a care assistant structured job interview, applicants can answer many interview questions by relating to real-life experiences, from helping their own family members to volunteering in a caring role.

Care Assistant Job Interview Questions and Answers

Below is a list of the most commonly asked care assistant job interview questions and a detailed breakdown of how to answer the question.

Do you having any caring experience?

Normally an opening question, applicants can easily answer this question using a common interview formula; stating duration, qualification and selling point.

The interview answer starts by reassuring the interviewer by stating the duration in the industry “I have over 10 years experience as a care assistant…” For applicants new to the industry this answer can be slightly tweaked “In all my previous roles I have had to support and help vulnerable people…”

Applicants can continue by giving additional detail about a previous position “…while working at X company my key caring duties included (add duties)..”

Next, candidates can explain their level of qualification (only suitable for applicants with an industry qualification) “….In 2010 I gained a caring assistant Btec Level 3 diploma, during he course I leant (add sector theories and models)…”

End with a unique selling point. This could include a care assistant skill or a personality trait “…I’ve applied for this role because I am passionate about caring for vulnerable adults…”

What support do you expect a vulnerable person requires?

Answers to this interview question need to be relevant. If working with the elderly, explain what support an elderly person requires. If working with an ex-addict, discuss the barriers they face.

When answering the ‘vulnerable’ question, answers can be split between a logical and an example answer.

Initially start the interview answer by listing what support an average (vulnerable group) requires. Listing all common support needs shows an awareness and here an applicant is likely to hit the required criteria the interviewees are marked against.

Next, use a story to highlight sector related experience “While working as an X, I worked closely with Y (vulnerable person). It was clear that the client required Z (support needs), so I (explain the action you took)….”

When providing personal care how would you maintain a person’s dignity and respect?

This question is key to a successful job interview outcome. Employers in the care industry are looking to hire empathetic professionals.

The reply to this answer can be broken down into the 3 Cs:

Confirmation – state how a person’s dignity and respect are at the uppermost importance

Communication – explain how your communication is designed to be respectful. An example of this would be asking a vulnerable person who had been in the bathroom for a long duration ‘if they need any assistance’ rather than asking ‘whats up, you have been ages?’

Clarity – many vulnerable people are very independent. Having someone ‘do everything’ for them can be demoralizing. Explain when working with a new vulnerable person you, through a rapport-building conversation, will clarify what support the client requires and what they need the care assistant to support them with.

Give an example of being in an emergency situation?

During the lifetime of a care assistant, they will come across many emergency situations from an elderly person having a heart attack to a vulnerable person attempting to commit suicide.

Example job interview questions require storytelling First, it is important to pick an example that is relevant to the job role the applicant is applying for. This is because the employer will have a list of job criteria that they score each job interview answer against. The highest scoring interview questions result in that applicant being offered the advertised position.

When answering the interview question with an example give context by explaining the situation and vulnerable persons’ background. This makes the interview answer relevant and easy to understand.

It is important, when explaining the steps the applicant took, to explain how they remain calm and professional throughout the emergency situation, even going as far as explaining how they had prepared for this, or similar, situation.

Next, discuss the policies and processes the candidate followed; informing social services, family members, managers. If they had to take notes or update systems.

How would you support a person who suffered from X?

Some interviewees feel that this interview question is a curveball, but in fact it isn’t.

If asked a specific technical question it is because this X is the employer’s bread and butter. Here, the candidate needs to show their level of knowledge and experience.

Explain, initially, the competency level “I have worked with X client for the previous 10 years” “in all my previous roles I have supported service users suffering from X” “I cared for my mother for 20 years who had X”

Next, show knowledge by discussing X in detail: “a symptom of X is…” “What care assistants have to be aware of is ….” “A side effect of X is…”

To end the interview question, spell out the actions required to support a person with X and how this positively implements on the vulnerable person life and wellbeing.

How do you feel about working flexibly?

Care assistants don’t have time off. That, obviously, is an exaggeration, but the truth is care workers (or the care team) are required 24 hrs a day 352 days a year.

Employers, therefore, need to hire care assistants who are willing to work bank holidays, over the Christmas period and during different shifts.

Some career professionals prefer the variety of working different shifts, is this is you make this clear in the job interview. Experienced care assistants can also reference how they have previously worked varying shift patterns, and how for them time is irrelevant, as they enjoy the work of a care assistant so much.

Why are you drawn to this area of work?

Question around the reason for applying for a position within an organization or industry come down to one thing – passion.

Employers know that if they hire a team of passionate employees with a strong work ethic that they will be highly productive. This is especially true in the care sector, where workers will go above and beyond to support their charges.

Not only does this interview question need to be answered with the right language, but the non-verbal communication of an applicant must also emphasise the passion of the words.

Stories relating to how an applicant has cared for a parent work well, as does explaining how for you working in the care sector is more important than a higher-paid none caring job role.

Highlighting ones values (everyone should have a decent life) also reinforces the passion of the applicant.

But hopefully, as you are applying for a caring role, this interview answer comes easy to you.

Is there anything else you would like to know?

At the interview end, the employers will ask each applicant if they have any questions about the job role or company.

Questions to ask an employer in the care sector can include:

  • What different vulnerable groups does the organisation work with?
  • Is there any specific training to support staff when working with a certain vulnerable group?
  • How is the organisation funded?
  • What is the size of the oranisation?
  • Do you invest in staff development?

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Interview Question Formulas

To be seen possessing a high level of knowledge and experience, interviewees utilise interview formulas when answering interview questions. The interview formula allows applicants to have a structural approach to the job interview. 

Having a structure to fall back on not only increases confidence, as the structure creates an order for the applicant to follow, but also presents the candidates competencies clearly to the employer, increasing the likelihood of a high scoring interview answer. 

The formulas can be adapted to job roles across all sectors, and only requires the applicant to embed their own knowledge and experience to each formula. 

Model and example (ME)

Referencing industry relevant theories and models in the interview answer highlights a level of knowledge, as the model is explained as a step-by-step process, before experience is shown through giving a real life example of using the model in a work situation. 

This formula is powerful as it adds content to interview answers that may lack substance. The two parts complement each other as they repeat the same process but in two different ways logical (explaining the model and emotional (via storytelling) 

Suitable for the following types of interview questions:

  • ‘How do you assess risk?’
  • ‘How do you collaborate with stakeholders?’
  • ‘How do you manage your time?’

Example answer: 

“When X I use the Y model (explain model in a step by step process) an example of this is when I (add example; situation, action, outcome)”

Experience, Qualification, Selling Point (EQS)

Stating the duration working in a sector improves perceived competencies as the association between time-served and knowledge is closely linked. Reinforcing sector knowledge by describing industry related qualifications backs-up the time-served/knowledge link. But as many interviewees will have a similar background, applicants need to stand out by highlighting an unknown unique selling point – explaining what they can bring to the team. 

Suitable for the following types of interview questions:

  • ‘What is your experience in this sector?’
  • ‘Why should I hire you?’
  • ‘What can you bring to the role?’

Example answer:

“With over X years in the sector and a qualification in Y, I have worked as a Z (add various roles). In that time I have been able to (add unique selling point)”

Problem, Actions, Outcome (PAO)

Behavioral interview questions are designed to predict job performance based on an applicant’s previous actions. Therefore, candidates must ensure they explain the circumstances of the situations they will describe as this offers context to the employer, allowing the interviewer to better understand why certain actions were undertaken.  The interview answer needs to end with an outcome, which could include lessons learnt, a new approach or an increase in profits. 

Suitable for the following types of interview questions:

  • ‘Give me an example of…’
  • ‘When have you ever…’
  • ‘What experience do you have in…’ 

Example answer:

“When working at X, Y happened (add specific problem) which could have resulted in Z. To solve this problem I (add specific actions) which resulted in (add positive outcome)” 

Barriers, Solution, Projected Outcome (BSPo)

For future scenario interview answers it is important for an applicant to show how they understand the threat of the potential situation – the barriers this problem would create, as this shows industry insight. Stating the specific actions that need to be taken shows expertise and competencies, and stating how these actions would have a positive intent can highlight the added value the applicant can bring to the team. 

Suitable for the following types of interview questions:

  • ‘What would you do if…’
  • ‘How would you approach..’
  • ‘If you were working on X project, what would you need to consider?’

Example answer:

“If this situation was to happen, my concerns would be A (add potential barriers). To take action I would B (add specific actions). The outcome of this would be C (state positive outcome including the benefits to the company) 

Pro and Con (PC)

The frame of some interview questions can be seen as a trap, with an interviewer asking for an opinion. If the opinion given by an applicant is one that resonates with the employer the interview answer will score high, but if the opposite is true the answer will be marked low.

In this situation, applicants can hedge their bets by answering all options in all ways, ensuring one of the elements of the interview answer will resonate.

Suitable for the following types of interview questions:

  • ‘What is more important X or Y?’
  • ‘What is your opinion about X?’
  • ‘Are you A or B?’

Example answer:

“What I like about X is (add pro’s) but you also have to consider (add Con’s)”

For the multiple-choice answer, applicants can repeat the formula for the second part of the question. The 3rd example interview question is often stated to check an applicant’s temperament or working style – “Are you a task starter or task finisher?” This type of interview question is used in strength-based interviews. Similarly, applicants can explain the pro and con of each trait, but it is likely that the interviewer will push for a direct answer.

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Everything You Need to Do to Prepare for a Job Interview

The job interview is one of the most important meetings in life.

Why? Because being successful in a job interview has a direct impact on a person’s work/life balance, their stress and motivation levels, potential salary earning which links to the person’s lifestyle.

So, it makes sense to prepare for this highly important event.

This article will cover everything any job seeker and career professional needs to do to prepare for the job interview.

To help job seekers find employment, we will link to relevant articles under each of the interview sub-headings allowing each interviewee to read the source article for a more in-depth understanding of each job interview topic.

What to wear to a job interview

Your outfit is your armor.

What you wear in a job interview makes a difference in two distinct ways: 1) ‘dress to impress’ increase personal confidence levels, 2) a professional look changes the employer’s initial impression of a candidate.

Down to basics:

Wear smart professional clothing.

What an applicant wears influences the interviewer’s first impression of a candidate. Interviewer’s, as does everyone, has ‘unconscious bias’ – an opinion is made based on how one person views another. Research shows how an interviewee’s outfit can create a positive or negative opinion.

The ‘professional look’ can only help to increase likeness.

Avoid:

  • Unironed clothes
  • Casual wear
  • Not shaving
  • Dark colours
  • Getting caught in the rain (resulting in you looking helpless)

There is something about the choice of clothing that affects the emotional state. Dressing in gym wear, as an example, will result in a person being more likely to complete exercise. In the same sense, dressing confidently creates confidence.

Source: what to wear for an interview

What you need to research before a job interview

Pre-interview preparation creates perfection

Prior to the job interview, there are 2 must research objectives: 1) company research 2) interview question research.

Initially, applicants need to research the organisation to ensure that this is a position they would like to accept, once offered the advertised role.

3 key facts that affect workplace happiness

  1. The company – does the company vision and values align with your own?
  2. The boss – does the boss’s managerial style motivate you?
  3. The co-worker(s) – does the company culture draw you in?

The pre-interview research on accepting a hiring decision can save time – only attend the interviews with employers you are interested in.

Once an applicant knows which organisations they are interested in, the next step is to prepare for the job interview by researching the potential job interview questions.

  • Check potential questions by reading the job profile for the advertised role. Each essential duty will be referenced as a job interview question
  • Use the internet to search for the organisation asked out the box job interview questions
  • Plan your interveiw stories as storytelling interview answers often rate higher on the job interview scorecard

Source: questions to ask before accepting a job

How to plan for the interview

The initial interview planning is based on the type of job interview the candidate has to attend.

Job interview types include:

Understanding how each job interview is different gives the pro-active job seeker an upper hand. As an example, most screening job interviews are conducted over the telephone.

The interview itself needs planning for. For an online interview, ergonomics is key. A clear background, eye-level screen and clean space, not only helps the applicant feel relax, there are no visual distractions for the interviewer.

A common mistake career professionals make is their interview preparation. Most job seekers will check the duration from their home to the interview establishment, this is good, pro-active. But the mistake is made at the time of night they choose to prepare for the job interview.

Most people prepare for interviews at night and plan, using an online map, the duration of travel. But if the job interview is scheduled early in the morning, the duration to the venue can change, as travel times vary depending on the time of day.

The barrier here is that a late applicant creates a negative impression that distorts how the interviewer views the applicant during the course of the job interview. Is easy to make error can have a lasting effect on the job interview.

Source: types of job interviews

How to prepare for the first impression

The first impression defines the rest of the job interview. The initial barrier is the interviewers unconscious bias, and then their reaction to how they perceive the applicant will perform once employed.

The initial impression is formed by the senses taking in billions of pieces of information, which is then filtered by the interviewers values, beliefs and experiences, resulting in an impression being created within milliseconds of the interviewer coming face to face with the candidate.

These 5 factors affect the initial impression:

  • An applicant’s smile – smiling helps build rapport. Research has shown how a smile improves likeability
  • What the candidate wears – association from clothes to persona is powerful. If you dress ‘professionally’ you will be seen as a ‘professional’
  • The firmness of the handshake – a firm handshake shows strength and confidence, both of these traits improve how an employer views an applicant
  • Eye contact – strong direct eye contact shows confidence. Weak people will often look down or away. Employers for all job roles are looking for confident employees who can make decisions and take action
  • The level of confidence in communication – asking questions, varied tonality, a strong pace are all ways to communicate confidently. Confident communicators score well in job interviews as they are able to give answers that reference the job criteria

Source: Make a good first impression

How to reduce interview anxiety

Job interview anxiety is the number one reason why job applicants fail in job interviews. A lack of confidence can only result in a poor job interview performance.

Confidence can be improved. The biggest barrier to self-doubt is comparison. Often employees will compare themselves to another colleague prior to the job interview. This behaviour is unhealthy and effects the nervousness level in a job interview.

The comparison leads to self doubt. Self doubt, is extreme cases, lead to some career professionals finding excuses not to attend the job interview, and those that do often perform badly.

Confidence in the job interview can be improved by making a few tweaks to your thinking. Having self-appreciation instead of self doubt increases self-esteem.

For career confidence, listing your achievements, your skills and abilities change the focus of thinking, helping applicants to realise their worth, improving their self-worth.

Source: how to boost self-confidence

What to do to stand out during the job interview

The competition for the advertised position is competitive as everyone attending the job interview has a similar level of skills, experiences and qualifications, at the minimum the applicants all meet the job criteria or they wouldn’t have been invited to be interviewed.

What this means is that you need to stand out in the job interview.

First, is the basics; having killer answers to tricky job interview questions but more importantly successful career professionals need to go one step further.

A simple and underplayed stand out tactic is being enthusiastic.

Think about it! Most interviewees are nervous, resulting in standard job interview answers communicated in a monotone voice. If the next interviewer delivers strong interview answers, delivered with passion and enthusiasm, they will grab the employer’s attention.

Creating an interview conversation, rather then just answering questions is enough to be uniquely, as is bring evidence of your expertise in the form of stats, graphs and references. Having a growth mindset, showing you can take the initiative and simply becoming confident create a string persona because most applicants are, well, nervous wrecks.

Source: stand out in a job interview

The pre-interview checklist

  1. You know the date and time of the interview
  2. The interview venue, building name and room number is correct
  3. A copy of the application, ID and certificates have been prepared
  4. Research on the organisation has been completed
  5. Potential interview questions have been researched
  6. And answers to interview questions have been prepared and researched
  7. For online interviews, the room ergonomics have been reviewed and for face to face job interviews, the duration to the venue has been checked
  8. The interview type has been checked and actions completed to ensure confidence levels are high for all interview types
  9. A self-review of industry skills has been completed to increase confidence
  10. Many mock interviews have been completed, as practice makes perfection

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How to prepare and pass a telephone job interview.

Telephone job interviews are, in the main, viewed by employers as a recruitment cost saving process.

Think about it, to deliver a structured job interview requires time, resources and of course money. It makes much more time to plan for a face to face job interview than it does a telephone one.

With employers receiving hundreds of suitable application forms from high skilled applicants, recruiters need to be able to reduce the number of job seekers they will eventually offer a job interview to.

Initially, the employer will reduce the ‘suitable’ applicants down to a reasonable number through the application process, but as the number of applications received for each position rises, the employer needs to add in a ‘screening’ interview which is designed to result in only the most suitable candidates being offered a face-to-face job interview.

The telephone interview is the most common way to ‘screen’ applicants.

What questions are asked in a telephone interview?

A telephone screening interview is short. Unlike a structured job interview, where each interviewee is asked the same job interview questions, the telephone screening interview is an investigation.

Employers, after reading the job applications from applicants that they feel have the required skills and experiences, still need to reduce the applications to around 6-10 applicants that they will invite to a job interview.

While reviewing the application forms, employers may require specific information to ambiguous statements: “12 years sector experience…” The conscious interviewer will be asking “12 years experience in the same position? company? level of responsibility?”

It is this specific ‘data’ that will be the basis of the screening interview. In this way, each screening telephone interview will be different.

Applicants, even though interview questions are harder to predict can still prepare in advance for the telephone interview.

Below is a list of the types of telephone screening interview questions that will be asked during the telephone job interview.

Telephone Interview Question 1

Can you tell me more about your experience at X?

Telephone Interview Question 2

What were your specific duties?

Telephone Interview Question 3

Tell me about a problem that happened during this (project)?

Telephone Interview Question 4

Explain, exactly, what your level of responsibility was?

Telephone Interview Question 5

How do you put into practice the systems and models you learnt during your degree?

Telephone Interview Question 6

Over your years working in X sector what has been your biggest weakness?

Telephone Interview Question 7

How did you communicate across different departments?

Telephone Interview Question 8

What has made you apply for this role in this organisation?

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