pass the job interview Archives - Page 3 of 6

October 21, 2021October 21, 2021

How to Answer Government Job Interview Questions

The UK government is one of the largest UK employers, recruiting career professionals in a range of industries from civil engineers to job center plus staff.

Government jobs include:

NHS jobs
Council jobs
Civil service positions
Law enforcement
Administration
Science and technology
Teachers
and many more

Source: Indeed Use the employmentking search box to find specific industry job interview questions and answers.

Total jobs stated that the average government job salary is £37499 but this is broad average and salary potential depends on the position and job location.

In short, there are a high number of government jobs across the UK with varying salaries.

For a successful job interview outcome, job applicants need to understand how the interview panel views them as employable or unemployable – the job applicants interview identity.

For high skilled roles; engineering, scientist, councilor, teacher, interviewees must be seen as high experience with a high level of confidence – a self assured interview identity or higher.

Step one: take the interview identity test.

For most government positions, applicants will be asked several questions to check elgibaility:

Do you have a criminal record?
Are you a UK resident?
How long have you resided in the UK?
Does any of your family work for (government) department?
Do you have a (sector related) qualification?

Government hiring managers use a panel interview to create a fair recruitment process, all following the structured job interview process.

It is the structured job interview process, asking each applicant the same interview question in the same order and cross-referencing each answer against the job criteria on the interview scorecard, that helps the employer predict the job performance of each interviewee.

The interview panel, often 3-5 hiring managers, will receive a blind application. Information that can create an unconscious bias; applicants age, gender, religion, name of university, disabilities, attended is deleted from the application form.

The removing of non-job related information is designed to create a fairer interview process.

Government recruitment processes can have at least 3 interviews:

Shifting interview – often a quick 15 minute telephone or video interview to check suitability
Panel interview – a structured job interview often consisting of around 8-10 job interview questions
Final interview – delivered often by a senior staff member to check skill level for the advertised role

Each individual position will have various job interview questions. Governemnt recruiters are trained to put job applicants at ease by creating a conversation prior to the start of the job interview.

The following questions that may be asked wont be scored on the interview scorecard. Instead, they are designed to get the job candidate to relax.

Did you have any trouble finding the office?
How was the drive over?
How was your weekend/week?

The hiring manger will then explain the government interview procedure. they will cover:

The duration of the interview
The number of questions that will be asked
The structured interview process
Who in the interview panel will ask what
That questions can be repeated
And that there will be a chance for the interviewee to ask the interview panel questions

There will be a mixture of generic and job specific interview questions.

Generic job interview questions

Tell me about your experience and how to relates to the role?
What are your greatest strengths?
Where do you see yourself in 5yrs time?
Tell me why you applied for this position?
What have you done to develop yourself in the past 12 months?

Industry specific job interview questions

Give me an example of completing (job task)?
What would you if (sector related problem) occurred?
Do you have an example of collaborating/working within team?
What does (sector related term/technology) mean to you?
If you where working on (job task) and (problem) happened, what procedure would you follow?

Why a government role interview questions

Tell me about your first government position? (often used internal progression job interviews)
What has inspired you to work for the government?
What do you think working in a government department would be like?
Do you know the mission of this government department?
How did you find out about the (government) department?

Government interview questions and answers

Why have you chosen to apply for a government position?

Hiring managers want to hire skilled applicants who have an ambition to work for the government, compared to just wanting the role, as the outcome is often a highly-motivated team.

Interview Template:

“I have always wanted to work within a government department, so that my skills can be used to make a difference to improve the lives of the public. I have a wide range of experience related to the (position) which includes (detail experience related to the job criteria). I know that together we will be able to achieve the (department objective)”

What made you apply for a position in this department?

Employers need to know that a potential employee has the skills, knowledge and experiences to be a virtual part of the team. This question is more about the actual duties, rather then answering the question focusing on why you applied for a government role. As an example, a civil engineer would answer by relating to engineering experience more then wanting to be part of the civil service.

Interview Template:

“With over X number of years experience working as a (job role) I am also qualified as a (state qualification). My previous experience include (state job duties and responsibilities) I am always drawn to roles that meet my skills and experiences, but that can also challenge me. I applied specifically for this department because (give reason).”

What do expect to do on a daily basis?

Questions relating to business-as-usual tasks are designed to test competencies and knowledges. Only a skilled and experienced career professional will have a deep understanding of the role. The more an applicant can express knowledge of the job role the higher they will be scored on the interview scorecard.

Interview Template:

“The 3 main responsibilities for this role include (A, B and C) To ensure that I meet my job objectives I would, on a daily basis, focus my time and energy on (duty one – detail required actions, duty two – detail required actions, duty 3 – detail required actions). In addition, I know there will be times when i will be required to (additional task), for this part of my job I would reply on my previous experience of (add past experience) with will allow me to (actions you will take) Overall I am highly experienced in this line of work and can take on any tasks relating to this position.”

Do you have any questions for us?

Could the department be effected by any upcoming elections or budget cuts?
How do collaborate with other government departments?
How is success measured within the department?
Do new staff undertake any training?
Why do you enjoy working in a government department?

October 5, 2021October 5, 2021

A Quick Guide to Answering Job Interview Questions

A large number of job seekers fear the recruitment process, believing that they wont be able to produce a high-scoring job interview answer in the pressurised environment of a job interview.

The truth is, high-scoring job interview answers come from giving specific details. Being confident during the job interview helps with this, as confidence creates relaxation, and being relax helps to stimulate the minds memory functions.

In the main, interviewers across all job sectors follow a similar interview process. By understanding the job interview process, and by predicting the job interview questions, job applicants to prepare high-scoring interview answers.

This article will give a quirk guide on how to answer each of the various job interview questions, a job applicant may be asked during the job interview.

Opening questions

Employers understand that interviewees will be nervous during the recruitment process.

It is also well known that, the more somebody speaks the more confident they become in expressing themselves.

With this in mind, a hiring manager will start of the job interview asking open questions before asking more specific questions, requiring longer and more detailed answers.

Bare in mind, each job interview answer is scored against the criteria on the job interview scorecard. Meaning that each answer, even for the initial opening questions, must reference the job criteria to receive a high mark.

The most commonly asked open-ended job interview question is:

“Tell me a little about yourself?”

To answer the ‘tell me about you’ question, answer using a three point process:

State the number of years experience in the industry – as duration is associated with competence
Reference any industry-related questions – as having academic qualifications are viewed as being knowledgeable
Talk using industry jargon – the use of sector related communication has a strong implication of how the employer views the applicants overall suitability

In addition, explain what you can bring to the team – your unique selling points

The second most commonly asked job interview question is:

“Why do you want to work at this organisation?”

The ‘why us’ question has nothing to do with the applicants suitability to complete the job duties, as other interview questions cover this essential criteria. Instead the ‘why us’ question is about employee retention.

Employers ask retention questions due to the average number of years an employee stays within one company.

Research has shown how most career professionals will job-hop once every 3-5 years.

From an employers perspective, having a regularly changing workforce is bad for business. The first 12 months in any job is about the employee becoming familiar with the company processes, procedures and company culture.

The second year helps the employee become competent with business-as-usual duties.

And, in the third year, the employee then starts sharing ideas and bring new suggestions (or business) If the employee starts looking for a new job by year three, from a business perspective, the employer hasn’t gotten value for money.

When answering the ‘why us’ question:

Talk passionately about the company vision, mission and values
Quote positive stories about the company from the local media
Be specific, explain why you would fit in well to the company culture

To prepare for the ‘why us’ question research is virtual.

“Give me an example of X”

Behavioral job interview questions, are interview questions that are framed as a past behavior:

“What did you do in (past) situation?”
“Give me an example of (a past time you did X)?”
“Tell me about a time when you (completed a previous task/duty)?”
“Describe a past project?”
“What has been your key career achievements?”

Employers, therefore, are looking for the job candidate to describe a past real-life scenario.

The job interview answers for most behavioral job interview questions will be an ‘example’ or a ‘story’.

One of the biggest mistakes, when using the example storytelling technique, is a lack of specific actions.

What i mean by this, is that the interviewee will forgot to state the actual actions they took as an individual, and instead will talk about the ‘team’ or worse, not even mention the required actions to achieve a goal or objective.

To give a high-scoring example answer:

Describe the past problem or goal to company/team was facing
State at least 3 actions you took
Explain the positive outcome from the stated actions

In the actions section, job applicants can discuss/expain:

Their decision making process
Influencing stakeholders
Delegation
Actions taken
Reflection techniques

“How would you approach X?”

Competency based job interview questions are part of a structured job interview process. A competency based interview question can take the shape of a ‘behavioral’ question, as described above, or as a future scenario – which is better known as a ‘situational’ job interview question.

Examples include:

“What would you do if (industry related problem) happened?”
“How would you approach (sector task)?”
“How would you handle a disagreement with your manager?”

The idea behind the hypothetical questions, is that it allows the job applicant to share ideas and suggestions from lessons learnt, transferable skills/innovations from a different sector and to describe a new approach they would take, rather then having to describe a past process from a previous role (as required with a behavioral job interview questions).

Hypothetical interview questions can be answered by:

Giving options to highlight breath of knowledge – “In this situation there are two choices”
State the pro’s and cons for each option to show competencies – “…the positive for choice one is….but the negative is….”
Share experience – “…in my experience I would choose (option 1 or 2) because (state reason).”

Technical Interview Questions.

Another type of job interview question that is asked under the ‘structured’ job interview process are the ‘technical’ questions.

Technical job interview questions are designed to test the applicants knowledge and knowhow.

They key to delivering high-scoring technical job interview answers is through confident communication.

Industry models, theories and concepts must be explained in an easy to understand (and follow) manner.

It is best to give a logical, sequential and step by step answer (imagine explaining the technicality to a non-expert).

Technical questions look like:

“What does (industry term) mean?”
“Explain what (industry technology) does?”
“When would you (complete a certain duty/task/step)?

It is important to give detail to highlight sector knowledge and experience, which supports the creation of a positive interview identity:

Closing Questions.

Towards the interview end, employers will finish by asking a few questions around the applicants motivation (or working style):

“How do you work best?”
“What does a successful day look like to you?”
“How do you motivate yourself?”

The ‘personal’ questions are asked to check if the candidate is a fit with the organisational culture.

As previously mentioned, employers are looking to hire someone who is likely to stay with the company for a number of years. Research shows, how by hiring an applicant who would naturally fit-in well with the company culture is more likely to stay within that job role.

When answering the ‘personal’ questions, bets practice says to be yourself – be open and truthful.

In addition, to stating preferences, the applicant can gain additional points on the interview scorecard by following up the stated preferences with an example of (interview question).

The final question is always: “Do you have any questions for us?”

Even though job applicants aren’t scored on the the final ‘what would you like to ask us?’ interview questions, it is virtual to ask something. In fact, a good question can make the applicant highly memorable.

Example Questions to Ask:

“Do you have any future plans to expand the company?”
“Why do you like working here?”
“What is the most challenging part of the role?”
“What is the projected income for the next 12 months?”
“What would I be doing in the first 5 months of the role?”
“What is the average duration of an employee working at the company?”
“Can you tell me a little bit more about the company culture?”
“How do you evaluate success?”
“What is the company’s policy on personal development and training?”
“Where do you see the company being in 5 years time”

June 30, 2021June 30, 2021

Horns Effect

The psychological impact of the halo or horns effect has a subconscious influence on the employers decision making process.

What is the job interview halo effect?

The now famed halo effect is a cognitive bias where the employers overall impression of a job candidate influences how the hiring manager receives the applicants interview answers.

At a basic level, an applicant can be seen as ‘suitable’ or ‘hirable’ when the halo effect is in play. The halo effect can be created when an employer finds the candidate attractive. We call this ‘the what is beautiful is good‘ bias.

People believe attractiveness to be linked to other positive traits; intelligence, reliability, and being skilled, without any evidence.

Prior to the job interview, the halo effect can take effect.

An employer reading a candidate’s application form can form a positive opinion, where the hiring managers believe this applicant is the most suitable person for the role, even without interviewing anyone.

An everyday example of the halo effect is a friend introducing you to one of their colleagues. Prior to meeting the colleague, the friend says “the (colleague) is a really nice person, I know you will really like them.” This seeding of a positive character creates the halo effect. As would reading their (positive) social media feed, or finding out that you both have a common interest.

How does the halo effect, effect the job interview?

Being attractive doesn’t guarantee a job offer.

Instead, the halo effect creates a positive filter. The employer, liking the applicant, will search for evidence of suitability.

The hiring manager will want the candidate to do well. In fact, research shows that the subtle changes in an employer’s behavior, influence how the interviewee acts, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What is the Horns Effect?

There is an opposite to the famed halo effect, the ‘horns effect’.

If an employer is predisposed to dislike the applicant, they will subconsciously search for reasons to reduce an interview score.

Several information sources can lead to a ‘horn effect’.

The employer hearing bad things from a colleague about the applicant prior to the job interview (this is most common in internal interviews) can create a pre-interview negative opinion.

This scenario worsens when the colleagues reference how the applicant may lie or be deceitful during the job interview. Being viewed as having a ‘dishonest‘ interview identity creates a barrier that is hard to remove.

Many employers now use social media as one way to ‘get to know the real applicant’ before they attend the recruitment process.

A social media page that creates a negative impression, such as photos of drinking and partying, can create a negative stereotype.

Even the candidate’s communication skills during the application process can create a halo or horns effect. A weak worded email, spelling errors, or even working for an organization with a poor reputation can create a negative association.

First Impression Horns Effect

The horns effect can take place prior to the job interview but also during the initial introduction.

As the employer meets the applicant in reception, a number of non-job-related criteria can influence the hiring manager’s decision-making process.

Being overweight, as an example, can have a negative association. Obese equals laziness.

An experiment shown how being obese reduces the number of jobs offers an applicant received. Employers were sent one application, which either had attached to it, a picture of an overweight job applicant or an average size person. The conclusion was that the image of an overweight individual had a negative horns effect on their application process.

But a number of other non-job-related criteria can create a positive or negative first impression:

Gender
Age
Ethnicity
Height
Weight
Hair colour
Stance
Tonality

The research is proving how a job interview is never a fair recruitment process, as opinions are made at the subconscious level.

These initial impressions act as the filter throughout the recruitment process, with an employer filtering each answer, and therefore searching for evidence to back up their belief, through the filter suitable or not suitable, liked or disliked.

Interviewees can help to shape the way they are viewed by creating a positive job interview identity during the answering of the initial interview questions.

The stating of key competencies, when communicated confidently, can override the initial impression. This is because the structured process of a job interview means the employer must mark the applicant’s answers against the job interview scorecard.

June 24, 2021June 24, 2021

Why Graduates Fail in Job Interviews

It wasn’t so long ago when a graduate could be guaranteed a job. More recently, a graduate applying for work may be unsuccessful in the job interview process because of how an employer perceives the graduate compared to an experienced career professional.

This article will look at the reasons why some graduates are failing job interviews and what current students can do to give themselves a helping hand to advance their career prospects.

Suitable or Unsuitable?

Data shows that the average number of applications for each job role is around 250.

The number of applications per role does very depending on the job position and location, but 250 applicants per advertise job seems correct with previous research. From the 250 applications only 6 candidates, on average, will be offered a job interview.

If a graduate is offered a job interview, they are deemed to be more suitable then 244 other applicants. What this explains, is a graduate who can secure job interviews but not a job offer is doing something wrong in the interview itself.

An alternative viewpoint is the graduate interviews well, but other interviewees, who could also be a graduate but maybe an experience career professional, are better skilled at job interviews.

Either way, if a graduate can secure job interviews but not job offers something needs to change.

From an employers perspective, the job interview is designed to predict the job performance of each applicant. The best perceived performer is offer the job role.

Employers, in the main, use a structured job interview process as research proves that a structured approach is the best way to predict job performance.

What is important, is how a graduate is perceived during the recruitment process.

How Graduates are Perceived in Job Interviews.

A part of perception is comparison.

If for example, a graduate applies for a graduate scheme, all the other applicants will also be graduates creating a level playing field.

For none-graduate roles, applicants are likely to be a mixed bunch of career professionals. This group of candidates may include graduates with no work experience, graduates with work experience, experienced staff with no degree level qualifications.

In this scenario, it is hard for the employer to compare one applicant against the other, as two many completing factors make the logical decision making process a difficult task.

It is the same when purchasing a house. Two houses seem suitable but each have completing factors. One is cheaper but further away from work. One is a 3 bed house with a small garden, the other a 2 bed house with a larger garden in a cul-de-sac. One is in an area with great schools but a high crime rate and the other in an area with a low crime rate but poor schools.

Having a high number of factors to consider is taxing. Instead, the logical mind turns off and the emotion brain gives you a gut re-action: I don’t know why but I prefer house one.

This same process happens with hiring managers, When they initial met the candidates there is an overload of information. One candidate has a degree but the other has 10 years work experience. One candidate has people skills, the other an eye for detail. One candidate is skilled at completing a certain task, the other is an expert in (add criteria). and so on. Again the logical part of the brain closes down and the emotional mind creates a gut reaction: Applicant one seems most suitable for the position.

As the git-reaction decision making process happens at the interview start, the applicants forthcoming job interview answers are filtered through the initial interview identity.

Research shows how people look for evidence to back up their choices. If an employer favors one applicant over another, they will subconsciously look for the positives in the answers of there preferred choice, and look for any negatives in the least preferred choice applicant.

The number of people with a degree is on the rise.

Data shows how the number of higher education applications and starts is on the increase, with 2020 seeing over 720,000 applicants looking to start in a course in 2020.

UCAS recently shared data, showing that there were over 616,000 applicants for 2021 (January deadline analyses)

Prior to the rise of degree-level interviewees, having a degree was viewed as an exceptional attribute. The rule of scarcity says the more common something is, the less value we see in it.

A 2017 Harvard Business School study stated that between 2007-2010 job adverts requiring a bachelor’s degree increased by 10%. The study also found that 37% of employers rank experience as more important then a qualification.

This shows how each employer have different viewpoints on what they believe is important when its comes to recruiting new staff members. The job sector also influences the essential criteria for each job role. In medicine, as an example, applicants will never receive a job offer washout first possessing the required qualifications.

In other sectors, that have previously required a qualification as an entry requirement, we are starting to see a move away from the qualification entry requirement. The tech sector, companies like Google and Apple are focusing on ‘hands-on’ experience.

Where does this leave the graduate?

Don’t be confused here. Having a degree is still viewed as a positive, as a higher educational qualification shows academic ability. And a qualification relevant to the advertised job role infers industry level knowledge.

What employers are now saying is that industry knowledge and skills can be gained just as easily from possessing a number of years working within the industry. Again, job hiring comes down to how an employer perceives an applicant – there predicted job performance.

A buyer’s market.

Data has shown how more people are now progressing into higher education. Graduates, therefore, are at a disadvantage when applying for entry level positions as competition for these roles are high.

In addition to graduate competition, employers, now more than ever before, compare industry experience against the graduates qualification and skill set – their whole package.

Now that job recruitments have changed, employers not stating a qualification as essential, the competition for jobs is increasing. Even is a qualification is essential, in sectors such as medicine, the evidence suggest that more people have a degree then ever before.

The power is truly in the employers hands. Employers, knowing they will receive a large number of applications, can demand more from the applicants. Previously, for entry level jobs roles, a degree was the only requirement. Now, employers can ask for more because they know the number of applications for these positions will be in there hundreds.

Therefore, when in education it is virtual to gain new skills and experiences to help create a positive job interview identity. This can be achieved in various ways:

Having a side hustle shows business acumen
Volunteering increases skills and shows work ethic
Being a graduate mentor helps to develop essential skills; listening, communication and planning
Work experience, which can include first aid for a medical student or putting on a fringe play for a performance art student, can be used as examples during the job interview question and answer process
A part-time job brings in an income but also helps to shape your character
Increase personal skills by joining debate clubs, public speaking classes, being the student union president or taking an active part in the universities board meetings

How to be successful in the job interview

A graduate gaining skills or experiences from one or more of the above ideas can stand out against other graduates with similar qualifications.

Against experienced career professionals, who will often be able to give work-related examples to job interview questions, the graduate needs to prepare their interview answers.

The key to being offered the job role is to be seen as being more suitable then the other applicants.

Often an experienced career professional who hasn’t undertaken a industry related qualification maybe an expert in a particular niche, as they may have only worked in one position/role, which limits their knowledge base.

On the other hand, a graduate during there three year degree will have gain knowledge relevant to the whole job sector. It is this level of knowledge, if communicated confidently, along with skills and experiences gained through volunteering, work experience and side hustles can create a self-assured job interview identity.

To pass the job interview graduates shoud:

Describe industry related models and theories learnt on higher educational course
Give situational interview answers by explaining what steps would you take to overcome a potential barrier or to achieve a company objective
Explain how skills and experiences gained from work experience, voluntary work and side hustles are relevant to the job role
Use communication skills gained from attending debate clubs or public speaking classes to deliver high-scoring interview answers

In addition, all applicants can stand out in job interviews by:

Building liking through affinity bias
Explaining how your personal values match the company values
Following the three rules for a successful job interview

June 13, 2021June 13, 2021

What No One Tells You About Job Interviews

What is the one thing all career professionals have in common?

Each must attend a job interview to advance their career.

Understanding the recruitment process, therefore, is key to a successful career, gaining promotions, and increasing a salary.

On average, career professionals will change jobs at least once every three to five years. The days of working in one organisation for life have long gone.

Are you interview-ready?

Even with regular job interviews, the number of job hunters who prepare in advance for a job interview is extremely low.

Being ‘interview ready’ means an increase in confidence. Confidence increase self-promotion and self-promotion increases job offers.

More importantly, understanding the secrets of a job interview can lead to consistent high-scoring interview answers.

What makes a successful job interview?

Research has shown that an applicant’s ability to predict the job criteria, due to possessing a high level of sector knowledge/experience, results in the interviewer being able to accurately predict the job performance (the objective of the interview process) of each candidate.

This means, the more an interviewee reference industry jargon, sector models, and relevant working examples, especially when communicated confidently, the more an employer will presume or predict that the applicant is well suited for the advertised role: the applicant’s interview identity.

Each interview answer is referenced against the job criteria on the interview scorecard as part of a structured job interview – the most commonly used recruitment process. Answers that don’t highlight the candidate’s high level of expertise are likely to score low.

The interview is a two-horse race.

On average, applicants are asked 8 job interview questions, with each question scored on a scale of 1-4, with 4 being the best scoring answer.

The total number of points available is 32.

Because weaker applicants are shifted out during the application process stage, the candidates being interviewed will all score, in the main, 3’s or 4’s for each interview question.

This creates a close race, where every point counts.

Employers have told us how the winning interviewee will only have one or two additional points above the next most suitable applicant.

Unforeseen forces affect the interviewer’s allocated scores, such as job interview unconscious bias. But in the main, the candidate’s ability to communicate competencies creates high or low scoring answers.

How to ace the job interview.

The three rules for a successful job interview outcome are:

Identify the job criteria
Be a self-promoter
Communicate with confidence

In addition, there are psychological interview tactics that can be embedded into the recruitment process including the process of creating likeability.

The common mistakes applicants make in job interviews are:

Using the same job examples in all job interviews

Having pre-prepared interview answers is a must in a job interview, as the rehearsal of the perfect answer ensures that the answer is delivered with confidence – rules 3.

The barrier though is ‘laziness’. Many career professionals will re-use the same interview stories time and time again.

Yes, their answer is perfectly delivered, as practice creates perfection. But, the original answer was designed for a previous role.

Rule 1, is to identify the job criteria. Creating interview answers based only on the job criteria for each position ensures that each answer will score high as the examples used will reference the required skills, knowledge, and experience for that role.

The same example or situation can be used for multiple recruitment processes, but the frame of the answer – what the example is highlighting has to be specific to the advertised position and the culture of the organisation.

Reserved or forthcoming?

In the UK, especially, job applicants like to be reserved. They will answer interview questions, but the answers lack the benefits, fail to self-promote and in general the interviewee is unforthcoming.

The job interview is the one place where you must be a self-promoter – the 2nd rule of a successful job interview.

To self-promote candidates can ustilse verbal and non-verbal communciation:

Non-verbal communication

Smiling is associated with confidence and competence
Nodding in agreement as the employers speaks and this helps to build rapport
Open body language, gestures and a relaxed postures is linked self-esteem
Strong eye-contact while speaking creates authority
What you wear can influence how the candidate is seen – desirable or unsuitable

Verbal communication

Long descriptive paragraphs help to paint the scene allowing an employer to understand the relevance of the job interview answer
Positive language is associated with a good worker
Mentioning the job criteria (rule 1) shows suitability
Giving examples highlights experiences
Explaining models and theories shows expertise
Changing pitch, tonality, and volume help to maintain employer interest

Is confidence charismatic?

Certain people stand out in the crowd.

We don’t know why our eyes are drawn to them, but something about them; how they dress, their posture, the way th move, or maybe a communication of facts make them a focus point.

It is the same in a job interview. A team of interviewers speak to numerous applicants throughout the recruitment period, with most candidates having a similar level of skills and experiences, but one or maybe two applicant stand out – why?

It is often the self-assurance of an applicant that increases their internal level of confidence. An increase in confidence, increases charisma.

Imposture syndrome, not believing you are at the right level for the job in question (even though you meet the criteria for the advertised role), is the biggest barrier to interview confidence.

Are you an anxious interviewee?

Anxious interviewees will:

Fidgeting, which distracts the employer’s attention
Mumble and use excessive filler words
Give short snappy answers to technical interview questions
Often look down, killing any previously built up rapport including that from the halo effect
Self-disclose weaknesses and past errors which results in low scoring interview answers

Charismatic and highly confident applicants will:

Frame interview questions so all answers sound positive
Focus on solutions, not problems
Create a conversation by asking questions throughout the job interview
Have a relaxed manner; sitting back in the chair, taking their time to reply, and using anecdotes and stories
Eye contact is strong, and they speak using natural gestures
Interview answers are detailed and well structured
Answers naturally reference several key job criteria
Give their full attention to the interviewer

January 3, 2021January 13, 2021

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

Job Interview Advice

August 6, 2016March 1, 2022

Why All Interviewees Should Train As Public Speakers

To Pass an Interview Train As a Public Speaker

In the job interview book “the 73 rules for influencing the interview” I talked and taught you how to increase your communication confidence and how to influence the interviewer using words.

This mixture of persuading with confident communication is the desired skill that increases your chance of being offered a position. This skill can be developed through public speaking.

How many times have you been influenced or moved by a powerful orator? How has a charismatic speaker motivated you? How did confident communication get you to change your opinion?

Being able to persuade with words is the desired skill of any interviewee. These same techniques are being used right now by public speakers.

Set Up Your Own Coaching Business

chris delaney public speaker

Talk With Purpose

When learning to public speak one of the first lessons you learn is to talk with purpose.

This is a lesson you need to take with you to the job interview. One of the biggest interview killers is the way an interviewee communicates. Often, due to nervousness, the interviewee talks without thought, they drone on and on about everything apart from the answer to the asked question.

When asked an interview question, first think to yourself “what skill, quality or experience do they want me to discuss with this interview question?” Remember to think back to the job spec

All job interview questions, even curved ball job interview questions, are asked to uncover specific desired criteria. By focusing in on these criteria you can speak with purpose, keeping your interview answer on point.

Create a Strong Structure

It is easy to get lost in your own interview answer.

Have you ever found yourself asking the interviewer if you have answered their question? This is because we answer interview questions with no structure.

In public speaking you are taught to 1; state what you are going to say 2; say what you are going to say 3; summaries what you said

This is a great structure for getting your point across and keeping your interview answer short and on point. In the job interview, you can adopt this same (or a similar version) structure. Start by 1; saying you have desired criteria 2; give an example of desired criteria 3; summaries by stating that these criteria are your key strength

FREE With Every Purchase of The 73 Rules for Influencing the Interview

Use more than Just Words

Great public speakers inspire, motivate and enthuse the audience not just with words, but also with their tone, body language, gestures, stage presence, stories, metaphors, rhetorical devices, facial expressions and the use of props (maybe a PowerPoint presentation)

Confident interviewees use these same well-tuned skills (that you can easily learn from an interview coach or by attending a public speaking group) A remember-able interviewee, the one who is offered the job, creates an emotional connection with the interviewer by communicating with all their senses, creating intrigue and using public speaking persuasion techniques.

July 30, 2016November 23, 2020

3 Ways To Advance Your Job Interview Techniques

Advance Your Job Interview Techniques

The internet has changed the job interview.

For all job sector interviews, you as the candidate can simply Google “sector job interview questions” and within seconds you can have a list of potential questions that you will soon be asked. Following on from this, you may Google to the company history or even as on a forum for potential answers.

So why with all this information at your fingertips why aren’t you successful in the job interview? This is because you are searching for basic interview tips to secure the job interview. This isn’t good enough, as everyone else is using these same strategies.

Instead, ADVANCE your interview techniques

Need Help to Pass Your Next Job Interview?

You can book an ONLINE Interview Coaching Session and/or a Mock Interview with an interview coach by e-mailing employmentking@gmail.com all you need is a webcam.

Learn The 3 Step Process for Killer Interview Answers
Double Your Interview Confidence with Specialised Techniques
Mock Interview – Get Really Feedback on Your Interview Skills

Advance Your Job Interview Techniques #1

Focus on Delivery

A job interview is a communication sales pitch. Where job applicants go wrong in the job interview is they always concentrate on only their interview answers, the words they use, rather than the delivery style of interview answers.

Communication isn’t just words. Communication is created with tonality, volume, gestures, body language and facial expressions (plus much more) What you say is important but as any orator will try to impress on you is the power of how you say it, the packaging to the delivery of your job interview answer.

Create a strong job interview answer, then focus on the delivery style; say it with confidence, say it with purpose, say it with emotion.

Advance Your Job Interview Techniques #2

Create a dialogue

An interactive interview creates rapport, increases likability and becomes more memorable

Failed interviewees will reflect and realise that they couldn’t stop talking. Their waffled answer turn the interviewer off, creating disinterest. To have a real impact in the job interview, talk less, ask more questions and create beautiful dialogue.

When asked a question give a string answer (focusing on your delivery style) and follow up by asking the job interviewer a question, relating to the question they asked you. As an example, if they asked you about your knowledge on a certain ICT system, ask them if they know about a new time-saving ICT system.

This style of interviewing is advanced and creates positive interaction. The interviewer, having a break from the normal interview style that they have heard for the past 2 days, creates a memorable job interview.

Advance Your Job Interview Techniques #3

Key the glass half full…always

Time and time again when I deliver interview coaching sessions, clients tell me, how in the job interview they discuss sector problems, barriers and mistakes. I can never understand this perspective.

The job interview is the one place where you need the glass to be half full, no, over spilling with punitiveness. Explain your successes, show enthusiasm for your sector, answer problem questions with the frame of enjoyment – you enjoy solving problems.

Whatever you do in the job interview, do it with a smile, with positiveness and enthusiasm.

Employment King offer;

Interview Coaching in Manchester
Career Advice in Manchester
Online Interview Coaching
Interview Confidence Sessions in Manchester
Interview and Presentation Sessions in Manchester
Mock Interview Sessions in Manchester

July 21, 2016November 23, 2020

3 Key Things You Must Remember About Job Interviews

What You Must Remember About Job Interviews

I work with a lot of clients who fear the job interview.

It is this anxiety that ruins their job interview performance, resulting in another, often less skilled, applicant receiving the job offer. Often it’s not the best suited interviewee who is successful, rather its the person who impresses in the interview that receives the job offer.

In the job interview you need to be on your A-Game. There are 3 things that you must remember about the job interview, 3 things that will help you feel more at ease, increasing your interview confidence.

Set Up Your Own Coaching Business

It is rare that the interviewer is trained to interview

The first thing to remember about the job interview is that the interviewer is just as nervous as you are.

We become anxious when we are in unfamiliar territory. In most cases the job interviewer hasn’t been trained to interview applicants. Because they don’t want to be seen as weak, they will try to mask their nervousness in the interview itself. But by knowing that they are just as anxious as you are will help you feel more confident.

Due to the lack of interview experience for most interviewers, you need to ensure that they hear and record all your key selling points. Use repetition for this. Throughout the interview give several examples of using your key skill/selling point to make the point clear – if you hire me I will do X for you.

Likability Influences

People who have a likable personality or more likely to be offered the job.

During the job interview you need to build rapport, find common ground and use intrigue and stories to create a likable and remember-able job interview.

It simple isn’t good enough to have 10 years experience, the employer is looking for someone with experience but also someone they believe will fit well within the team and someone with good work ethic.

If you have it, say it

When explaining what you can offer in terms of skills, qualities and experiences you need to state everything in detail.

So many failed interviewees skip over key criteria because they see it as an everyday task. It is these everyday task that the new employer require you to complete.

Remember they don’t know, they have never meet you and they have no idea of what your daily task are.

The employer wants to hire someone who can hit the ground running. Explain all the daily task, and then add on your unique selling point.

Most interviewers use a point system. If you say X, Y and Z you get full points. If you miss one out your points are reduced. The more you say the more they will know what you can bring to the team.

July 5, 2016November 23, 2020

5 Influence Styles You Can Use in a Job Interview

5 ways to influence the interview outcome

You are influenced every day, thousands of times, and you probably aren’t aware of 90% of them.

We are influenced by images, words, social proof, repetitive slogans, scarcity and by a number of other things. People influence each other with tonality, gestures, commitment and their style of communication. the power of influence has a massive effect on your day with you buying goods, voting for politicians and making choices because of the power of influence and psychology.

These same psychological tactics can be employed in the job interview, giving you the upper hand. Here are 5 different influencing styles you can adopt in your next job interview.

Set Up Your Own Coaching Business

Need Help to Pass Your Next Job Interview?

You can book an ONLINE Interview Coaching Session and/or a Mock Interview with an interview coach by e-mailing employmentking@gmail.com all you need is a webcam.

Learn The 3 Step Process for Killer Interview Answers
Double Your Interview Confidence with Specialised Techniques
Mock Interview – Get Really Feedback on Your Interview Skills

Assertiveness

We respond to authority.

By being seen as an authority in your sector you will gain compliance from the interviewer. Being assertive, stating, insisting that your ideas and suggestions will have a positive outcome once employed people to your authority.

Most of us are sheep and like to be sheep. Being a commanding Sheppard, herd the interviewer(s) to the pen of your choosing.

Convincing

The best salespeople convince us that their product is the best product, even if it means spending a little more.

Put forward your ideas and offer logical, rational reasons to convince the job interviewer of your point of perspective. Once the interviewer is won over with one idea they are more likely to agree to other ideas due to the psychological law of compliance. This is why great salespeople not only sell one good, they also up-sell to their customers

Negotiation

An interview is a two-way conversation.

As with all debates, there are two sides to every story. If the interviewee states one fact, suggestion or idea and the interview has another viewpoint you can easily create friction, even fall out.

The secret to winning people over is negotiation. Look for compromises and find the middle ground

Relationship Building

A great communicator is someone who can build strong relationships with a complete stranger.

Nowhere is this more important than the job interview situation. Use common interest, your tone, facial expressions, body language, everything to build rapport. People will often favor people more that they like. This means that your interview answers will gain more points if the interviewer likes you as a person, compared to someone who takes an initial dislike.

Inspire Imagination

Humans are goal setters.

Often interviewees talk about past successes – this is good to a point. To really influence the interview, explain how your skills and past experiences will make an impact in the future within their organisation. Find future possibilities that will inspire the interviewer, show them how you will increase profit, create new business and save on overheads. Give them a positive future vision.

Interview Preparation Resources

Employment King offer;

Interview Coaching in Manchester
Career Advice in Manchester
Online Interview Coaching
Interview Confidence Sessions in Manchester
Interview and Presentation Sessions in Manchester
Mock Interview Sessions in Manchester