Interview Etiquette

I got a call from a Human Resources Director at a great company yesterday giving me feedback about one of the candidates that I had presented. She really liked the candidate and felt her skillset and personality were right on brief. However, she informed me that the candidate was picking and even biting her nails during the interview. I am pretty sure we have all been stricken with the nail biting habit at some point in our lives and we probably all realize how yucky this looks in public.

We often do it without even realizing it at the time (guilty as charged!!).

However, it is essential that NO nail biting or picking or any type of nervous fidgeting occurs during an interview. A candidate should remain poised and confident and not do anything that takes the clients’ attention off of his or her experience and positives.

LESSON: whatever you do, break those nervous habits before the interview because they can ruin your chances of getting a great job!

Below is an email that I just received from a candidate that I had reached out to regarding a great account management opportunity. Her response is a great example of what not to say when replying to a recruiter. Again honesty is a good and smart policy, but in certain cases it can completely take a candidate out of the running for job opportunities. I will of course reply and see what the candidate’s situation is, but I am already weary that she will be difficult to work with in terms of her needs/expectations/situation when it comes to finding a new opportunity for her. There is almost a zero chance that a new employer would allow her to work from home when first starting a job. A candidate needs to express enthusiasm and let the employer know that he or she will live and breathe the position. Requesting to work from home is a complete turn off—even to a recruiter. These types of work situations—a 4 day week, extended vacation, etc- are earned when a candidate does a fantastic job over a long period of time!

THE INFAMOUS REPLY:

I hope you’re well!

The position sounds fantastic and a perfect fit for my background. I would
be interested in the position if it allowed me the flexibility to work from
home. Is that possible or is it required to work full time in the office?

Please let me know.

Should you send a thank you letter or email after an interview? Most definitely, regardless of whether or not you are interested in the role. Thank you letters are always a genuine and sincere touch in any situation. They  make a candidate stand out during the interview process as not everyone will take the time to compose one.

While I certainly encourage the thank you note or email, I also believe firmly they should serve an important purpose other than just saying “thank you.” Candidates should use the thank you letter to stress some critical points-

1) They are very interested in both the role and the company, especially after having spoken to the hiring manager, and explain why.

2) They feel they are a good fit for a particular reason and they outline this in the email or note.

3) They believe this is the right step for them in their career.

A thank you letter can also be used to state or clarify something about which you spoke during the interview. Or, if you didn’t have the time to discuss a particular point that you feel is important, now is a good time to bring this up.

LESSON: Use the thank you letter as a canvas for strenghtening your candidacy.

Jodi Shapiro – Senior Consultant

Every candidate has had a bad manager or has worked at a completely dysfunctional agency or company. Perhaps these were the reasons that he or she decided to search for new opportunities. That being said, while honesty is usually the best policy, I encourage candidates to position every aspect of their experience in a positive light when interviewing, rather than dwell on the negative (when in doubt, consult your recruiter!!!). The candidate should not make the client that they are interviewing with feel that he or she is easily perturbed or disturbed. So focusing on positive work experiences and even spinning the negative ones in a positive light is critical to making a great first impression. Remember there is limited time during an interview, so it is best not to recount bad memories during it!
LESSON: save your work horror stories for the campfire and keep your interview stories positive.

Jodi Shapiro – Senior Consultant

Interviews can take many forms, from a casual chat to a structured interview panel. Whatever the case, you will perform best if you’re prepared. There are many ‘typical’ interview questions that it would be worth considering your responses to in advance, rather than just ‘winging it’ on the day.

These may well include:

“Tell me a little about yourself?”

“What are your strengths?”

“What are your weaknesses?”

“Why should I hire you?”

“What has been your greatest achievement?”

“Why do you want to leave your current job?”

“What salary are you seeking?”

More experienced interviewers may employ a method called Competency or Behavioural Based Interviewing. These questions are designed to uncover desired skills and behaviours (‘competencies’), and require you to give examples of experiences from your past.

To prepare for this kind of interview, you need to review the job description and identify the skills and traits most likely to be assessed. Then decide upon the experiences you want to refer to in the interview to demonstrate your appropriateness.

The key to answering these questions is to be as specific as possible. Well structured answers are powerful and will win you the interview. The STAR model will provide a good structure for your answers:

(S) Situation – describe the situation
(T) Task – describe the task the situation required (or your ideas for resolving the problem)
(A) Action – describe the action you took, and any obstacles you overcame
(R) Result – describe the outcomes you achieved

Sample questions include:

“Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to achieve it.”

“Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful work experience that demonstrated your coping skills.”

“Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.”

“Tell me about a time when you were able to successfully deal with another person when that person may not have personally liked you or vice versa.”

The key is to bring your experience to life. Even if a company isn’t using the STAR system, if you use the STAR model to explain your experience with examples, the outcome will be a sucessful interview.