Interviewing is a two-way street. Both the organization and the candidate need to be prepared to make a good impression. Let’s look at how to conduct better interviews.

For the Organization:

An interview is most likely the first exposure a candidate has with your organization. It’s the perfect opportunity to share your culture.

Most organizations don’t invest any time in interview training, but they should. Others are extra prepared conducting mock interviews before meeting a candidate. Find what works for your organization. But remember this — a bad interview could chase the perfect employee out your door and into the arms of the competition.

This is a good road map to follow:

  1. Before beginning the interview offer a beverage and the opportunity to use the restroom.
  2. Introduce yourself including your role, tenure, and what you like about working for the organization.
  3. Explain what will happen during the interview. Share that you’ll open with questions and leave time in the end for the candidate to ask questions of you. At the close, be sure to let the candidate know what the next steps will be.

What happens if the candidate is not a fit? Your goal with each interview is for the candidate (qualified or not) to feel like your organization is a great place to work. You want them to remember the experience as a good one. You want them telling their friends and family about your organization. Consider it free advertising and a way to build your brand.

For the Candidate:

Your potential employer wants to know what to expect from you as an employee. Be ready with well-thought-out, intelligent answers.

Before you even start thinking about the details, keep in mind that honesty about yourself and your philosophy is a must. Don’t makeup things about yourself to fit the job. If you have to do that, then the job probably isn’t right for you in the first place.

Interviewers want to see a philosophy that reflects enthusiasm for your job, a strong work ethic and the depth of your experience.

For some positions, you may be tested to see if you know trends in your field. Your resume details your work experience, but your philosophy sums up how you approach your work and what makes you successful at it. That gets to the heart of the matter for interviewers.

Determining Your Work Philosophy:

Don’t be daunted trying to define yourself. Just think about what makes you good at what you do. Consider the attitudes toward work that make up your personal philosophy.

  • learning from failure or mistakes
  • being a visionary
  • being adaptable to changing circumstances
  • providing strong leadership

Be ready to describe specific situations, actions you took, and the positive results you generated through your approach.

How to Prepare:

Start be researching the mission statement of the company and learn about their goals. Research the organization’s competition too. Then define how your philosophy will help the organization reach its goals.

Be prepared for some questions of your own, too. Use your online research to spark questions about any new initiatives they may be launching. Interviewers will be impressed that you’ve done your homework before the interview.

The Batten Group can help you prepare for an interview as both hiring manager or interviewee. If you would like to speak further regarding interviewing strategy, please contact one of our associates, here.