Tips on how to conduct oneself professionally in the interview process
You may find yourself in the job market at the moment and amidst a global pandemic, attending interviews whether virtually or in person could be a stressful time. While the process is already a difficult one to navigate, during these times, the need to really stand out in an interview may be greater.
With the job interview being only one step in the process, selling yourself every step of the way is important. Writing a compelling resume is the first step. According to Inc., every corporate job opening attracts 250 resumes with only between four and six being called for an interview. Standing out with a good resume is therefore vital.
However, as the interview process itself is are one of the most persuasive tools in the hiring process, if you’ve made it to interview stage, below we share some tips that could help you make a real lasting impression.
Before the Interview
Plan, plan and plan some more
Do your homework. Makes sure you research the company and position you’re applying for thoroughly. Preparation is key. Familiarise yourself with what they do, their mission and values, possible challenges, and how you and your skillset can fit in. Find opportunities throughout the interview to show you’ve done your research.
Anticipate questions
Beforehand, identify some common questions that might be asked and go over your answers. Give yourself the opportunity to be confident in your answers to the questions asked and therefore confident in yourself. Practice the process with a friend or family member if needed. Lisa Tynan shares how to answer one of the most commonly asked questions during an interview process in a recent article for TopInterview.
The Interview Process
Show up early
Nothing says unprofessional more than showing up late for an interview. Calvin Sun from TechRepublic, suggests arriving between 10 to 20 minutes before your scheduled time.
Also make sure to give yourself enough travel time too, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the area.
If you’re attending a virtual interview, make sure your internet connection is secure and that you join the meeting at least 5 minutes before the start. Do not keep your interviewer waiting.
Dress for the part
Dressing for the part in a non-negotiable when you’re attending an interview (even virtually). Looking professional will go a long way in making an impression. Make sure you err on the side of caution and dress more conservatively than less.
Show initiative
If you’ve followed the right processes, then you’ve done your research. Now tie what you’ve learnt about the company into the interview process. Be proactive in answering questions and showing the interviewer how you can be an asset to the company, how you can solve problems and what you bring to the table. Show your initiative in how you approach the questions being asked too.
Be professional
We can’t reiterate this enough. Make sure you always conduct yourself in a professional manner, from the moment you arrive. This includes paying attention to things like
- being courteous and polite to all staff
- refraining from badmouthing current and previous employees
- preparing and asking well-structured questions
- being energetic, enthusiastic and confident
- avoiding talking over the interviewer and interrupting
- listening with intention
After the Interview
A survey of more than 300 U.S. employers about common job interview deal-breakers revealed that 51% said receiving a thank-you email or mailed note after an interview impacts their hiring decision and 6% said they’ve passed on a candidate who failed to follow up.
With this in mind, it’s vital to follow up with the interviewer after the interview process. Thank the interviewer for their time, reiterate your interest in the position and company, explain why you believe you’re qualified, ask any questions you may have and then briefly touch on the next steps if you’re still unsure.
Keeping these points in mind when getting ready for an interview can help you create the impression that just may get you the job. While your experience and qualification are what will ultimately make the decision, impression is the first point of judgement and can be a make or break too.
What to look for when it comes to hiring the right candidate for your company will be dependent on the position, skills needed, company culture and working environment. However, there are more general attributes to keep in mind too; it’s not just about the hard skills. Business owners and interviewers need to consider applicants based on their soft skills too. According to Finances Online, 89% of hiring executives say bad hires often lack soft skills.
Here are 5 of the most important attributes and soft skills to look out for when considering a candidate.
Attitude
Attitude is everything and finding someone with the right attitude for your company is the difference between a successful hiring process and one that may fail miserably. In his book, Hiring for Attitude, Mark Murphy reveals that 89% of new hire fails are for attitudinal reasons and only 11% for a lack of skill. In his interview with Forbes, he goes on to say the reasons ‘included a lack of coachability, low levels of emotional intelligence, motivation and temperament’.
With this in mind, paying attention to attitude right from the interview process is vital. Look for someone who is positive, social, flexible, hardworking, professional, confident, enthusiastic, coachable, easily motivated, empathetic and generally easy to get along with.
Communication
Finding someone who values good communication is essential. In essence, without communication, there’s no way forward, so finding someone who displays effective communication skills should be one of the first attributes you look for in a candidate. In a 2016 LinkedIn survey, communication ranked first of the most sought-after soft skills among employers.
Effective communication is not only vital in managing expectations in house, but also those of clients and partners, and with Covid-19 forcing most businesses into remote working situations, effective communication is now more important than ever. Look out for these qualities throughout the interview process.
Integrity
Conducting business ethically is a huge part of any industry and its up to both employers and employees to uplift and maintain business ethics in their environment. As unethical behaviour creates legal risks and damage to businesses as well as employees and consumers, looking for potential candidates with a high integrity, who are honest, trusting and upfront in their behaviour, should be one of the first soft skills you address.
In his article on attributes to look for in candidates, business expert, Jeff Bullas, suggests that asking how they responded to an ethical dilemma at a previous workplace may help you better gauge their integrity.
Intelligence
When we talk about intelligence, we’re not particularly referring to high IQ scores, but more generally to the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one’s environment, to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria or as the act of understanding. When looking for a candidate to fulfil a position, it’s important to look for a critical thinker, someone who has the ability to make sense out of a complicated project, to figure out the next step when a project has gone haywire or to calm down an angry customer. In the same LinkedIn Survey, critical thinking ranked in the top 5 most sought after soft skills by employers.
Emotional intelligence plays an important role in this too. When hiring for you organisation, you need someone who is able to function well with you, your team and your customers.
Goal oriented
HR specialist, Liz Ryan, says when hiring, she looks for someone who expects more out of their work than just a pay check. Having goals, a vision and a plan for development in your work environment are great qualities in a potential candidate. This not only resonates on a work level, but on a personal level too. Ryan continues by stressing the importance of someone who also values their life outside of work.
Asking questions to engage with and understand the candidate’s goals will help you understand better how serious the candidate is about setting and reaching goals, and in essence establishing a career within your organisation.
Using these metrics and more while conducting the interview process will help improve your hiring process, reducing the amount of new hire fails and ensuring you fill your positions with the best suited candidates.