Organisations interview in many different ways both in terms of style as well as process. As an interviewee you should never assume that each interview will be structured in exactly the same way and you should always aim to improve your interview style through better preparation and understanding of the interview process. Of course, your greatest ally is the recruitment consultant you are working with who will be able to prepare you based on their knowledge of the organisation and role in question:

Interview Tips

Interviewing can be a pretty daunting experience, but with some good preparation you can make things a lot easier for yourself. The following tips may seem obvious but it is always worthwhile checking them off in advance.

• Do you know where you are going? Check the address, look at an A-Z or visit www.streetmap.co.uk. If you don’t know the area then it may even be worthwhile ringing the receptionist and asking for directions.
• Give yourself lots of time.
• Do you know who you are asking for, their title and responsibilities?
• Do you have a job description? – Have you read it?
• Have you called your recruitment consultant and got a last minute briefing on the job? They should also be able to help you with the type of interview, the personality of the interviewer or with any other information that you may need.
• Have you checked out the company’s website? This will tell you all you need to know about the business and should give you some useful background.
• Check if they have a careers section on the website which may give you information about their values and culture. It will certainly tell you how they want to be seen by prospective employees.
• Make sure you know what is in your CV. Think about why you have moved in the past, why you have made certain career decisions, what you enjoyed about certain jobs.
• Think clearly about what you are looking to do now and why.
• Make sure you know what information you want to get out of the interview and you have a good list of questions to ask. It doesn’t do any harm to write them down; it shows you have prepared and you are much more likely to remember them!

Interview Styles

Generally, interviews will take the form of one of the following five formats:

1. The Behavioural or Competency Interview

What it means

The thinking behind behavioural interviewing is that it provides the most accurate prediction of future performance through analysis of past performance in similar types of situations. The company has already identified job-related experiences, behaviours, knowledge, skills and abilities (competencies) that they feel are desirable in the position and these are sometimes hinted at in the job description.

How it works

The employer will ask very specific questions which they hope will elicit a response which will determine if you (the candidate) possess the desired characteristics. Questions may typically begin with: "Tell me about a time when..." or "Describe a situation when..." Candidates who tell the interviewer about specific situations that relate to each question will be far more effective and successful than those who respond in general terms.

How you can prepare

It is not easy to prepare for a behaviour-based interview because of the huge number and variety of possible questions you might be asked. The best way to prepare is to read the job description in detail and then think about 6-12 past situations in which you have exhibited strong job-related behaviours. Additionally, look at the careers section of the company and see whether they have any reference to behaviours or competencies that they look for when hiring.

2. The Traditional Interview

What it means

This interview style follows the more traditional question and answer format.

How it works

This will normally be a CV-driven interview and very often entails a chronological run through of your background and experience. Typical questions might include ‘How would you describe yourself ’,‘Why did you leave X organisation for Y’, ‘What do you not like about your current role’, ‘What motivates you’, ‘What are your career objectives’.

How you can prepare

It is important to have rehearsed the content of your answers to the standard interview questions, particularly if there are obvious issues in your CV – such as a period of unemployment or a quick move from job to job. However, try not to over rehearse and appear formulaic or not genuine in your answers.

3. The Team Interview

What it means

In an effort to get a well-rounded perspective on job candidates, many companies ask more than one team member to take part in the interview and selection process. After the meetings, the interviewers get together to discuss the candidate's performance. Using pre-agreed criteria, job descriptions and personal impressions, they assess the feedback from the individual sessions and discuss their reaction.

How it works

Team interviews can take a number of formats. Generally, however, they are either an interview conducted by more than one interviewer at the same time, or a series of one-on-one interviews with a number of different team members. Depending on the seniority of the position you are being interviewed for, you could be interviewed by a recruitment specialist, your prospective manager, their manager and a variety of your peer group.

How you can prepare

Whatever the format, you should expect team interviews to be challenging.

The initial exchanges with the interview team are the most difficult and you will need to be able to interact with different people from different backgrounds. It is impossible to specifically prepare so just make sure that you are rested and alert!

Be prepared to cover the same ground with a number of different interviewers because they may want to see if your answers change; however, at all times remain patient and composed. Also be alert to areas that one interview or interviewer concentrates on. This could indicate an area of concern that will be further probed in future interviews.

4. Technical Interviews

The goal of the technical interview is to get to understand your technical skill set.

By sharing the thought processes with your interviewer you demonstrate your communication skills and analytical ability. Interviewers are looking to assess not only your technical ability but also your ability to think critically, to solve problems.

You are not going to be expected to know everything so, if you are asked a question you just don't know the answer to, then don't try to talk your way around it. This can also be a good opportunity to tell the interviewer how you would research that particular question. It's not about knowing everything, it's about being able to find out anything. It also helps to engage you and the interviewer in a dialogue, from which you may pick up clues that steer you in the direction the interviewer would like you to go.

There are an infinite number of technical interview questions that interviewers can throw at you, and many may consist of hypothetical scenarios with no single correct answer there is, therefore, not a perfect way to prepare. That is precisely what technical interviews are all about. Just make sure that you are comfortable talking through the technical areas on your CV and you are not thrown by the obvious simple questions!

5. Psychometric Tests

These are increasingly used during the interview process and it makes sense to prepare for them as you would for any other interview.

They are a structured way of evaluating how someone behaves, acts and performs under a range of circumstances and are often administered online. As with all forms of testing, practice can help you improve your performance on the day but make sure that you arrive with time to spare, well presented and calm!

Personality questionnaires are used to determine how people are likely to behave under various conditions. There are no right or wrong answers and the best way to approach them is to answer them as honestly and straightforwardly as you can.

Aptitude tests examine abilities such as numerical, verbal or abstract reasoning; they do not test intelligence or general knowledge. Often presented in a multiple choice format, the questions have definite right and wrong answers and to be successful you need to work through them as quickly and accurately as possible.

The following websites may be of assistance:

www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/personality/index.shtml This is a full personality test based on the five-factor model, a system of classifying personality traits.

www.shldirect.com for free examples of ability test questions.

www.assessmentday.co.uk for free numerical and verbal graduate aptitude tests.

What To Do Next

• Do remember that it may be unclear what role or position the interviewer has within the organisation so at all times be respectful towards everyone you meet.
• Find out what happens next with the interview process and express your interest (if it is genuine!)
• Let your consultant know your feedback as soon as possible. It is important for us to know what you thought of the organisation, the role and the people who interviewed you.

Written by Matt Brooks, Manager, Frazer Jones Reward. Frazer Jones is a market-leading global HR Recruitment consultancy.
www.frazerjonesreward.com

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