Interviewing: The Three P's

Interviewing is no small task. We spend so much time putting together our resume and looking for our dream job that when we finally land an interview, we think “now what?”

When you have an interview scheduled, there are three essential actions you should take so that you can go in and conquer it: get prepared, be professional, and stay positive. All of these actions have different missions, but they go hand-in-hand and work together.

 

Preparation

We have all had interviews where we weren’t fully prepared and we tried to think on our feet, and sometimes that just doesn’t cut it. Being prepared is going to show the interviewer that you not only know how to bring it, but that you are able to do the work to bring it.

Step 1: Research the company.

There is nothing worse than interviewing for a position when you have no idea what the company does. This should be the first step before you walk into the interview. Have at least a foundational understanding of what the company does. From there, you’ll be able and more comfortable to ask deeper questions as they relate to the position. Look for the latest news on the company on social media just to see what they’re up to. Bonus points for commenting on a relevant project they are working on!

Step 2: Get comfortable with your strengths and weaknesses.

It’s completely acceptable to explain (humbly) what you’re good at. But when the interviewer asks, don’t be afraid to share your weaknesses and what you are doing to channel them to create positive results. More importantly, have a weakness to channel. Try not to make it sound like you only have strengths because no one does. Know both sides of your strengths and weaknesses and identify how they could both produce a good outcome.

Step 3: Prepare the night before.

Make sure your suit is ironed and ready to go, your keys are within reach, and your resume is printed and neatly stowed inside your work bag. It’s always a great idea to print off multiple resumes for each person you will be meeting with, as well as an extra two or three just in case the interview is going really well and someone else from the company decides to pop in and meet you. Bringing multiple resumes to your interview shows that you come prepared even when the interviewer might not be. Don’t expect them to bring a copy of your resume to the interview. Have some questions written down in your notepad about the position or company—you always want to have questions to ask! Bring a pen to take notes. Lastly, save your interview itinerary to your phone or print it out so you have it on-hand. If you get stuck in traffic or your flight gets in late, make sure you have the number of your recruiter so you can let them know what’s going on ASAP.

Professionalism

Showing professionalism in an interview goes way beyond your double major and sharp suit. Yes, it is extremely important to dress nicely and have a solid resume behind you, but just as important is how you are able to present yourself.

Step 1: Be the first one to offer an example of your work ethic.

Explain a project you initiated and completed, talk in detail about your relevant knowledge as it relates to the position you are interviewing for. Be careful of sounding presumptuous, but don’t be afraid of sharing your accomplishments. No one wants to hire someone who says, “Eh, I haven’t really done much to be proud of.”

Step 2: Respectfully acknowledge each person you encounter.

This includes people you meet in the elevator, the receptionist, or the custodian. Smile and say hello! This will let people know that if you land this position, you’re going to be a pleasant person to be around Monday through Friday.

Step 3: Mind your manners.

Try to avoid words that have a negative connotation, and never speak negatively about your current or former employer or about a co-worker. If they hear you say that your old boss was lousy, they might not be too excited about offering you a position at the company because they will be left wondering if you would speak that way about them. Again, every negative has a positive. Even if your boss was challenging, explain how you found value in someone that focused on getting results. It helped you prioritize and manage your time much better. Never interrupt, and always make sure that you thank each person you met with for taking time to speak with you. Send an additional thank-you note promptly after your interview while you are still fresh in the interviewer’s mind.

Positivity

This is the last action of the P’s, and it may be the one that ties them all together. One of the most important things to remember when interviewing is to channel your emotions and body language to communicate that you want this job. If you go into an interview with the belief that you are not going to get an offer, then you’re not going to persuade the interviewer to think any differently.

Step 1: Smile, but not too much.

Show the interviewer that you are not a robot. Know when to smile, and maybe even more importantly, know when not to smile. You don’t want to be smiling during the story of why the company just fired their best sales representative. If they crack a joke, give a little chuckle, but don’t take it too far. They might be able to sense the pseudo-flattery.  

Step 2: Actively listen.

Actively listening and repeating back the information you are receiving shows that you are really listening to the interviewer and not just saying, “mhmm, yes, I see.” Anyone can do this. The interviewer wants to interview someone who shows they are interested, not someone who says they are. Show the interviewer you are attentive and curious.

Step 3: Share meaningful examples.

The interviewer will be able to see that the situation you are referencing had a genuine impact on you. Being sincere and authentic will set you apart from other candidates who have been rehearsing answers to standard questions. When you share an example that had a significant impact on you, the person you are sharing that experience with will be able to tell that you are genuine because people like real people, and real people have stories. Those examples will allow both you and the interview to connect and if you and the position are a good match.

Never forget that the person interviewing you also had to go through interviews too. The most important things to remember is to relax, be yourself, and let the interviewer lead the conversation. If you remember this, you will conquer it!

These days, pipeline recruiting is proving to be much more efficient and productive than traditional hiring. One of the hard truths of running a business is never knowing exactly when one of your employees is going to say farewell. Much like having a business continuity plan in place to secure your company’s infrastructure, having a backup plan to fill certain positions will allow your company to keep on performing and stay balanced.

Often times, the way in which we try to connect with candidates and/or job seekers can be a bit hasty and forced, but pipelines act as the bridge between meaningful relationships and positive results. You won’t get a good result unless you put in the conscious effort and attention into a pipeline! 

Below are five reasons why the pipeline approach is so powerful and beneficial.  

Pipelining is a win-win for everyone. Talent pipelines are a great way to build rapport and to be intentional about getting to know candidates’ career goals, plans, and ambitions. They are two-way streets; the candidate needs to know as much as they can about the company just as much as the company needs to know about the candidate. Too many times we have gotten ourselves into, or have been a witness of people getting into roles only to find out they are either overly qualified, or are not qualified enough. With strategic pipelines in place, however, this risk can be mitigated, and dare I say nonexistent!

 Hiring the best candidate is faster and painless. Recruiting top talent is more challenging today than ever before. We are currently experiencing record low unemployment rates, which is great! However, it makes recruiting a lot more challenging. Companies are going above and beyond to retain their people, especially the best ones. That’s why proactively networking with passive candidates is essential. You are being intentional about reaching out to a potential candidate and expressing a sincere interest in learning more about the them and their skills. It’s a complimentary way of connecting with a candidate and the response rates are typically very high.

 The entire hiring process is accelerated. There’s a reason people start looking for jobs three months before they plan on leaving their current role, and a big reason is that the entire interview and hiring process can take forever. When roles are filled promptly after opening them and the new hire hasn’t been properly screened, you run the risk of hiring someone unqualified. The harsh reality is that this happens, but it doesn’t have to. With pipelines, the hiring process is accelerated, but the hard part of screening the candidate and making sure he or she fits the bill is over. By the time they are hired, they feel like part of the team because the relationship has already been established. 

Great for discovering talent that is still developing. Let’s say you found someone who meets all of the personal requirements to fill the spot you are recruiting for. She’s intelligent, sharp, and admires the company. She’s got a promising career trajectory ahead of her. The only problem is that the positions you mostly recruit for require individuals with 5-7 years of experience, and she only has 2-3. You don’t want to lose site of this great candidate do you? The obvious answer is no, so what do you do? Add her to your pipeline! Stay close to her, connect over coffee every six months or so. Then, when a relevant position opens up that aligns well with her skills and interests, the process is set in motion and the interviewing process begins! Think about how this can impact your time to fill! 

Lower turnover, higher retention. The traditional hiring process seems to rush into making a decision over the right candidate. With any open position, there’s an obvious need to fill it quickly. Often times the mindset is “fill the position, now!” instead of, “find the right person, now!” Do companies want to hire the same person 20 times (by means of continually refilling the position), or would they rather proactively network with 10 people over a 6-month period, where they identify a perfect fit? With talent pipelines, the fear of hiring, firing, and refilling the position 20 times is gone because the mindset is this:

 -    This is an important job. You are an important person.

-    We work to support you and your success, so we want to make sure we get it right the first time.

-    We don’t just hire anyone. We hire people like you.

When this mentality is in place, companies experience lower turnover and higher retention because these values are strong and put into action, not just nice words that sound good together.

 By proactively recruiting candidates and keeping the line of communication open, you can cut the hiring process almost in half and the uncertainties will be brought to light and mitigated. Honesty, integrity, and compatibility lie in the depths of the pipeline, and the great thing about them is that you can make them fit your company.