Interview Questions....Important?

So, you’ve got an interview. It’s with a company that you love the look of, you’ve done plenty of background research and know all about the company and the people that you are likely to meet. You feel good about what lies ahead.

You go to the interview, you answer their questions to the best of your ability and you leave. You feel somewhat deflated as you didn’t get to show them your knowledge and how committed to them you are.

Finally, the call comes. ‘’I’m sorry to tell you but unfortunately, we won’t be taking you onto the next stage’’.

Now how could this situation of been avoided? Easy, questions. If you go for an interview you MUST MUST MUST ask them questions. If I was interviewing with a company that I was going to be at for potentially the remainder of my working life I would have many questions to ask them. This isn’t just beneficial to you, it also shows the interviewer that you’re interested in them and taking it seriously. In my early days of recruitment, I had a candidate fail an interview at first stage due to not looking interested, he sat on his hands, looked at his feet and the largest gripe of the client was that ‘’he didn’t even ask a question’’, I looked like an idiot and the candidate was back to square one. (my interview prep changed somewhat after this)

So how could this interview of changed for the positive?

They didn’t ask you what you knew about the company so you couldn’t let them know? Right? Wrong, set yourself up with a question, example, ‘From the research that I’ve done I can see that in 2015 ABC Ltd merged with XYZ Ltd, how has the business changed since then?’

This shows the interviewers that you’ve done some research into them and have delivered a good question that is going to make them really think about their answer.

Don’t just ask questions about the company its self, bring in the people that you’re talking with. Example, ‘John, you used to work at XYZ Ltd for 10 years, why did you leave them to join ABC Ltd? What were the push and pull factors for you?’

Again, this is a good question that is going to make them really think about the answer. Its good question to ask as it may give you a good insight into a few good points about the company that haven’t come up yet.

Along with asking good questions you need to present yourself well. Don’t be the guy/girl that sits on their hands and looks at their feet the whole time. Sit up straight, keep a strong amount of eye contact and project yourself in a confident manner. An interview is an interview regardless of where you’re going. Someone once told me that you can never be dressed too smart, the film ‘’Step Brothers’’ proved that this is actually wrong, don’t go to an interview wearing a tuxedo but do go to the interview wearing appropriately smart clothes, you cant go wrong with a suit. Keep it simply, nu funky ties, no crazy shoes.

Some good questions to take note of are:

Why would I want to work here?

Why would I NOT want to work here?

What do you like most about working here?

If you could change anything about XYZ Ltd, what would it be and why?

Is this a new position or has someone left?

(If they left) Why did they leave?

What are the plans for the future of this role? Is there growth planned that may affect this role?

Is there opportunity for promotion in the near future? Can people develop quickly here?

What is expected of me in the short, mid and long term?

Is there any on job training to further enhance my skills?

What is the company culture like?

What would your ideal candidate be like?

Have you got any concerns about me at this stage?

What is the next stage?

When can I expect to hear from you?

Don’t be afraid to note these questions down and take your pad in with you. Nobody is perfect and interviews are pretty draining so don’t expect to remember all of them. If during the interview, they answer some of your questions, feel free to cross out the question. 1. It shows them that you’ve been prepared and had some questions planned. 2. It’ll make them feel good about their interview technique due to them answering your questions before you get to ask them. First and foremost, you need to be concentrating on the ongoing conversation.

At the end of the interview, make sure you give them a good hand shake, thank them for their time and make sure they have no further questions.

A winning point that I push to all my candidates is to get the contact details from the interviewer before they leave. Once you get home, send them and email thanking them for their time once again and telling them not to hesitate to get Intouch should they have any further questions.

If you have any questions about any of this interview advice, please get intouch with anyone here at Quad Recruitment."