I realized the importance of prepping candidates when I was
recruiting candidates for a long time valued client. For this particular client, a network services security solutions
and eLearning company, I successfully recruited a CFO (with prior, successful
IPO experience), a VP of Global Sales & Marketing (from Paris France to the
DC area!), a Director of HR, and multiple sales and account executives. Ultimately, the client gave me an offer I
couldn’t refuse and I joined the company as Chief Administrative Officer to the
CEO and VP of HR. I hired the same
professional I’d been using as an independent executive search consultant to
help me with the enormous recruiting challenge. Then something went wrong.
Even though I was still ultimately selecting which candidates we would present, my client – now boss – expressed increasing dis-satisfaction with the ‘quality’. What was different? The only thing I could think of is that when I was full time in executive search, I always helped candidates prepare specifically for the interview. Sure enough, when I started to work with candidates again prior to the interview, on the points noted below, the perceived “quality” of my candidates soared.
Key steps to preparing for the interview…
·
Good preps start with preparing for your first
conversation / interview question
·
Must give me an accurate compensation history, so
that I can manage the compensation negotiations and ensure you receive your
maximum value in the market
·
Must have reasonable expectations about the process,
and both our roles (you as candidate, me as coach)
·
Must thoroughly review the candidate “prep package” I
provide to you
·
Recognize that most candidates
o
do not know how to talk about their accomplishments
as effectively as possible
o
don’t handle compensation effectively
o
don’t know how to make as strong a close to the
interview as they could
·
pre-Brief with me immediately before your interview,
and de-brief with me immediately after
What are the key steps – what are the core elements?
1)
Need to have a powerful compelling, succinct response to the
inevitable “Tell me about your self” question
2)
I will have provided the client in advance your compensation
history, beginning with the largest numbers (e.g. this year’s or last
year’s W2)
3)
Need to be able to concisely highlight three accomplishments
which most closely relate to the job… e.g. to be able to highlight specific
(quantifiable) accomplishments… this response must address one of three
questions -- where did you make money, save money or affect the bottom line?
4)
Need to be able to address “What makes you top of the class?
Why? Consider, that we interview at
least 10 candidates for every position, (our client may have other candidates
they are interviewing as well), We’re only going to have one successful
candidate, what makes you the one who will get hired? Must be comfortable being confident about
this answer -- without being
cocky. But it’s easy – you simply go
back to the three accomplishments you’ve prepared, and summarize again
5)
You must be able to explain why you want to work for THIS
client and in THIS industry.
6)
Mutual expectations: My role is as your coach and your
agent… you are not a professional job hopper, so it would be a warning sign if
you were a professional interviewer.
What I’m providing you as your agent – regardless of whether you are
offered and accept this position or not –
can help you throughout your
career. By coaching you on how to
prepare for this interview and these deal-breaker questions, I’m helping to
competitively position you as a candidate that will ALWAYS set you a part from
any one who hasn’t been coached…. that will give you an edge over other
candidates… Since we don’t place everyone we contact but we never present
candidates who are not qualified, the reality is that if I present you for a
position that doesn’t work out, it has more to do with situation than your
ability… HOWEVER, when you DO land, whether it’s my job, another recruiter’s
job, or on your own, please remember that I’M THE ONE who invested in you,
because I’m in this for the long term.
I’m looking for relationships, not dates, and I want you to remember ME
when YOU are in a position to hire…
Step #1 the Team A” question: where does
a good interview preparation start? By anticipating that first conversation in
the interview… that first question…
the “TEAM A question” is key… “Tell me about yourself” is the most common
question clients ask a candidate first, so YOU need to be prepared to answer
this...
NEVER answer this question with personal information (e.g.
husband and children, or hobbies or sports teams…)
NEVER answer this question – if asked early in the interview
– WITH a question -- e.g. “what would you like to know?” you NEVER should answer an opening question
with a question… you need to be
prepared to answer this question with your opening statement, and 3 key
accomplishments that most relate to the job
Always review carefully any prep package/background information DON’T SKIM it (when we talk before your interview, key for you to have already read it and be prepared to discuss any questions…)
You should have received or will receive the following
information:
1)
interview basics do’s and don’t (see Interviewing:
Improving Your Odds)
2)
who what when where and why (logistics for the
client),
3)
detailed job description to re-review (to
refresh yourself on what the client is looking for
4)
company overview; key URLs to check on the website
5)
what I TOLD the client about YOU (see your candidate
letter of intro), including your compensation history… first number I tell
them is last year’s W-2, 2nd) your expected W-2 for current year, 3)
your current base salary… and expected raise (amount and date)
6)
six page article on “how to ask for the job and get
it…” six page article from national
employment weekly… (I DON’T have this yet)
7)
how to reduce interview stress… (I DON’T have this yet)
8)
a list of 30 tough behavioral interviewing questions (See Interview
Questions, below) You MUST be able to answer EVERY question competitively
and aggressively …”If there is any question you do not feel you can answer
intelligently and competitively please tell me in our verbal prep…
What are the 5 (or 6!) most common mistakes candidates make
in an interview…
6 most common mistakes candidates make on an interview :
1)
candidates don’t listen and/or talk too much
2)
don’t answer the Team A question right “tell me about your
self” … critical failure point
3)
don’t know how to talk about their accomplishments or
successes – especially
4)
how they talk about money
5)
how you answer questions; need to ask questions that show
intelligence, display strengths
6)
don’t know how to close and ask for the job … closing
statement
#1 Self-explanatory
#2 Don’t answer the Team A question right “tell me about
your self” … critical failure point
Most people handle this poorly, we’re going to share with
you how to answer, and thereby set yourself apart:
·
one sentence summary of your professional background
(not how many kids, marathon runner, or your sports interests, or anything
personal about your self in terms of activities, families or friends.) e.g. LAN/WAN administrator with mid-sized
companies for the last 8 years
·
then, one – two sentence accomplishment that is easy to
quantify and shows what saves and makes money, compelling enough to invite a
follow up question what I’ve done well… “e.g. in my last job,
I helped lead a successful Domino conversion, and as a result we saved $80K by
doing in-house, and not going outside…”
(be prepared for the NEXT obvious question…”tell me more about
that?”)
·
one sentence for what you want to do next – must match THIS job you’re interviewing
for! In my next job, I’m looking to do… your answer to this question MUST
change interview by interview -
depending on the company and the opportunity.
Make sure that you do not provide options (e.g. any other opportunities you may be
considering, you want the client to feel that they are your #1 choice.)
·
at this point YOU should ask the interviewer a
well-prepared question (do this with all the people with whom you
interview) to put the control back
into their hands so they can talk… For example, “Although the recruiter has
told me about this position, and I’ve read a detailed spec, I was hoping that
before we started the interview could you explain in your own words the
position briefly one more time, what you are looking for, so that I can make
sure what I talk about in my background that is most relevant / applicable”
(BE QUIET and LISTEN!) number one complaint from clients is that candidates
blather on and on, afraid to interrupt…
if candidate getting different answers, then recruiter can intervene
#3 Preparing three RELEVANT accomplishment in advance.
Often, even the highest quality professionals are simply
not comfortable talking about HOW what they do IMPACTS the BOTTOM line,
(e.g. an IT gun is comfortable technologies they KNOW, but not necessarily
about their accomplishments, and how it affects the big picture and makes a
bottom line impact … CLIENTS do NOT typically ask what were your top three
accomplishments in the last five years where did you make money, save
money, change a process… interviewers don’t usually provide an obvious
platform, you must learn to look for the opportunity…look for ways to introduce
your accomplishments, you must be comfortable with modest self promotion… never
answer “have you done x?” with yes, always answer “yes, AND with an EXAMPLE
of an accomplishment that shows what you did WELL… top 4-5 accomplishments…”
and check off each accomplishment as move through the interview… include
your list of key accomplishments (and questions) next to your resume in front
of you, or in a portfolio with resume on the left and list of
accomplishments (and questions) on the right… key – must be able to talk about
accomplishment AS IT RELATES to the specific client, position.. … must be able
to explain why are YOU on the top of the class?
#4 You need to trust us you when it comes to your
compensation. We will reward
your trust, because 1) we will help you prepare to deal with the money; 2) we will
maximize your market value (e.g. not leave money on the table); 3) most
importantly, we will stay in the middle so that you can take the ‘high road’
and we can jump on the grenade if there are any ‘mis-understandings’. Botching the compensation package negotiation
is the number one reason candidates who are not working through a search
consultant lose the opportunity. We will always share with you
-- in advance – what we’re telling the client… Be careful: NEVER talk
money with prospective peers, if a peer asks, simply respond, “I
believe I’ve already covered that with HR and the department head”… KEY is
to deal with money in a three step process…
First question that you will often be asked is
“what are you making NOW”? NEVER
respond with the base salary, instead, give the FACTS of where you are right
now… you START with the W-2 number “last
year my W-2 was $$” (otherwise the salary locks into the interviewer’s head… in
2002 my W2 will be x plus Y.. Let’s start with the biggest number to be
associated with you compensation wise… this was my W2, THEN this was base
salary, these were the other compensation elements. If have received a raise or close to it, my W2 was, (if got a
raise or close to a raise, my W2 for 2002 will probably be; my current salary
is X, but in a month will be Y”
second question will be what do you want to make
working for us? Most candidates will
give a number that is too low… “I’m flattered you asked, and frankly I wasn’t
expecting to talk about money at this point, but hopefully because it’s I’m a
candidate you’re interested in, I’m interested in you… what I’m looking for is your most
competitive offer… if I’m the guy you want, and I hope I am”. Client will be both motivated to compete
for you, BUT will still follow up with the
third question / attempt: I still need a number, really, what’s it
going to take to get you to join us for this position right now … “I didn’t
anticipate discussing compensation on the first date – OR – I wasn’t prepared
to talk dollars and cents today, frankly, I was under the impression that Ann
Boland would be handling the compensation negotiations, and I’m comfortable
letting him handle that for me… the discussions with you on that, and I’d like
to leave it that way”.
#5 Prepare well-researched questions in advance. You should be prepared in advance and
should ask your (insightful, thoughtful) questions throughout
the interview process… BUT DO NOT WAIT until the very end… when client
says do you have any more questions?
They’re signaling they are done… don’t pull out a laundry
list! No, you’ve done a great jobs
explaining everything! Should have
already weaved assumptive-closed questions throughout the interview… anything
that will make the client picture YOU in the job…good zinger to ask in the
first third of the interview “if
/ when I start in next 3 weeks, what will be the top 3 business issues I need
to address immediately / in the next 90 days to have a bottom line impact…”
OR “if/when I start, based on what you know about me thus far, and the rest
of the team, who would be the best / ideal mentor for me?” …or, for an
executive, “who would be my key peers, key players on the team”… helps client already start thinking about
you in terms of the existing team… who would I be working with…” don’t wait
until the end to ask these questions… all the functional questions that can
make you look good need to be dealt with in advance… always prompt them … have
these questions on the same list as your accomplishments and check off as you
cover them…
If you follow our candidate preparation guidelines, you
will always distinguish yourself from other candidates who apply via the
internet or respond to want ads. The
key to surviving multiple interviews is to make the same key points
in every single interview… if have these key points right in
front of you, won’t forget to cover basics or leave interviewers with the
impression that answered differently… even if YOU think you sounds like a tape
recorder, that means you’re doing it right… you ask “tell me about the job
in your words” at the beginning, you summarize how YOU can
contribute at the end…
you highlight your main (RELEVANT) accomplishments and ask questions
throughout and you WILL be different from 99% of the candidates out there…
#6 How to Answer “do you have any questions for me?” Again, DO NOT pull out a laundry list – all
your prepared questions should have been answered by now. Recognize and answer this as the
interviewer’s ‘closing question’ in
a three step process, beginning with a ‘trial close’.
1) “Yes, I only have one
more question. Based on my background
and skill set, do I bring to the table have the skill set necessary to be successful
… (OR) that you need to have on board in order to accomplish what needs
to be done for the current position?” OR “are my skills and abilities
such that I am a strong candidate who can be successful in this position?” Ideally, client should respond with yes,
your background and skill set match what we’re looking for. Expect the HR or other interviewer to answer
at this point… we think you’re fine, we’ll let you know/get back to you … we’ve
4 million others to interview and
forced ranking, then we’ll be back to you… prepare and expect to hear this so you won’t be deflated or surprise..
2) Summation Close – written ahead of
time and ready to go…you say, “Great.
Based on what I have seen and what we’ve talked about today, and what I
could bring to the table because of 1, 2, 3 (re-iterate your 3 key
points), I’m very interested in the opportunity” OR I’m glad you
agree that my background is a fit, and I am very interested in pursuing this
position because I believe I could be successful in this position because of 1,
2, 3 … THEN, “Is there anything more YOU need to know about my
background to ensure we take the next step of the process…” There should NOT
be ANY confusion in the client’s mind that you, the candidate
WANT to take the next step… You
want to leave ‘ ANY date’ with the clear next step of a ‘NEXT date’. You don’t necessarily have to go on the
‘NEXT date’, but you do not want to do anything to preclude this opportunity
(even if you think the potential boss is a jerk; s/he may be in the process of
being fired, and you don’t want to miss the chance to be the replacement. Also keep in mind, that although there may
be another opportunity that you currently feel is more attractive than this,
your ‘first choice’ may fall through; we can usually manage things with
the client so that they never know they are your second choice – e.g.
stall for time, but only if you always leave on a high note, and the
client has the impression that you want the job and that they are
your first and only choice. .
Final thoughts:
OPTIONAL: I’m so enthusiastic, can we take a tour of the
plant OR is there anyone else I can meet with today?
the ONLY OTHER thing you EVER should do AFTER you’ve closed in this way, is IF the client offers to schedule next interview… but you must be very clear in asking for the job, hence the summation… nothing worse than the client not sure the candidate is interested… if you have to write it up fro them, make sure you have a strong closing statement…
even if you’re not sure if you’re interested or not? FAKE it, that way you don’t burn any bridges with the client…WE WILL handle your extrication gracefully, if necessary… YOU do a STRONG close… That way if something else might fall through, and we’ll be able to put you back in play…
Don’t forget to CALL US preferably three – four hours before
the interview, and immediately after to debrief. Remember… what we bring to the
table – our value add in this process -- is this package, and the coaching and
the advice on how to manage the recruiting process successfully.