Job interviews (2/2)

Welcome back! You have completed the first phase of the recruitment process.

You are now part of the short-listed candidates selected for the final round. Usually, at this stage, there is you and 1 to 3 other candidates remaining, which represents less than 1% of all applications received in most of hiring processes. We’re approaching the final decision but there is still a long way to go and, in some organizations, many (too many) interviews to go through.

At this stage, you receive detailed information from HR about the expected interview planning. Who you will meet and what is expected from you - case study to prepare, language or psychological test, presentation to give in front of an audience, etc. Let’s talk about the most “famous” ones and, for this blog to continue to be authentic, the ones I am very familiar with.

Before we deep dive into the different interviews, you should keep in mind the following: at the end of the interview process, you might have to face a decision that will have huge consequences on your career and on your life. Don’t make the mistake to having to convince at all price that you’re the best candidate, don’t be only the pleaser. Open your eyes, open your ears, ask relevant questions, challenge positively the people you have in front of you asking them why they do things the way they do, always with a smile and always in the spirit of answering one simple question: Is this really a place where I want to work?

Panel interview

This format is great and not only for the organization, who improves its interviewing accuracy significantly in comparison to 1-on-1 meetings, and therefore finding the most suitable candidate for the role. For you, it reduces drastically the number of interviews during a hiring process. Instead of having 3 to 5 hours, you have 60 to 90 minutes all together in the same room. Second, you don’t have to answer again and again the same standard questions like: “Can you introduce yourself?”, “What is your motivation for the role?” or worst case: “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”. Third, as for the interview with HR and the hiring manager (see part 1 of this Blog) which is a mini panel taking place during the first round, it creates more rhythm, more connection, more emulation. All in all, the experience for the candidate is probably more challenging and stressful but, in most cases, more positive.

What can you expect during a Panel interview?

It creates extra pressure for you. You come with your brain and your questions, they bring many and “bombard” you with questions! While you speak, one panelist might pay attention to your hands, the other to your posture, someone already anticipates the next question, another one takes notes and finally someone talks to you looking at you in the eyes. Now, relax and breathe… Take it as a game, they may be in excess, you still have a chance to “win” as you are here sitting in front of them. All they wish for is you to be at your best so they can enjoy the next hour. They want to have fun, they want to know who you are, why you’re here and if you would be a good “fit” for the company they work for. Some of them may never work with you should you be the selected candidate; some others may be your future internal clients or may be your future managers. By the way, who usually sits on a Panel interview?

The peer(s) - for example, if your “future” manager is responsible for a region, other Heads of region might sit in the panel. Their role is to bring additional feedback on the “technical” part. On whether you can perform well in the role or not. Expect with those panelists some similar questions as the ones you got from the hiring manager (HM).

The observer - the hiring manager (or +1) might be present but usually holding a more “passive” role during the interview. The HM may introduce the conversation and answer some of the questions at the end but the rest of the time will remain silent and take notes.

The orchestrator - the recruiter or the HR Business Partner usually attend the meeting. They may introduce the meeting, use Behavioral Interview questions (see part 1), check the time and answers HR related questions at the end. They ensure all panelists play their score.

The “outsider” - they may be designated “experts” in interviews by the company because they have been trained AND recognized by the company as highly skilled in interviewing. They might not have much to do “technically” with the role you applied for but they are usually the “tough cookies” in the room. In addition to that, their role might also include to “surprise” you with questions you might not expect (just to name a few - What do you think of topic x? What is your most important professional encounter so far, please explain why? What can we do for you?, etc.) in order to bring a different perspective during the interview and after, for the debrief.

As already said, panel interviews offer more chances of a better candidate’s experience than separated 1 on 1 interviews whether you like the exercise or not. This affirmation is based on my personal experience, feedback I got directly from candidates and anonymous surveys we ran for a number of years. However, this affirmation can only be true should the panelists received proper training on how to interview and spend at least 30mn ahead of the panel in order to prepare. Otherwise, the meeting will appear to be messy where every panelist has its own agenda and where very little is learnt about the candidate.

Therefore, let’s assume the people you face have received proper training on how to conduct a panel interview. On top of that, the panelists will usually come better prepared to the meeting as if they would do a 1-on-1 interview in order to appear competent in front of peer colleagues and be able to actively participate to the debrief session at the end of every hiring process.

As a candidate, you may not notice the time as the rhythm is intense and you don’t have much time to reflect between the questions asked. Be prepared for everything: motivation, CV, Behavioral and hypothetical questions. Given the intensity, you may not have a clever answer to all the questions asked and it’s fine. Just say it out loud or ask for a reformulation in order to gain some time. Don’t try to appear smart, just be authentic, specific and honest. And show you still have something to learn, otherwise you cannot improve, right?

You will also learn a lot about the company by attending a panel. Are people relaxed with each other or very formal? What’s the role of HR, active or passive? Are people trained and prepared for such an interview format? Do people “compete” against each other to ask the cleverest questions or collaborate together to really understand your story and assess properly? Reflect on those information before making your final decision.

There is usually more time for questions during a panel, use this time to your advantage. How? Making sure they notice you came prepared and that you studied “who’s who”. But do this with subtlety and for a good reason: articles they wrote, previous jobs they hold, expertise they have; and if possible, always related to a question you want to answer that will help you make you decision, not just to appear smart. Be curious about their journey within the company and try to get different perspectives from the same questions you asked. If not easy, challenge them to give you honest answers.

Finally, because this format always appears impressive for the candidate, panelists are usually more careful and kinder. Use those “good vibes”, hear them and take them in order to enjoy this experience. And remember, they are here because of you…thanks to you…

“Open your eyes, open your ears, ask relevant questions, challenge positively the people you have in front of you asking them why they do things the way they do, ... always in the spirit of answering one simple question: Is this really a place where I want to work?”

The “super” Panel

All of the above (see Panel Interview), a case study to prepare in advance and a presentation to give in front of the panelists.

Now we’re talking! It is the moment of truth and it is, for many roles, especially mid to senior level positions including relationship management, a great format. This “super” panel taking place after the interview with HR and the hiring manager should be enough for most of the roles. I would only add an informal discussion with the team for the benefit of the candidate’s experience and that’s it! But let’s get back to the “mount Everest” of interviews 😉.

What can you expect during this interview?

Simply put. You will be “on the grill” for 90 to 120 minutes. And you have at least to prepare twice more as for a simple panel given you need to prepare the case and presentation. It is a lot to ask, it is not easy but, by all mean, it is an excellent exercise and again, a fantastic opportunity for you to learn about the place. Being challenged to be at your best is what the “super” panel offers. This means you have the right to expect the same from your assessors: they should excel in listening, asking questions, being engaged through their body language, responding to your questions with honesty and openness, etc.

Before and during the presentation, think about your audience and what are the key messages you want to communicate. You will probably invest a lot of time in thinking, generating ideas and hypothesis, rehearsing but don’t make the mistake to try to communicate absolutely everything you learnt by doing this exercise. Focus on how much time you have and what you really want people to remember at the end of the time allocated (usually no more than 20mn, most probably 10 to 15).  Keep it simple. Keep it sharp and stick to your plan. No time to improvise yet…😉

After the presentation, you will get a robust Q&A that challenges the angle you choose to take preparing for this exercise. Don’t panic…it is made on purpose for 2 reasons. The first one is to check on whether you can firmly stick with your arguments and opinion. If you believe what you prepared is valid, which I hope for you, simply maintain your “line” and explain why, without losing your focus. The second might challenge positively the work you’ve done. Remember, they surely have more insights than you on the topic. They are simply trying to “help” you assimilate more information and expect an instinctive reaction from you. Simply put, be ready to reassess the situation, should you think the arguments presented and added by your audience make sense.

In summary, this presentation exercise assesses your technical skills on a certain topic, your level of thinking and synthesizing, your presentation skills and the balance you can show “on the spot” between defending arguments and embracing new ideas.

(Informal) interview with the team

This discussion rarely happens on the official agenda. Too rarely in my opinion. Here is my advice! Ask for it! It is the best thing you can do to gather precious information on the role, the team, its dynamic, etc. And you may be applying for the team manager role. In that case, it is a must for you to meet the team.

What can you expect during this interview?

This interview should be relatively informal. Reason why I prefer to call it a discussion. Of course, it is still an interview but, if the company is serious about candidate’s assessment, there should not be any formal feedback shared from the team members, and whatever feedback there is, it should not be shared during the official debrief session. But let’s go back to the interview with the team and discuss why it is so important for you, the candidate, to have this meeting.

Let’s keep it simple: those are the people you will spend a lot of time with, you will go to for advice and ask for help if needed, you will have lunch with and hopefully a little bit of fun and maybe even a lot. Therefore, it is more than necessary to spend at least a moment with this group before you decide to accept the role or not. And once you have access to them, you must take this meeting as an opportunity to “really” understand what is going on in this team. Ask many questions as they sit in front of you mainly to answer your questions. Of course, they will start with asking you why you’re here and be curious about your background but this meeting is mostly about giving you the opportunity to familiarize yourself with “who’s doing what?”, to picture a simple SWOT analysis of the team and to read between the lines. Observe, pay attention to any details of body language, interactions between members, the way they talk about their manager, etc…and you will get a lot of information on how the team is doing, are people happy with their job and their manager, do they really need someone in the team or do they see this open role, therefore you, as useless ? Those are just concrete and simple examples, but many more information can arise during this interview so be focus, pay attention and take notes.

“Bonus” interview

This is the freestyle interview. Yes, you know what I mean. The one added at the last minute, the one not originally planned and coming out of nowhere. Why? no idea… Well, not exactly 😉.

This usually happens in 2 cases.

The first case is that the company is a “mess” and add interviews at the last minute for no particular reason, just because the manager or someone more senior decides to do so. It is also a sign of inconsistency and lack of equity as all the candidates will most probably not have the same exact interview planning.

The second case might be slightly more positive than the first one but still lacking consistency in most of cases. They may want to check one particular skills particularly needed for the role and, therefore, ask one more person to speak to you.

What can you expect during this interview?

Anything can happen, from an informal discussion with someone who has no idea why he or she is sitting in front of you up to a sharp behavioral interview at the end of the day, at a time you should already be in the bus heading back home.

The best advice I can give is to anticipate this to happen in order for you to be mentally (and physically) prepared to spend 1 more hour that what the plan is. And embrace the ambiguity of the situation, don’t try to overthink and analyze why this interview came out from nowhere. You will have plenty of time to speculate on scenarios afterwards. But in the present moment, show flexibility and your capacity to adapt, stay highly energized, be curious and you will be rewarded, one way or the other.

That’s it, after a busy day or week of interviews, you are officially done. All you have to do now is wait for the final decision and send a thank you note to all the people you’ve met.

To close the loop on this thematic around hiring process and job offer, I will highlight in one of my next Blog some of the most important questions to ask yourself and the company before accepting a job offer.

Interested about this article? Feel free to contact me here.