How many times did you have a job interview with a great first impression and instant rapport with the interviewer? You greeted the interviewer with a firm handshake, smiled, and spoke in a confident voice. In the first ten minutes of the interview, you successfully identified common points of interest with the interviewer, such as speaking the same second language, living in the same town, working previously at the same company, or sharing the same travel interests. You and your interviewer friend talked incessantly for the entire hour. What a great interview. An offer is definitely on the way. WRONG.
Candidate evaluation process
Job seekers must understand the company’s evaluation process (i.e., the rules) to win the interview game. Although every company has different criteria, the following are critical factors that job seekers must demonstrate during every interview to be invited back for another round.
- Personable qualities - At the end of the hour, interviewers will ask themselves Do I like this person and will I enjoy working in the same office, on the same team? This assessment carries significant weight and job seekers should devote interview preparation time to win this factor. The first impression, rapport, and body language are the personable qualities considered by interviewers in their decision to recommend or to reject a job seeker. Based on the above introduction, you passed this factor with flying colors.
- Company knowledge - Interviewers are always impressed with candidates who will have a brief learning curve so they can become productive quickly. Because of this factor, job seekers with in-depth knowledge of company products, strategies, management, customers, competitors, and culture have the ability to win over competing candidates. Demonstrate this knowledge and you will get closer to an offer.
- Closeness of fit - Every job has a list of skills and experiences the company requires before an offer is extended. The more you are able to demonstrate relevant skills during the interview, the closer you will get to an offer.
Company interviewers are often required to complete a candidate assessment form which usually contains questions about the above three factors, plus others such as strengths and weaknesses. If the entire interview were spent demonstrating your personable qualities, what assessment is the company interviewer going to pass along to the head of human resources or the hiring manager about company knowledge and closeness of fit to job specifications? A blank response is a clear path to a reject letter.
What to do to win the interview
Inexperienced interviewers come at all levels in every company–presidents, C-level executives, middle management, and entry level staff can all fall into this category. These interviewers want to make you feel comfortable and do not have the experience, or do not prepare in advance, to ask behavioral or other questions related to the position requirements. When you find yourself spending every minute of the interview bonding and establishing rapport with the interviewer, you must do something to salvage the interview.
Redirect the conversation in the final fifteen or twenty minutes to accomplish this objective. Be modest, polite and respectful, as you say to the interviewer I have really enjoyed our conversation and would like to share with you some of my experience related specifically to the position you are looking to fill. Be sure to prioritize your accomplishments and describe those that apply to the most important requirements, since you may only have five or ten minutes to do so. Also cite an example that demonstrates how well you know the company.
The interviewer should be delighted to hear your qualifications because you made his or her job easy by taking the initiative and describing your relevant accomplishments. You should be very pleased if you see the interviewer taking copious notes.
Written by Alan H. Nierenberg, author of Winning the Interview Game–Everything You Need to Know to Land the Job (www.InterviewGame.com). Mr. Nierenberg is Founder and Principal of the executive search firm, People Options, LLC, and he offers a job search coaching service to help job seekers overcome difficult obstacles.