This Interview Strategy is based on "feedback" we've obtained from Hiring Managers over the past 45+ years, discussing what they liked or did not like about a candidate. These are not my ideas, but rather the feedback from the Hiring Managers who decide if you are the person they want to hire.

I. The Most Common Mistake: Going to an Interview un-prepared.

What does Preparation for an Interview entail?

1.    Review the company website in detail.

• Understand what their product or service is that they offer.
• How have they grown?
• What is their revenue?
• How many people do they employ?
• What are their target markets?

2.    Review the Job Description in detail.

3.    Review the Interviewer’s LinkedIn Profile, look for anything that you might have in common.

4.    Prepare a List of Your Selling Points with examples to back them up for credibility.

5.    Prepare a list of Your Questions for the client and Interviewer.

6.    Prepare a List or replies to their anticipated Questions.

II. Every Interview is an opportunity to "sell, persuade, or educate"...

Do not think that "selling" is a negative. You are not going to be a used car salesman. Realize selling is: "educating" the hiring team of your strengths and how they will benefit the company and hiring managers.

"Sales Training 101" - teaches that to be successful in sales you need to:

1.    First establish the customer’s needs, wants, desires, or Hot-Buttons

2.    Then present your product or service’s Positive Selling Points to show how they address their “needs or Hot-Buttons”.

3.    Close for a commitment, be prepared to reply to Objections and...

4.    Close again!

How does this apply to an Interview? Establishing the Hot-Buttons.

1.    Keep in mind that each person in the Interview process will likely have a different set of criteria or hot buttons that they feel are important in a Candidate to be successful in the role. Therefore, as you meet each interviewer you need to uncover their particular “Hot-Buttons”.

a.   How to do this?

I have been asked many times “How?” I hate to oversimplify but just ask. Prepare a question like one of these:

1.    “From what I know and understand about the role and the company so far, I am very interested. Can you tell me what are 3 or 4 of the most important traits or characteristics that you are looking for the candidate to offer?”

2.    “From what I know and understand about the role and the company so far, I am very interested. Can you tell me what are 3 or 4 of the most important challenges or tasks that you are looking for the candidate to take on or accomplish?”

3.    “From what I know and understand about the role and the company so far, I am very interested. Can you tell me what are 3 or 4 of the most important skills are that you are looking for the candidate to bring?”

Listen carefully and make mental notes so you can address each Hot-Button.

III. I AM OFTEN ASKED: “WHAT IF?”

1.    “What if the Interviewer starts the questioning before I get a chance to find out their hot buttons?”

2.    “What if the Interviewer just starts out stating: Tell me about yourself!”

3.    “What if I ask the question and they reply: ‘You’re putting the cart before the horse, why don’t you tell me about yourself first’.”

“HOW DO I GET THEIR HOT BUTTONS IF THIS HAPPENS?”

The Answer lies in proper preparation AND Your Planned response!

If this were to happen to you, then your best plan is to have a very good understanding of the Job Description and what appears to be the goals of the role and the experience they seek. Prior to the interview, plan and prepare this response in case you are faced with the broad command of TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF. Here is a good response:

 “I’m happy to go into detail about myself and my background. From what I read on the Job Description it seems like the most important skills or traits you are looking for are: (then list 3 or 4), am I correct?”

OR

“It seems like the biggest challenges you’re looking for the person to tackle are: (then list 3 or 4), am I correct?”

Now it is crucial to ask if you are correct. If they simply say yes, then you know what hot buttons they have and where to start when you start discussing your background.

They may say: “Well, some of that is important but what is most important to me is…”

Either way you now have established insight into what is important to them to learn about you.

IV. PREPARE to AVOID this Mistake: “Tell me about yourself!”

This is where most people shoot themselves in the foot before they even get started. Caught off guard because they are unprepared, they do not know where to start. Therefore, most people begin to basically read or regurgitate their resume to the Interviewer. Here is what most people will say:

“Well, I graduated from school in this year. Then I went to work for company XYZ as a “Job Title”. Then I left that company and joined company ABC for x years as a “Job Title”, etc.

In essence the person just lists their resume to the Interviewer. Keep in mind that the Company already has read your resume. They already know these facts. No reason to repeat them.

Companies do not waste their time interviewing people who cannot do the job. If they have seen your resume and agreed to an interview, they are basically saying we believe you can do the job. HOWEVER, this is also true of the 4 or 5 or several other candidates who they plan to interview. The company feels all 4 or 5 or several candidates can basically “do the job”.

WHO companies ultimately make an offer to is the Candidate who impresses them the most. The candidate who impresses them the most is the one who has demonstrated in the interview a sincere and genuine interest in them, an interest in the Company, an interest in the Job and an interest in the Interviewers. PLUS, the Candidate they make an offer to, has presented to each Interviewer WHERE, WHEN and HOW they have accomplished what the company is truly looking for this person to do in the role. They have made themselves clearly stand out above their competition.

V. PREPARE to AVOID this Mistake of poor answers to these questions:

What do you offer that sets you apart? What are your strengths?

What makes you a stronger or better candidate than other people the company is interviewing?

What does the Hiring Manager want to hear?

To answer these questions simply put yourself in the shoes of the employer and the hiring managers. What would make their lives easier? The answer usually centers around one or more of these:

·       How can this candidate take workload off my shoulders and make my life easier?

·       How has this candidate ever saved money for their prior company?

·       How has this candidate ever saved time for their prior company?

·       How has this candidate ever improved a process for their prior company?

·       How has this candidate ever increased efficiency for their prior company?

·       How has this candidate ever increased performance in some way for their prior company?

·       How has this candidate ever improved the team morale, resulting in less turnover, higher employee retention.

·       How has this candidate generated revenue for their prior company?

·       How has this candidate increased the company bottom-line or overall profit margin?

NOW - Ask these questions about yourself and prepare a list of your accomplishments. These accomplishments need to be measurable, have numbers or facts associated with them.

All too often a candidate will say things in an interview that are not credible or backed up with facts or numbers. The hiring managers often get the impression that the person is not being forthcoming and open, just trying to hype themselves without any factual substance.

For example: A Candidate might be asked, “Why should I hire you?” Or “What sets you apart from other Candidates?” Or simply “Tell me about yourself”.

The Candidate replies: I’ve saved money and improved processes for my employer.

BUT the answer does not say “HOW” the money was saved. The answer does now say what the Candidate did to save the Money and the answer does not say HOW MUCH money was saved. Truthful, verifiable facts will give credibility to what you state about your accomplishments:

A better reply would be: “At my last role I saw a great deal of waste in money spent on…so I made these recommendations (or I implemented this change, or I renegotiated the vendor pricing) to cut costs from $X amount to $Y amount, saving the company over $ Z amount annually.

PREPARE a List of your Selling Points.  What are 3 or 4 of your Accomplishments? What you are Proud of?

1.    Saved Money or Cut Costs

2.    Generated Revenue

3.    Saved Time – Improved a Process – Increased Speed to Market

4.    Increased Morale of Employee Retention

Remember to Detail it: How did you accomplish it? In what ways? Give specific examples with the facts.

VI. PREPARE ANSWERS TO THEIR QUESTIONS:

1.   Tell me about yourself?

a.    Your response to this we have detailed above.

2.   Why did you leave each job?

a.    Very often Candidates will hesitate when answering this question. They know in theory they are not supposed to say anything bad about a past employer, their manager, or team. This hesitation can often be interpreted by the Interviewer as if the candidate does not really know WHY they are looking to leave or that the candidate is trying to hide something, like perhaps they were asked to leave. Neither is a positive for the candidate.

b.   Do not be afraid to be honest. There are many ways of saying things. First start with the real reason or reasons you want to leave your current job (or why you left your past roles)

c.    Keep in mind the Interviewer is simply trying to avoid a bad match. For example, if you want to leave your current role to shorten your commute and spend more time with your kids, if the employer’s location is as far or further from your home as your current role, then they would assume you would only eventually leave their firm as well.

d.   Never hesitate to state that you were downsized or let go, especially if the reason was due to a company merger, complete change in management, or poor business results and they are reducing staff to cut costs. This happens at ALL companies, Google, Microsoft, IBM, AT&T etc. Nothing for you to feel embarrassed about or hesitate about.

e.    ALWAYS state a couple of positive things that you have appreciated about the company, manager, and team. For example, they gave you an opportunity to learn, grow, take on new challenges, etc. HOWEVER, you have reached a ceiling at this firm. They do not have plans for expansion or plans to bring on new technology and you are always eager to improve and get better. You take pride in having an impact on a company and this is no longer the case.

f.      For more customized answers or reasons for leaving, we are always happy to meet and discuss, but you get the idea.

3.   What are you looking for in your next job, company, opportunity?

NOTE: Your Reasons for Leaving a Job and What are you looking for in the next Firm and Opportunity - These should match – not be contradictory.

4.   Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years? Or What do you want to grow into?

a.    People often hesitate again on this question or give an answer that makes it seem to the Interviewer that the candidate wants something in the future that the Interviewer knows their firm cannot provide or offer. Here is one of the best responses we have ever heard:

“My long-term goals, (Where I’d like to be in 3-5 years) – I am like many people. I am looking for added responsibilities and added challenges. However, I am realistic. I realize I must prove myself and earn any additional responsibilities, challenges, or growth opportunities. You know better what would fit for you. Once the person you hire proves themselves to you, where would you want and expect them to grow to?”

5.   What do you feel your strengths are or what you have to offer us?

This we covered about when preparing your accomplishments.

6.   What are your biggest weaknesses?

a.    There are various schools of thought on this question. One of the most effective responses I ever heard was from a candidate who leaned back in their chair in the interview, grabbed their belly and said, “My biggest weakness is this 3-inch roll around my belly.” The hiring manager laughed and moved on.

b.   In general, it is not believable to a hiring manager that you have no weaknesses. What they really like however is honesty and someone who recognizes their weakness and works hard to improve in that area. So, a good response can simply be for example, “One of my weaknesses is that I lacked x experience in the last role. However, I invested many hours in self-study or learning from the manager, to make it a strength.” Again, there are many variations, and we welcome the opportunity to meet and customize responses that fit for you.

7.   What salary are you looking for?

a.    Money is not my primary concern, although of course it is important to me and my family. The main thing I want is to find a home where I can continue to find new challenges, grow, and prove myself. If I do that, then I am sure that the money will follow.

b.   OK that’s nice but can you be more specific? “From my understanding, I am in your salary range and naturally I’d love to get as close to the top of your range as possible. If you feel I am the right person for the role then I am sure we can come to agreement on salary.”

8.   Why are you interested in our role?

a.    This is important to have an answer for even in the first interview. It shows preparedness. It shows interest. ALSO, it needs to match reasons you might have given for why you want to leave your current role.

b.   It is good to use the phrase: “From what I know so far…” in the first interview. You do not want to make it sound like you are dying for the job and want it too badly, since the interview just began. This would make you seem desperate.

c.    Tie what interests you about the role to why you feel you want to leave your current role. “From what I understand, your firm is committed to using some of the latest technologies and currently where I work, they no longer have plans or the budget to stay up to date with technology.”

9.   Why are you interested in our company?

a.    This is important to have an answer for even in the first interview. It shows preparedness. It shows interest. ALSO, it needs to match reasons you might have given for why you want to leave your current role.

b.   It is good to use the phrase: “From what I know so far…” in the first interview. You do not want to make it sound like you are dying to join the firm and want it too badly, since the interview just began. This would make you seem desperate.

c.    Tie what interests you about the company to why you feel you want to leave your current role. “From what I understand, your firm is committed to opening new markets and growing. Currently at my firm they no longer have plans or the budget to grow or open new markets.”

Before moving to the next topic, keep in mind how critical it is to LISTEN to the Interviewer’s questions.

1.    Many times, Hiring Managers have told us after the candidate’s interview, that the candidate did not seem to be a good listener. For example, they asked the candidate what they are looking for in a new role, and the candidate went on to list their experience, never mentioning what they are looking for.

2.    Make sure your answers are succinct.

3.    You can always ask if they would like you to go into more depth ask:

“Does that answer thoroughly enough?” or “Would you like to know more?”

4.    If you are not 100% clear on what they are asking in the question, simply be honest and say you are not clear about their question, can they ask again or rephrase it.

VII. PREPARE YOUR QUESTIONS:

1.   Growth – Advancement – PROPER WAY To Ask!

a.    If you come right out in the early stages of the interview and ask, “where can this position lead to?” (implying you want to move up and you are not so interested in this role as you are future roles), this will usually be a turn-off to a Hiring Manager. They are interviewing to fill a role now and if you seem like you want to move too fast into another role, they will pass on you.

b.   Here is a good question to prepare so you can learn if the company can offer you the type of growth that you are looking for:

“I’m like many people. I’m looking for a long-term home at a company. I also would like to gain added responsibilities and added challenges. However, I’m realistic. I realize I need to prove myself before any additional responsibilities, challenges, or growth opportunities would be given. You know your department’s structure and plans, once the person you hire proves themselves to you, where would you want and expect them to grow to?”

2.   Day to Day Expectations of the role.

Keep it simple. “I read the Job Description, so I am pretty clear in general on what you want and expect the candidate to do. I’m curious what would be the main expectations the first few weeks or month for this person to accomplish?”

3.   What do you want this candidate to accomplish in the first 6-12 months?

This is a good question to ask for your sake, but it also helps to set expectations between you and the hiring manager. Nothing fancy here about the wording of the question.

4.   Salary, Bonus, Benefits, Vacation - NEVER ASK ABOUT – only after Offer!

How to negotiate is covered later. HOWEVER, keep in mind that Hiring Managers have stressed many times, that they will offer more for a candidate if they really want them. They really want a candidate who demonstrates in the Interview:

a.    A genuine and believable interest in the company and role.

b.   Proven track record of having saved money or improved processes or saving time or increasing efficiencies or generating revenue or improving team morale and lowering employee turnover.

c.    A confident bit not cocky attitude.

d.   An interest in the Hiring Manager themselves, ability to build rapport.

If you have accomplished these things in the interview, the chances are the offer will be higher and if you need to try to negotiate, then if you follow the advice under Salary Negotiation, you will have better chances of getting a bump in the initial salary offer.

5.   Company and Team culture?

This is a good question to ask for your sake, but it also lends credibility to what you will say about wanting a long-term home.

“Something that is important to me, as I mentioned I am looking to make my next company my home, can you tell me a little about what the overall team and company culture is like?”

6.   What do you like about the work and the culture here?

7.   What attracted you to the company when you joined?

Get the Interviewer talking about themselves!

People want to hire people who they like. It is Human Nature that people generally like to talk about themselves. Hiring Managers like when a candidate shows interest in them. Therefore, it is a great strategy to build rapport with the Interviewer and to get them talking about themselves! On a professional level the two questions above, 6 and 7, are effective at getting them started.

However, if they bring up personal topics such as kids, pets, sports teams, hobbies, favorite vacation sports etc. EVEN BETTER!

Feel comfortable asking them about these. Often you will see something you have in common with them from their LinkedIn profile. AGAIN, it is all about preparation!

VIII. THE ACTUAL INTERVIEW

If you’ve made it this far reading my "tips" and have done the homework to prepare, then let’s talk about the actual interview. I still get asked often about proper attire for an interview. Gone are the days of wearing suits and ties, however looking professional and neat makes an impression.

Video interviews are very common now and they can present a bit of a challenge regarding lighting, audio, background etc. Also, it is easy to appear un-attentive since it is difficult to have good eye-contact. Your biggest ally is a strong internet connection with a good camera and microphone.

If it is a video interview, make every attempt to do the interview from home at your desk with no one else in the room, no pets, or kids! ALSO - concentrate on looking into the camera and not watching the interviewer on the video. They will be looking at you and if your eyes are off in another direction it gives the impression you are not really paying attention! Technology is a tool, but video interviews are just not as good as in person.

If you have to take the interview while at the workplace and you opt to go to your car and do the interview on the phone, just acknowledge to the interviewer that you did not want to miss the opportunity and you apologize you are doing it from your car, but you do not want anyone at work to know you are interviewing.

All that aside, in the beginning, be amicable, friendly, nice greeting, thank them for taking the time to meet you. So often the first impression cannot be changed.

After the greeting it is a good idea to take initiative and show interest and ask what they need or are looking for in a candidate. Here are a couple of good examples of your first statement and question:

“Ever since I read about the company and the opportunity, I’ve been looking forward to meeting with you. From what I’ve learned so far, I am very interested. If you don’t mind me asking, I’d like to know maybe what 3 or 4 of the biggest challenges or tasks are that you are looking for this candidate to take on or tackle?”

OR

“Ever since I learned about the company and the opportunity, I’ve been very interested. I’m curious to find out what are 3 or 4 of the most important qualities, traits, or experiences you want the candidate to bring to the role.”

This establishes their hot buttons and gives you the opportunity to put your preparation into action, addressing each of their hot buttons using your accomplishments to back up your belief that you are a good fit for the role and for the company.

BE YOURSELF

Keep in mind that an interview should be an interaction, not a confrontation. Understand that their tough questions are asked not to make you feel uncomfortable, but to help them decide if you are a fit. Just be open and honest and answer the best you can without making excuses.

No one is perfect and often companies will ask about your mistakes or weaknesses. Anyone who says they do not make mistakes or have weaknesses is a liar! The company will lose interest. The hiring manager is looking for someone honest who has made mistakes BUT learned from those mistakes. This increases the odds that the candidate will not make those same mistakes at their firm if they hire them.

Keep in mind that they would not have agreed to interview you if they did not feel you could do the job. BUT this will be true of all the candidates who they interview. The hiring manager who reviews your resume and agrees to interview you, is too busy to waste their time meeting you if they feel you cannot do the job.

This is why it is crucial to know your accomplishments and prepare facts to back up the good things you say about yourself. You need your presentation to be believable and truthful. You want them to think, “Wow, this person is definitely better than other candidates I am meeting.”

IX. SECOND INTERVIEWS & MULTIPLE INTERVIEWERS

In the “Good Old Days” Hiring Managers would usually be the only person you would need to meet and impress. They often made decisions on the same day. As times changed, many companies have several people meet the candidates and give their impressions and feedback. While I do not agree with this approach it is the reality that exists.

Often the people who you meet really have little to do with the role but just get asked, “Do you like the candidate?” Other Interviewers may work closely with the candidate. In either case it is crucial to not assume that the first person shared any information about you or their impressions with you, with subsequent interviewers.

When you get a second or follow-up interview, do not assume that you are over the hurdle. Often the first person told the second person, something like this: “I think this candidate is a possibility, however I was concerned about this one thing…”

Therefore the 2^nd Interviewer enters the meeting with a pre-conditioned negative that they are looking for. Therefore, treat everyone as a first interview. This means be prepared to get each Interviewer’s hot buttons. What do they feel is important in a candidate that will make them fit well with the company? What traits or qualities or experience do they look for in a candidate?

ALSO – the Interviewers will be asked, “Did you, the candidate, show interest in the role or seem interested in the company?” Often candidates fail to ask subsequent Interviewers many questions because most of their questions have been answered already. Asking questions shows interest.

Of course, if you have more questions for the subsequent interviewers then ask, keeping in mind the previous comments about the type of questions to ask and those not to ask. Questions show interest and help you gather more information to make a sound decision if you are fortunate enough to receive an offer.

Therefore, it is important to both “show interest” and “ask questions”. One sound strategy to accomplish both objectives, is to have this prepared to say and ask:

“From what I’ve learned so far about the role and the company, from the first Interviewer, (use their name), I’m very interested in the opportunity. I do have a couple questions for you though. What do you enjoy or like most about the company? What do you find most interesting or challenging about the work?

What attracted you to join the company originally?

This will get the Interviewer to open up and you will learn a little about them. Remember:

·       People hire people who they like.

·       People like people who show interest in them.

·       Asking questions shows you are interested in them.

·       People enjoy talking about themselves, especially if you get them talking about the things they enjoy or love, their kids, their pets, their vacation, their favorite sports team etc.

X. CLOSING - Be unafraid to ask this simple question...

The ending of the interview is often a weakness for a candidate. It is the best opportunity to solidify a good impression. This is your opportunity to reinforce your interest, restate your confidence you can do the job and to uncover any hesitations that the Interviewer might have so you can address them.

Wouldn’t you hate to get passed over by the Interviewer because they felt you lacked experience, or enough experience in a certain area that was a strength?

Summarize your interest and confidence and then ask this question:

“Thank you for taking the time. I'm even more interested now in the company and the role than I was. I'm confident that I have what it takes to excel at this job. I'd hate to find out from Bob that I missed out on the opportunity because of something I did not explain or answer in depth for you. What hesitations have I left in your mind, or do you feel you be moving me forward in the interview process?”

OBJECTIONS

They will either say “Definitely yes” or some other reply that indicates likely that they are not 100% sure. They might say any number of replies that sound like this, “We have several more 1^st Interviews scheduled and then we will be getting back to the candidates who we want to return for further interviews.”

Consider this as an indication that they are not 100% sure you’re a good fit. If there is one opportunity you do not want to miss, it is this one. This is the time to uncover what their hesitation is, just to make sure you can fully address it.

CLOSING

Here is your reply:

“I understand you will interview other candidates, however if you are not sure if you will recommend me, then I must have left some concern in your mind. I would hate to lose the opportunity because of something I did not explain in depth enough or because I left a question or doubt in your mind. What concerns or doubts do you have? It certainly won’t offend me. I would like to address them if possible.”

If they open and share their concerns it gives you an opportunity to comment further and try to persuade them. When handled properly many times candidates learn that the Interviewer thought they lacked experience in an area that never came up in the interview. This gives the candidates the chance to go into their experience in that area and alleviate the Interviewer’s doubts.

If they mention an area that you do not have much experience in, then it is crucial to come back with a positive response such as: “Yes, you’re right. That is not an area where I have had a lot of experience. However, I always have been able to pick up fast. No one you will interview will be more motivated than me to learn this area and contribute in as quickly as possible.”

XI. FOLLOW-UP NOTE / EMAIL

In the old days a handwritten Thank-you note, delivered through the mail, was often a tool to win the offer. However, with email and text being so fast and easy to access, almost every candidate these days sends a follow-up or thank you note.

Simple ask the Interviewer, “If I have any additional questions do you mind if I email or text you?” Assuming they say yes, then get their contact information.

There are many simple versions of a Thank you note but keep it short and simple:

“Hi  - I wanted to thank you for the time you took today to share the details about the role and the company. It sounds very interesting and challenging. I also wanted to express my confidence that based on my experience I could make a strong contribution to the team and company. Again, thank you very much. I look forward to hearing and hopefully moving to the next step.”

XII. SALARY NEGOTIATION

The reality is that - how much money a company offers a candidate is directly proportionate to how much the candidate has impressed them in the interview. How badly do they want to hire you?

 If you, the candidate has stood head and shoulders above the competition, then you stand a better chance that the company will offer a salary nearer to the top of their range. If you hesitate about accepting their offer due to money but you stand-out over the competition, then you may have a chance of negotiating more.

If on the other hand, you and 1 or 2 other candidates are all very close, then the company will not be as inclined to go higher. They will feel, if Candidate A does not accept, then we will just move to Candidate B, etc.

The conclusion then is your “negotiating” for salary happens during the interview process, more so than at the end. Your goal is to make them realize how you are such a better fit for them than other candidates.

With that said, if ultimately you decide you want to ask for more, and are ok risking losing the offer all together, than the wording of your request has to be based on a need and on what you believe you can bring to the company in the way of cost savings or revenues. For example:

“Thank you very much for the offer. Money aside, there is absolutely no hesitation in my mind that I want to join the firm and make a long-term home at the company. I really appreciate it. However, I was looking over the numbers last night with my spouse, and we calculated with the additional expense of (gas for commuting longer, or Daycare for the kids, or health benefits or some reason it will cost more to work there), that we would hope to get a higher base. Do you have any flexibility at all to go higher?”

You need to be prepared to have a realistic number that you would accept.

Recommendation, if you feel good about their original offer, do not risk negotiating and wind up like the Dog with the Bone, who sees his reflection in the pond and reaches for the other bone, only to wind up with nothing.

Be ready to prove yourself to the new firm and earn a better raise and bonus.

All too often over the years we have heard candidates who tried to negotiate, wind up having the offers rescinded and they are back to square one, looking for a new job.