Telephone interviews
A telephone interview will more likely be with a large company or a corporate recruiter than a medium to small sized company. They are also especially common for sales related roles where communication skills are paramount. If the vacancy is in another country, telephone interviews are more common also. The average length for a telephone interview is around 30 minutes.
The most important advice is to treat phone interviews just as you would a face to face interview. Get dressed and speak exactly the same as you would in an interview. In some ways you have a slight advantage in a phone interview as you can have a notepad near you so that you can make notes and write down some key points that you would like to tell the interviewer. If you need to think about a question then tell the interviewer to avoid any awkward silence.
If you feel nervous it is best to stand up with your shoulders back and make sure you take deep breaths before you start. Breathe out for longer than you breathe in to calm yourself down. Try to control the speed of your speech, as you can talk too fast on the phone and the interviewer and yourself will need time to process the question and the answer you give.
Keep a copy of your application and CV nearby so that you can refer to it if needed, as they will also have a copy on the other line. You need to know your CV, application and cover letter inside and out.
Skype Interviews
Conducting interviews via Skype offers employers all the advantages of a telephone interview in terms of cost-effectiveness with the bonus of being able to see the candidate. While they are still not as widely used as telephone interviews they are particularly helpful for international recruitment when interviewing the candidate in another country, or to demonstrate IT ability in roles that require this.
During a Skype interview it will not be so easy to refer to your notes and CV as they will be able to see you, however keep them nearby just in case you need them.
Think about where you will be when you have your Skype interview. If you are at home ensure a clear area with no distractions in the background and in a quiet area. Consider a friend skyping you first to check on lighting and visuals to get some feedback before your interview. Also consider what you are wearing and treat it just as you would a face to face interview.
Panel Interview
This is the most common form of interviewing when you have a panel of people, generally 2-4, interviewing candidates and asking questions. Usually each person on the panel will ask questions as the others make notes on your answers. Ensure you greet the entire panel and continue to make eye contact with everyone even if another person asked you the questions to include them in your answers. This shows communication skills, networking and that you can build a rapport with a group quickly.
Presentation
Some interviews require candidates to prepare a short presentation as part of their interview process. In these cases the candidate will be given a topic and/or task to discuss along with a time period in which to complete it.
You will need to know what equipment will be available on the day of the interview/presentation, what systems they use i.e. Mac or PC and always have a back up saved on an additional USB just in case.
Some interviews like to surprise the candidate with a presentation to see how they work under pressure and to a tight deadline. In this scenario they will give you an allocated time i.e. 20 mins to prepare for a 10 min presentation on a particular subject. In these cases keep calm and use your time wisely, write down the main objective of the presentation and plan a few key points that you want to hit. Talk around those key issues and think about how you will summaries and reflect on your presentation at the end. Always keep within the allotted time.
Second Interviews
Generally second interviews are used by medium to large companies and they are more likely to be with different people than the first interview. The interview will also be more closely related to the work role and maybe with the line manager attending. They will go into greater technical depth with you and senior members of staff may be present to see if you are the right fit for the company. Be aware that something you said in the first interview they may want you to expand on, so keeping a note of what was asked in the first interview would help with this. They will also look at your weaknesses and knowledge base as they are seeing if you would be a good candidate for the job role.
This stage of interview may also include a tour of the premises and meeting other staff members and potentially the team you would be working with. This is all a part of the interview so make sure to make a good first impression as their feedback may also be sought in the selection process.
Assessment Centers
Assessment centers are designed to assess the full range of skills and personal attributes required for the job role. They are seen as one of the most reliable methods of assessing candidates with a 68% accuracy rating. It is a fair method of selection, with candidates proving what they can do rather than how good they are at an interview. These are normally used with large companies when they are hiring a number of candidates at a time, they can also be set up in-house during a large recruitment drive.
The main skills tested at an assessment centre are:
- Leadership skills
- Analytical skills
- Working under pressure
- Teamwork
- Cooperating with others
- Verbal written and communication skills
- Numeracy
Typically these will last for 1-2 days with around 6-8 candidates in a group. Tasks will be taken individually as well as in a group, with assessors observing and taking notes throughout. These can be managers from the company or external agency staff. There is not one specific important area, the interview is the entire day from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave.
The assessment centre can include:
- Psychometric tests – designed to test your numerical, verbal and spatial abilities and they are timed. It is common for there not to be enough time to complete this so work through the pages systematically and priorities questions and answers. There are lots of practice question papers on the internet so practice first so it doesn’t come as a surprise.
- Personality questions – gather information about how and why you do things in your own individual way. They look at how you react or behave in different situations and your preferences and attitudes. One example is MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicators) which are sometimes used to identify how you work and engage with information, decision, structure and your personality type.
- More information can be found on MBTI here http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/
- In tray exercises – candidates maybe given a selection of letters, memos, reports or emails and asked to decide the priority and actions that need to be taken on all of them. You may also be asked to draft a report or reply to some of the more important sections. This is to test your decision making, analytical and time management skills. This will also be a direct replication of the potential job role.
- Group discussions and group tasks – these take a variety of formats including discussing a general topic, debating a work related issue or completing a task as a group. The important thing to remember is not to compete against others in your group as the assessors are looking for teamwork, cooperation and the ability to listen to others. They are observing how individuals function within a group dynamic.
- Presentations – this maybe on a topic that you have been given in advance with a time frame on which to talk about or giving a short spontaneous elevator pitch or half an hour to plan a short presentation. (Please see the presentation section for information and advice.)
- Social – although lunch and break times are not a formal part of the day assessors will still be observing you and seeing how you interact with one another. Remember you are still in an interview and ask questions and be interested in the work and organisation.
Common reasons why people are not hired after assessment days:
- Poor preparation
- No research of the company or what to expect on the day
- Lack of understating of the role
- No consideration of what challenging questions could be asked
- Poor rapport building
- Not reading or clarifying task instructions
- Running out of allotted time
- Nerves
- Losing confidence after a poor performance in one area
- Allowing another person in the group to take over
