Have you ever thought about the hiring process from the second the employer calls you to schedule an interview, and until you get hired? You hear from other people that right before they got hired, they have gone through a series of interviews. Well, let me tell you this, there are many types of job interviews out there, and each of them takes place in a different situation.
Let’s think of this example: Ahmed receives a phone call from a potential employer; he answers a set of questions over the phone, which all seem like normal, procedural questions. Following that, the human resources department sets an interview; where they ask him a similar set of questions. Then, if he passes through the first two steps, he gets scheduled for an interview with the manager and receives an assessment.
Many of you out there are thinking that this might be a time consuming process and that the company can tell from Ahmed’s CV whether he is qualified or not, without going through the series of interviews. Well, that is not remotely true. Companies often need multiple screening steps and varying interview styles to truly assess whether the candidate is a good fit for not.
Let me tell you about some of the potential interviews that you could possibly go through on your job hunt.
This kind of interview might or might not be scheduled beforehand. In some cases; these might come out of the blue and surprise you. You have 15 minutes or less to make an impression. Employers will be looking to know if you are available, interested, and willing to take the responsibilities of the job. They will also use this call to determine whether you should be considered for a face to face interview.
Be sure to return the call if you can’t pick up on the moment, and thanks to our modern technology, you could find out who the caller is. Be prepared for phone interviews as they are your gate to go further in the hiring process. You have probably applied for the job you’re being contacted for, thus, you should have at least identified the company and have some background about it.
If, in some cases, the employer is unknown and have found your contact information through Bayt.com’s CV Search, ask about the job description and the job basics so you can answer adequately.
These might be also called face-to-face interviews, which are the most familiar type and normally take place after a phone interview. When I was a job seeker, I had to go through an assessment in between these two interviews, so it’s not always going by the book on these series of interviews. There might be other requirements and assessments for the job.
In most cases, you will be interviewing with a representative of the company, which is most likely to be the manager of the position you are applying for; because you will be working directly with them and they would want to know if your skills and qualifications match the job requirement. Be prepared, because there is a very high possibility that you will be asked questions about the experience on your CV and how can you bring value to the company. Oh, and never forget to prepare for the famous “Tell me about yourself” question or “Why should we hire you?”
Panel interviews are the type where there are several interviewers conducting the session with you. These members have a say and opinion in whether you will get hired or not, thus, ensure that you try to impress them all professionally.
Panel interviews might seem stressful, but don’t think the employer doesn’t know that. Some companies recognize the fact that panel interviews are stressful but are testing how you would act under pressure. So stay calm!
During this interview, shake hands with each person and maintain eye contact. Body language is extremely important in your career, so keep an eye on that. Each member will most likely ask you questions that are relevant to their position and how you will be working together. If you are able to know who your panel is ahead of time, be sure to look them up and see what information can benefit you during the interview.
This can take place during any interview, and the sole reason behind it is to predict how well you handle stressful and challenging situations in the future based on your past performance. As soon as behavioral interviews start, questions such as “describe a time where you had to make a difficult decision” or “give me an example of how you had to deal with a rude customer” are presented. You will then need to draw real examples and ensure they present your skills and how you handled each situation professionally.
Before going into any interview, review your past experiences and do a list of difficult situations that you faced and how you controlled them. One strategy I would recommend is to never say “I am detail oriented” without giving examples of where you have used your skills.
In addition, for every constructive statement you are planning to say about yourself prepare a STAR analysis. STAR analysis is as follows: give a Situation you faced or a Task you had to complete, and then describe what Action you had to take and what the Results were. Always spin negative or difficult situations to learning lessons or ways that have helped you learn and grow.
To quickly prescreen candidates, some companies conduct group interviews. These interviews include all candidates who applied for the job and been shortlisted.
There are a couple of reasons why companies use group interviews; They are considered more time efficient and candidates get the chance to know more about the company quickly to see if they want to work there.
One important thing the employer looks for during group interviews is how you work with other candidates and your leadership skills. All candidates are asked the same questions, and will be judged based on their answers, thus, this is the chance where you want to shine and stand out from the crowd but without putting anyone else down or being aggressively competitive.
Interviews can come in all forms and lengths. Whether you know in advance which type of interview you will be taking or not, make sure you prepare and practice. Familiarize yourself with the different types of interviews and do your homework; research, prepare and practice! Some employers would give you a hint on which type of interview you would have, pay attention to their clues.