HCI Blog

Job search techniques change, the labour market changes and job descriptions change. But what more or less stays the same is the job interview. It’s your chance to sell yourself. The first 30 seconds of a job interview are the most important – so if you want to be a cut above the rest you need to be on the ball. Rob Yeung, a business psychologist, maintains that an interview is all about the three Ps. “You need to prepare, you need to practise, and then, on the day, you need to perform.”

Here are 10 tips for interview success.

1. First impressions count

Greet your interviewer with a smile and firm handshake. Give eye contact. Try to make small talk during the walk from the reception area to the interview room. Liz Anderson, a human resources manager says, “You have to sell yourself before you can sell anything else and the first 30 seconds are when the interviewer subconsciously makes decisions about whether they like you or not and whether you will fit into the team.”

2. Be prepared

Re-read your CV and the job advert just before the interview. Do your research thoroughly: Look at the company web site or obtain literature. You may be asked about the salary you are after so make sure you research that as well.

3. Don’t waffle

Answer questions properly – even if you need a few moments’ silence to collect your thoughts. Anderson advises, “It’s better to say you need a minute to think about your answer rather than speak instantly and regret it afterwards.”

4. Why should they hire you?

Most job adverts will list qualities they’re looking for – a team worker, a good communicator – so it’s up to you to think of examples of how you can demonstrate these skills. Be ready to talk about your knowledge, experience, abilities and skills. Have at least three strong points about yourself that you can relate to the company and job on offer.

5. Be positive

Your interviewer will be thinking about what it would be like to work with you, so the last thing they’ll want to hear is you talking about your boss or current colleagues behind their back. Interviewers like to see someone who enjoys a challenge and is enthusiastic.

6. Remember your body language

It is not what you say, but how you say it. During the interview, do not fold your arms and lean back or look to the floor! Sit upright and try to maintain good eye contact. Use your hands and lean forward when making a point. Many people cannot think and control their body language at the same time, which is why you need to prepare.

7. Expect the unexpected

Your interviewer may try to catch you off guard: A survey by OfficeAngels has revealed that 90 per cent of employers ask ‘killer’ questions in interviews. It is impossible to plan for every difficult question, such as “How would your colleagues describe you?” but try to appear relaxed and in control. Ask the interviewer to repeat the question if necessary but do not evade it. Hopefully you will not befall the fate of those job candidates at B&Q who were asked to dance to “Blame it on the Boogie”!

8. Develop rapport

Show energy, a sense of humour and smile. Jean Smith, a social anthropologist says: “It’s infectious, being positive and enthusiastic.” Ask your interviewer questions about themselves and any issues the business is facing.

9. Clarify anything you are unsure of

If you are not certain what are meant by a particular question, ask for clarification. At the end, ask the interviewer if there is anything else he or she needs to know about. Do not be afraid to ask when you are likely to hear if you have been successful or not.

10. Remember your manners

It is better to choose than to be chosen. Tell the interviewer why you are interested in the company and job opportunity. Ask them for a business card and follow it up by sending a “thank-you” e-mail or letter, saying how much you enjoyed meeting them and how interested you are. Take the opportunity to detail the key advantages you bring.

SOURCE: Career Builder

New-age practices and tools like talent screeners help recruiters reduce cost, increase efficiency

Talent acquisition professionals in India are facing challenging times as the role of a recruiter in driving business outcomes has continued to increase over the years. Many factors have contributed to the increasing importance of the talent acquisition role. Recruiters have a greater pressure to hire high quality talent to fill fewer but more critical job positions.

The recruiter’s role has evolved a long way since the days when he was required to shortlist candidates from a few CVs, interview even fewer candidates, and ultimately make an offer to one. What makes a recruiter’s job more difficult is the fact that with the growing number of professionally qualified talent, the number of applications that a recruiter has to sift through everyday has steadily increased over the years.

At the same time, recruiters in India are also experiencing a very unique paradox— plenty to choose from but very few that qualify! Experienced industry professionals remark that although recruiters are seeing an increase in the number of candidates who have the academic credentials to be eligible for job positions, very few candidates meet the bar on quality to qualify for shortlisting.

NASSCOM’s 2011 India talent market research suggests that only 25 per cent of the talent from professional courses in India are readily employable.

What lends more difficulty to a recruiter’s daily job is the fact that he has very few tools at his disposal to identify the right candidate for a role. While the size of databases in job portals have steadily swelled, the services themselves have evolved very little to assist recruiters as well as job seekers to identify the right fit between a profile and a job opportunity. The reliance on professional profile aggregators such as LinkedIn has, therefore, increased and has become one of the major sources of candidate sourcing for many recruiters.

The number of academic institutions that offer professional degrees have increased, but many recruiters have expressed concerns on the quality of pedagogy in these institutions. Graduating batches do not have adequate skills to be effective in professional jobs. Owing to cost constraints and the demands of the consumer market, a company also does not have the time and space to groom talent.

The TA Leadership think tank (a People Matters initiative comprising some of the most experienced TA leaders in India) agree that the life of a recruiter has become even more complex because a recruiter is now held accountable for a hire. There is consequently an added pressure on a recruiter to have maximum efficiency and zero error while shortlisting applicants during candidate selections.

In order to make the talent acquisition process more accurate and scientific, some new trends are emerging in the space. These trends span across new-age practices, tools and technology and service-level innovations that are helping recruiting organisations spend lesser time and effort to hire the right candidates.

Talent screeners and job previews

Talent screeners are a great way for a recruiting organisation to filter in candidates with genuine capabilities for interviewing. Talent screeners are skill and situational tests based on experiences that a candidate is likely to encounter during the job. Depending on the results, a candidate will be recommended or discouraged from pursuing a job opportunity.

Another trend likely to pick up quickly in India is the practice of posting realistic previews about the job and the experience of working with the organisation on a career page. These help candidates map their needs and employment preferences with those of the organisation and select or reject opportunities.

Y.V.L. Pandit, Managing Director of SHL India, says, “Companies that are employing such tools for applicants are experiencing far higher hit-rates per opportunity compared to traditional processes.”

Intelligent background verifications and reference checks

While background verifications and reference checks have been around for a while, the rising number of incidents of recruiters receiving fraudulent CVs from under-qualified or over-qualified candidates have given rise to the need for additional checks and validations. Background check service companies are seeing a rise in demand from recruiting companies asking for non-standard verifications, such as social media profiling and informal reference checks.

Behavioural profiling and psychometric assessments

One of the key methods by which a company integrates business outcomes with the talent strategy is by identifying candidates who can take up leadership positions within the company in the future. Recruiting companies now look for measures far beyond aptitude and academic qualifications and hence, more evolved forms of assessment have become part and parcel of an organisation’s talent acquisition plan. These include behavioural profiling and psychometric assessments.

The importance of cautious social media branding

Social media employer branding has evolved from being an option for a recruiting organisation to becoming an integral part of the talent acquisition strategy.

Many progressive companies budget dedicated investments for social media as part of their annual talent acquisition plan. Yashwant Mahadik, Vice President & Head of Human Resources, Philips India & Global Lead Learning Strategy & Philips University, says, “Philips hires from campuses of leading business schools such as the IIMs, ISB and IITs. Recruiters at Philips engage with students in these campuses across the year through social media networks, case study presentations and other academic partnerships rather than engage in a one-time exercise during placements. This helps us build a strong employer brand in our target market.”

SOURCE: People Matters