Thursday, August 25, 2016

How Do You Assess the Environment While at a Job Interview?


We talk a lot about interview preparation such as becoming familiar with the organization, wearing proper interview attire and positioning yourself through non-verbal communication when in the interview.
When I discuss interview preparation with candidates I believe it is also important to recommend that the candidate also assess the environment at the organization.  You can determine a lot about an organization’s culture if you simply be alert to various cues.
Paying close attention to the workplace and people will allow you to get a better sense of the company culture, and in turn, can help you determine whether it’s a good fit for you.
Interviewers can tell you what they want about the environment and personnel but your own first-hand observations will be far more useful. Not only are you being evaluated, but you should be evaluating the company and its people. Gain a sense of the environment and its vibe.  If possible, you should also request to meet some potential co-workers.
Look around and see how formal the setting is. Do people have personal items on their desks? Is there informal and casual conversation in the hallways? Is the feeling relaxed or tense? Does everyone seem like they are on an urgent mission? These are easily made observations.
So, while you’ll still want to use the interview as your chance to make a great impression and ask important questions, you should also think of it as an opportunity to evaluate the role, the culture, the company’s leadership, and the boss.

CONSIDER THIS:
The first impression a company decides to give visitors (interviewees or others) can often indicate their philosophy on how employees are treated, as well.  A warm and friendly greeting by someone who seems to genuinely care if you’re comfortable is a great indicator of a company with a thriving and happy environment.
In interactions, do the employees seem friendly and supportive of each other?  Does the workplace have energy?  Is it a place where people actually want to be?  A big part of that is just watching the genuine and outgoing ways people interacted with each other.
Do the employees look happy? This isn’t something you can figure out in your pre-interview research. When you arrive, take note of whether or not the receptionist or security guard is friendly. This will be the first person to greet you so his or her attitude may be more important than you’d think. Do employees smile at you or acknowledge your presence? This can tell you a lot about the overall environment as well. 


Scot Dickerson, CPC | President | Capstone Search Group

Monday, August 15, 2016

How to Close a Job Interview


Planned and effective follow-up after an interview is a must.  Failing to do so might cause you to lose out to another candidate.
Although it is important to provide a great impression during an interview, closing the interview strong is just as important. In addition it sets the stage for the next phase of the process, the follow-up.
Prove to your interviewer that you want this position and you are in this for the right reasons. Here are some questions you can ask before you leave the interview....
  • How do you view my qualifications for this position?
  • Can you tell me what steps need to be completed before your company can generate an offer?
  • Is there anything else I can provide to help you make your decision?
  • What's your timeline for making a decision, and when can I expect to hear back from you?
Now that you have an idea how you may stack up, an idea as to the process and steps and an idea as to their timeline, this helps determine your follow-up steps. The line between being persistent and being a pest can be a tightrope walk. So this process must be managed well.
To a degree, your planned follow-up depends on the type of role you are interviewing for. If you are in a more relaxed profession (e.g., accounting), I would wait seven days after your last contact to call or e-mail again. Why? Accounting is not as aggressive as sales, and therefore to apply sales pressure might frighten off your boss-to-be. Balance the aggressiveness of your follow-up with the field you are in; the more aggressive the job is, the more aggressive you should be in following up.

THE THANK YOU NOTE
A thank you note is a MUST. Send one via email within 24 hours of the interview. However, a handwritten card still can’t be beat.
Include supporting documentation that illustrates your ability to do the job. You don’t want to overwhelm the interviewer, but adding one or two carefully crafted examples of your work (non-confidential work samples, etc.) can be a good way to show off your expertise.
Provide a follow-up response to one of the key interview questions. We all leave conversations thinking we would have responded with this or that. Use your note to modify, correct or amplify one of your responses.
Always be professional. Always be courteous but with the enthusiasm.

Keep in mind — many companies don’t tell you their hiring decision. If no one returns your e-mails or voice mails after several weeks, let it go and presume that there will be no offer. If the hiring company were interested, your contacts would be picking up the phone. No worries, the right job will come.


Scot Dickerson, CPC | President | Capstone Search Group