It’s exciting to be called for a job interview, especially when you’ve been job-hunting for some time. Landing an interview instills a sense of hope, elevates your self esteem and provides a reward for the hard work you’ve put into your job search.
Preparing for the interview
Once you are called by a prospective employer, it’s time to prepare for the interview. Many job seekers focus on anticipating interview questions and preparing thoughtful responses. This is certainly important, but a successful interview often involves more than your interaction with the HR recruiter or the hiring manager.
Companies that are hiring – and especially those that are considered best places to work – want the best employees. But “best” is not always determined by a tailored suit or intellectual responses to interview questions. Employers seek applicants who will fit well with the organization’s culture and who can become valued, trusted coworkers to those already on board. They use a variety of techniques to make these determinations and frequently, they do so before the first interview.
Social media checks before the interview
A 2009 Career Builder study indicated that 45% of employers scan Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites to glean information about job candidates. It is important, of course, to ensure that you always put your best virtual foot forward. Never assume that your privacy settings offer a total cloak to the outside world. Here is one small but startling example of how your social networking activities could trip you up:
You’ve shared an off-color video with your Facebook friends. No problem – right? Most of them know you well and understand your slightly weird sense of humor. But what you don't know is that a cousin of one of your friends – a friend you recently added, who you don't know all that well – is the administrative assistant to the lead recruiter for a company where you’ve just applied. Your "friend" is visiting his cousin and pulls up his Facebook page to share the video. The cousin sees your name on the Facebook page and something clicks. Ah, yes! It’s the name on that resume at the top of the pile about to head into her boss. Tomorrow, your resume will move to the “screened out” pile. With other great candidates in the running, she thinks to herself, “Why take the risk?”
Personal interactions before the interview
Ever been kept waiting for your interview? Sometimes this is genuinely due to busy schedules and interviewers running late, but it can also be quite intentional. Your prospective employer may want to see how you react to change and more importantly, how you interact with the employees who may one day be your coworkers.
Consider how you might respond to the “waiting game.”
- Will you become pressured and perhaps a bit demanding?
- Will your impatience show?
- Or, will you use the time to talk with the receptionist and learn a bit more about the organization?
There’s a fine line here. You obviously don't want to pester people who are engrossed in work or managing busy phone lines. On the other hand, how you treat the front-line staff could well be a determining factor in the likelihood of a future job offer.
A real-life interview experience
One close friend told me of an interesting personal pre-screening situation. He was flown to another city for a final job interview. The company made all travel arrangements, including transportation by taxi from his hotel to the company headquarters. Being a gregarious fellow, my friend engaged the taxi driver in conversation on the way to the interview. Several months later – after he was hired and well immersed into the organization – he learned that his new employer relies on feedback from staff of the nearby hotel and taxi vendor as part of its applicant screening process. Why? Simply because the company places high value on how its people treat one another. This organization feels that the best way to assess a candidate’s true colors in this regard is not by the answers to interview questions, but by determining how the person acts when he or she is in a normal, everyday situation.
Think about this as you prepare for the job interview you’ve worked so hard to land. Always act as if your next employer is watching – because, in fact he or she probably is.
Lillian LeBlanc - Ms. LeBlanc is an HR exeutive, commercial pilot, skilled public speaker and published author. She holds an MBA.
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