Modern Interview Guide - Jobsite · 1 | Jobsite : Modern Interview Guide It’s no secret that for the majority of job roles, an interview is an essential process to allow employers

1 | Jobsite : Modern Interview Guide

It’s no secret that for the majority of job roles, an interview is an essential process to allow employers and candidates to get closer and work out if they’re a match. Whilst they all have the same objective, the processes can be as different as the candidates taking part in them.

Jobsite research found that making a wrong hire costs a business an average of £24,000 so it’s more important than ever to get it right the first time. With the rise of technology and ever more agile and progressive workplaces, the interview is evolving to ensure they can evaluate their potential hires from all angles and make the best choice for the job and for the DNA of the company.

As discussions around qualifications and past experience turn into competency test and culture fit evaluations, how can you make sure you put your best foot forwards?

Modern Interview Guide


Often you will then be asked to complete a relevant technical test to

assess your knowledge, or a psychometric or personality profile to provide

interviewers with an insight into your personality and style which they will

then be able to evaluate with you at face to face stage.

With a vast range of recruitment processes and interview styles out there, it’s hard to know what you’ll be facing when

you apply for a new role. However, our experts agree that modern approaches tend to include similar elements.

Stage 1

Telephone or online interviews are usually a first step to get an overview

of your working life and a first impression of you as a person. This can

take the form of a phone call with the company’s recruiter or even using

pre-recorded video apps like Hire Vue. This will also provide you with an

opportunity to discover more about the role, people and organisation, and

to ask questions that will help you prepare for further stages.

Stage 3

If successful, you can then expect to be invited to attend a face-to-face

interview to explore your knowledge in more depth, and assess your

fit with the organisation. They’ll want an open and honest conversation

to discover the person behind your CV, your approach to real-world

scenarios, and what you’re capable of.

This interview may also include an opportunity to demonstrate your

abilities through a prepared presentation on a specific subject and, if

relevant, your past portfolio or products you’ve created.

Stage 2

Remember: Whilst your CV has secured you the chance to get in front of someone, it’s only

an introduction to your history and achievements, but it’s the abilities you can prove and your

personality that will win you the role.

What to expect


Careful preparation will underpin success in every style of interview, but how you do this will differ depending on the

style of an interview.

Here are our top tips for any interview:

The three P’s - preparation, preparation, preparation!

Update

Ensure that your online professional profiles are up-

to-date and reflect your current skills, talents and

personality, so any research by your interviewer will

corroborate your CV and accurately reflect you as a

person.

Ask questions

Prepare questions for any initial telephone

interview that will help you learn about the role

and organisation ready for a face-to-face interview,

but also practical ones including how to get to the

interview and what to expect.

You should research – either online or during

preliminary conversations – the role, the

organisation, their culture, their people, their

products/services and their vision. This will enable

you to control your interviews, tailoring your

experience and skills to the company and role, to

understand the premise behind their questions,

and to make a successful connection with the

interviewer.

Research


You should expect a basic level of support in terms of where, when and how to attend your interview - and

maybe who you’ll be meeting - in the form of an interview offer letter, pack or conversation. With larger

organisations this will be more structured through a HR team, whilst in smaller companies and start-ups will be

more ad hoc. Some organisations may conduct an initial telephone interview to assess your skills and you should

take this opportunity to enquire about the format and the organisation itself; the role, its people, their vision and

the added value they’re looking for you to provide.

Regardless of what support and information you receive, be prepared to take ownership of the process yourself.

Don’t expect the company to make it easy for you and provide you with all the answers. Do your own research

and ask the right questions. Whatever support you get, you’ll be on an even playing field with other candidates.

How will the employer help you?

Assessment days:

Behavioural interviews:

This interview style will provide you with an opportunity to show your personality

and style. It’s likely you’ll be assessed alongside other candidates, so it’s a great

opportunity to learn from professionals in your industry and build confidence in

your skills. Remember to be yourself and prepare by revising your basic technical

knowledge in advance, and providing yourself with enough time to complete any

tests, profiles or prepared presentations.

This technique is aimed at evaluating your ‘soft’ skills and your potential cultural fit

within the organisation - remain confident and remember to be yourself and resist

the temptation to anticipate which answer the employer wants to hear. You’re

hoping to build a long-term relationship with your employer, so it’s in your best

interest to start with honest foundations.

Technical interview:The purpose is to assess your ‘hard’ skills, so brush up on your basics – as you will

be facing tasks aimed at proving abilities you may not have used in practice since

earlier in your career. Being up to date with industry terminology, new software

and progressive techniques will give you the best chance at understanding exactly

what is required and be aware of any bad work habits you might have developed

over time.


Continuous development

On the day

If you’ve done your CV right, there will be key personal and behavioural qualities above and beyond those you

have put in writing, and an interview is the perfect opportunity to highlight them.

According to our experts, the qualities they’re looking for are…

Not on Your CV

Enthusiasm

Courage

Humour

Teamwork

Innovation

Remember: They’ll be judging you on your passion for the role, and your work. Demonstrate you

understand their mission, ethics and culture by taking time to familiarise yourself with their website,

social media channels and press release archive.

Confidence


Interview No Nos - what should you avoid?

Confidence over arrogance is key and the two are easily confused. Arrogance can indicate you’re unwilling to

learn or are not a team player. Don’t exaggerate past experience or focus on the remuneration or perks of the

job, but rather how you can help the company achieve their goals.

Ask insightful or meaningful questions, either those you’ve prepared or that are born from discussions within

the interview itself. A lack of questions or claiming they’ve all been answered, can risk giving the impression

that you’re not that interested in the role or that you can’t be bothered.

Avoid wooden language, business jargon or offering clichéd answers. These can stifle a conversation and

won’t allow them to get to the core of who you are.

Be proactive and positive; don’t get defensive or criticise your previous boss or role. Instead, concentrate on

the future, the value you can add to their organisation, and what you’re looking to achieve.

Although you want to stand out and let your personality shine, don’t go overboard. Style yourself like the

audience you’re meeting and ensure you arrive fresh and looking smart.

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Another method to gauge whether a candidate is a

good fit for a role and the organisation is by setting

a psychometric test, which means asking applicants

to complete questions designed to determine their

psychological profile.

They’re not designed to catch anyone out, there are

no right or wrong answers, and every candidate is

in the same position. Be honest with your answers

and consider yourself in the workplace rather than at

home or out with friends.

Remember: Don’t try to trick it or over-think it as you’ll create a false negative and provide an

inaccurate picture of yourself. Instead, complete it at a reasonable pace and trust your gut reaction

as it’s more likely to reflect your natural style.

Psychometric Analysis


Cultural fit between candidate and organisation is vital for both parties. Both will want a match in energy,

attitudes, passion, teamwork and fun in order to create a happy environment and successful mesh with an

existing team. However, culture can be hard to gauge and varies from organisation to organisation, so there’s an

art to understanding it.

Cultural Fit

Cultural fit

Energy

Dress

Passion

Firstimpression

Courage

Social needs

Attitude

Environment

Teamwork

Remember: Don’t forget that you’re also assessing whether the company’s culture is right for

you. Ask insightful questions and be observant when you’re met or shown around of both the

atmosphere and the existing team’s demeanour. Afterwards, take time to process everything and

trust your gut feeling.


Ricky MartinFounder Hyper Recruitment Solutions

“I ask them to tell me one thing about themselves

that I’ll always remember, that’s not on their CV,

that’s not online, and that they haven’t already

discussed. It shows me your personality and you

can think on your feet, because if you’re like me -

you put everything online there is not much else

you can share.

I’ve had loads of different responses, but let’s just

say the ones I always remember, are the people

that stand a better chance of getting hired.”

Interviewers’ Favourite Questions & How to Answer Them

Duena BlomstromFounder of Emotional Banking

“I want to know what makes someone believe

they would be happy in that position. This will

help determine what will make them successful,

because if they are happy they are going to be

successful.

And the perfect answer would be recognition and

being appreciated. Ideally, they’d follow up with

two other things - money and fun!”

Mike JohnsonCTO, MVF

“One of the questions I like to ask is how you

prioritise your work. As a developer, I think it is

really important to have a connection with the

business. Do you just pick the next task off the pile

and it doesn’t really matter which one? Or do you

think… How am I going to be reducing technical

debt? Is this going to be something that is going

to provide value early or something that is going

to take a while?

Having a connection with the stakeholder you’re

doing it for, and really understanding why you’re

doing it is really important to us.”

AJ JoshiiFounder of Sivvr

“My favourite question that throws people a

little bit, is asking what your dream is. It allows a

person to delve a bit deeper and hopefully they

will answer it with honesty and integrity. Whatever

their dream is, we’re fortunate enough to be based

in and around lots of different products in the tech

sector, we can place them really well.

Everyone is human. We’re not employing

commodities. I want to try to help people to

achieve their dreams because then you create a

good, loyal environment for everyone, which is

important to me.”


When your interview is over

Questions to ask the InterviewerQuestions are also your opportunity to be sure the company is the right fit for you. Ask about what matters to

you so you’re able to learn if working with them will make you happy and feel satisfied.

How can I help this company grow? What will be expected of me?

How can I progress with you?Where do you see me fitting in?

Remember: No matter how much research you’ve done beforehand, asking questions – throughout

an interview – is very important so you appear curious and enthusiastic about and the role. It may

be your last chance to make an impression, so make questions meaningful. Show you care about

their goals and that you’re the person to help drive them forward by innovation and added value.

Make a move

Follow up by email - direct to your interviewer - 24-48hrs after the interview to show

enthusiasm without desperation. Even if they don’t find time to answer, they’ll note

its contents. The time will also provide you with an opportunity to reflect without the

heightened emotion, and an opportunity to discuss your thought process with others to

be sure whether it’s truly the right position for you.

Nextsteps

Beconfident

Be polite and confident by thanking them for their time and for short-listing you.

Refer to what you covered in your interview and, if relevant, come up with solutions

to any problems or provide ideas for business growth to indicate you’ve listened to

what has been said and you’ve continued to consider it.

You could also aim to create the next step in the process, but make

sure you hold back your cards a little so you don’t provide them with

all the negotiation power. However, if you have not heard anything

within a week of the interview, then it’s reasonable to then follow up

by telephone or however you feel comfortable.

The follow up


Ricky MartinFounder Hyper Recruitment Solutions

Mike JohnsonCTO, MVF

“One piece of advice that I would give to people

joining our industry is to have the basics sorted.

So, if you’re a developer, things like test driven

development, solid principles, maybe some

domain driven development, knowledge of good

architectural principles that will stand you in good

stead. There are a lot of blogs and books which

will give you techniques and they are the kind of

things that are going to help you if you have to

improvise on the spot”

AJ JoshiiFounder of Sivvr

Duena BlomstromFounder of Emotional Banking

“Be yourself. You are going to be working amongst

different teams. You’re going to be working in a

company that respects your integrity and your

honesty.

If you’re someone that you’re not, it is going to be

difficult to carry that through on a long-term basis.

This is important for your own fulfilment, your

own happiness.”

“Do your homework up front and be prepared to

show your personality, be prepared to be very

open and try and enjoy the process! Interviewing

can be scary time for a lot of people, but if you

can try and enjoy and embrace the process you’re

going through, you’ve got a better chance of

showing that personality. Be prepared to make

mistakes and don’t give up.”

“The one thing that I would say to candidates

who are interested in FinTech, is try and learn.

And when you’re done learning, learn some more.

Knowledge is absolute gold in our industry and a

lot of it comes from hard graft. Just reading the

right things, watching the right videos, avidly

finding out exactly what is happening. Knowledge

is the only thing that I will not excuse people not

having when they come in for an interview.”

Takeaway tipsTo increase your chance of future success, request comprehensive feedback on how you performed, where you were

not successful this time, and where they feel you could improve. You can leave with some lasting positive connections

and leave yourself open to opportunities with the organisation in the future. If you’ve followed our experts’ advice, and

been yourself, you’ll have performed at your best and will have left a lasting impression on those you met, even if you

weren’t successful this time around.

Documents

Modern Interview Guide - Jobsite · 1 | Jobsite : Modern Interview Guide It’s no secret that for the majority of job roles, an interview is an essential process to allow employers