CHAPTER 11

Terror on Both Sides of the Desk

Relieving Interview Stress

Job searches can be nerve-racking, and the stress often only increases when it comes time to face an interviewer and put our best foot forward. Facing someone (or even a group of people) we’re meeting for the first time and making a convincing presentation that we are the answer to their hiring need is a daunting task. Yet often the person conducting the interview is just as uncomfortable as the interviewee.

Although for many people the interview process is the most dreaded part of the job search, it doesn’t have to be. With the right amount of preparation and a realistic perspective, the job interview, handled with professionalism and finesse, can be the key to your success. And if you happen to be the person on the interviewer’s side of the desk, you can boost your hiring success by mastering some simple techniques.

Needless to say, both parties are under considerable pressure during an interview, and certainly each one has his or her own agenda. Even so, the interviewee and the interviewer have clear responsibilities to each other, and failing to acknowledge and fulfill those obligations can leave a lasting negative impression.

Guidelines for the Interviewee

A job interview doesn’t have to be an unpleasant experience. With preparation and the right outlook, you can differentiate yourself favorably from the other candidates. Here are some guidelines to help you turn your next interview into the event that tips the decision in your favor.

Learn about the hiring company. Even though you are immersed in the job search, perhaps to the point of obsessing over it, remember that this process isn’t all about you. A company has a lot at stake when it makes someone an offer, and hiring managers are looking for ways to differentiate between the satisfactory and the excellent.

Interviewee Checklist

Clearly written directions to interview location

Contact phone number, in case you’re delayed

Pad for taking notes

Questions for interviewer, about the company and the job

Fifty-word response for “Tell me about yourself”

Collapsible umbrella that will fit in a briefcase (in case of an unexpected shower)

High-quality pen for taking notes

Breath mints

Headache medicine

Handkerchief or facial tissue

Extra necktie for men/additional pair of pantyhose for women (in case of spills or runs)

Neatly pressed clothing and shined shoes

Professional and businesslike hair style

Combination briefcase/handbag for women (so that you aren’t carrying two objects)

No rings on right hand in case of a bone-crusher handshake from the interviewer

Newspaper to catch up on today’s events to use in interview conversation

Rather than spending all your energy reading one of those books that offers the “perfect answer for every interview question,” do some research on the company and its industry. If the company has recently been recognized for some achievement, be prepared to talk about it. If the firm faces challenges, some questions about its current strategies will show that you don’t have unrealistic expectations.

Be prepared to ask questions. Asking insightful questions not only positions you as a thoughtful candidate but also gives you more control of the meeting. However, you need to ask questions that reveal some of your abilities and interests as well as your desire to know more about the workings of the organization.

Make sure that some of your questions touch on how you can contribute to the firm’s success if you get the job and what criteria are in place to define outstanding performance. Avoid questions that seem self-serving, such as the number of vacation days during the first year or the robustness of the benefits package.

Don’t misrepresent your abilities or experience. Although you want to appear in the most favorable light, resist the temptation, both on your resume and in your interview, to misrepresent your accomplishments. Even stretching the truth can have dire consequences. Did you lead the project or were you a support person? What were your specific duties on the team? Many people have assumed that no one would ever check their resume or their assertions and then found out the hard way that their assumption was a big mistake.

Not only is being honest the right thing to do but it also keeps your potential employer from developing unrealistic expectations about future performance.

Be prepared for the unexpected. An interview is an appointment that needs to go off without a hitch. Yet we’re all familiar with Murphy’s Law. Try to anticipate the worst and prepare for it. First of all, get on your way in plenty of time to arrive early. Being late for a job interview is generally an unforgivable faux pas. Not only does it inconvenience others, but, according to Louis Imundo, author of The Effective Supervisor’s Handbook, lateness may even indicate a problem with authority.

Traffic and transportation schedules, however, can create delays beyond your control, so a cell phone is essential if you aren’t going to be there on time. Make sure that you have all the contact information for your appointment with you so that you have the number easily at hand. Most people will try to accommodate you if extenuating circumstances interfere with your arrival and if they have some notice.

Unless the sky is cloudless, carry clean, pressed rain gear and a working umbrella with all the spines intact. You don’t want to arrive at your meeting after getting drenched in a rain storm.

Bring something to read or work on in case you have to wait. Although some interviewers will make an interviewee wait to see how he or she deals with the inconvenience, in many instances company emergencies may keep an interviewer from being on time. If you can be productive while you wait, you won’t run the risk of appearing impatient or agitated when you actually get into the meeting. In the event that you actually have to reschedule because of an extended emergency, accept the change in plans graciously and with good humor.

Remember that first impressions are critical. Look sharp. Savvy interviewers know that most people showing up for a job interview are presenting their best professional appearance, probably looking better than they will ever look in the workplace. So go all out to create that great first response from your interviewer. Wear an outfit that fits well and is clean and pressed. Choose something professional and conservative; save your flashy fashions for another time. And don’t forget your shoes. Make sure they are clean, polished, and conservative. Finally, if you need a haircut, get a good one.

Relax and project confidence. A good interviewer pays attention to the little things that give clues to a candidate’s character: the way you walk into a room, how you shake hands, and if you make strong eye contact. Even though you may feel nervous, which is natural, be confident in yourself and your abilities. Visualize yourself walking into the interview room with poise, looking the interviewer in the eye, and shaking hands with a firm grip. Remember that you’ve worked hard to get where you are, and you should feel good about yourself. That confidence will translate to a favorable first impression.

Treat everyone you meet with respect. Don’t save your good manners for when you walk into the interviewer’s office. You never know who might provide the good word that gives you the advantage over the competition. One executive I know always uses his secretary as a barometer for assessing candidates. After an interview, he always heads over to see her and asks, “What do you think?” If the applicant had been curt, disrespectful, or had generally ignored her, that person didn’t get hired. Obviously, candidates never knew that they were being tested in the reception area. Therefore, if they were genuinely courteous to other staff members, the executive felt fairly confident they would also be courteous on the job.

Always send a thank-you note. Although a handwritten note is preferable, at the very least send a thank-you e-mail. The sooner you write it, the more sincere it will be and the more someone will appreciate your quick response. Writing the note within twenty-four hours will allow you to capture the enthusiasm that the interview generated. However, if you have delayed in writing the note, do not assume that it’s too late. Sending the note late is far better than not at all.

In your note, mention some specifics of the visit, so your note doesn’t sound like a form letter. Even some of the social aspects of the visit can be appropriate for inclusion. For example, “Thanks so much for recommending that great Brazilian restaurant. I’m going to try it this weekend.”

Since you will probably be sending the note before you know the outcome of the interview, you might also want to restate your interest in the position and your anticipation about the possibility of employment. On the other hand, if the interview has convinced you that you don’t want to work there, be gracious in thanking the interviewer for the opportunity to meet, without elaborating on your desire, or lack thereof, to work for that organization.

Guidelines for the Interviewer

When conducting an interview, you can boost your hiring effectiveness by adhering to some basic principles.

Create an atmosphere of comfort and security. Unless the job requires a “stress” interview, you need to create an atmosphere that alleviates an already stressful situation, for you and for the interviewee. When you greet the applicant, help put him or her at ease by making pleasant small talk. Ask if the candidate had trouble finding the location, make a remark about the weather, or chat about any other neutral, non-job-related topic. Offer the interviewee a soft drink, coffee, or water, and, if he or she accepts the offer for refreshment, you should have something, too. Arrange a private setting for the interview, so you won’t be subject to interruptions; this environment will allow you to concentrate and help put the applicant at ease.

Once settled in the interview room, spend some time building rapport by asking questions about the person’s interests and providing an overview of how the interview will proceed.

Be prepared for the interview. Although you may have an extremely full schedule, remember that the interview is important both for the applicant and the company. If you look at the candidate’s application for the first time when he or she sits down for the interview, you are shortchanging everyone.

In addition to familiarizing yourself with information about the applicant, you need to structure the interview carefully and be able to communicate that structure to the candidate. You might say something like, “Michael, I’m going to discuss the major responsibilities of the job, and then I want to go over the last couple of assignments you list on your resume. I’m interested in learning about how you performed your duties and what resources were at your disposal. Then I would like to take some questions from you. And, finally, we’ll talk more about the job in additional detail and outline where we go from here.”

Interviewer Checklist

Confirmation of room reservation if conducting the interview in a conference room

Message left with key contacts that you are unavailable until (indicate a specific time)

Business cards

Refreshment set up, if appropriate

Pen and pad for taking notes

Breath mints

Attire reflecting company standards, even for an after-hours or weekend interview

Clear job description of position

Notes on the few essential attributes needed for success in this job

Applicant’s resume and background information

List of what needs to be clarified, verified, or explored in greater detail

Prepared questions you must ask

List of illegal questions you may not ask

Authorization to offer job and salary; if not, knowledge of next steps to communicate to candidate

Anticipate any questions the person may have, about the company, about the job, even about the job that you currently hold. You expect the applicant to come to the interview with thoughtful questions, and you need to be prepared to give succinct and clear answers.

Listen attentively. Part of building rapport, and for that matter being a good interviewer, involves listening attentively and actively. The ability to listen is critical to making good decisions. Experts tell us one of the biggest mistakes interviewers make is talking too much during the interview. Consultant Pat MacMillan, CEO of Team Resources and author of the book, Hiring Excellence, suggests that, ideally, the interviewer should talk about 20 percent of the time and the applicant 80 percent of the time. Asking a perfunctory question and then pondering your next question instead of listening to the answer will quickly make the interviewee uncomfortable, giving the impression that you are not particularly interested in what he or she has to say. Further, you will miss the opportunity to learn valuable information about the person—not only from the verbal answer, but from the nonverbal cues as well.

Be honest. Are you the hiring manager or the screener? Will you make the decision or will subsequent interviews take place? Are you interviewing a large number of candidates? Does the job in question offer opportunity for growth or is it a long term assignment performing the same function? Is the company enjoying great prosperity and expansion, or is cost cutting a big deal? Be honest in answering these and any other questions the interviewee has about the position and his or her prospective role with the company.

Beginning any relationship, whether professional or personal, based on anything less than honesty is a recipe for disaster. If the person you hire discovers that you lied or exaggerated about the job, the company, or your roles and responsibilities, your credibility is shot—perhaps permanently, and the company itself may even be put in an unfavorable light. Further, if the position turns out to be significantly different from what the interviewee had been led to believe it would be, chances are you will have a dissatisfied employee on your staff, perhaps forcing you to start the whole process over again before too long.

Clarify the next steps. The interview has come to an end. Now what? Obviously, you thank the applicant for coming and sharing important information openly. Now the applicant wants to know what he or she should expect next, and when.

Have a clear plan for the next phase of the process. When will you make the decision? Will you call the applicant for follow-up interviews? How soon can you let him or her know whether the process stops here or moves forward?

Make sure that you share this information with the candidate and be open to answering any further questions about the process. The applicant should leave knowing when he or she will have either a final answer or a subsequent meeting. Finally, be sure to follow up in the manner you described. Don’t tell the interviewee to expect to hear back from you within a week only to be left in the dark for three weeks.

Follow up. After the interview, if you don’t feel that you have the time or focus to handle the follow up yourself, enlist someone from human resources or an assistant to contact each candidate (either by phone or in writing) and apprise him or her of the status of the process. Don’t put off breaking the bad news if the answer is negative. The sooner you provide closure on your company’s relationship with this person, the sooner the applicant can focus on looking elsewhere. If you want to proceed further with the candidate, the earlier you can communicate this message the higher the likelihood that the candidate will still be available and interested.

Many job applicants can relate horror stories about the insensitive or downright rude treatment they received from companies to which they have applied. A woman working on a graduate degree in computer information systems tells of problems with her interview process at one company. “I’m currently on my ninth interview with this firm,” she lamented, “and they make no effort to keep me in the loop. Even the human resources manager, whose job it is to maintain contact with candidates, never lets me know the status of the process. I have to initiate all communication, and it always takes more than one attempt.”

In another situation, a financial analyst had what he thought was a great interview, yet it took four messages and three e-mails over the course of a month before he heard anything about the company’s decision.

Even if you’re not interested in the candidate, it’s your responsibility to communicate the decision. Be courteous and considerate, and don’t force the candidate to call repeatedly to find out what happened.

On Either Side of the Desk

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Job interviews don’t qualify as “moments of comfort” for either party, but they can be great learning experiences as well as opportunities to make fruitful connections. Even if the job isn’t a fit, you never know when you might cross paths with that person again. If you have used the situation advantageously, your efforts may be rewarded in ways you did not expect.

The Bottom Line

The interview process can be rewarding if it is approached with the right attitude.

Preparation on both sides is critical to a successful interview.

Both the interviewer and the interviewee have clear social and professional responsibilities to each other.

Follow up is a critical step in the process, from both perspectives.

Action Plan:

Over the next thirty days,

I will stop ___________________________________________________

I will start ___________________________________________________

I will continue ________________________________________________