“Clarity is power.”
~ Buckminster Fuller
In my book, Secrets Your Boss Isn’t Telling You, my first chapter is titled, “How to Get a Great Job and Keep It.” It goes into detail on what employers look for in interviews and what they never want to see. As you can imagine, communication skills, soft skills and how you present yourself are vitally important to bosses in the hiring process.
In conducting research for the book, I frequently asked hiring managers and HR folks what applicants should expect following an interview. Here’s a sampling of what they had to say.
If there’s an interest in hiring you after the initial interview, be prepared for panel interviews. For instance, you might have an HR person, your potential boss, and two employees in the room all interviewing you at once. Employers report that this kind of interview helps tremendously when selecting qualified individuals and judging if an applicant’s personality is a good fit for the team. They want employees who have good eye contact and show responsiveness with the whole group. They want to see if you have chemistry with the team. Some employers even have you stay for a day or half day to “shadow” another employee and perform tasks you’d be doing on the job.
Often, applicants are taken on office tours or plant tours. Why? Employers want you to see your potential future environment to assess if you can handle it. One of my clients has a warehouse that is cold and dark. Employees have to wear thermal long underwear and mittens inside much of the year! No wonder they want potential hires to see and feel this work environment ahead of time. They don’t want to hire people who quit right away due to conditions they didn’t know about.
Incidentally, if you’re in a leadership position and would like excellent tips on how to conduct an effective interview, please download the article “How to Interview and Hire the Best Employees” at www.TipsOnInterviewing.com or visit the articles section of my website. The hiring article was written by my father who spent years in management for one of the Big Four accounting firms. He also participated in hundreds of interviews as a captain in the U.S. Navy. Even if you’re not in a leadership position, you can get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the questions he asked his applicants. There’s a good chance some of these will be asked of you.
CREDENTIALS: Colleen Seward Ryan is an international workplace and employee management expert, award-winning corporate trainer, and conference keynote speaker. A media veteran, she has appeared on numerous radio shows around the country and has written more than 40 popular articles on diverse workplace issues. Colleen has delivered more than 1,100 entertaining programs in 48 states and five countries. She is the author of 10 published audio programs and two books including SECRETS YOUR BOSS ISN’T TELLING YOU.
Colleen Seward Ryan is available for keynotes, breakout sessions, and seminars by calling (623)340-7690.
