The Recruitment Group's Top Interview Tips

Congratulations! You’ve secured a job interview – an exciting step closer to landing your dream role. With the help of our expert recruitment consultants, we’ve put together this essential guide to help you shine on the day, stay focused on your future, and make a lasting impression.

Getting ready for your interview

Interviews can be a daunting experience for people at all stages in their career. We have prepared this interview guide to provide you with some support on how best to prepare for your interview and the key elements of a typical interview process. Every business and hiring manager is different in their approach to interviews, but your Consultant is on hand to support you through the process and prepare you for your meeting.

Research

Before the interview we recommend that you find out everything you can about the business of your potential new employer. Your Consultant will have provided you with some initial detail, but it is also worth investigating further into their products / services, corporate structure etc. Many businesses today have strong websites that contain useful information about them, their operations and their business culture. Other places you can research the company include:

Annual reports
Company directories
Company brochures
Social Media - Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, X
Google searches

If you know anyone that works for the company already then you can ask them for any additional information as part of your research.

Preparation

Make sure that you are properly prepared in advance of your interview:

Check the location before the day and all modes of transport to get there
Check who you are meeting and whether there are any special instructions for arriving e.g. security checks / parking permits etc.
Thoroughly read the job description and know where your role will fit into the organisation
Expect the interviewer to do a CV walkthrough so check that you have the detail and dates you need to discuss this. This may include technical questions and reasons for leaving
Think of key achievements you had in each of the roles you have held in the past

Making a good impression

You’ve obviously already made a great first impression through your cover letter or CV, but you need to be able to do the same in person. Making it through to the interview stage means the employer likes you enough to take the time to meet you. You are one step closer to securing the job. Follow these tips to stride ahead and make a great impression during your interview.

Before the interview

Believe it or not but you can make a great impression before you’ve even stepped inside the employers office by arriving on time, if not 10 minutes early, for your interview. Punctuality is a strong indicator of your professionalism and enthusiasm for the role. Research the address and how you are going to get there. Give yourself plenty of time for traffic, train delays or any other obstacles that may arise on the day

Be Professional

Your career depends on this interview so it’s important you act professionally and remain serious during the entire period of the job interview. Do not chew gum, or slouch in your chair. It’s true some employers might not mind the odd joke, and sometimes it may lighten the atmosphere, but it’s hard to know whether the employer who is interviewing you appreciates a joke or not. Therefore, it’s best to steer clear and focus on being professional.

Dress to impress

Your appearance reflects on how serious you are taking the role. Wear appropriate clothes that indicate how you would represent the company. A neat, tidy and clean appearance will portray professionalism.

Keep your composure

It is important to remain as relaxed as possible. Even the most seasoned professional can get interview nerves. Preparing thoroughly will help you to maintain your composure. Remember that both you and the interviewer want a successful outcome from the interview.

Be confident

No doubt your nerves will be all over the place and your heart may feel like it’s going to beat out of your chest, but it is critical to remain confident right from the beginning. Greet your interviewer standing, with a firm handshake, good eye contact and a smile. Researching interview questions and preparing examples beforehand will lift your confidence when answering questions.

Make them remember you

Close the interview with a handshake, a smile and a genuine thank you. A brief, friendly email thanking the interviewer for their time and consideration is often viewed positively. Restating your enthusiasm for the role could be a deciding factor as to whether you are offered the job.

Telephone interviews

Initial interviews by telephone are more common than they used to be. It’s an inexpensive way to screen candidates in the initial stages of a recruitment campaign. The recruiter may just be looking for a confident manner and intelligent responses to some set questions. But don’t take anything for granted. You may find you are on the phone for an hour and a half and are expected to answer detailed questions about previous roles and achievements.

Don’t allow yourself to be caught on the hop. If you’re not able to make some quiet time when they call then set a time for the interview to take place. You have to be a bit more organised about the telephone interview because it’s on your home turf. Make sure you won’t be interrupted and be sure to charge your phone in advance. Keep a copy of your CV by the phone and all the other relevant information you might need. Prepare and compose yourself in advance. If you sound confused and disorganised you might not get a second chance.

You should have some information from the prospective employer about the role and company. Think about answers you might give to their questions, particularly with regard to competency based questions. Do your research and prepare some questions to ask them exactly as you would for a regular interview.

Smile when you talk on the telephone. You’ll be more relaxed, you’ll sound more confident and assertive. Think about using a headset for telephone interviews as you will have a free hand to take any notes.

In all other respects treat the interview as you would a one to one but remember that time tends to be limited for a phone interview. It's a good idea to ask at the start, if not before the interview, about the structure or sequence of the interview process so you know what to expect.

A phone interview is likely to feel less spontaneous and flexible than a one to one. The interviewer may well have a set script of questions and while you may feel rushed, at some points, if the interviewer thinks they have the information they need they will want to move on.

This is the tricky thing about the telephone interview - you can’t judge reactions in the same way as when you are face to face with an interviewer. As you don’t get the feedback or body language information that help in the face to face situation, it might be useful to ask questions such as “is that what you needed to know?” or “do you want me to go into more detail?”

Other things to bear in mind? Make sure you sound enthusiastic & pace yourself, a good interviewer knows you may need a little time to compose a good response, so do take time to think about answers. Be aware that they may be pushing you to answer as part of their interview technique. Listen carefully and if you don’t fully understand the question, ask for clarification. And remember the interviewer may need some time to make notes between questions so don’t worry unduly about short silences, be patient.

It’s an idea to have the interviewer’s email details so that after the interview ends you can write them a thank you note, so as to reiterate your interest in the role and outline key points discussed.

Telephone interview cheat sheet

Nowadays, it's not uncommon for businesses to conduct multi-staged interviews, starting with an initial conversation over the phone. Luckily for you the questions in these telephone interviews usually follow the same pattern- and we've got all the answers you need!

Tell me about yourself - The interviewer doesn’t want to know if you’re a cat person. Talk briefly about your achievements to date.
Why do you want to work here? - A little research and you’ll be able to talk compellingly about the business and how you can impact on it.
Give an example of where you’ve been able to use your leadership skills - Even if you’re not in a management role, you must cite an example where you took the reins.
What are your strengths and weaknesses? - Talk about strengths that satisfy the selection criteria and allude to weaknesses irrelevant to the role. Give examples of how you manage your weakness and turn into a strength
Where do you see yourself in five years? - Research the company structure to pitch your aspirations more realistically than ‘I want to be on the board by then.’
What is your greatest achievement? - Use the selection criteria to identify which of your achievements called for skills the interviewer is interested in.
Why should we hire you? - Describe the skills and experience you’ve gained that qualify you to fulfil the duties listed on the job description.
Are you a team player? - You need to provide examples to back up your emphatic ‘yes’.
What are your salary expectations? - Check out similar roles to find out the current market, site these as a guide. Explain that salary is important, however the role, company and environment are equally important and that you hope to achieve a fair salary.
Do you have any questions for us? - Check out similar roles to find out the current market, site these as a guide. Explain that salary is important, however the role, company and environment are equally important and that you hope to achieve a fair salary.

Competency based questions

Competency based interviews are becoming increasingly popular as a way to predict a candidate’s future performance. Essentially a series of behavioral questions, the interviewer will ask you to describe a situation which demonstrates your abilities that will be integral to the role you’re interviewing for.

Answering competency based questions

Plan to arrive fifteen minutes early and always allow plenty of time. Think in advance about potential hold ups and plan for these. You can always look for a local café to wait in should you be early

It’s all very well having a technique for answering questions but we think you’d benefit from having a deeper understanding of what is required of you, along with examples of the questions themselves. Drawing on 40 plus combined years of recruitment experience, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of key competency questions, grouping them into five bite size areas - Individual, Managerial, Analytical, Interpersonal and Motivational - for easier digestion.

Answering competency based questions

These refer to your personal attributes; your flexibility, decisiveness, tenacity, knowledge, independence, risk taking and personal integrity. A typical question may include:

Tell me about a time when your work or an idea was challenged.

Managerial competencies

These refer to your ability to take charge of other people; leadership, empowerment, strategic thinking, corporate sensitivity, project management and managerial control.

After the interview

After the interview please contact your Consultant to let them know how you felt the interview went.

We value our candidates and the application experience you receive from us and our clients. Your Consultant will contact your potential employer and request feedback on your interview and possible next stages. Whether positive or negative it is essential that you take on board the feedback provided and use it for future interviews. Feedback is a great learning opportunity, but negative feedback can feel disappointing. Don’t be disheartened if it takes several interviews to secure your ideal role. Your Consultant will be supporting you throughout your job application journey.