Last week at an Interview Coaching session, I was working alongside three seasoned head-hunters who have also held impressive executive leadership roles. Between us we have conducted tens of thousands of interviews. One of the programme participants asked ‘what impresses interviewers the most’. These are the top seven tips we shared:
1. Prepare. The best candidates will have strong answers to these three questions:
- Tell me about you. This blog covers what to include.
- What are your unique strengths?
- Why are you right for this role? (Or in the case of a general exploratory interview with a head-hunter – what is important in your next role?)
2. Do last minute research. On the day of the interview read the news and do a last search on the organisation. Don’t miss a vital piece of news that could come up in discussion and derail you. Of course, don’t only do last minute research.
3. Listen. Listen to the question you are asked, answer it, then stop talking. Be respectful and give them what they have asked for. A personal pet peeve is when candidates try and steer the interview and just keep talking or give me two examples when I have asked for one.
4. Be concise. It’s always better to give less detail than more, and allow the interviewer to ask follow-up questions, than to go too deep and lose them. I have written before about the candidate who talked for over 40 minutes when I asked him for a brief overview of his career journey.
5. Slow down. The vast majority of people will come over as more impactful if they slow their delivery down a little. It also helps the interviewer capture notes and hear what you are saying. You know your experiences inside out, but they are hearing them for the first time.
6. Treat every interaction like an interview. Beware the invitation for an ‘informal discussion’, a ‘fireside chat’ or similar. Far better to be over prepared than to arrive for what you were told is a coffee and a chat to be faced with structured questions, a competency framework and a serious face.
7. Illustrate all your answers with examples. Even if the interviewer doesn’t ask for them. Have case studies prepared of your greatest achievements, with outputs and where possible metrics. This blog explains more. Never let not being asked the ‘right’ questions be a reason to not showcase your experience. Weave in anecdotes and drop in numbers. It will set you apart.
You might also be interested in Six things you definitely won’t regret preparing before an interview.
If you would like support in the run up to an interview, I offer mock interviews and feedback, support with creating your case studies and a safe space to help you practice. See Impactful Interviews.