An upcoming job interview is inevitably accompanied by stress – the closer the meeting with a potential employer or recruiter, the greater the doubts.
Candidates wonder whether they will meet expectations and how they will compare with other people applying for the position. Questions arise – do their rivals in the recruitment process have more experience and better-matched qualifications? This seemingly trivial matter can nevertheless reduce a candidate's confidence and then squander their chance of getting the job. According to a Hays expert, it is self-belief that is the key to a successful recruitment process.
FEARS AND DOUBTS
When preparing for an interview, it is worth considering what lies at the source of our doubts. One of the most common fears before a meeting is a lack of practice – the candidate last had a job interview several years ago and lacks confidence about how they should answer questions. In such a situation, the best solution is to refresh your knowledge of recruitment strategies and techniques, for example by practising answers to recruiters' frequently asked questions. It is also worth paying attention to body language, which should communicate composure, openness and self-confidence. Such rehearsals will help shed the stress that is often the greatest obstacle in the recruitment process.
Another cause of anxiety is awareness of gaps in one's qualifications and experience. In this case, making up the shortfall before meeting the employer is usually impossible. The best solution, therefore, is an honest conversation with the recruiter – it is possible that any gaps in hard skills or industry experience are less important than they might seem. If they were a huge obstacle, the candidate would not have been invited to the meeting. It is worth preparing in advance, however, answers to possible questions about competency gaps. A good practice is to demonstrate awareness of your weaknesses and present actions aimed at closing those gaps.
MAKE YOURSELF MEMORABLE
Despite the fears growing as the date of the job meeting approaches, no candidate can tell, before the recruitment process ends, how they compare with the competition. The only certainty is the competencies and strengths they possess. That is why you should focus on your strong points and set as your goal not so much getting the job, but being remembered by the recruiter or potential employer as an expert in your field.
The simplest route is proper preparation for the meeting. You should objectively analyse your CV against the requirements set out for the position being recruited for – the more requirements are covered by the course of your career, the greater your chances of success in the recruitment process. It is worth focusing on those elements and practising answers to detailed questions about your competencies. A good practice is to prepare examples of situations from your professional career that could confirm your expert knowledge, experience and effectiveness in action. Solid preparation will help reduce stress and doubts before the recruitment meeting.
PERSONALITY IN RECRUITMENT
According to Karolina Lis, Team Manager at Hays Poland, even the most extensive and best-matched skills will not be enough if the candidate does not fit the dynamics of the team character-wise. It is soft skills and character traits that often play a key role in the final choice of candidate. – The immeasurable competencies that matter most to employers are the ability to work in a team and build relationships, creativity and emotional intelligence, that is, the ability to correctly read the emotions of co-workers. Managers looking for new employees for their teams pay particular attention to such strengths – says Karolina Lis, adding – This stems from a very simple reason – while gaps in knowledge and hard competencies can be made up through training and proper onboarding, psychophysical traits remain a matter of character and are therefore much harder to develop.
To correctly define your soft skills, it is worth reflecting on the opinions you have received over your professional career from co-workers and superiors. These may have been praise for a creative approach to solving problems, skilful time management, or the trust of people working with you on a single project. The next step is an objective analysis of your competencies in the context of the position the recruitment project concerns. It is worth considering how to use your character traits in the interview and establish a rapport with the recruiter. It is soft skills that can decide the choice of candidate when all applicants have a similar set of qualifications and experience.
Equally important is fitting into the team, because that is what determines its effectiveness, creativity and, consequently, its business results. – If a candidate genuinely fits a given position, their personality should speak in their favour. That is why it is so important, despite the stress accompanying job interviews, to stay yourself – advises Karolina Lis. – If a candidate starts pretending to be the person they think the company is looking for, they risk losing authenticity in the eyes of the recruiter or employer. Even if they receive and accept the offer, they risk a situation in which, after a few months of working at the company, they still have to look for another place of employment due to a poor fit with the team or a lack of rapport with their direct superior.
FORTUNE FAVOURS THE PREPARED
Solid preparation is undeniably the foundation of a successfully completed recruitment process. However, as the date of the meeting approaches, the level of stress grows. Hence it is so important to ensure an optimistic attitude on the day of the meeting. It can help to imagine the moment you receive the job offer and to go over your strengths. It is worth remembering that nobody is perfect – the same applies to the other candidates.
The best strategy for a recruitment interview is to remember that until the process ends, you cannot determine how you compare with the competition. Worrying about this fact before meeting the recruiter makes no sense, especially since it remains beyond our control. What will work in a candidate's favour best is proper preparation for the conversation, focus on your strongest points and a positive attitude. Only such a strategy, with nervous deliberation about the competition excluded, can help you get your dream job.
Information about Hays Poland
Hays Poland is a personnel consultancy belonging to the international Hays plc group, which is the world's largest specialist recruitment company. Operating in the recruitment market for over 40 years, Hays has 250 offices in 33 countries. In total, around 10,000 experts work there across 20 specialisations.
