This week I asked several of my recruiting colleagues from across the country about their first round interview process. Here is what they had to say and …
Here are the Top Ten first round questions you need to be ready to answer:
First, what are the top FIVE to TEN questions you ask every candidate?
All recruiters agree that they start out with a phone interview armed with a round of elimination questions, or as Bo Burch’s group, Human Capital Solutions affectionately terms them “knock out questions”.
1. Are you still in the market for a new job? If you are not, do you have anyone with a similar background you would recommend? This may be kind of a no-brainer, because first round interview questions are used to rule-in or rule-out candidates –but be ready for this question. You never know when you may be in the market for a new position, especially in our current economic climate, and building strong relationships with recruiters (a.k.a. headhunters) is always a good idea. Never allow yourself to become invisible.
2. What are your career goals and what you are honestly looking for in a position within a new organization? This question is designed to help the recruiter understand what you value in a new employer. As you prepare for your job search, think about how you would answer this and other questions. What size organization do you thrive in, do you like a “family” feel, are you numbers driven, do you like a lot of energy, is the company’s involvement in the community important to you? Know what you want, and what you have to offer. A mismatch will only lead to your own disengagement and a new employer who is disappointed with their new hire.
3. Walk me through your job history. Gloria Blue comments, that asking the questions this way feels so much nicer to her than … “so tell me why you left your last job”…
Recruiters are looking for answers that pertain to gaps in employment history as well as a record of longevity with past employers. New companies are looking for people who are engaged. By definition, employee engagement is intellectual and emotional commitment to an organization, which is also measured by three primary behaviors:
• Saying: The employee consistently speaks positively about the organization to co-workers and refers potential employees and customers.
• Staying: The employee has an intense desire to be a member of the organization, despite opportunities to work elsewhere.
• Striving: The employee exerts extra effort and exhibits behaviors that contribute to business success.
Source: SHRM Whitepapers, Employee Engagement July 2005 written by, Nancy R. Lockwood, SPHR, GPHR and Employee Engagement Higher at Double-Digit Growth Companies (2004), www.hewitt.com.
4. What are you salary expectations? What is your bottom line? Depending on the job, are you willing to negotiate? Let’s face it, everyone has financial obligations, and no matter what job an individual is applying for, all have salary expectations they are not willing to go below. Make sure this issue is discussed effectively when it is asked – no need to waste time on an interview process when compensation is unacceptable to either party. Tip to candidates: be sure to investigate business reality in your geographic location to make sure your expectations are in line with what jobs pay in the vicinity. I know countless people who have relocated without due diligence in this area … much to their disappointment. AND, if you are a dual income family, keep an eye open for what kind of opportunities are available for your trailing spouse or partner.
5. What kind of professional qualities do you think you have that would make you competent for the position as described? “It is amazing how many people are unrealistic about what they want to do, and their ability to do it.” Says Vangie Grave of The Oasis Group – which makes Gloria Blue’s comment to the next question no surprise.
6. What are or were your day to day responsibilities in your current or last position(s) and what do or did they entail? Gloria comments that this line of questioning makes the potential candidate walk you through what they’ve done and how they’ve contributed. “It’s pretty interesting what kind of responses you get, I’ve actually had people tell me they’ve made up some of the content on their resumes.” Oooh … “knocked-out”, definitely, “knocked-out”.
7. If we make a commitment to you would you be able to make a commitment to us for at least one year in this role? Non-commitment to a question like this can be a deal killer. With the cost of turnover running companies between 100% and 400% of a candidates first years’ salary (depending upon job level), employers are more and more concerned about job dedication and loyalty.
8. Are you able to provide professional references from your last 3 positions? If a candidate can’t provide these, it is a major red flag by sending a message that your co-workers and past managers don’t have positive things to say about your past performance. Make sure you have solid references, and know what they plan to say when they are called.
9. Is the candidate interested in relocating, and if so, is there willingness to do it at their own expense? According to long-time recruiter Vangie Graves, companies aren’t forking over big relocation packages any longer, and if they do, there is typically a pay-back clause in the offer letter if employment separation occurs within a certain time period.
10. Also, while not an actual question, each recruiter is keeping an ear open for communication skills and your likability factor – pay attention to things like “ums”, long pauses and your level of enthusiasm.
For recruiters at Human Capital Solutions, if a candidate isn’t “knocked out” of the interview process, a full interview is set up with an Account Executive. This round of questions focuses on behavioral interviewing where inquiries are made into the candidates past responses to challenges, opportunities and other business situations. Sample behavioral questions include responses about how specific problems were solved, ideas were brought to fruition, and the kinds of actions a candidate took in the past to ensure business success, followed with tangible financial results that benefited the organization. Corporate recruiters will either set up a face-to-face interview, or continue with a few behavioral and/or tactical skills related questions. All this is done before moving forward with management and team member interviews.
When it comes to professional advancement, knowing your story (as well as you know your favorite joke) is one of the BEST things you can do for yourself.
In my blog article about “Top Ten Interview Errors and How to Avoid Them”, I talked about knowing your challenges, actions and results. Recruiters, whether they are headhunters who are hired by corporations to find top talent, or corporate recruiters who work within big organizations, are looking for what kind of contributions you have made – with the theory that past performance is indicative of what you will accomplish in the future.
As a tip to those of you who are transitioning into a different career altogether, know how what you have done in the past, translates into what you can do in a new environment. Have experience- based examples ready to discuss including how those experiences relate in the new career path; prepare yourself by reading articles, participating in mastermind groups, other professional groups and volunteer activities in your new “field of dreams”.
When it comes to questions about problems encountered with co-workers, especially when that person is someone to whom an employee reports, what are recruiters looking for … and not looking for in a response?
Everyone had similar answers to this question, but Vangie Graves puts it this way, “I am looking for the truth, no matter what the situation was, and I also want to know how they dealt with that situation. This helps me know what type of environment they will work well in and what is not for them. It also helps me know how they respond to stress or adversity. “ Bo Burch adds that this is where he looks for a candidates’ diversity factor. In this context, “diversity” is a different opinion or idea, an area that is often the cause of employee conflict. Long-time recruiter, Gloria Blue looks for hostility in the candidates’ response. Hostility, resentment or disgust will make for a shorter interview if they “go off” on the subject. “On the other hand,” she continues, “if the candidate is sincere and states a genuine lack of leadership and frustration with honest and thorough answers via their responses I will continue forward and feel that there might be true issues within the organization that they came from.”
A tip for all candidates, learn to be committed to effectiveness rather than the desire to be “right”. Being known as a collaborator is definitely an attribute of an “A Player”.
GET READY. GET SET. GET INTERVIEWED.
Get out a piece of paper, or your computer.
Write down and answer all these questions.
Familiarize yourself with your responses.
Have a friend or family member work through a mock interview process with you, using these questions.
Network … the unpublished job market is huge!
Check out Wilda’s upcoming Group Coaching teleconferences on our calendar at www.wildamania.com.
Written by: Melissa Lyons, SPHR
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