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Tag: Interviewing

  • 3 Steps for Better Interviews

    CEOs of small, growing companies tend to call a bookkeeper to maintain financials or ask consultants about the right go-to-market strategy. But when it comes to hiring people, many use their gut instinct or the “would I have a beer with this guy?” test to make employment decisions.

    Many leaders rely on unstructured interviews or ask colleagues to rate candidates on nebulous characteristics like “fit” and “technical chops.” These unstructured approaches often give leaders misplaced confidence in their so-called hiring assessments, especially when numbers are assigned to candidates. And absent clear, written calibration on what those ratings mean, calculating the average 1-5 rating out to two decimal places doesn’t make the measurement any better—it just provides the illusion of measurement.

    A better approach would be to use industrial and organizational (I/O) psychology. Yes, a yawner of a name, but it’s a field steeped in research and statistics about understanding and predicting behavior at work. It can help business leaders select the best person for each role and effectively motivate employees. It can also help align your leadership team to company priorities, guiding them toward corporate growth.

    Although IO psychology originated in the early 20th century, not many leaders have heard of it. While other fields have created glitzy marketing campaigns for their less-than-stellar tools, I/O psychology has focused on excellence of measurement more so than telling the world about its excellent measurement. In short, it is a well-kept secret that needs to be more known.

    Like many sciences, I/O psychology works best when applied by trained practitioners, but a few key principles can help any business leader make better decisions when interviewing and hiring job candidates.

    Before the interview

    Here are three steps to take before you even begin to interview candidates.

    List competencies

    Think about the role you are interviewing for and consider what competencies a job candidate needs to be successful in that role. For instance, if you are hiring someone to grow the company in an adjacent market, it’s a good bet that traits such as entrepreneurship, an interest in learning, the ability to influence others, and commercial acumen will be important.

    Prepare interview questions

    Next formulate behavioral questions that determine whether a candidate possesses each competency. Prepare these questions in advance and ask every candidate to answer them. This approach will give you better, consistent information about each potential new hire, allowing you to fairly and objectively compare each candidate.

    Make sure the questions target a competency directly. Avoid brainteaser questions like, “If I shrunk you and put you in a glass how would you get out?” An essential I/O psychology tenet is the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, so instead ask about past behavior with this series of questions:

    • Tell me about a time you had to learn a new area to sell a product you were previously unfamiliar with.
    • What was the situation?
    • What did you do?
    • What was your role specifically?
    • How did it end?
    • What might you do differently next time?

    Develop a rating scale

    Prepare a Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS) that measures the candidate’s performance by rating specific, observable behaviors tied to a numerical scale of 1 to 5. For each question, determine ahead of time what answers would lead to rating of very ineffective (1), effective (3), and exceptional (5).

    For example, a candidate who struggles to articulate a learning strategy or who could not articulate value to clients would garner a 1 rating while a candidate who sought relevant sources and experts, and developed a working understanding to sufficiently describe the product in a timely manner would gain a 3 rating. A 5 rating would be reserved for a candidate who is deeply immersed in a topic, using multiple sources and integrating knowledge quickly, and has demonstrated the ability to become an expert in short order.

    During the interview

    Take copious notes during the interview and leave the evaluation for later. The easiest way to stay focused on the interview details and avoid evaluation is to write what is said instead of writing comments such as “good response” or “did the right thing.” This is very important because if you rush to evaluation, you aren’t giving the candidate an opportunity to independently demonstrate each competency. If you evaluate midway, it may color your judgment of the next question’s responses.

    After the interview

    After interviewing each candidate, go through your notes and assign ratings on each competency to each potential hire based on their answers, considering the BARS you created. It’s important to rate each candidate immediately; you’re not comparing them against each other, but rather, against the standards you’ve set.

    Think about each competency independently and collectively. For instance, someone might rate a 3 on influence but their decision making is a 5. Taken together, those ratings might make them the lead candidate, if the role requires exceptional decision making and influence skills are less important.

    Be realistic about role requirements; it’s highly unlikely that expert skill is needed for each competency. Being solidly competent means the person will be successful. In other words, 3s on some competencies is fine. Holding out for someone who scores all 5s will delay your hiring as you search for the impossible candidate.

    Final thoughts

    If this process seems too daunting, just as many leaders hire or contract an accountant or marketing consultant, consider contracting an I/O psychologist to help with employee assessment and selection. They can create job related competency-based interviews for you or even conduct the candidate assessment using interviews and even more robust assessment tools. A small investment in this expert skill set for key hires can pay large dividends.

    Sandy Fiaschetti, Ph.D.

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  • My Younger Employees Only Want to Communicate by Text

    Inc.com columnist Alison Green answers questions about workplace and management issues—everything from how to deal with a micromanaging boss to how to talk to someone on your team about body odor.

    Here’s a roundup of answers to three questions from readers.

    1. My younger employees prefer communicating by text

    I manage a team of five younger professionals, all between the ages of 25 to 30. I have noticed that each of them prefers to communicate with me almost exclusively by text message or through the chat feature in our collaboration software. Conversations by phone, video, or in-person only happen when I initiate them.

    When I initiate an in-person conversation or phone call, my employees don’t seem opposed and typically are very engaged, but if left up to them it seems like all of the interaction with me would be via text or chat. In my own career, I’ve always valued being able to talk one-on-one with my manager, whether it’s during a formal meeting or impromptu. Is the preference my employees show for engaging with me by text or chat generational or should this be a warning sign that my team does not view me as approachable, or doesn’t place much value in one-on-one time with me as a manager?

    Green responds:

    I’m not a fan of broad statements about generations because people are individuals…but in general there has been a cultural shift away from phone calls and toward other methods of communication. Not just among 20-somethings, but more broadly. And since your employees’ entire time in the workforce has been since that shift started, it makes sense that you’d see it reflected in them.

    Since they’re very engaged when you initiate calls or talk in-person, I wouldn’t worry that they don’t find you approachable or don’t value their time with you. Those communication methods just aren’t their go-tos. If you want, you could always ask them about it; maybe it’ll turn out that they think of calling or stopping by in-person as more of an interruption to you, and think they’re respecting your time by not doing it. But lots of people of all ages have just fallen into this particular set of preferences, and that’s likely all it is.

    2. Screening out bigots in interviews

    A member of our team was recently fired. There had been numerous problems with this teammate, including various remarks made to women and gay men that were not acceptable. So now the search is on to find a replacement.

    How do we ensure we don’t hire another bigot? I can’t flat out ask, “Are you comfortable working with women? How about gay men?” Can I? As a gay man myself, one thought I’ve had is to say, “I’m [name], and I live in the [part of town] of [city] with my husband and dog. [more basic personal info].” If they make a face or seem taken aback, red flag. Is this a reasonable approach or is there a better way?

    Green responds:

    Sharing information about yourself is fine to do. But you’re more likely to get a better sense if you ask about these issues more directly. For example, you could ask, “To what extent have you worked on teams with a broad diversity of race, gender, and sexual orientation, and what have you learned from those experiences?” If this person will be managing anyone, you could ask, “Can you tell me about a time that you had particular success in building an equitable and inclusive team with a variety of demographics, or when you faced an obstacle in doing that? What happened and how did you approach it?” (These questions also signal something about your culture to your candidates, which is useful.)

    3. How to unfriend someone I have to fire

    A few years back, I started at a new company in a mid-level role. During that time, I accepted Facebook friend requests from a few coworkers, all at my level. Generally speaking, I’m fine being friends with coworkers on Facebook as I don’t share anything I wouldn’t want the entire world to see. However, since then I was promoted to the director of our department. I am still friends with coworkers, because I’m comfortable with the content I share being appropriate for the workplace.

    However, I am in the process of terminating an employee on my team, who I am still friends with on Facebook. I understand that they most likely won’t want to remain social media friends with a boss who just let them go. I don’t want to put this employee in any more of an uncomfortable position, knowing how stressful and upsetting losing a job already is. Do I unfriend them prior to letting them go, unfriend them when we finalize the termination, or just see what happens and let them decide if they want to disconnect?

    Green responds:

    Definitely don’t unfriend the person right before letting them go; if they notice, it’ll look ominous and awfully cold. Frankly, doing it right afterwards will look pretty cold too! You’re better off leaving it in their hands; they can unfriend you if they want, block your posts, or whatever they’re comfortable with.

    For what it’s worth, ideally you would have disconnected from anyone you managed on Facebook when you became the director, because this is only the first of a bunch of awkward situations that could come up. It’s not enough that you’re not concerned about what you might post; being connected to them means you might see things they’d rather their boss not see or think about (their politics, health, family, whatever it might be) — and it’s less fraught for you to take the lead on fixing that than it is for them. And if you disconnect from everyone at once, it’s easy to explain it’s not personal and you just don’t want them to feel like you’re watching what they post.

    Want to submit a question of your own? Send it to alison@askamanager.org.

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

    Alison Green

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  • Should You Reject Job Candidates by Phone or Email?

    Inc.com columnist Alison Green answers questions about workplace and management issues—everything from how to deal with a micromanaging boss to how to talk to someone on your team about body odor.

    A reader asks:

    Should you always call to let a candidate know that they won’t be getting a job offer?

    Here’s the context: I’ve gotten calls and emails letting me know when I wasn’t accepted for a position. And my colleagues and I all agree that we hate getting phone calls. It’s awkward! If you don’t answer the phone, you’re not going to get a voicemail telling you you didn’t get the job, you’ll get a voicemail asking you to call back. Which means you’ll get excited thinking you’re getting a job offer! And then you’re live on the phone with a hiring manager trying to manage an awkward conversation.

    I’ve taken to emailing rejected candidates rather than calling, for these reasons. I take it as a kindness, rather than getting their hopes up for nothing.

    But recently, a week after I sent the rejection, a candidate sent me a long email expressing her disappointment having gone through a long hiring process only to receive an email and not a phone call. I haven’t responded yet, but I plan to share why I send emails and thank her again for her time. What’s your opinion on the matter?

    Green responds:

    Deliver rejections by email, not by phone.

    If you call people, you’re making them respond gracefully on the spot to what might be really disappointing or even upsetting news (right after getting their hopes up when they see a call from you, too).

    Some people prefer calls, of course. But more prefer emails. And delivering rejections by email is so common that even people who would have preferred a call won’t typically be outraged that they didn’t get one.

    That said, there are situations where it’s especially important that your emailed rejection is particularly kind and thoughtful. If someone has invested an unusual amount of time in your hiring process (multiple rounds of interviews, exercises, etc.), ideally you’d send more than a perfunctory, generic-sounding rejection. In cases like that, the note should acknowledge the investment they’ve made, and ideally offer something personalized (such as with feedback on their candidacy, a mention of a particular area of strength, or some info on why you ultimately went in a different direction).

    But ultimately, the thing about rejections is that there’s no way to reject people that everyone will be happy with. If you reject people by email, some will be annoyed that you didn’t call instead. If you reject people by phone, some people (way more of them) will wonder why you subjected them to an awkward phone call instead of just emailing. If you note they had a lot of strengths, some people will think you’re BS’ing them. But if you don’t do that, some people will feel the note is cold and impersonal. If you send rejections fairly quickly, some people will feel annoyed or even insulted you didn’t spend more time considering them. If you try to wait a respectable amount of time so people don’t feel that way, others will be annoyed that you didn’t tell them sooner.

    You’re just not going to please everyone. By their nature, rejections sting, and everyone has a different take on what would most minimize that sting for them personally.

    If you prioritized your candidates’ experience above every other consideration (which isn’t practical or realistic), I suspect the method that would please the greatest number of people would be to email a rejection that included an offer to set up a call if the person would like feedback. But there are loads of situations where it won’t make sense to offer feedback (and it would be a huge investment of time if you did), so I wouldn’t recommend that as an across-the-board practice, although you might choose to do it with a specific person on occasion.

    So … keep on emailing your rejections. Be kind and respectful and personalize them where it makes sense, but emailing is just fine.

    Want to submit a question of your own? Send it to alison@askamanager.org.

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

    Alison Green

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  • The Most and Least Competitive Major Companies for Applicants | Entrepreneur

    The Most and Least Competitive Major Companies for Applicants | Entrepreneur

    If you’ve ever wanted to work for one of your favorite companies — whether it be a tech giant like Apple or a fashion service like Stitch Fix — you might have navigated to its job posting on LinkedIn, seen that hundreds of applications were submitted within hours and wondered if you even had a shot.

    Not surprisingly, some of the biggest names in American business do tend to be the most competitive, but others aren’t exactly flooded with applicants. In fact, despite a gradually cooling job market in the U.S., economists maintain that employees are in a great position to negotiate and job hop, CNBC reported earlier this year.

    Related: After 526 Rejected Job Applications, I Broke Through. So Can You.

    So, what are your chances as an applicant at a household name company, really? What are the most — and least — competitive companies for job seekers? A new study from Resume.io set out to answer that question by analyzing data from LinkedIn.

    Based on the average number of daily job applicants to job postings, Resume.io determined the 20 companies where getting hired might be particularly difficult and the 20 where it might not be so hard after all.

    Related: ‘Annoying’ AI Chatbots Taking Over Fast Food Job Applications

    The No. 1 most in-demand company among applicants? That would be Netflix, which, despite its controversial (and successful) crackdown on password sharing earlier this year, is the most competitive major American company for job seekers, boasting 84.87 average daily applicants per job posting.

    Check out the full list from Resume.io below:

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Resume.io

    Image Credit: Courtesy of Resume.io

    Amanda Breen

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  • What is The ‘Coffee Cup’ Test? Watch Out For This Tricky Interview Trend. | Entrepreneur

    What is The ‘Coffee Cup’ Test? Watch Out For This Tricky Interview Trend. | Entrepreneur

    Imagine you’re interviewing for a new job. You arrive at the office, the hiring manager greets you, and then walks you into the kitchen to offer a refreshment.

    You might be getting set up for the “coffee cup test” — an interview technique that’s gotten a lot of attention on social media. Some say it’s a great way to test how considerate a candidate is; others say it’s an empty trick that says more about the interviewer than it does the interviewee.

    So what is the test, and what should you do if you’re confronted with it? Read on.

    Jason Feifer

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  • 7 Interview Questions to Build a Positive Work Culture | Entrepreneur

    7 Interview Questions to Build a Positive Work Culture | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Creating a positive culture is more than putting a ping-pong table in the break room or free snacks.

    It’s also about hiring positive, motivated employees who share your company’s values and are committed to making a difference.

    It’s always good to remember, while the look of your office shows how much you care, the people that are in that building make your company what it is.

    That is where the interview process and the questions come in:

    1. Who is your favorite person that you have ever worked with or for?

    You’ll have a couple of answers: One person will say this person was their favorite because they were best friends, they can talk about anything and would always laugh. That shows me that this person’s number one focus is not growth — meaning head down and getting to work.

    An answer like, “My first boss was so strict, and at first, I hated him. Two years in, I realized I learned so much and he helped me be so much better in my job and as a professional.”

    That person gets that if they sew in hard work they are going to reap success. If someone gives them critical feedback, it will help them grow.

    I want that person.

    Related: 3 Interview Questions To Help You Hire The Right People

    2. Who is your least favorite?

    I don’t care about the least favorite person, I care WHY. This shows me what kind of management style the candidate doesn’t work well with.

    Say the reason was that they brought their boss this idea they worked on for weeks, and all their boss said was “thank you,” but they think they didn’t respect their opinions.

    It is likely their boss respects their opinions, even on an average level.

    This shows they are probably wearing a lens that makes them think people generally disrespect their opinions. So, if I hire them, I have to fight with this person’s ghosts and do extra to make them know I respected their idea.

    3. Where do you get your moral code or compass from?

    The way people ground themselves is mercurial.

    When someone says they are their own moral compass, they have no concrete thing they ground themselves in and will get blown in the wind.

    You want the source to be really good — a parental figure, a historical figure, an institution, etc.

    This way you know they hold themselves to a standard and you don’t have to manage their moralities.

    4. If you get to the end of your life and look back at the time between now and then, what will make you say, “I did it!”?

    I want to see if their desires line up with the company — their desires beyond personal goals, what they want to accomplish and where they see themselves in five years.

    It helps me know that we are aligned and a qualified organization for what they want to do and achieve.

    If it makes sense, then they will see your company as a bridge to help get to their goals.

    This is the most integrity-focused and integrous part of the vetting process, too, because you can also see if the company is a good fit for the individual.

    Related: 3 Ways to Establish a Positive Company Culture

    5. Name everything you can do with a brick.

    This is the best test — those with a higher IQ would, on average, be able to give 12 or more creative answers in five minutes. If they give less than six in five minutes, then it is indicative of lower fluid IQ and less creativity, and it also indicates that they will struggle to come up with solutions to complex, nuanced problems.

    This test does not tell everything about IQ or anything like that, but you do get an inkling.

    For example, a marketer will give more creative, longer, paragraph-style answers as opposed to an operator who would give a lot of answers, but brief two-word ones.

    Someone with creative answers would not be able to follow set patterns, as opposed to the operator’s logical answers.

    6. If you were going to give a training on __, what would the outline be?

    I prefer this question over asking questions like, “How much experience do you have in ___?” or “How good are you at ___?”

    You don’t want their opinion on their knowledge, and you don’t want them to tell you what they’re good at. You want them to display knowledge.

    By asking the candidate to teach you about the position they are applying for, you will be able to see how teachable they are, where they got their knowledge from and how much they know.

    You want to also know if they know more than you. You never know what you might be able to learn.

    7. What is something that you have learned about __ that most people in the industry don’t know?

    I want to know, again, where on their timeline of learning they are. There are three levels to this:

    1. The formative level: Where you accept what anybody tells you about anything.

    2. The medium level: “Oh! I have learned something on my own, and I now have my own rules.”

    3. The final level: Where you are judging and where it can be dangerous to a degree. You take everything from the first two and apply it further.

    You are asking for them to demonstrate if they are at that third level and if they are at that level of fidelity in their knowledge.

    Related: 11 Crucial Interview Questions to Ensure a Culture Fit

    To promote a positive culture, you want to know how much your candidates care about the role and the company.

    For example, a candidate coming to an interview in a suit, a notebook and their resume — even though the company is very casual — shows they care about you, the role and the company.

    It’s more than giving water and comfy chairs. It’s also about creating a work environment that fosters collaboration, innovation and growth. This starts with the people — people make the company, not the other way around.

    Josiah Grimes

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  • The Biggest Job Interview Myths | Entrepreneur

    The Biggest Job Interview Myths | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Job interviews require a lot of effort from both the interviewer and the interviewee. There are a lot of guides and resources on how to navigate interviews, but they do not always get them right. There are many myths and misconceptions surrounding the interview process.

    Check out these top 11 myths about job interviews that may stop you from doing your best.

    John Rampton

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  • The Head of Talent at Deloitte on How to Land a Job There | Entrepreneur

    The Head of Talent at Deloitte on How to Land a Job There | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    This story originally appeared on Business Insider.

    This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with David Rizzo, the national managing principal of talent strategy and operations at Deloitte US in Charlotte, North Carolina, about how to get a job at Deloitte. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

    My interest in talent strategy goes back 25 years, to when I was a graduate student studying labor and industrial relations at Cornell. I was fascinated by how talent and culture drove business performance and how people found meaning in their work.

    I started my career in the automotive industry as a human resources professional working on the manufacturing floor, and I went on to join Deloitte Consulting LLP’s Human Capital practice more than 20 years ago. I pursued Deloitte because I wanted to be challenged on a high-performing team, and I was attracted to the company’s reputation for integrity and results.

    Fifteen years into my time at Deloitte, the consulting business asked me to work on talent strategy and, ultimately, to become the chief talent and purpose officer and lead a team that provides talent strategy; talent experience; rewards, recognition, and well-being support; learning and development; talent technology and operations; and talent business-advisory support to our organization.

    I’m incredibly energized by the pace of change and the opportunities that I see coming for Deloitte. We’re entering new markets, transforming the way we work, and adapting to evolving workforce and societal expectations. This confluence of changes means my team of talent professionals is able to have a greater influence than ever before.

    Deloitte receives more than 2 million job applications a year across our US organization. It’s up to my team to decide who’s the right fit.

    Here’s what I look for in a job candidate

    The first thing I look for is the right technical and behavioral skills. I’m keenly interested in what you do and how you work.

    We provide a wide variety of services to our clients, which means we source talent across specialties, including business-tax professionals, certified public accountants, clinicians, and software engineers. Other roles that people may not know about at Deloitte are climate scientists, brand marketers, writers, graphic designers, forensics lawyers, user-experience and user-interface designers, and product developers.

    Second, I hope to see a set of experiences that demonstrate your ability to adapt to a changing environment, solve complex challenges, and deliver results.

    Third, I look for a fit within our organization. Are you curious, team-focused, and purpose-driven? These are qualities I believe can complement Deloitte’s shared values of leadership, integrity, care, inclusion, and collaboration. This company places a high premium on trust — how has your own compass guided your decision-making in challenging situations?

    Here’s how to stand out in your application

    It’s important to demonstrate the high-impact contributions you’ve made. You should be able to show measurable results from your efforts, whether in achieving certain business outcomes or providing insights that are valuable to future progress on projects or programs.

    We look for applicants who are mindful about the influence they can have on their colleagues and their community, and who can show clear connections between their actions and changes made.

    We’re very interested in people who have a clear and compelling interest in their own learning and development. We also want applicants to show us how they’ve worked effectively with leaders, peers, and team members to achieve high-quality outcomes.

    We seek to be trusted business advisors, and that trust is earned by developing a long-lasting and evolving bond with our clients. I look for applicants who can work effectively with our leaders and team members to exceed clients’ expectations and even anticipate needs clients have yet to articulate.

    Here’s how to prepare for your interview

    The most important question I want candidates to reflect on before their interview is what impact do you want to make, and how can Deloitte help you make it? Think about showing how you can bring your experiences and skills to add value to Deloitte, our clients, and society.

    My favorite interview question is: If you can highlight only one bullet, accomplishment, or activity on your résumé, what is it and why?

    This question tells us a lot about what’s important to the candidate. What’s your passion and why? What’s an accomplishment that reflects your strengths? What’s something that reveals your purpose and values? I like this as an opening question because it allows the candidate to signal how they want to be known and remembered.

    We recently interviewed a candidate with relevant work experiences, a high GPA in business school, and tons of extracurriculars — all the kinds of things you’d think they’d highlight with that opening question. Instead, they selected an item from the very bottom of their résumé: They completed a marathon.

    They selected a charity to run for in honor of a close family member who died a few years earlier. They developed a “business plan” that had a lot of detail on their approach, including how they overcame setbacks during training. This one response touched on the variety of questions we often ask campus candidates, like ones about goal setting, navigating unanticipated situations, recognition for service excellence, and selling ideas or concepts.

    Their story left a lasting impression of who they are, and this is what your goal should be during your interview.

    Robin Madell

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  • Why Do You Want to Work Here? Here’s How You Can Ace the Question Every Time

    Why Do You Want to Work Here? Here’s How You Can Ace the Question Every Time

    Job interviews are not exactly everyone’s idea of a good time. They can bring about stress, anxiety and a bit of nerves. However, stress often comes from a sense of being unprepared. So what if you discovered that being as prepared as possible could reduce your stress on the big day?

    Whether you’re a brand new job seeker or a seasoned professional, this article will walk you through the interview process, help you show potential employers why you want to work for their company and how to ace their questions every time.

    One of the toughest questions you’ll get is also probably the most obvious. Why do you want this job? Why are you interested? However straightforward the question seems, it can be surprisingly challenging to come up with a good answer.

    Should you focus on your career path and aspects of the company’s mission and business practices that resonate with your goals, such as eco-friendly products or community service initiatives? Or should you talk about something else entirely?

    There isn’t a cookie-cutter answer here. However, we will review tips to help you navigate the murky waters of the dreaded “why do you want to work for this company?” question.

    Related: Interviews Are a 2-Way Street: How to Make the Most of Them for Mutual Success

    Applying for the right position

    Before learning how to ace common interview questions, you should know how to apply for a job opening that is right for you.

    Work-life balance has been a hot topic lately, and a big part of that has to do with actually feeling fulfilled in your job. Applying for jobs that genuinely interest you is important because it will come through in the interview, and working in a job you enjoy does wonders for your mental health.

    Here are five points to consider when assessing if you’re applying for the proper position.

    1. Motive

    Money is essential. However, it should not be your sole reason for applying for a job.

    When you are solely driven by money, you may quickly feel unfulfilled with your work. When browsing job boards, look for jobs with a healthy balance of salary and something you genuinely find interesting.

    Related: How to Be Authentic in an Interview

    2. Passion

    Passion and motive go hand-in-hand. To determine whether or not you’re passionate about this potential position, ask yourself:

    • Will you look forward to telling your friends and family about this job?
    • Will you look forward to doing this job each day?
    • Do you care about the work you are doing?
    • Will the work stimulate you?

    3. Work-life balance

    The need for work-life balance varies from person to person. When applying for jobs, it is vital that you know yourself and what level of work-life balance you require.

    Most job descriptions will tell you the required hours and whether nights, weekends or untraditional hours are required. Keep those details in mind when making your decision.

    4. Work environment

    The work environment is another aspect that varies from person to person. As you consider what kind of work environment you’d like to experience, ask yourself:

    • Do you want an in-person, hybrid or remote job?
    • Do you prefer solo work or collaborative work with team members?
    • What kind of workload are you prepared to take on?
    • Does company culture matter to you? If so, does this company culture match your core values?

    You should answer these questions for yourself, but you can also ask more specific questions on this topic during your interview process. In addition, complete your due diligence by researching the job and company via sites like Glassdoor and LinkedIn, where you can find job postings, salary calculations, company reviews and other relevant information.

    Related: How to Master Virtual Job Interviews

    5. Opportunities for growth

    Whether you are applying for a job at a small or large company, if your career goals involve growing with that business, you need to make sure there are opportunities. Sometimes, this can be difficult to tell simply by the job description, so you’ll have to ask follow-up questions in your interview.

    Some of the best questions to ask to find out if there are growth opportunities include the following:

    • What kind of mentorship opportunities, formal or informal, does the company provide?
    • Are there available opportunities for career development and skill development through this position?
    • What qualifications are required for promotion opportunities, and how can you work toward acquiring said qualifications in this position?
    • Could you provide an example of a senior role, its qualities and required skills?
    • What improvements would you like to see in your industry and at your current company?

    But one easy way to tell is by the job title. For example, if you are applying for a position called “assistant manager,” there is likely a position above it called “manager.” Look for hints during the job search to clue you in on growth opportunities.

    How to prepare for a job interview

    Once you’ve applied to a great job and scored an interview, it’s time to prep.

    Take a look at these tips and tricks to bring your A-game.

    Related: Job Interview Preparation Checklist

    1. Know the job

    At this point, you should know the job you want. “Knowing the job” includes in-depth research about the day-to-day responsibilities of the position, the characteristics of successful employees working that role and how you align with those work habits and personality traits.

    However, once you’ve secured an interview, you should take your knowledge of the job description one step further.

    The job description will likely guide the hiring manager’s questions, so you should be prepared to demonstrate how you can perform the job duties or show your performance history of similar previous job functions.

    Be prepared to answer situational questions about how you would react to a situation or examples of how you have handled similar scenarios.

    Situational questions: Examples and sample answers

    1. Describe a situation where you went above and beyond at a previous job.

    Answer: My boss was on vacation, and my team got an order for 500 additional shipments of XYZ. I regrouped and helped motivate the team, and we fulfilled the order ahead of schedule. The client then signed on to purchase more XYZ in the following year.

    2. Talk about a time you had to collaborate with a difficult coworker.

    Answer: One of my co-editors had a very different work style from my own. She was much laxer, whereas I preferred to follow the procedures to a tee. We collaborated to develop a new editorial protocol, which allowed us to turn around 50% more articles per week.

    In these questions, the best practice is to keep in mind a simple answer formula: problem, solution and benefit. If you can articulate how your work addressed the problem and the impact of your actions, you are more likely to impress interviewers.

    2. Know the company

    This is part of preparing for the big question. You’ll need to study and grow your knowledge of the company, including:

    • You should know the company’s story, background and founders.
    • You should understand the company’s mission statement and purpose.
    • You should have some general knowledge about the company, such as work examples or campaign history.

    This is a considerable part of preparedness. The company will want to know that you chose them on purpose, so be ready to show them you did.

    3. Know yourself

    During your interview, you must show confidence in your answers (even if you’re forcing your confidence through a layer of anxiety at that moment). The following are some aspects of yourself that you should be ready to share:

    • The specific personality traits and attributes that distinguish you from other candidates.
    • Your work history, track record and any gaps in your background.
    • Your particular work style.
    • Any strengths and weaknesses relevant to the position.

    Practice going over sample answers with yourself for job interview questions you might be asked.

    A good practice for discussing your strengths and weaknesses is another simple formula: mention a strength/weakness, then provide a story for context.

    Here are a few examples:

    • I’m a strong public speaker. My last position required me to give presentations at conferences such as X, Y and Z, and at each of these conferences, we closed sales contracts with multiple clients in attendance. I received multiple internal shout-outs while at my previous company and was chosen to serve as our media spokesperson for the XYZ product rollout.
    • One of my greatest weaknesses is that I don’t always express myself, even when I have strong feelings about a subject. However, I’ve recognized this limitation, and I’m working to grow. I’ve joined a local public speaking group to overcome my hesitancy to voice my thoughts, and I’m becoming more confident in expressing myself to others.

    4. Create questions

    Even though most of the interview will be about you, it’s essential to ask your interviewer about themselves and the company. You can certainly ask follow-up questions about anything you have learned during the interview, but you should also go in prepared.

    Consider questions like:

    • What are some expectations of this role, and what projects might I take on?
    • What are some challenges I might face in the role?
    • Can you tell me more about how the team functions and the chain of command?
    • What are some opportunities for growth?
    • What is your favorite part about working at this company?
    • What are you excited about for this company’s future?

    Related: 15 Interview Questions You Should Be Prepared to Answer This Month

    5. Send a thank you note

    Even though this won’t happen until after the interview, you should go in knowing that you’ll need to send a thank you note after. In the email, you should include the following:

    • Include an introduction.
    • Include three things you enjoyed or learned during the interview.
    • Include a call to action.
    • Include a sign-off.

    The big interview question: Why do you want to work here?

    You’ve snagged the job interview and prepared as much as possible, and now the time has come — interview day.

    The interview will likely start with questions like:

    • What can you tell me about yourself?
    • Can you tell us about your skill set?
    • Why should we hire you?
    • Can you tell us about a time when…?

    But the most critical question is one that is more about their company than you.

    Why do you want to work here?

    All of your preparation will pay off at this moment. Companies want to know that you have done your research by:

    • Look at the company’s website.
    • View company social media accounts.
    • Understand their mission and company values.

    Demonstrating your knowledge of their company shows that you care and have a genuine interest in the position. To show you have done your research, you should answer the question as precisely as possible.

    For example, don’t just say, “I love your company’s mission and think I’d be a great fit because I align with it.” Instead, get specific. Tell a relevant short story or give an example or give an exact answer about why their mission matters to you.

    Be specific by answering with something like:

    “I saw the campaign you did about X. That is something very near to my heart, and I would love to be a part of a company that values Y. I want to help continue the mission of X by Z.”

    Relate their mission to your values. Show them the connection between their company and you. If you can tell a story and create a relationship, you will ace the question every time.

    Bottom line? Interviews are tough. The market is full of competitive job candidates, and the process can be stressful. The best way to tackle interviews is to be as prepared as possible.

    When entering into an interview process, remember:

    1. Apply to the proper position for you.
    2. Prepare for the interview by doing your research.
    3. Know why that company matters to you, and show them.

    Now that you’ve got the rundown, it’s time to put yourself out there and snag a job offer.

    Looking for more advice to support your professional growth? Explore all of Entrepreneur’s vast and ever-growing wealth of helpful articles here

    Entrepreneur Staff

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  • How to Job Search in 2023

    How to Job Search in 2023

    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    Pandemic lockdowns, cultural shifts, and technological advancements have forced businesses to rethink how they recruit, hire, and retain talent. Employees feel more empowered to find the right fit as their priorities in work and life change.


    Shutterstock

    The job search landscape continues to evolve, and job seekers are learning to adapt as employers develop new recruitment strategies. These tips can help you understand how to job search in 2023 and get the edge on the competition.

    Apply on job search sites.

    Many savvy job seekers turn to popular job search sites to find their dream jobs. These hiring platforms host open roles from thousands of top companies.

    You can refine your searches by industry, location, experience level, full/ part-time, and specific keywords. ZipRecruiter is one popular job site that simplifies the hiring process with its sophisticated AI-matching technology that connects hiring managers with the right candidate — almost like a personal recruiter.

    Apply on-the-go with mobile applications.

    The ability to apply for jobs via mobile app is a benefit modern job seekers can take advantage of. ZipRecruiter’s #1-rated job search app1 makes searching and applying from your phone effortless. Alerts keep you informed by letting you know when your application was reviewed, and one-tap apply enables you to submit your profile to jobs anytime, anywhere.

    Prepare for more video interviews.

    Phone screening is standard for recruiters, but many employers are opting for virtual interviews during every step of the hiring process. While some people thrive during in-person interviews, meeting over video chat has its benefits.

    If the company isn’t a good fit, you save yourself a trip to their office, and taking notes for talking points is easier. Ace your next video interview by preparing your space and rehearsing answers to potential questions ahead of time.

    Is flexible work right for you?

    Modern employees are beginning to expect remote and hybrid working situations from their employers — or they will find an organization that allows it. Offering flexible working locations expands the talent pool employers can choose from and can provide a better work-life balance for employees.

    Optimize your resume.

    Employers can receive large volumes of job applications, so they use software programs to filter resumes and applications by specific keywords and criteria that meet their requirements. You can optimize your resume by referencing the words from the job listing. See what terms and keywords employers use in the job descriptions can help your application appear higher in their filtering system.

    1 Based on job seeker app ratings, Jan 2021 to Jan 2022 from AppFollow for ZipRecruiter, CareerBuilder, Glassdoor, Indeed, LinkedIn, and Monster.

    Entrepreneur Deals

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  • Recruiter.com Features 130+ Recruiting Experts in New “Get Hired” Report

    Recruiter.com Features 130+ Recruiting Experts in New “Get Hired” Report

    Recruiter releases massive new resource for job seekers featuring advice from over 100 career experts.

    Press Release
    –

    Aug 9, 2016


    Farmington, CT, August 9, 2016 (Newswire.com)
    –
    ​Every step of the job hunt comes with its own challenges. From writing cover letters and resumes to acing interviews, the actual process of finding a job can be a tremendous pain in and of itself.

    If you’ve been on the job hunt before (or are currently seeking a great new position), you know that the best-kept secrets of the recruiting process and foolproof strategies for getting hired are borderline impossible to come by — until now. Recruiter.com has helped thousands of job seekers discover new opportunities and find career paths, and now they’re continuing that mission by collecting expert advice from more than 130 hiring professionals in one free, easy-to-read report.

    This is the ultimate guide that every job seeker needs while navigating the job market in 2016 and beyond.

    Miles Jennings, Founder, Recruiter.com

    Grab your copy today for free:  https://www.recruiter.com/downloads/get-hired-130-tips-for-job-seekers-from-the-experts/

    “Get Hired: 130+ Tips for Job Seekers from the Experts” is a compilation of tips and tricks from the likes of CEOs, career counselors, recruiters, entrepreneurs, authors, hiring moguls, and many more experts who are looking to show you the way to career greatness.

    “This is the ultimate guide that every job seeker needs while navigating the job market in 2016 and beyond,” says Recruiter.com founder and CEO Miles Jennings. “If you’re looking to soar far above the competition and become unforgettable in the eyes of recruiters and hiring managers, look no further. We regularly publish custom guides for employers, recruiters, and job seekers – this latest installment for job seekers will be well received and published on major Internet platforms. ”

    The Recruiter.com team asked the experts for their insight on everything from penning the perfect cover letter to emerging victorious from a meeting with a hostile interviewer. Download the eBook today and learn the skills employers really want to see in candidates, how you can stand out from the crowd, the absolute best places to look for a job, and great tools and strategies to use in your job search.

    If you’re currently on the hunt for a new job — or you’re planning to go on the hunt someday — then dive right in and learn everything you need to know about succeeding in your search! Get your free copy now at https://www.recruiter.com/downloads/get-hired-130-tips-for-job-seekers-from-the-experts.

    About Recruiter.com

    Recruiter.com, Inc., is an on-line global recruiting service that offers an industry-leading job market technology platform. With a highly engaged membership base, Recruiter.com works with hundreds of clients and employers and manages a social media following of more than 2.8 million people. Recruiter.com was voted Top Tech Company to Watch in 2014 by the Connecticut Technology Council, cited as one of the Top 35 Most Influential Career Sites in 2014 by Forbes and listed by Inc. as one of the 9 Best Websites for Finding Top Talent. The career, HR, and recruiting experts of Recruiter.com have been cited and featured in hundreds of sites and publications, including: Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Mashable, Business Insider, Inc., Fox Small Business, Time, The Next Web, Yahoo Small Business, US News, Business2Community, Bloomberg and SmartBrief. Visit https://www.recruiter.com or follow Recruiter on Twitter @RecruiterDotCom.

    Source: Recruiter.com

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