In this world of HR where we recruit on behalf of other companies, interviews will not be the same as those of the company’s HR people. If a company decides to use an HR consultant to the job of interviewing and short listing, they expect a very structured and thorough approach to this exercise. When you attend a recruitment agency interview (which should take about 45 minutes), you should feel confident that the recruiter has all the information necessary to find out whether you are the ideal candidate for the job. You should know what the contact plan between you and the consultant is and what the next stages in the process are.
Let us now go to the basics, what is an interview? Essentially it is a conversation with a purpose. A informational interview is the most common type that you will experience with an agency; it is designed to get as much information as possible in the shortest time.
Most recruitment agents will start with PHFs or Personal History Forms which act as a structured CV. Fill in all the forms correctly and prepare for the interview by thinking what makes you special and what your unique selling points are. A good recruiter will have prepared for the interview by reviewing your CV, they will ask about gaps, dates and make sure that there is continuity of employment.
You should expect to answer questions about what you have done in your jobs, your skills, and any training that you have done. They need to know what you have enjoyed what you would like to do again in the applied job if given the opportunity. Prepare to answer questions about what other special thing you can offer to the new employer and prepare to demonstrate it from your past experience. Just as a heads up, HR recruitment companies are made of very strict people but you can smile because they are not your future employers. All you need to do is set up your mind in the interview like they are your future employers.
If you don’t have a great deal of experience you can expect the focus to be on your academic career, why you chose your college/ university and why the course. If you have put down hobbies or interests expect a good interviewer to ask you about these in some depth. The recruiter is looking for something that will make you stand out from their other candidates and make you attractive to their client.
The basic structure for all interviews is the same
- Introduction
- A structured approach to questioning
- Summaries at the end of each section
- Close (agreeing a plan going forward)
The Introduction should put you at your ease and build up some rapport, you should feel confident about the person you are meeting with and trust them. The format of the interview should be explained, to you with timings the kind of information that the recruiter is seeking and why. You should be asked for your permission to take notes. You should also be offered the opportunity to ask questions. For each section of the interview there should be a structure. Ideally it should be a 30:70 talking: listening balance-you talking and the recruiter listening.
The recruiter chooses a topic, introduces the subject, asking you low- order non-threatening questions at the beginning. You should be encouraged to talk openly (they should ask open questions) but don’t expect them to take what you say at face value, a good recruiter will probe and gain clarification and more details about your experience. A very good recruiter will then summarize the information that you have told them to check that it is accurate.
The close of the interview should leave you with the knowledge of what is going to happen next, a contact plan and an action plan. Wait for instructions from the recruiter although most of them will tell you that they will contact the successful candidate.
Please remember to thank the interviewer for his time because this acknowledgement goes a long way to helping you create a good relationship in absence.
We at HCC wish you all the best.
