THE JOB INTERVIEW PROCESS

The job interview process can be really confusing. Sometimes, you face a baffling series of interviews with a whole assortment of people, and from the outside it can be very hard to see why people are asking the questions they do.

The huge variety of experiences

There are limitless numbers of interviews and interviewers with which you could be faced. So how can you make it easier on yourself?

First of all, you need to bear in mind that interviewers are only human: there are some very good ones, and quite frankly, some appalling ones! A person may be interviewing you in a certain way purely because they don’t know how to interview properly – sometimes it can be as simple as that.

In addition, even given the differences in interviewers’ skill and experience, organisations themselves vary in their recruitment processes. Larger organisations tend to have a standard process of interviews before a decision is made. Smaller organisations tend to be more ad hoc – with whoever has most time doing the interviewing, then an interview with the owner or manager.

The structure of this book

The aim of this book is to de-mystify the various interviews and assessments you may be faced with, and to help you get through the process. Because recruitment and interview processes vary so widely, a chapter is devoted to each possible interview or assessment you may face. That way, whatever the process, all you need to ask is:

• Who is the person interviewing you?
• What is their role?

That will help you to understand the point of that interview, where they are coming from and what they might be looking for. This will help you decide how best to handle it.

Obviously no one can cover every single potential question or give advice on the best response: although many books available do help with this. This book gives general advice and there is a section at the end giving difficult questions with which you may be faced.

A word of warning

Please remember that getting through an interview is only one stage of the recruitment process. And even if you get the job, you then have to work at this organisation for some time. So lying, or trying to appear someone other than yourself, is never a good idea.

Lying or falsifying anything during recruitment is almost always grounds for gross misconduct and possibly dismissal if you are found out – even if you have been working at an organisation for some time. It may get you through the interview. It may get you the job. It may also ultimately lose you the job and blot your employment record, affecting how easy it is to get another.

If you are honest, and are thinking at this point that all this talk of being truthful at interview is unnecessary, that people just don’t do this, you might be interested to know that the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) estimates that one in eight people exaggerate or falsify their qualifications!

Being a different personality for an interview is also never the best plan. Being very quiet and conventional, for example, may make a good impression. But remember, people hire you because they believe you will fit in. Can you keep up your interview act for ever? If you can’t, and you eventually revert to being your true self, you will inevitably fall into trouble at work.

YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS

Legally, you do have some rights during the recruitment process. The law protects you from discrimination on the grounds of:

• being pregnant
• having children
• marital status
• race or ethnic origin
• religion or beliefs
• age
• sex/gender
• sexual orientation
• disability.

Let’s look at how the law affects you in the recruitment/interview process.

Criminal records

More than five million people in the UK have convictions that could have involved imprisonment; one in three men under the age of 30. If this applies to you, you can regard any conviction as ‘spent’ provided that:

• it didn’t carry a sentence excluded from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, such as a custodial sentence of over 2.5 years, or
• no further convictions occurred during the rehabilitation period as defined in the Act.

Once a conviction is regarded as ‘spent’ you do not have to reveal its existence, and can say ‘no’ if you are asked whether you have a criminal record. Certain occupations are exceptions to this, and you would need to check. Helpful addresses can be found at the back of this book.

Disability

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 means that if you have a disability, you have the right not to be discriminated against because of your disability (as long as the prospective employer has more than 15 employees – smaller companies are exempt).

Race/ethnic origin

Being treated less favourably than others on racial grounds is direct discrimination. There is no justification in law for this, and if a complaint is made, the onus is on the employer to prove this did not occur. Indirect discrimination is more difficult to define, but it exists where a smaller proportion of your sex or race could comply with a requirement of the recruiter, and you are disadvantaged because you can’t comply.

Exceptions

There are exceptions, and these are very specific. These exceptions are called GOQs, or Genuine Occupational Qualifications.

Religion or beliefs

Discrimination (direct or indirect) on the grounds of religion or beliefs is unlawful under the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003.

Age

Discrimination on age grounds is unlawful under the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006. Employers should be especially careful to avoid implications of age discrimination, such as the use of terms such as ‘mature’, ‘recent graduate’, ‘young’, ‘highly experienced’, etc.

Sex/gender

Exactly the same applies as for race/ethnic origin above.

Exceptions/GOQs

Examples might include jobs where a particular sex is required for authenticity, eg for an acting role. They also include jobs where a particular sex is required for decency, eg a changing room or toilet attendant.

Pregnancy

A special element of sexual discrimination rights is that European law prohibits discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy.

Marital status

Discrimination on the grounds of marital status is also unlawful.

Sexual orientation

Discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation is unlawful under the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003. Direct or indirect discrimination is covered.

BEST PRACTICE

There are a number of organisations that govern best practice within the UK. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has a large number of members – recruitment and employment consultants, agencies and consultancies. Their website, http://www.rec.uk.com/ gives advice and guidance.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is the professional organisation for personnel and human resources practitioners. It produces a number of advice notes and publications, and a great deal of information can be found on their website, at http://www.cipd.co.uk.

Full details on employment legislation can be found at http://www.berr.gov.uk/employment/discrimination/index.html.

HANDLING NERVES

Nervousness and a certain amount of trepidation are natural before an interview. But there are ways you can help yourself, so that you don’t let your nerves get in the way of giving a good performance at interview.

Mental solutions

Relax

Telling yourself to relax is easier said than done, but do try. Take deep breaths. Have a relaxing bath or shower before you set off. Stop and have a tea or coffee on the way – whatever works for you (except alcohol!).

Thought patterns

Be aware of thought patterns that may make you even more nervous. Thoughts which induce self-doubt or self-blame, such as these typical examples, never help:

• ‘Do I look OK in this?’
• ‘I should have got my hair cut.’
• ‘I don’t stand a chance.’
• ‘What if . . .’
• ‘I knew I should have worn . . .’

Once you have set off for the interview it is too late to change things anyway, so just try to let these thoughts go, and think positive.

Think positive

This doesn’t mean thinking rosy thoughts, and not bothering to prepare yourself. But do be realistic. If the organisation wasn’t interested in you they wouldn’t have asked you to an interview, so you must have a reasonable chance. Assume that you will be one of the best people they interview – this will give you confidence.

Physical solutions

Preparation

Get there on time. Allow plenty of time, and then have a coffee, or take a short walk beforehand to calm yourself. There’s nothing worse than arriving hot and sticky from a mad rush to get there just in the nick of time. It makes you flustered, and then it can be hard to relax and make a good impression. Give yourself time to make sure you’ve visited the loo, and checked details like hair, etc.

Reduce distractions

The fewer things you have to worry about, the better. Try to take as little as possible with you, and ask if you can leave what you do take in reception. Often, reception areas in buildings or offices will allow you to leave bags, briefcases and coats with them, if you just ask. That way you can walk into the interview without any distractions, and greet your interviewer(s) without having to juggle hands, take off a coat etc.

Sleep

Get a good night’s sleep the night before. You can rarely do your best when you are tired, and if nothing else, it can make you look tired, and less alert. You also make more mistakes when you’re tired, so do aim to get some quality rest and sleep beforehand.

Alcohol and drugs

A swift drink may calm your nerves, but it can also ruin your chances. Many organisations have a strict no drinking policy during working hours, and even if you have fresh breath they may smell it on your clothes. Similarly, don’t be tempted by even a herbal relaxant. Many of them require regular use before the effects build up, so a tablet or two before the interview won’t have much effect anyway.

Stopping in a smoky place (whether or not you smoke) can make your hair and clothes smell of cigarette smoke. Non-smoking interviewers may find this unpleasant.

Get support

If you’re really nervous, get someone like a friend to go with you and wait outside. They can give you a boost and get your confidence up before you go in. Just having someone to talk to before and afterwards can help put you at ease.

Practice

Rehearse your technique. Get someone to ask you interview questions from your CV or application form, and practise giving answers until you are happy with them. Obviously, the more experienced someone is in your line of work, the better they will be able to advise you.

DECIDING WHAT TO WEAR

Many people have trouble deciding what to wear. Regardless of whether or not the company has a relaxed dress policy, looking smart is rarely out of place. Your clothes are a way of communicating with the interviewer just as much as what you tell him or her in words.

Generally speaking, business dress for men is becoming more colourful and less traditional. For women, it is becoming less tailored and traditional. But taking a gamble by wearing something unusual may not pay off. You need to create a balance between what you prefer to wear, and what the interviewer is likely to expect.

For the best chance of success, play it safe: nothing too formal, or too casual. The golden rules are that dress should be:

• appropriate for the job or organisation
• flattering
• clean and tidy
• comfortable
• a reflection of your personality
• clothing that gives you confidence.

Detail is important – for example, scuffed shoes, untidy hair, dirty fingernails etc are all standard black marks with interviewers! Use common sense, get a second opinion if necessary, and don’t worry about it too much.

Always check things like buttons, zips etc at the last minute – there’s nothing worse than finding they don’t work just before walking into the building!

Make sure clothes are comfortable. You may not be aware of it, but your whole body language and facial expressions can change if you’re uncomfortable. Tight shoes, waistbands too tight, straps that rub – all these things can make you look strained and ill at ease, which can give a negative impression.