#FIRMday Birmingham 11th May 2017: Understanding the Interviewee, Totaljobs
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Understanding the interviewee: you’ve probably conducted hundreds of interviews, maybe even thousands. But when was the last time you were in their shoes? totaljobs will put you there. Join us for our “Understanding the interviewee” session where we’ll visualise the interviewee experience for you, demonstrating the common emotions felt by interviewees and delivering insight to help you get the most out of your interviews and your candidates. We’ll also be giving a glimpse into the future: with the rise of virtual platforms and AI, is the interview as we know it on the way out?
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#FIRMday Birmingham 11th May 2017: Understanding the Interviewee, Totaljobs
- 2. Recruiting top talent Consider where your job advertisement is placed Provide feedback Fast, straightforward interview process
- 4. 2in 3 candidates suffer from interview nerves How interviewees feel…
- 5. 1in 4talk too little 1in 5talk too much
- 6. 1 in 5The right experience 1in 3The right answers What employers look for…
- 10. Smile Insider info Make small talk Location, Location, Location Our tips:
- 11. The future of interviews
- 12. EVEN THE BEST CANDIDATES GET NERVOUS
Editor's Notes
- Good morning everybody my name is John Corr, and I’ve worked as part of the totaljobs team for the last 10 years or so. During that time, as you van imagine, I’ve spoken to a lot of employers and gained a lot of insight into what candidates expect when trying to find their next job. By way of background since being formed in 1999, totaljobs has become one of the UK’s leading job boards, with a head office on London’s Southbank. We also have regional offices in Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Glasgow and of course, Birmingham. With thousands of hiring companies and over 7 million jobseekers using our site every month, we’d like to think we know a thing or two about the struggles people like you face in finding the right talent for your organisation.
- I’d like to begin by outlining some research we undertook at the end of the last year that I hope demonstrates how important a good interview is to jobseekers. The research looked at how you as employers can make sure you’re attracting the top talent and that’s through creating the best job ad, putting it in the right place and making sure your onboarding is top notch. 57% of jobseekers preferred to use generalist recruitment websites (such as totaljobs) when job hunting (there’s a few out there and no doubt some of you will admit to still using Monster) Over three quarters of respondents expect feedback on their performance following an interview, whether successful or not (indeed the biggest bugbear is lack of a simple acknowledgement to the application) And over ¼ of jobseekers said they’d expect the recruitment process to take no longer than 2 weeks So, taking the last 2 points , what does a good interview look like to your candidates?
- Let me run you through a couple of issues candidates are facing, and what you can do to help. Firstly, take a moment to think about the last time you were interviewed for a job. Some of you will have changed jobs fairly recently, but there will be plenty of you who have conducted hundreds of interviews since you last sat the other side of the table. It’s vital to remember how it feels when the shoe is on the other foot and this is what can give you the edge when hiring the right person for your organisation. Empathy is essential. In the run-up to our latest advertising campaign, we conducted a lot of research into the problems facing interviewees in 2017. Having spoken to thousands of candidates and hundreds of employers, we’ve drawn some conclusions.
- Interviews should be easy; As a jobseeker you’ve got over the first hurdle of getting noticed (not an insubstantial hurdle in itself nowadays with over 75% of recruitment consultants admitting they spend less than 10 seconds on the first assessment of a CV). So the employer has shown an interest in your CV, so why do so many people still struggle to sell themselves? Candidates told us… Two-thirds of candidates said that they feel unable to show off their true ability in interviews because of nerves. With this being the case, it could well be time to cut the candidate some slack, do more to put them at ease, and let their experience and CV speak for itself. Here are some key things to look out for when separating a nervous candidate, from one that’s simply unprepared.
- 1 in 5 jobseekers told us that they find themselves talking too much in interviews, while 1 in 4 have the opposite problem, and find it hard to open up, perhaps coming across as too quiet. These are signs of the most common complaint that candidates shared, and that’s the feeling of interview anxiety, with nearly half of candidates confirming the blindingly bleedin’ obvious…..interviews are stressful and can lead to candidate anxiety. As I’ve already said, the selection for interview should give them a confidence boost, so this anxiety can be surprising from our end as employers; leaving us to judge it as perhaps poor planning, a bad fit or a subpar interview equates automatically to a subpar candidate.
- What did Employers tell us? In the run up to our Elevator Pitch campaign, we also took a close look at what a candidate’s performance in an interview meant to employers. Are you willing to see through the nerves and take a chance on an outstanding CV or track record? Are you more likely to be persuaded by a more tenacious candidate, even if they’re clearly (by their own admission in their CV) less equipped for the role? If you are the latter you are not alone (prepared to admit it or otherwise); a third of employers do admit that how well a candidate answered questions was the singular, most important factor when deciding on a new hire, compared to only 20% of employers who said it was experience and qualifications. What this demonstrates I would argue, is that while someone could be perfectly skilled for the role, 50% more people hirers think the way the candidate conduct themselves in a face-to-face interview is what really matters.
- Perhaps more surprisingly (or not as the case may be)… Based on the feedback of hundreds of employers, in a similar position to yourselves, we were told that 1 in 5 make up their mind on whether to progress a candidate from an interview after just one minute, 60 seconds or about 15 breaths. One minute, and that’s all you’ve got as a candidate. I must confess that such a short time to shine coupled with the likely situational anxiety seems to make this a beauty pageant and not a serious attempt to enhance your workforce. When we look more into this section of our research, we saw that only one in three employers make a decision after the interview is over. First impressions last and first impressions clearly are the determining factor. And this is what directed and shaped our latest advertising campaign… The Elevator Pitch Last year, we focussed on Million Pound Jamie, where we concentrated on one jobseeker’s job search and sought to help him land his dream job, in the hope that his struggles and learnings could help other candidates. The Elevator Pitch seeks to address the issues facing all candidates…..
- WATCH PROMO VIDEO With expert advice from The Apprentice’s Nick Hewer, and Psychologist Doctor Linda Papadopoulos, we have complemented our latest advertising campaign with informative and helpful content through which we’ve set out to coach jobseekers and help them overcome common interview pressures. The aim is to leave them more confident and, hopefully, better equipped to show their worth when they walk through your doors.
- So we at totaljobs provide you with best interview-ready candidates - what can you do from your end to help them flourish? Over half of employers say they lack access to relevant candidates, and I’m sure that will resonate with many of you. The stakes are high; You’re seeking to limit the impact of an empty seat in your business. One of the by products of the modern recruitment process…job boards….has led to a more transient work force who know what’s out there and know their worth (or perhaps think they do). So, the question is……why would you want to miss out on a brilliant hire just because they were nervous? Remember, this candidate is here for a reason – because you (or someone on your behalf) selected them! On paper they are a prospective fit. As soon as the pleasantries are out the way, it’s easy to forget that you want them to get the job. The interview is not about us and how good we are at tripping up the most suitable candidates. Instead of setting up hurdles and waiting until they fall, surely you should be helping them through the experience and getting behind them; encouraging them to show their real personality and potential as you would a new starter! Here are some tips which we hope will give your interviewee the best shot of becoming your colleague.
- 1. It sounds simple but... Make small talk It would appear that only a quarter of interviewers actually chat with a candidate? (Is that you??) By not doing so, the remaining three quarters will actually do themselves and the interviewee a disservice. (Is that you??) You can use small talk to alleviate the pressure during an interview, make things easier for a nervous candidate. It’ll help them open up and act naturally, which is good for starting the conversation well and getting them into the swing of things. Plus, and this is the real benefit to you, this is the best opportunity you’ll have to judge how they’ll fit culturally into your business. You’ll find out so much more about how they think, about their attitude and what kind of environment would suit them. A good interview should be a two-way conversation in which ideas and questions are answered naturally. Tell a joke! Share a story…put them at ease. Research suggets 10% of employers already made the effort to tell a joke – techniques like this are worth using! 2. Use the right body language Trust and rapport needs to be built, and a good way to do this is to smile and make good eye contact, showing respect, sincerity and engagement. Our research says that only a quarter of employers say they smile during interviews. But that leaves three quarters who don’t…why would you want to give that impression of yourself and your business. 3. Pick a less formal interview space This is a really good tip if you want to make someone feel comfortable. A less intimidating setting can help them gain an insight into the culture and what it may be like to work for your business. One in three candidates told us that holding the interview in a less formal location would help them in their delivery. So while 1 in 3 jobseekers would prefer a relaxed interview, only 1 in 5 employers actively pick a less intimidating place to have it. Perhaps it’s time to move away from the boardroom and into a coffee shop to get the best out of them? (if of course you can find a coffee shop nowadays) 4. Give candidates a helping hand Our clients tell us that other than lateness, the biggest mistake made by candidates during an interview is a lack of understanding of the job, or even the company they are looking to join. There’s not really much you can do about tardiness especially if you, as a caring business, have provided travel and parking assistance and clear instructions on who they are to meet. - but in terms of their preparation, you and the interviewee should know more about each other than ever before. Through social media, company career websites and engaging online content such as videos, there really is no excuse for them to arrive unprepared in 2017. To help candidates come prepared, make sure your job ad is up to scratch, with clear responsibilities and roles, plus a short bio of the company. Basically, make sure you tell an applicant what you would expect an interviewee to know! The benefit of this is twofold, as you can easily perfect your advert, to not only prepare interviewees, but to attract the best candidates in the first place. Remember, this is your employer brand, and it’s never been more important to get this right. Our research shows that candidates are particularly keen to find out details on the specifics of the job including the responsibilities, the salary, location and working hours. --
- So by taking these tips on board, you can not only help individual candidates, but in turn, make your own life easier by making the interview process work harder for you – meaning a smoother quicker hire. Having said all that… …I’ll just raise the point as to whether the face to face interview is going to become obsolete? Through the rise of video interviews, psychometric testing and even artificial intelligence, we could see the classic face-to-face fall away. Are you prepared. Video interviews Many companies find that a great way of testing the water with a candidate is through video interviews. After all, a CV is a brilliant indicator, but it’s not everything. With video interviewing you’re able to reduce your time to hire as, quite simply, you will spend less time screening candidates while not reducing the chance you’ll have to scout them as potential hires. This can also help jobseekers as they’ll be able to conduct the interview on their own turf. While even allowing you the chance to find out things about them that a face-to-face interview wouldn’t allow you to see– such as, how prepared are they? Are in they in a loud room with very little signal or have they thought ahead to find a calm, quiet space? You could even find out if they think it’s OK to do a video interview in their Pyjamas. Artificial Intelligence Or have you even considered using Artificial Intelligence for candidate screening, or as a means of first stage interviews? It is now possible to create a list of questions to ask a set of candidates, which are built into an AI software system. The candidate is then sent a link to a digital interview which they complete. The AI software categorises the candidates, based on their responses, into the most relevant for the role, allowing you to speak to the best candidates first. This reduces the resource required from screening and interviewing candidates, particularly for jobs which are low level and have a high volume of applications. It should also remove any bias that a nervous interviewee could prompt and allows for blind sifting – leaving you with those more experienced for the role.
- So in summary… if you take one thing from this - Remember - even the best candidates get nervous. Whatever the future might hold, in the here and now, understanding more about the pressures candidates face will enable you to bring the best out of them and see the quality candidate behind the nerves… Thank you for your time this morning and I hope you enjoy the rest of the day. I’ll be happy to take any questions and if you want to find out more about our research, or indeed about totaljobs please come and speak to us in the exhibition hall.