Understanding the process - What are job interviews for?

At the most simple and fundamental level, job interviews are there to assess and determine if a candidate is a ‘good fit’ for a specific role within a specific company, as well as whether the company is a ‘good fit’ for the candidate. It is useful to remember this point as we jump into the interview preparation process because often we lose sight of the big picture.

To look at this in more detail…

Is the individual suitable for the job and company?

Employers are looking to determine firstly the personality and attitude of the candidate. They will obviously also be interested in specifics relating to the job (i.e. qualifications, experience, etc) as well as the candidate’s ability to relate to people, situations and tasks, but personality and attitude are generally assessed first in the interview.

In my experience as a hiring manager, the key question companies what to know is “will this individual be able to work within the business to make it better?” This includes not only completion of the work type objectives, but also whether the individual can work well with others to support their roles. Can they take on board feedback without being defensive? Can they explain problems or solutions simply and clearly? They may be perfectly capable at completing the job required, but if they frustrate and annoy those working around them then this can have a profoundly negative impact on the business as a whole. A lot of times, skills related to the completion of a job can be covered through workplace training. It is therefore primarily important that the candidate can engage, socialise and work well with other staff before their specific work type competencies are considered.

There are a range of transferable skills sort by employers. Based on a list compiled by CareersNZ, the top skills in demand right now are:

  • Positive attitude

  • Communication

  • Teamwork

  • Self-management

  • Willingness to learn

  • Thinking skills (problem solving and decision making)

  • Resilience

 Additionally, employers will also consider the following:

  • Can they do the job?

  • Are they motivated?

  • Do they fit with the organisation?

Is the job suitable for the individual?

It is just as important for candidates to assess the suitability of the company as it is for the employer to assess the suitability of the candidate. Prior to the interview the candidate should ensure they complete two things: 1) Determine what sort of job, culture, work environment they desire; 2) Research as much as possible about the potential employer and the advertised position. Not only will the second point present a good level of understanding and knowledge during the interview, it will also allow the candidate to assess (based on how the company presents and markets itself) whether the job is desirable. Throughout the interview, the candidate should also be building an understanding of the working style, people and type of day-to-day work undertaken within the business. All these factors will either fit the desired work environment or not and this should be carefully considered by the candidate.