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Recruitment and selection techniques: what to expect and how to prepare

Whether you're planning your first move up the career ladder, changing your career or, at a senior level, looking for further career advancement (or even scaling down), you need to be prepared to confidently present yourself to a potential employer.

If, as is common, you approach selection for a job with some trepidation, it is possibly due to a fear of failure. You could fall into this category because you fear loss of self-esteem, loss of anticipated financial rewards or experience a fear of the unknown. Maybe you have been overlooked for promotion in the past, felt disappointed with your performance in previous interviews, or perhaps you are in the envious position of never before having had to compete for jobs!

Perhaps you dislike the prospect of having to 'perform' in interviews and other assessment situations: the feeling that you have to 'sell yourself' at an interview. Self-promotion is not something that comes easily to many of us, but with good preparation you should be able to promote yourself as the best person for the job, while still being 'yourself'.

The reality is that if you want to continue to have mobility in your career you will need to be well informed about recruitment processes and how to prepare for them.

Contents

What to Expect

If you have reached this stage of the selection process you have already been judged to have the competencies required. The aim for the employer in the remaining stages is to judge your motivation and "fit" for the organisation. Your ability to demonstrate your interest in the organisation and enthusiasm for the position you are targeting requires considerable research and preparation.

What will happen on the day?

If you are short-listed for a position and invited to participate in the next step in the process, it is important that you are clear about what to expect when you arrive. This will go some way to alleviating any uncertainty you have about the process. Don't assume that the experience will match your past experiences in applying for jobs, as most organisations will employ a range of techniques in selection of staff. Their choice of techniques will depend on factors such as the level of the position, the size of the organisation and the scale of their recruitment. Simply ask the person arranging your appointment what will be happening on the day and what type of selection techniques are going to be used. Techniques may range from a single interview or a series of interviews, role-play, group activity, psychometric testing or all of these run as an 'assessment centre'. You may be in for a surprise if you assume you are only attending for an interview!

Who will you meet?

Ask whether one person or a panel will interview you. Request the names and positions of interviewers so you know what part of the organisation they represent. This prior knowledge may also help you to confidently remember the names of panellists on the day - sometimes a difficult task if you are nervous. It is possible that your initial interview will be conducted by an external recruitment consultant or by a representative of the human resources area of the organisation. These recruiters are more likely to interview around competency factors, and be more objective than someone who you will be working with. The closer the interviewer is to working with you on the job, the more they will be interested in your personality and how you will "fit" - the PLU factor or 'People Like Us'. Once you have been short-listed, success will depend to a great extent on this "fit factor".

How to prepare

Make a good impression

Always prepare well for any visit, regardless of who you are meeting. Don't let your guard down if you're asked in for an "informal chat" - it may end up being a more formal step in the process, maybe even a panel interview. Remember that any form of communication with any individual in the organisation may be critical to your success. When communicating with front-line staff, always be polite, speak slowly and clearly and make sure they have all your details right. Always try to leave a good impression. Any negative behaviour on your part may be reported to selectors. Also, while in Australia it is customary to greet people with a firm handshake and always maintain eye contact when you are in conversation. You will need to check what the acceptable behaviours are in other countries and cultures if you are applying for an overseas position.

Get the basics right

Ensure that you obtain accurate details about the date, time, and location of your visit. This may sound obvious, but candidates still manage to arrive late to interviews with excuses such as parking and traffic problems, or that they couldn't find the building. This conduct reflects a lack of organisation and attention to detail, and you will be judged poorly as a result. If time allows, try to visit the site prior to the interview, do a 'dry run' and calculate your journey to arrive a little early. Telephone ahead if there are exceptional circumstances which delay you on the day. Dress in the same style as representatives of the organisation, and pay attention to all facets of your appearance and personal hygiene, right down to your shoes! Try to fit in with the employer's image and if in doubt, always dress conservatively. A business suit for males and females, tie for men, skirt for women, is generally expected at interviews for professional jobs in both the corporate and public sectors.

Research

Comprehensive research of the position, the employer and what they're looking for is the first essential step towards a successful outcome. Interviewers are constantly amazed at meeting applicants who arrive at their offices without any apparent preparation. Without this analysis and research it will be difficult to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the job.

The organisation

Find out specific facts about the organisation such as: where their operations are located; the number of employees; the organisational structure and culture; the range of services or products; the markets it operates in; who the customers or clients are; recent and potential growth of the organisation; and direction for the future. Also be prepared to discuss "big picture" issues which may impact on the organisation or industry eg. economic conditions, changes in government policy or threats posed by competitors. You will probably have done at least some of this research before applying for the job. Start with the organisation's website, annual reports and prospectus, if available. Some other useful resources include industry and professional association websites, and publications available in the Careers Resource Centre as well as public, corporate and university libraries.

For example:

Visit

Demonstrate your enthusiasm by visiting the organisation or speaking to the contact person. Talk to anyone you know in the organisation or, if it's an internal vacancy, the staff in the department you are applying to. Prepare some well-researched questions or topics for discussion before making contact, and be careful not to take up too much of the person's time. This interaction with the organisation will help you to gather facts and, more importantly, to gain a sense of the workplace culture and language. It also gives you an opportunity to convey positive information about yourself. If you find the prospect of arranging a workplace visit too intimidating, maybe it's possible to visit as a customer. Alternatively talk to anyone you know in the industry, or employees of competitors.

The position

Before the interview, review the selection criteria or job advertisement and position description (if available), paying particular attention to the competencies and attributes required. Interview questions will be framed around these criteria/competencies. Imagine what questions you would ask if you were interviewing. What questions have you been asked in the past? Speaking about the job with a person who works in a similar role is an excellent way of determining whether your perception of the role and the reality of the job match.

Some questions to consider are:

You! Your skills, attributes, experience, strengths and weaknesses

In earlier articles in this Career Development series we have discussed planning your career, how to present yourself on paper and highlighted the importance of self-assessment. Knowing yourself and being aware of your strengths and weaknesses in relation to the position you are competing for is critical to your success in job seeking.

A review of the self-assessment strategies outlined in the first in this series of articles Are You in the Right Job? and Strategies for Effecting Career Change could help you to clarify some of the areas you may be questioned about, for example:

Promote your achievements

Review all your major achievements, especially in the five years, (academic and non-academic), and isolate the functional skills that you have displayed in performing the tasks involved. Try to develop a list of the activities you've been involved in and the skills that match the employer's requirements. Identify examples where you have had to deal with complex situations, solve difficult problems, work in challenging or dysfunctional teams and meet tight deadlines or performance targets. Be guided in your research by the competencies nominated as key to the position (selection criteria) and try to recall examples from your past which could demonstrate these competencies and practice talking about them.

Interviews

The 'right' approach

There are usually not 'right' or 'wrong' answers in an interview. Interviewers are usually testing your thought processes, your skills in analysis, logical clear thinking, problem solving and how you perform under pressure. Whether you are asked a behavioural, case study or hypothetical, question it is your approach to the situation that the interviewer will be most interested in. When answering questions, "think out loud" so that the interviewer knows how you are analysing the question, any hypothesis you are employing and how you reach your conclusions. It is more a case of how you come across in the interview than whether or not your answer was 'correct'. The interview should be a two-way process. Skilled interviewers will be trying to elicit the information they require and to make you feel at ease. Try not view the interview as an interrogation but as a conversation, with a purpose. Use every available opportunity to demonstrate your achievements and how you can use your abilities to "add value" to an organisation. At the conclusion of the interview you will be able to ask questions, so make sure you have some prepared. This may also be a chance for you to highlight any achievements or strengths which have not yet been covered.

Tips for behavioural interviews

Behavioural interviewing is the technique most commonly used in professional and graduate recruitment (surveys have shown that more than 90% of graduate recruiters use this type of questioning). It is a structured process based on the assumption that past behaviour is the best predictor of future performance. Employers say they favour this technique because it is more likely to produce objective decisions in recruitment. All interviewees are asked the same questions, which are based on pre-determined competencies, and assessed on a "level playing field". This type of interview also encourages honesty in applicants: it is very hard to lie in a behavioural interview because the answers require very detailed responses.

Tell a story
Behavioural questions ask you to demonstrate your capabilities. Unlike hypothetical questions they ask to describe how you have dealt with a situation in the past - not how you might deal with a fictitious situation. Questions usually start with openings like "Describe a situation whenÖ", "Can you give an exampleÖ?" "Tell me about a time when...". Answering a behavioural question should be like telling a story or painting a picture. Interviewers will ask follow-up questions to help them probe for specific details such as: "What did you do?", "Then what happened?", "How did you react?" and "Who did you talk toÖ?". Sometimes this can make you feel that you are being interrogated, but these questions are required to help the interviewer understand the situation entirely.
Try the STAR technique

To frame a strong response it may be useful to think of the STAR principle. For those of you who respond to visual cues, imagine a four-pointed star which represents the Situation or Task (context), Action and Result (outcome). If you structure your responses in this way, it can help you tell the whole story, conveying the required skills and abilities. While you can't predict the exact questions that you'll be asked at interview, if you have done your research you should be able to anticipate likely areas of questioning and practice how to respond. Your responses should not be rehearsed parrot-fashion, rather, your familiarity with the situation you are describing should be used to illustrate your capabilities in this area.

Use concrete examples

Listen very carefully to and tailor your answer for the specific question being asked, highlighting the key points you wish to convey. One of the most common mistakes made in these kinds of interviews is not focusing on the specific question and talking too generally about a situation. Remember, interviewers want you to cite real examples of your past behaviour that demonstrate the skills they are assessing, rather than have you speculate on how you think you would approach a task. If you are asked to describe how you managed a customer complaint, you must talk about a specific customer with a specific complaint, not how you generally deal with these types of complaints. In other words, use concrete examples to illustrate your answer

Use 'I', not 'we'

Another common error made in behavioural interviews is not talking about your own achievements. Always refer to what you did in any particular situation. Use 'I', not 'we' or 'us'. When talking about team projects, you could outline the team goals in describing the situation - but you must describe what you did, what your role was in the team, any difficulties you experienced and what you did to overcome them. More information about behavioural interviews can be found in the Careers & Employment flyer (pdf, 323 kb).

Case study interviews

A 'case study' can form part of the selection process, especially in consulting roles and senior management positions. Case studies are designed to assess your way of thinking analytically about a given situation or problem that you may typically encounter in the workplace. Your ability to logically and creatively approach a complex problem involves a number of skills that will be assessed during the case study interview. There are no right or wrong answers. The interviewer will be assessing the way you structure your approach, break down the problem, your ability to think under pressure and explain your findings in a logical and convincing way. Questions will relate to what the company does. It is therefore important that you have researched the organisation, know its core business areas and the types of problems that they are likely to have encountered - for example, declining profits, poor staff retention, research funding application difficulties or attracting market share. Think about how you might approach problems logically, in a structured way and with a solution in mind.

More Information

For more information about case study interviews, see the Careers & Employment flyer (pdf, 323 kb).

Also try these websites that feature sample case studies:

Verbal communication

The way you present yourself in the interview is important. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your excellent communication skills. Speak clearly and look directly at the interviewer when speaking. Listen to questions carefully, seeking clarification where necessary. Don't be afraid of silences. Draw breath, complete your sentences and avoid monotone responses. A confident and open approach is appropriate, but be careful not to be conceited or overly talkative - watch for cues from the interviewer (eyes glazing over, admiring the view outside!). Displaying a sense of humour can work well, but remember to strike a balance and not appear to be a clown.

Non-verbal communication

The right body language shows that you are a confident and believable. Sit comfortably but maintain posture: not too stiff, but don't slouch or move and shift in your chair. Watch for distracting gestures like fiddling with jewellery or a pen - remove potential distractions. Eye contact suggests interest and sincerity. If there is more than one interviewer, shift your glance between the interviewers. Indicate you are listening by nodding.

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Psychometric testing

Testing is an aid to staff selection that is increasingly used by employers who utilise both personality and aptitude tests when selecting employees. Psychological tests are generally used to supplement other methods and are concerned with 'cultural fit'. Aptitude tests are designed to measure your aptitude, not your knowledge: examples include numerical and verbal reasoning. A typical format asks you to agree or disagree with multiple-choice statements.

The results of these tests are considered in conjunction with an interview process and the outcome of other selection activities, and are rarely used as an exclusive selection tool. Tests may be pen and paper, but are now more commonly electronic. Some employers are also introducing online testing - make sure it is you who completes the test: if you are short-listed you will asked to re-sit the test so you won't be able to fool selectors.

It is very much in your interest to be open and honest in your responses to these kinds of tests. Trying to 'rig' a test by answering in a manner that you think the employer is looking for is not advisable. Such attempts generally lead to results that are unusual or of concern to the test interpreter, and ultimately will be counter-productive to your opportunity for success.

Tips for preparation

While no specific preparation is possible, some things which could help include:

On the day:

Other resources available in the Careers Resource Centre are:

Assessment centres

The term 'assessment centre' refers to a process, not a place. In HR jargon, it defines the practice of getting candidates together either at the employer's premises or an external location for different selection tests and exercises. These could include role-playing, in-tray exercises, group exercises and discussions (also known as group interviews), presentations, behavioural interviews and psychometric tests. They vary in length ranging from a half day to 2 days. Your actions and activities are observed and evaluated by assessors.

On top of the general research and preparation discussed earlier, probably the best preparation is to have a good night's sleep!

On the day:

Feedback

After an interview or any selection process, regardless of whether or not you were successful, it is important to seek feedback.

Many organisations offer feedback, but few people take this up. Feedback helps you to learn about yourself: both your strengths and development needs. Be open to critical feedback and don't get overly defensive. Soon after the interview or assessment, analyse your performance. What did you do well? What could be improved? Were there any difficult questions or unexpected challenges? If at first you don't succeed, other applicants may simply be more suitable for the role. If you are concerned about your technique or performance in specific types of selection processes, it may be helpful to seek coaching from a careers counsellor. If you are studying or recently graduated, you can access this service at your university. Otherwise, the Australian Association of Careers Counsellors website may be helpful in locating a careers counsellor.

Resources

Useful websites:

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