As business leaders climb up the corporate ladder, job switches typically reduce (though some still keep striving to be exceptions to this rule) and they are usually lulled by the fact that they don't need to seek out opportunities, but are usually head-hunted by companies or recruiters.
And in most cases the other person who landed the job might not have been far better suited for that role than you were, but her 'conversations' went far better than yours did. And I personally believe that it finally boils down to how better prepared you were for the interview in the form of a casual conversation or discussion.
And here are a few pointers for you to be better prepared for your next interview. (This holds equally true for the initial round of discussions with the search consultant the company has retained.)
1. First impressions matter (I know that sounds cliched)! Exude energy, confidence and let your clarity of thought come through in your interactions.
2. In many cases, you will be dealing with a search consultant initially before finally meeting the client. Many senior executives feel miffed at having to deal with a consultant. But you have to remember that the client has retained this person to identify & short-list the possible candidates for this role. It makes sense to treat this part of the process with the same level of seriousness as you would the interactions with the company officials.
Remember, if you are the right person for the role, the search consultant wants to get selected as much as they want to do the right thing for the client. Give the consultant the relevant information they are seeking to help them establish your fit for the role.
3. Some consultants will do a very superficial assessment, but some others will be very detailed. And going through a detailed process with the consultant will actually prepare you for the interaction with the company officials.
For each competency/ strength, be ready with specific examples and with as much quantifiable detail as possible including names, initial revenues, ending revenues, budget, savings, number of people on the project, length of time, etc.
4. Probe the consultant and the company officials for the success factors of the role they are trying to fill. Try get a clear rounded picture of the person they are looking for.
Control the flow of the conversation such that you are able to present the relevant information (your competencies and the evidence) based on this information which super-imposes you into the role in their minds.
All the best for your next round of 'conversations'! :)
Some have this notion that they do not have to go through any formal interviews, instead there are only conversations with the key people in the hiring company.
While it is true that these hiring interactions with the company officials tend to be conversational, it is these 'conversations' that finally decide the fate of the person in terms of getting that juicy job or being politely told by the search consultant that the 'client was very impressed, but they felt that the profile didn't match the role'!
And in most cases the other person who landed the job might not have been far better suited for that role than you were, but her 'conversations' went far better than yours did. And I personally believe that it finally boils down to how better prepared you were for the interview in the form of a casual conversation or discussion.
And here are a few pointers for you to be better prepared for your next interview. (This holds equally true for the initial round of discussions with the search consultant the company has retained.)
1. First impressions matter (I know that sounds cliched)! Exude energy, confidence and let your clarity of thought come through in your interactions.
2. In many cases, you will be dealing with a search consultant initially before finally meeting the client. Many senior executives feel miffed at having to deal with a consultant. But you have to remember that the client has retained this person to identify & short-list the possible candidates for this role. It makes sense to treat this part of the process with the same level of seriousness as you would the interactions with the company officials.
Remember, if you are the right person for the role, the search consultant wants to get selected as much as they want to do the right thing for the client. Give the consultant the relevant information they are seeking to help them establish your fit for the role.
3. Some consultants will do a very superficial assessment, but some others will be very detailed. And going through a detailed process with the consultant will actually prepare you for the interaction with the company officials.
For each competency/ strength, be ready with specific examples and with as much quantifiable detail as possible including names, initial revenues, ending revenues, budget, savings, number of people on the project, length of time, etc.
4. Probe the consultant and the company officials for the success factors of the role they are trying to fill. Try get a clear rounded picture of the person they are looking for.
Control the flow of the conversation such that you are able to present the relevant information (your competencies and the evidence) based on this information which super-imposes you into the role in their minds.
5. In all your interactions during the process (and sometimes the process can be fairly elaborate with as many as 5-6 interviews spread over 3-6 months!) be genuine. Don't try to come across as someone you are not because you would end up in a job which you will not enjoy doing! Attitude is everything, but it has to be the right attitude and it has to be 'your' attitude!
6. Questions will be asked. There will be probing. And sometimes you might not even realise it. But when you are asked for information answer as succinctly as possible. You can always elaborate if you have the opportunity after that. Don't over-sell; be enthusiastic, yet measured. Never be overly casual or flippant, even if the people you are meeting come across as being very casual and friendly!
(I regularly come across people who, when asked a question, will be expansive and meander, and at the end of the narrative I am still none the wiser!)
7. And finally, remember the first point about 'first impressions'? That also includes personal grooming and appropriate dressing. And turning up on time!
(More on this in a later post.)
Guru,
ReplyDeleteI like you last line - be on time. But what can one percieve when its the other way around?
I recently had an experience where I was to meet the MD of a fairly well known MNC. I landed up at the hotel 10 mins before time and let the consultant know. I then had to wait 45 minutes with no news from the MD if he was coming or not. I finally sms-ed him and got to know that he was in a meeting and got late and that he was on his way. I then waited 30 mins more without any news from him. Sms-ed him again and got to know that he is stuck in a traffic jam.
Isn't it basic courtesy for the MD / CxO to inform the candidate that they are running late? What does one make of the culture of the organisation from this?
Maybe worth a post from you for the interviewer rather than the interviewee.
Kaushal.
Hi Kaushal,
ReplyDeleteSuch companies lose out on the best candidates! Its as simple as that. And such 'leaders' don't realise the irreparable damage they have done to their company brand and credibility within the professional community.
But what you need to evaluate and consider is whether this is only a problem with a specific individual. And how well the person (and his office) handled the situation. Maybe this is a company that you are very keen on joining, and maybe this person is not someone who you are going to be working with.
But what you should definitely do is give this feedback to the search consultant, if there was one, and express your concern.
And yes, I will write about this in a later post. Thanks for the idea! :)
Guru
very nice gp. i really liked reading it.this would really benefit the people for whom it matters. thankfully i'm not one of them, and i hope i don't ever:-)
ReplyDeleteneelima