CAREER ADVICE

THE ULTIMATE
GUIDE TO INTERVIEWS
How to impress a potential employer

hays.co.uk
THE NEXT BIG STEP

Interviews are key points in your career, in the space

of a short hour or two, your entire professional life can
change direction.
When you apply to a job through Hays, one of our consultants will be assigned
to help you tailor your application to the organisation and position you’re
applying for, and talk to you about your CV and prior experiences. This will
help us to identify the characteristics which would be most interesting to your
potential employer, and use this insight to help you to secure an interview.
Once you are invited to interview, we will help you prepare. We have created
this guide which talks through some of the general actions you can expect from
your interview. Every job is different however, so while this guide will give you a
great start, talk to your consultant to ensure your interview goes as smoothly as
possible and leads to the next step in your career.

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

Research your employer

If you’ve reached interview stage, you must dedicate Asking questions about previous projects and how
as much time as possible to learning more about the they performed will reflect very well on you, so look out
background of your chosen organisation. Their website for news stories in particular as these will highlight their
is an obvious starting point and can help you explore recent successes.
the following:
Researching your prospective employer is as much for
• Values, culture and atmosphere your benefit as it is for them. While having a better handle
• Social media pages on the values and history of the organisation will give
you more to talk about at interview, it will also help you
• Past projects or case studies to see if you would fit well within the team. The interview
• Publications, press releases and marketing is as much an opportunity for you to get an impression
of the organisation and its senior management as it is an
Often most of these materials are readily available, assessment of you, so be sure to know as much as you can
but make sure you search social media for any hidden about their values and culture before you step into the
publications or news stories which may become interesting interview room.
talking points. The more information you have about an
employer, the more you can engage with your interviewer.

The Ultimate Guide to Interviews

Try to pick the best time Get to know your CV
When trying to secure a new job you should always look to Your CV got you this far and it’s what the interviewer
gain a competitive edge over the other candidates. One of wants to know more about. If you have the ability to
the ways in which you might do this is by scheduling your remember everything on your CV, fantastic, otherwise,
interview for the optimum time. take a highlighter to mark your key achievements,
important dates and figures and any other points,
You won’t always be able to choose when your interview
relevant to the particular vacancy.
will be scheduled, but it’s not uncommon for employers to
offer candidates a few different time slots. When they do, Ensure your LinkedIn profile matches your CV, especially
it’s useful to have an idea of the various consequences of dates, key skills and experience, because your interviewer
arranging your interview for different times of the day, or is likely to cross check and test you during the interview.
different days of the week.
Monday might not be the best day to arrange an interview
as it’s often a day when most of us are tying up loose ends
from the previous Friday, or replying to emails received
over the weekend, whilst also trying to map out our diaries
for the week ahead. Give your interviewer a chance to Get inside information
grow into the week.
Your recruiter has developed their own rapport with your
Try to avoid having your interview on either side of interviewer so they can give you some behind the scenes
the weekend, or any other holiday period. You want to information if you ask for it. They’ll be able to tell you
minimise all risk of the interviewer’s mind being distracted about the atmosphere of the office, the types of people
by non-work matters. you’ll be meeting and the level of formal dress required.
Wednesdays are generally best, as your interviewer will You’ll always need to be smart, but a full suit and tie may
have completed their ‘beginning of the week to-do list’, appear too formal for some organisations. Your recruiter
and will be yet to move onto their ‘must action before the can help you avoid little mistakes like this which may
weekend pile’. damage your chances.

The morning is your perfect opportunity to jump in there

and impress the interviewer before anyone else has the
chance to. Come the afternoon, the employer may have
already seen a quantity of remarkable candidates which
they’ll be measuring you against. By being one of the first
up, you get to set the bar. Practise and prepare
Your recruiter can often help you prepare for interviews,
even to the point of conducting mock interviews and
reviewing the questions you’re planning to ask. Here are
some tips to help you prepare:
• Practise interviewing. Enlist a friend (better yet, a group
of friends and colleagues) to ask you sample questions.

It’s good practice to organise work interviews in your • Video record your practice sessions. Pay attention
own time – schedule them after work hours or use to body language and verbal presentation. Eliminate
annual leave. This is polite to your employer and also verbal fillers, like ‘uh,’ and ‘um.’
removes stress for you as the interviewee. • Handle logistics early. Have directions to the interview
site ready ahead of time.
If you’re deceitful about your movements and use your
working hours to attend an interview, you’ll be nervous • Dress to impress. Decide what you are going to wear
and worried about being found out – and it may well in advance of the interview, then make sure the
negatively affect your interview performance. items of clothing are dry cleaned or washed and ironed
the day before.
Talk to your recruiter, but as a general rule wear your
smartest outfit, as long as it is comfortable. If you think
any of your clothing looks shabby buy a replacement,
it could be a valuable investment.

The Ultimate Guide to Interviews

PREPARING AND ANTICIPATING QUESTIONS

Interviews can take varying styles; some can seem like informal chats, while others
are more structured. You need to be prepared for both. By preparing answers
for questions beforehand, you’ll be on the front foot and it will give you an
opportunity to examine your CV the way that the interviewer will.

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Common questions you could be asked Questions to ask the Interviewer
• Why are you seeking a position with our company? Towards the end of the interview, you will usually
• Why do you want to be a [job title]? be asked if you have any questions of your own.
Prepare a list of questions you want to ask about
• How do you cope with pressure situations? the organisation and the position.
• Have you come across a situation like this? How did you
Specific questions about projects or results you have
handle it? What was the outcome?
researched are best, but more general examples include:
• What are your greatest achievements to date?
• What prospects are there for personal and
• What interests you most/least about this job? professional development?
• What salary are you looking for? (Know what you’re • What attributes would you hope that I bring to the job?
worth by using the Hays Salary Checker).
• What do you like best about working at the company?

You’re also likely to be asked more complicated capability • What specific problems are you hoping to solve over
questions, which we’ll address in more detail in the next the next six months?
section, as these are more difficult to prepare for. • What are your goals for the department?

The Ultimate Guide to Interviews

DURING THE INTERVIEW

Your interview begins from the moment you enter the building. Your first
impression is vital and not confined to the interview room, so make sure you
treat everybody respectfully and in a friendly manner. Don’t forget to smile.

On the day Body language

• Bring your documentation, a copy of your CV, directions Be confident at all times, hold yourself confidently but
and the address of the company and your interviewer’s appear relaxed, try not to appear defensive. This can be
name (in case you forget it). challenging, particularly if you’re understandably nervous,
• Arrive at reception five to ten minutes before the so here are some tips for how to hold yourself upon first
interview. If you misjudged the traffic and arrive 30 arriving, and throughout the interview:
minutes early, take a walk in the locality. Showing up • You make your first impression when you meet the
too early can cause a poor first impression. interviewer in the waiting room. Think about how
• Ensure your mobile phone is turned off so it doesn’t you will say hello. Sit in a straight and upright neutral
ring or vibrate during the interview. Your phone position. Offer a firm, but not crushing handshake.
interrupting your interview will distract you and is • Rest your arms on the arms of the chair or your legs.
completely unacceptable. While using gestures to convey a point can help show
• When the interviewer approaches you, greet them with your passion, excessive hand movements can make it
a firm handshake, look them in the eye and smile. seem like you are desperately trying to get the point
across. Folding your arms and legs can be seen as an
• Make small talk with your interviewer as they lead you
aggressive stance.
to the interview room, but avoid the temptation to be
funny as you do not know what their reaction will be. • Avoid touching your face and hair as it distracts the
Safe small talk about the weather, the journey or the interviewer, they might think you are not comfortable
office will suffice. with the questions being asked.
• If offered a drink, accept it as this can help and can • Make lots of eye contact during the interview - when
be used as a prop to perhaps give you some time to you are listening and when you are speaking, but don’t
answer a difficult question. go overboard. It’s not a staring match and it’s normal
for the other person to break off contact throughout
the interview. This is a very important form of non-
verbal communication.

Deep breaths
Take deep breaths to relax, keep calm and focus
the mind.
Relax
Try not to let your nerves show through your
body language
Open
Ensure you are sitting in an open comfortable position
Leaning
Lean slightly toward the interviewer to show
your interest

The Ultimate Guide to Interviews

Talking points Answering difficult interview questions
General background We’ve talked about general questions you might
Often the first question is a request for a summary encounter and these are somewhat easy to prepare
of your background. People applying for their first job for. You’ll need to think on your feet for more difficult
should focus on extracurricular activities, education questions however, which will test your ability to succeed.
and qualifications.
Competency based interview questions are used to
It is quite acceptable to repeat major points you have identify whether an individual has the aptitudes required
outlined in your CV or cover letter. It’s important to show for a role. The most objective way to assess how you
your personality at this point as employers are examining will perform in the future, is to assess how you have
your skills along with how they feel you will fit into their demonstrated competencies in the past.
team culture.
One of the most common interview techniques used to
If you are involved in volunteer work mention the areas test for competencies is called the STAR (Situation, Task,
you’ve contributed to. Action and Result) technique. Try use the STAR technique
to answer questions.
Qualifications
A specific question often asked is, “Why do you think Situation
you are qualified for this position?” Qualifications, in this Firstly describe a situation you were in. For example,
context, relates to all qualifications which could make a colleague was struggling with performance.
you suitable for the position including educational,
Task
employment-related and personal.
Next tell them what you decided to do. For example,
In many cases, this may be the question that will win or sit down with your colleague to discuss how you
lose you the job, so your answer needs to be clear and could help.
memorable. Search for people on LinkedIn in the team you
Action
are applying for, review their experience and expertise and
Then describe what you actually did. For example,
the terms they use to describe their achievements.
gave your colleague examples of how you improved
Experience your own performance.
Here is where your research pays off. Discuss your past
Result
experience in a way that is relevant to your potential
Finally, tell them what happened as a result of your
employer, including details of your education, charity and
actions. For example, performance improved 35 per cent.
community work.
Reasons for applying
Your answer should describe what you find appealing
about the position, how you prepared yourself for a career
in the organisation and how you believe your present job

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equips you for the position in question.
Career objectives
Be ready to discuss your long-term aspirations. Your best
approach is one that indicates you have thought about Common questions you may be asked:
your career in these terms and have taken some action • Tell me about a situation where you have been part
towards realising your ambitions. of a group working toward a specific goal. What
was your role in the group?
• Describe how you led a team through a difficult
project. How did you improve their work?
• On time pressured assignments, how have you
made sure that the job is done within budget?

These questions are asked to establish various core

competencies relevant to the role, such as teamwork,
creativity, innovation, decision making ability, business
Competency based interview awareness and conflict resolution.
questions are used to identify
whether an individual has the
aptitudes required for a role.

The Ultimate Guide to Interviews

Presentations AFTER THE INTERVIEW
If you’re required to give a presentation, which is common
in a second-round interview, follow these tips to give you Following your interview, remember to give immediate
a head start. feedback to your recruitment consultant. This needs to
include any areas you felt you may have fallen down on -
Preparing your presentation perhaps you have a nagging doubt about a specific answer
Find out who you are going to be presenting to. This will you gave or forgot to highlight a certain valuable skill or
give you a better understanding of what you say and how experience.
you pitch your presentation. Find out how many people
will be on the panel, their role in the organisation and their Your consultant can cover this for you in his or her call
expertise. to the employer. If you were interviewed directly, send a
thank you email, expressing enthusiasm and keenness to
Getting the right structure join the company. Sent in the evening or the next day, this
You should always have one clear message that runs email can be an important factor in employer’s decision-
through your presentation and focus on three sections: making process.
Introduction, development of your findings and summary.
Don’t let the presentation go on for too long – allocate
10-15% to your introduction and conclusion, with the main What to do next
focus on the details of the topic. If you’ve had a successful interview and have been offered
a position you should be very pleased. However, it’s not
Presenting
the end of the process, you still have much to consider
Using PowerPoint or another presentation program
before you accept or decline a job offer.
will allow you to incorporate visuals to help maintain
interest throughout the presentation. Normally, we Don’t act before you’ve had a chance to think, take some
suggest not giving out notes as it will take the focus from time to consider the offer. Give the hiring manager a time
you, however, if the subject is more technical in nature, frame you can stick to and speak with your recruitment
a copy of the slides can be useful for those wanting to consultant. Once you make your final decision, you should
take notes. It’s often best to distribute them before the let the hiring manager or your recruiter know as soon
presentation begins. as possible.
Always prepare and run through the presentation several If you decide to accept the position, remember that
times before the interview. If you fail to prepare for your realistic negotiations are part of the process, so explore
speech, you will mumble the words and have no intonation the possibility of any potential movement on salary and
in your voice. Look out for nervous habits, such as saying benefits. Your recruitment consultant will be able to
‘like’ and ‘um’, this will contribute to losing your audience’s advise you on the possibility of salary or benefits
attention. A sound structure can automatically set the negotiations. Make sure you read your offer details
ground rules for allowing you to tell the audience what you thoroughly and confirm everything via email so that you
want to say. have a written record.
Finally, get excited! This is the next step in your career,
convey this excitement to the hiring manager to further
underline that they have made the right decision.

Ask your recruiter what systems are used and if they

are compatible with your laptop. Your presentation
may be perfect but if it can’t be accessed you need to
be prepared – always bring physical backups or save
to the cloud.

Interviews are defining moments, and can change the whole direction of your career. It’s vital to get them right and
you’ll need support to get through the application and interview stage. Search for jobs today, or find your local Hays
consultant at hays.co.uk/offices.
Hays

@HaysNews

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