Information to collect for a job interview
Ken Pelczarski | TLT Career Coach March 2017
What's the straightest path to a successful job interview? Preparation.
© Can Stock Photo / endotune
ONE IMPORTANT ASPECT OF INTERVIEW PREPARATION is obtaining basic information. It is advisable to begin early in the discussion process since it is difficult to acquire all information in one phone call or email. Avoid scrambling for information at the last minute when you are contacted to schedule an interview. Ask questions of the employer as well as your recruiter (if applicable) along the way in order to digest and review information at a comfortable pace.
What information should you acquire for an interview besides information from more extensive research you conduct on the company, position and interview team? Below are 14 pieces of information that will help you strategize and make your interview a successful one. Much of this information can be acquired before the actual interview is scheduled.
1. Interview agenda. Obtain an interview agenda in writing for careful review. It will help you plan your questions and presentation if you learn different aspects of the agenda such as (1.) how many interviewers you will be meeting, (2.) how long you will speak with each person, (3.) who you are meeting with first, (4.) who you are meeting with last, (5.) the sequence of interviewers, (6.) with whom you will have lunch or dinner and (7.) who will be driving you to/from the airport.
2. Names and titles of interview participants. This is a critical bit of information. It will be easier to plan your questions in advance for each individual meeting when you learn information about each interviewer such as (1.) their overall experience, (2.) how long they have been with the employer, (3.) how they have progressed with the company and (4.) where they went to school. LinkedIn is an excellent social media site for researching individual profiles. Look also at Facebook and Twitter. Google each individual and check biographies on the employer Website. Begin to research probable interview participants even before obtaining a formal agenda.
3. Name of direct report/hiring manager. This is another critical piece of information. This individual is usually most important in the interview process from the standpoint of you being evaluated as well as your evaluation of the management team. You may be having preliminary direct discussions with the hiring manager but should still be doing in-depth research on this individual before a face-to-face interview (as described in point #2).
4. Interview structure. The type of interview can greatly influence your strategy for face-to-face discussions. Find out if you will have one-on-one meetings or if you will meet with multiple team members at the same time. Learn in advance if there will be a panel interview, which will involve special preparation. Ask the employer if there will be an emphasis on evidence-based behavioral questions that involve situational problem solving.
5. Approximate length of interview. This is good information to possess in order to plan your schedule and allow enough time (including time off work) to complete the interview. Allow some leeway in case the interview runs later than expected. With this information, you can plan to be well-rested and well-nourished for the interview. Inform the employer in advance if you need to finish the interview by a certain time.
6. Interview process/number of steps. This information will help you plan your presentation strategy and proper follow up each step of the way. If there is only one face-to-face interview, you will need to accomplish a lot in that meeting and leave little on the table. If there are two or more face-to-face interviews in the process, learn who you will be meeting each time and plan your strategy accordingly to advance to each subsequent step.
7. Special items for discussion. It is a big advantage to know in advance what the employer, including individual interviewers, plans to ask or discuss in the interview. Although the employer may tell you there is nothing special planned for discussion, it is always a good idea to ask the employer if there are any particular items you should plan to discuss. Your recruiter (if applicable) should be able to provide helpful information about what will be covered in the interview, including what questions individual interviewers like to ask. You can then prepare for specific individual meetings in addition to standard interview preparation.
8. Expected documents to bring. There are many useful documents to bring to a face-to-face interview, which you will present as the context of discussion dictates. Besides one resume copy per interviewer, which is always expected, other possible documents to bring include (1.) proof of education and certifications, (2.) college transcripts, (3.) list of accomplishments, (4.) honors and awards, (5.) work samples (non-proprietary), (6.) list of publications, presentations and patents, (7.) performance reviews, (8.) commendation letters, (9.) reference list, (10.) letters of recommendation, (11.) salary history and (12.) restrictive covenants. Ask what the employer would like you to bring to the interview and then be sure to bring those documents.
9. Written tests, forms or paperwork. Find out if there is an application form or other paperwork to fill out before face-to-face meetings take place. You can then arrive early enough before the scheduled interview time to complete necessary paperwork. Learn in advance if there will be any intelligence, aptitude, personality or problem-solving tests so you can be mentally ready to present yourself to your fullest potential in an honest fashion.
10. Required presentation. You will want to know well in advance if a PowerPoint or similar presentation is required. Learn the guidelines and general parameters for the presentation, including length, preferred topics and who will be attending. Find out what equipment will be available and at what point during the interview you will be giving the presentation.
11. Job description. This is one of the first items of information that you should be requesting, and you certainly want to review it carefully before a face-to-face interview. If you receive the job description early in the process, you will be able to take actions such as (1.) clarifying items in the job description, (2.) asking further questions about the job and (3.) withdrawing from consideration if the job is not a fit. The job description should tell you a lot about both the role and the company, and will enable you during the interview to sell your interest and ability to do the job.
12. Salary range. Although you will not be expressing your desired salary range to the employer or bringing up salary during the interview, it is ideal to know before a face-to-face interview the preferred salary range for the employer. You can then prepare to give a brief, professional response if the salary question is brought up by the employer during the interview. If the salary range appears to be out of your ballpark, you may need to learn if the employer is flexible so you can determine if it is worth your time to interview. It is a plus if you can learn the employer’s salary range from your recruiter (if applicable). Otherwise you may need to convey your current compensation situation to the employer to make sure they are comfortable with it.
13. Preferred attire. It is appropriate to ask the employer directly about what attire is expected for the interview. If nothing else, you will learn about dress code and how well you may fit into the company culture. Regardless of the employer’s response, it is advisable to err on the side of over-dressing. If you will be dressing more casual than employer expectations because of special circumstances, let them know ahead of time.
14. Directions. First impressions are extremely important and you do not want to arrive late for a face-to-face interview. Obtain reliable directions from the employer directly or on your own and then verify these directions through a second source. If you are not 100% sure about directions or if you simply want to check out the location surrounding the employer, take a trial drive ahead of time.
The ongoing information-gathering process described above will give you a solid basis for entering your interview with a winning strategy. Strive to obtain as much information as possible to increase your confidence level and take charge in the interview.
Gathering key information, combined with in-depth research on the employer, will prepare you to have a highly successful interview.
Ken Pelczarski is owner and founder of Pelichem Associates, a Chicago-based search firm established in 1985 and specializing in the lubricants industry. You can reach Ken at (630) 960-1940 or at pelichem@aol.com.