The 5 Stressful Stages of the Job Interview Process
Posted on June 16, 2017 by Christine Cristiano ccs, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
The interview process can be lengthy and complicated. Prepare in advance to ensure a stellar performance!
Over the past decade, the interview process for the jobseeker has become much more complex and requires some advance prepping to make it through the first round of interviews. Gone are the days when the interview process was a quick ordeal between you and the hiring manager in which the questions asked pertained mostly to your experience and qualifications. The current interview process consists of a multitude of questions and scenarios and it’s the jobseeker’s duty to prepare and respond with the right answers. Here is a basic rundown on what you need to know about the 5 stressful stages of the job interview process.
★ The Qualifier. This is the initial phone call that you will receive from the HR department. The purpose of the interviewer’s questions is to obtain more information from the applicant to ensure their skills are a good match and fit for the company. The questions vary and may include location confirmation, salary expectations, specific knowledge, credentials and availability. You may be asked an array of other questions which will determine your eligibility based on your answers. The questions are very strategic and targeted to gauge whether you qualify for the position and whether you are moving on to the next step. Typically, you will need to respond to all the questions correctly in order to be invited to a person to person interview. This is not one area where you can ‘fake it until you make it’; the questions are typically factual yes and no questions so you won’t have the opportunity to spin any story telling at this stage.
★ The First Interview. If you pass the qualifier phone interview, you will be invited to a first interview with HR or a hiring manager who has some degree of authority within the organization. If you’re meeting solely with someone from HR, you will be interviewed for suitability and matched skills set. If you’re deemed a match, your information will be passed on to the hiring manager. If your qualifications do not match what HR is looking for, or you just don’t hit it off for whatever reason, your trek down the interview path has ended. If you have wowed HR, you will be called back for a second interview.
★The Second Interview. As if you weren’t stressed out enough from the Qualifier and first interview, if you make it to the next step, you will meet with the manager of the department you will report to. This makes sense because the hiring manager wants to hire someone who can do the job, contribute to the department’s initiatives and fit into the dynamics of the team. Sorry to say but if the hiring manager doesn’t think you are good fit for the department culture or the organization; your interview journey will come to abrupt end. Again, you will be asked a variety of questions in relation to the specific job requirements and your past experiences.
★The Dreaded Panel Interview. Depending on the corporation, you may be required to participate in a nerve-racking panel type interview. This consists of you in front of a panel of 2-5 interviewers taking part in a rapid fire Q&A. Yes, it feels like an interrogation as the panel bombards you with a series of standard, behavioural and performance based questions. Typically the panel is comprised of an ‘odd’ number of interviewers so there is no ‘tie’ when it comes to decision making time.
★Final Interview. Just when you think it is over, you may be called back for one final interview. Depending on the corporation, you may get the chance to meet one of the senior executives whom the other interviewers report to. Typically this interview is not question driven with a barrage of mind boggling interrogations but rather an introduction type meeting for the senior executive to meet you and hear what you are all about and hopefully give their rubber stamp of approval to go ahead and bring you on board.
Keep in mind, not all corporations conduct the interview process the same so you may skip an interview stage or may have to endure all five!
Interview Preparation
The best approach to get ready for the big interview is to prepare in advance. The internet is a good source of information on interview preparation and examples of the most common interview questions that are typically asked. If you are concerned about how well you will be able to perform under pressure during the actual interview, consider working with a Career or Interview Coach. These career professionals are specifically trained to assist jobseekers to navigate the job market and the interview process.
A Career/Interview Coach will work 1-1 with you and coach you through a broad spectrum of interview questions and scenarios to help you effectively answer even the most difficult questions and provide feedback. In addition, you will have the opportunity to practise your responses through mock interviewing with your coach which will provide you with some extra confidence in your ability to ace the interview!
