Last year, I found myself in the fortunate position of being  poached from my former job. My background, experiences, and network had put me in the position to be discussed as a candidate that may meet my current company’s needs. Even though I was poached, I was encouraged to still  go through the full interview process to ensure the company was right for me, put my mind at ease about a big decision, and ensure those I would be working with had a part in the decision. As I reflect upon the process there is one interview that stands out as the best. 

It was early in the morning, and I was frantically preparing my interview notes and rehearsing questions for an interview with Michael, the Vice President of the business unit I would potentially be working for. Of course, I was running through my notes of examples I wanted to discuss (nicely arranged in the STAR method I might add – we’ll get to that later), ensuring I had examples of my work to share, etc. Then the interview started … and it was the best interview I have ever had. 

Michael started the interview with the normal pleasantries and introductions, but then did something unexpected. He sat back and said, “is it okay with you if we just have a conversation?” I must have looked a bit surprised, but Michael went on to explain that my background and experiences had clearly gotten me to this point in my career and he really wanted to know who I was and to make sure I could ask questions about the team. It was clear Michael was looking for a culture fit within his organization and wanted to ensure I felt like it was a fit as well. Michael just wanted to know me.

We spent the next hour talking about various work situations, choices we had both made in our careers leading us up to that point, and I authentically showed who I was. It truly was the best interview experience I ever had. It wasn’t just the best because I felt like I had portrayed myself authentically, but I felt confident in doing so that I could easily tell the company and team would fit within my values and long-term visions for myself.

This experience was not the norm and perhaps it was a bit more laid back because this company had approached me, but it got me thinking … interviewers really want to know the authentic you. An article published by Harvard Business Review  cites a Society of Human Resource study indicating, “The result of poor culture fit due to turnover can cost an organization between 50-60% of the person’s annual salary.” Ensuring a cultural fit is not only a nice to have, it impacts the bottom line.

Know Yourself

You are interviewing the company just as much as they’re interviewing you

Take time to reflect on why you are interviewing and what you’re seeking out. 

When do you feel the most energized? 

What are you passionate about? 

What do you hate? 

What are your values? 

Think about your best manager, what attributes did they possess? 

What are your long-term career goals? 

How do you want to present your authentic self?

Interviewers want to know you have researched the company culture and you’re not only applying for the current opening to get a paycheck. Interviewers want to hire for the long-term future and pick candidates that are not only qualified for the openings at the moment, but possess the attributes for long-term success to grow and learn within the organization. In other words, they want to make sure you’re not just presenting them with your best self that day, they want to know they’re getting to know the authentic you. You can learn ways to research company culture and ask questions to ask in an interview to ensure you’re a good fit in this blog post.  

Pre-defining answers to the questions above and really thinking about what you want will ensure your reason to join the company is clear. 

As an interviewer, I very much want to hear the reason behind the application from candidates. It is disappointing when candidates’ answers are very superficial. For example, if I ask a candidate why they want to work for the company they’re interviewing for and they respond with a simple answer stating good reviews on LinkedIn, I am going to pause and wonder if they really researched the company. Now let’s say the candidate's answer went something like this, “It has always been a goal of mine to get outside of my comfort zone and take on a role in a different part of the business. Reviews on LinkedIn showed that you had a great learning and development culture and upon further research I see that you have cross-business rotational programs.” 

Now this is an answer … the interviewers are listening. 

Perfection isn’t what interviewers are looking for

A big part of being your authentic self is acknowledging and learning from past mistakes. We can all be too hard on ourselves at times. Mistakes happen to everyone, failure is a given. It’s what we do afterwards that interviewers want to hear about.

Companies are faced with challenges that there are no handbooks for. Interviewers need to know they are interviewing someone who isn’t afraid to try something even if it fails. Better yet, they need to know that the interviewee can learn from mistakes and share these learnings. 

When I think back to past interviews I have participated in as an interviewer, some of the best examples have been when a candidate opens up about something that didn’t work for them. Honesty is valued. Interviewers that are part of very long processes appreciate when someone is willing to give a forthright answer rather than the perfect answer.  

Major employment website Indeed suggests that the best way to discuss mistakes in a job interview is to 1) outline the situation, 2) discuss what actions you took, 3)highlight any positive results that occurred, and 4) close by what you learned and what you would do differently.

Traditional Interview Prep is Important

Let’s circle back to the STAR method. The STAR method is described by an acronym to organize an answer to open-ended behavioral interview questions. The letters stand for situation, task, action and results (US News and World Report). 

Don’t be mistaken by my interview with Mike – you have to prepare for traditional interview questions. Preparing examples from your past experience to answer traditional interview questions is still very important. 

The interviewers want to leave the interview feeling that you are knowledgeable and have the past experiences to be successful in the job at hand. It is their job to ensure you meet the requirements of the position. 

I once asked a candidate applying to a Sales leadership position to describe a time when she was met with resistance regarding a decision she had made. The candidate did not convey a specific example and only talked about generalities of what she would potentially do. It was also hard to follow her logic. Overall the candidate was comfortable discussing her rationale for applying for the job and her long-term aspirations, but her lack of confidence in describing examples led the interview team to not invite her to the final interview round. 

Preparation matters, but also prepare you … bring your whole self to the interview. Not just for the company, but to ensure that you’re also going to be a fit where you land. 

Securing a Partner To Find Interview Success

Interview preparation, assessing culture, or any other aspects of a job search strategy can be overwhelming. The team at The Wilbanks Consulting Group can help you organize a job search strategy and coach you through important stages of the job search. We offer Career Exploration Coaching to plan your career development and job search strategy. Reach out to a qualified career coach today.