How to ensure you succeed at interviews
Having interviewed 1,000s of people over the years, I have put together some best practice to assist you with both F2F and remote based interviews. Irrelevant of modus however, whether you are told it is informal such as a ‘coffee chat’ or ‘get to know you’ type interview or formal or competency based, always be ready to give examples within your answers that enable you to evidence the skills, experience and most importantly the results that will ensure you have the best chance of securing your next opportunity.
So how do I evidence my ability? STAR & IPAR
The STAR (Situation Task Action Result) principle for answering competency / behavioural interview questions is probably something that you have heard before, but I like to take this one step further and focus on IPAR (Introduction Task Action Result).
Essentially STAR and IPAR are very similar and are an excellent framework for putting together strong examples to meet competency in an interview. The main difference between the 2 however is that IPAR drives home the focus on I, as in what YOU did. It is very easy to fall into the trap saying things like ‘we exceeded targets by 120%.......’ or ‘we were successful in exceeding last year’s performance…’ but remember the company doesn’t want to hire the team, they want YOU.
Ensuring that you focus on this principle will enhance your prospects and performance at interview.
So, what exactly is a competency / behavioural type question?
A competency / behavioural question is looking for a particular quality that a company has decided is desirable for employees to possess. During interviews and assessment processes, competencies are used as benchmarks that assessors use to rate and evaluate candidates.
Competency interviews can also provide valuable insights into an individual's preferred style of working and help to predict how you would approach a given work situation.
Typically, competency-based questions are phrased as below…
‘Can you talk me through an example of when you…’
‘Describe a time when you…’
‘How would you go about…’
'Have you ever...'
Interviewers may then probe deeper to draw out more information. For example, if you were asked about a time when you worked in a team, they may then ask you what was your individual contrbution? What did you learn? What factors contrbuite to the success of a team? This is where I would focus on IPAR from the outset as it enables you to immediately detail to the employer what YOU did, meet competency quicker and make a fantastic first impression.
REMEMBER when you are being interviewed the employer WANTS you to perform well as they are seeking a solution to their problem i.e., an open vacancy.
Below is an example of a competency question and how you can utilise IPAR to develop a story to meet this and perform well at interview.
‘Tell me about a time when you worked as part of a team to complete a difficult task?’
Using IPAR
I – in my last role I volunteered to support 5 people within my finance department to support a systems implemtation which was behind schedule.
P – The project required liaising / coordinating with IT and if not delivered was going to effect everyones access to the finance systems and cause massive disruption.
A – I took the lead giving each member set tasks to perform as we only had 5 days to complete this. I set the timescales, meetings, updates to the SLT, itnerfaced with IT and supported all members with their workloads.
R – The system met the deadline for go-live, I helped with UAT testing to iron out any issues and led training to ensure all users adopted the new way of working rapidly. This reduced errors by 50% and as a net result the business had real-time cashflow and the SLT had deep insight which improved the accuracy of forecasting.
By answering this way, you have provided evidence of YOUR strong skill set within leadership, emtional intelligence, project management and seeing the big picture amongst others, all wrapped up in one comprehensive answer. This will provide the interviewer with reasons to favour you as opposed to another candidate and is vitally crucial.
What are the main competencies businesses seek evidence on at interview?
Operational transformation
Cultural change
Communication skills
Time management skills
Working under pressure
Leadership
Digital skills
Project Management skills
Commercial awareness
Customer service
Conflict resolution
Results driven
Cultural awareness
Seeing the big picture
Delivering at pace
Teamwork
Adaptability / openness to change
Emotional intelligence
Thought leadership / innovation
Analogous thinking – a great skill for career transition
So how do I prepare for competency questions?
You should read the job description carefully and gain a clear picture of the skills that a role needs. Make sure you evidence these in your CV (see my guide to writing a compelling CV), in your job applications and ultimately your interview.
When preparing your IPAR examples from your career history to date, sub-divide each of these skills into sections in readiness to answer at interview. By doing so you will not only give yourself the best chance at performing well at interview, but you will also be more confident in your delivery in what can be an anxious process. Preparation at every stage of your job search is key.
What should I do to prepare for an interview?
Following these simple steps will make sure you are ready. If you don’t plan effectively it will be evident during the process. So, do the following……..
Analyse the job description
Make sure you understand this in detail to identify the qualifications, personal traits and experience the employer is looking for in candidates applying to this role. You can use this information to develop your IPAR examples.
Know your CV inside out
Review your CV and be ready to explain how your professional background fits in with the job description and the expectations of this new role. Also think about why this role and how it aligns with your career aspirations. This will help you when prepare your response to ‘Why do you want this role?’
Research the interviewer, the org structure and any recent PR / news
Having a full understanding of the company and the role you are interviewing for will give you a better idea of the employees, management and company culture, which you may be asked about. Prior to your interview have a good look at their website with a particular focus on About Us, their history, values, social media, PR and Glassdoor for any employee reviews of the business.
During this process you can then impress with knowledge of the business. Don’t be the candidate that knows very little about the operation as this make the interview feel that you aren’t serious about the job.
Practice interview questions
Have a look at common interview questions, prepare your IPAR examples and then practice responding with friends or family. Take note of your skills and past accomplishments and think about how you can integrate these points into your answers to prove that you can be a great addition to the company.
Prepare questions for your interviewer
This is an excellent opportunity to stand out against competing candidates. Some key things I would ask are…….
What are the immediate and long-term priorities for this role?
What is the most critical thing you are looking for from a candidate?
What development and CPD opportunities are available?
What is your current retention like?
Why did you join this business?
There are many more examples available across the internet, but these above really demonstrate your interest and focus on some critical elements in this role. It should matter to you and this will come across.
F2F vs Remote interviews
F2F
Always dress smart even if they have a dress down day – it is much easier to cope with feeling overdressed than underdressed.
If you are meeting in person take printed copies of your CV.
Do a dummy run to the location so you know where to park.
Aim to arrive 15 minutes early so you can settle before the start.
If whilst en route you’ll be late phone as early as possible.
Be courteous to everyone you meet.
Maintain eye contact throughout and don’t talk over the interviewer.
Take your time with responses – pauses seem much longer than they are.
Ask them about the next stage.
Thank them for the time.
Remote
Make sure you are in a quiet location that is distraction free.
Test the speed of your broadband to ensure the video will be smooth.
Turn off anything else connected to WI-FI if possible.
Have a blank wall behind you, a tidy room or use an AI screen display.
Introduce lighting and make sure your face is visible.
Dress like you are at work.
Look at the camera as it will ensure you make better eye contact.
Be sat 10 minutes before logged into the meeting.
Have your CV up on your screen in readiness.
Irrelevant of modus of interview, at the end of the session I always advise to try an alternative close, to see how well you’ve performed and finish on a high. My killer question is…….
‘I have really enjoyed meeting you today and would love this role. Is there anything about my application you are unsure of?’
At this point normally 2 things will happen…..
Either the interviewer will say no questions, that they have many other candidates to meet, or they aren’t sure you have the experience for the role. This is your chance to cover this off and make the best impression.
OR
I really like your experience, they go over some of the answers you gave and then start talking to you further about notice period, salary, other jobs you are being met for etc. This is ordinarily very positive!
The above is just a short precis of how to perform at interview. Whatever happens ENJOY the process and remember it is just as important for you to make sure the role is right, not just whether the employer thinks you’ll fit in. Interviews are a 2-way process, and you’ll feel on equal footing when you perform well.
So if you have an upcoming interview and feel you could do with brushing up on your techniques or support with preparation, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I offer video coaching on an hourly basis or a discount for a 3-hour block purchase.
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