A Recruiter's Diary
Ace your interview with these tips
Recruiters often find themselves delivering unfavourable news to candidates, as only one individual is chosen for a role, and others face the disappointment of being "rejected". This is not a very easy task I must say, particularly when it involves making phone calls to communicate the news.
It would be easier to select one candidate and keep others in a talent pool for future vacancies. Unfortunately, it is not usually the case when the feedback from the interview panel look like these:
The candidate was very friendly and had some good experience but some of the responses to the interview questions lacked enough depth…
The candidate had a good interview but did not have adequate examples when asked about her experience in project management…
So today, I thought to share something that would help you perform better at interviews.
If you have ever been invited to interview at the University of Oxford, you likely observed this statement - “the interview will be comprised of competency-based questions, therefore please come prepared with examples of how you can demonstrate your competence against the job description and selection criteria”. This is a common trend in many organizations today, reflecting the rising popularity of competency-based interviews. Hence, familiarizing yourself with this approach.
The good thing about this approach is that the interviews are more predictable and candidates know what to expect - competency-based interview questions focus on real examples from your past to understand how you have demonstrated the skills and abilities required for a role. An example is “please can you share a time when you faced a tough problem and how you tackled it? or describe a situation where you had to work in a team to achieve a goal?”
As I work with hiring managers to fill vacant positions in my organisation, I have noticed no manager wants to make the costly mistake of recruiting the wrong person – they want to be sure you have tested skills.
So, when you are asked to describe an example of when you demonstrated a particular skill, please practice the following method (STAR) to respond:
The Situation – Describe the context of a work scenario. For example, “in my previous role, we had a crucial project with a tight deadline. The team was struggling to keep up, and there was a risk of not meeting the client's expectations”.
The Task - Outline the specific task or challenge you faced in that situation. For example, "The task was to streamline our workflow, identify bottlenecks, and ensure timely completion of project milestones."
The Action – Talk about the steps you took to tackle the task or challenge. Focus on your personal actions. Highlight any skills you used or things you did to address the situation. For example, “I initiated a daily stand-up meeting to keep everyone informed, reassigned tasks based on team members' strengths, and introduced a project management tool to enhance collaboration and track progress”.
The Result – Conclude by discussing the outcomes or results of your actions. Highlight any positive impact or improvements.
For example: "As a result, we not only met the project deadline but also exceeded client expectations. The team became more efficient, and the experience reinforced the importance of proactive communication and strategic task delegation."
Please bear in mind that it helps to practice (using the job description) because you might not remember the best examples on the spot.
When preparing your CV and cover letter, it would also be helpful to show in detail the things you have done in the past as it relates to the job description.
If you didn't succeed in the previous interview, it might not be due to a lack of competency. It could simply be that refining your skills in this method could make a significant difference.
I wish you all the best and I hope this helps in your next interview.
If you have relevant experience in construction and property maintenance, please reach out to me and I will keep your details in our talent pool for recent or future openings.