CHAPTER 3
Phases of the Interview
If you are like most job seekers, you have had very little professional training on how to win interviews. Some of you may have undergone some training when you graduated college, moved on from your last career, or left the military, but you still feel that you are missing something. In this section, I take the skills and tactics that companies use and show you how, by applying our unique method, you can deliver exactly the type of responses employers are looking for.
Companies spend millions of dollars every year learning how to attract, identify, develop, and retain talent. If you are interviewing, then they have attracted you. Our focus is on the identification of talent. Once you are hired, they will attempt to develop and retain you.
Whether you realize it or not, you will go through several phases during your interview. While the order and duration of each phase will vary slightly from one interviewer to the next, most initial screening interviews follow this pattern that interviewers are taught during their talent identification training. The better the interviewer, the smoother the transition from phase to phase.
• Rapport Building
• Background Information
• Confirming Requirements
• Behavioral Questions
• Questions for the Interviewer
• Closing Questions and Methods
Rapport Building
You will be asked some tough questions. Know this going in, and you will be ready for anything. Relax and focus on the opportunity in front of you. Most screening interviews are not designed to find qualified candidates, but rather to rule out non-qualified candidates.
The rapport building phase is also known as the Meet and Greet period of the interview. You can expect the interviewer to use a conversational tone and put you at ease. In this phase, the interviewer is attempting to get a conversation started by asking some ice-breaker questions.
Some of the questions you can expect in this phase include:
• How is your day going?
• Did you have a good morning?
• Were the directions okay?
• How far did you travel to get here?
Keep your answers brief—this is not the time to start reciting your work history or explaining why you are the perfect fit for the position.
Keys to Success
• Smile and display enthusiasm.
• Be confident and give a firm handshake.
• Thank the interviewer for his or her time.
• Ask the employer how his or her day is progressing.
• Keep your responses brief.
This phase typically lasts two to five minutes and transitions directly into the Background Information phase.
Background Information
In this phase, the interviewer will attempt to gain basic biographical information about you. This phase is also a test to see how concisely you can deliver your personal elevator pitch. This is a two to three minute summary of who you are. You will recognize you are in this phase when the interviewer asks a question or requests you to provide your background with a statement like one of the following:
• Tell me about yourself.
• What’s your background?
• Give me your two-minute life story.
• Walk me through your resume.
These are open-ended questions or requests for information. When presented with an open ended question, most candidates do not recognize it and either one of two things happen, neither of which is good.
• The candidate starts fumbling because he or she has not prepared or rehearsed, and says something completely off the mark like, “It’s all on my resume” or “Didn’t you look at my resume yet?”
• The candidate dives into a 20-minute soliloquy detailing every aspect of his or her life without stopping once to come up for air.
When presented with an open-ended question, you should provide a brief verbal presentation on your professional career to date. If you are a recent college graduate, then you would simply substitute your college experiences and academic highlights in lieu of work experience.
Keys to Success
Preparation
Develop an outline to help you piece together your key selling points—short statements that relay why you made the decisions you made and how they impacted your career progression.
Introduction (30 seconds)
Start with college or HS.
Explain any geographical moves.
Remember to use the same reverse chronological approach you used when drafting your resume.
“Thanks for asking! I was born and raised in the Washington D.C. area and excelled at sports and academics in high school. I decided to attend college on the west coast to gain some exposure to another region of the country and was admitted to UCLA on a partial academic scholarship. I was very active at UCLA and participated in several clubs and intramural sports activities. I selected Business Administration as my major and graduated with honors in four years.”
Body (1–2 minutes)
Briefly touch on major accomplishments in your work history. We are just touching the wave-tops here, not delivering detailed examples yet.
Say what you accomplished.
Share why you did it (demonstrates your decision making process).
Show how effective your actions were.
(Item 1: What You Did) “After college, I joined a small start-up firm in San Diego as a Project Manager for their initial round of fund raising for investment capital to launch a new software product.”
(Item 1: Why You Did It) “I choose this opportunity over several other offers because it gave me the exposure to project management, investor relations, and financial reporting that would allow me to see the whole cycle a start-up business goes through.
(Item 1: Key Selling Point) “My efforts in developing the formal business plan and forecasts were instrumental in the company securing its initial funding in excess of $2.4 million for the product launch.
(Item 2: What You Did) “After two years with that organization, I moved on to join a national retail outlet and performed several roles in two different store locations, including Assistant Store Manager, Loss Prevention Manager, and Customer Service Manager.
(Item 2: Why You Did It) “The reason I chose this path was to continue my professional development by getting more corporate experience through a formalized leadership development program with a nationally recognized company.
(Item 2: Key Selling Point) “The experience I gained with this company has given me a solid understanding of how to lead teams and inspire others to perform in less than optimal conditions.”
Close (30 seconds)
Share how these experiences translate into value to the employer.
Explain what put you on the market.
State why you are interested in this position.
(How Skills Translate) “I believe that my diverse skills and experiences to date have made me a well rounded manager and an inspirational leader. (Why You are Looking) I am looking for a new opportunity that will provide me with a cultural match and challenge me to achieve new levels of performance. (Interest in Position) I am very interested in this opportunity, as I can see that it not only presents the environment to achieve but also has a track record of exceeding shareholder expectations year after year.”
Rehearse
Be sure you are comfortable with your presentation, but you do not have to memorize it word for word. Slight variations in wording are fine, as long as you remember your key selling points.
Time your response: 2–3 minutes total.
Record your response and listen to yourself.
Voice inflection: Do you trail off at the end of your sentences or finish just as strong as the start?
Count your “Ums” and “Ahs” and keep rehearsing until you are at zero.
Narrative Presentation Outline Guide
Illegal Questions
There are some questions that interviewers would love to ask, but are not allowed. These questions often manifest during the Background Questioning phase. Offer up as much detail as you feel comfortable with, but remember that you are under no requirement to answer.
If you are asked a question you know is illegal, do not say, “That is an illegal question.” Rather, simply respond by saying, “I’m really not sure how that relates to the position,” then move on to the next topic. Another trick is to turn the question back on the interviewer. For example, if an interviewer asks if you have children, you can respond by saying, “It sounds like a good work home/balance is something you value. How do you manage the demands of home and work?”
Here are some of the more common questions interviewers would love to be able to ask, the tactics they use to get the desired answer without really asking, and some suggested responses:
Do you smoke?
Some interviewers will even ask the candidate if they would like to join them for a cigarette just to see what their response is, and then move on to something else.
What country are you from?
While it is acceptable to ask if you are legally able to work in the United States or if your work requires sponsorship, it is way off limits to ask where you are from, your native language, or when you came to the United States. If you encounter this question, just state that you are legally able to work in the United States.
Are you married?
A less aggressive approach interviewers take is to ask, “What do you like to do in your free time?” They are looking to see what type of activities you do outside the workplace to determine if you are a family-oriented person. Either way, it is an area that they really have no business asking about because it does not directly relate to your abilities to perform the job. Most candidates offer this information up anyway, as they think it is just an icebreaker question.
Are you a Christian/Jew/Muslim?
Most of the time, these questions arise when interviewers are attempting to determine your availability due to religious holidays or observances. Respond by stating, “My personal affiliations will in no way interfere with my work schedule. Are there any days in particular you are concerned about scheduling?” If that does not work and they persist, fall back on, “I’m really not sure how that relates to the position.”
Do you have children?
Employers want to know this because they want to see if you are a single parent, or if you have certain restraints on your schedule relating to childcare. I know of several interviewers that will break out pictures of their children in hopes that the candidates will then open the dialog. Once you open the topic, they have free reign to ask about your situation. Use the work/home balance rebuttal to deflect.
How old are you?
This one is more common on phone interviews, but I have seen it in face-to-face interviews as well. It is very unlikely that an interviewer will be this direct, but rather ask about the years you attended college to try and do the backwards math to determine your age. The best response I have ever heard from a candidate was, “I have 20 years of solid work ethic left in me before I can even think about retirement.” This response demonstrates commitment, but deflects the actual question without agitating the interviewer.
Do you plan on having children?
This question is typically encountered by young female job seekers, but I have heard of interviewers asking males as well. Strangely enough, it is most often asked by other females. Interviewers are looking to see your commitment level, not your personal family planning goals. Their view is that they are going to spend time training you and getting you up to proficiency. They do not want to then lose you immediately after the expense of training for an extended leave period or possibly even permanently. Your response should follow this example. “That is a topic for my husband (or wife) and I to discuss in private, but I can assure you that my commitment to my career goals and in adding value to this organization are paramount.”
Have you ever been arrested?
While it is perfectly acceptable to ask a job seeker if her or she has ever been convicted of a felony or has had any DUI convictions, it is not legal to ask if you have been arrested. Remember, we are innocent until proven guilty (convicted) in this country! If asked in this manner, simply reply by stating that you have never been convicted of any felonies or DUIs.
Are you still in the military reserves?
This is a legal question, but a very gray area for employers, as many will go beyond the simple question and ask about military drill dates and upcoming reserve commitments. It is illegal for an employer to discriminate against a member of any branch military reserves or National Guard.
Ninety-nine times out of 100, interviewers ask these questions, not as a direct attempt to discriminate, but to develop a dialog. Most interviewers are not even aware of the legality concerning these questions. However, if you think that the questioning was a deliberate attempt to discriminate against you from attaining the position, then you should be aware of your rights. You have the option to file a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). A further review of the EEOC Website will let you know whether or not you should proceed.
This phase usually takes about five to seven minutes and flows directly into confirming requirements.
Confirming Requirements
In this phase, the interviewer wants to make sure that you are after the same type of position and work environment as the opportunity you are interviewing for. These are what I call show-stopper questions because if your responses here do not align with the interviewer’s needs, there really is no reason to further the interview process.
Skilled interviewers will confirm their requirements early so as not to waste their time with a two-hour interview, only to find out that you do not meet their basic needs. Here are three show-stoppers that will preclude you from moving further in the process:
Geography/Relocation
While we all have our wish list, you must know what location(s) the interviewer is sourcing for before you start the interview. If you say “I can only live in Dallas,” and the position or positions are not in Dallas, then your interview may be over. Most interviewers will simply ask, “Are you aware that this position is in Los Angeles?”
Overly Eager
If you are relocating or attempting to relocate, do not get so excited about the location of the position that the interviewer might get the impression you want this opportunity solely due to geography. It’s okay to state that the area you are discussing is your primary location choice, but follow up with an additional response to confirm that it is not the only reason.
Example:
“Yes, Los Angeles is a perfect location. My spouse grew up here and we love the area. However, I am most excited about this opportunity because of the development potential, not just the geography.”
Open to Anywhere
You might be interviewing for a position that has multiple openings across the country. Have your top three to five locations ready to deliver, but also stress that it is the company that excites you most, and that you would be willing to take any location to prove how you will deliver results.
Relocation for Advancement
If the interviewer asks if you are open to relocation, keep the door open for a later discussion. Do not get into specifics yet about when and where. Win the rest of the interview first and let the interviewer want you before you start your negotiations about when to relocate. A great response to this question is, “Of course, I am open to future relocation for advancement based on my performance.”
Type of Work
These show-stopper questions will close more doors faster than you can imagine. If you are interviewing for a call center manager position and the interviewer asks “What type of work do you want to do?” Don’t say “sales!” Keep your answers targeted directly at the opportunity in front of you.
Purple Sock
Very skilled interviewers will trick you into coughing up your true work type goals by asking about other companies you are interviewing with. I call this the purple sock tactic. Remember when you were a kid and you used to watch Sesame Street and they would show three socks on the screen, and two were green and one was purple? One of these things is not like the other! Employers will easily pick up on the fact that they are the purple sock and no one wants to be the purple sock. For example, you are interviewing for a sales position and the interviewer asks what other opportunities you are currently interviewing for. You reply by listing three project management jobs. The interviewing company is now the purple sock and the interview is over.
Schedules/Shift Work
Another common show-stopper relates to scheduling. Be sure you understand the hours or shifts involved and relay to the interviewer your plan to make this schedule work if it is a non-traditional schedule.
Salary Requirements
In an ideal situation, you will know the compensation range before ever going on the interview. If you are working with a recruiter, he or she should brief you and if you have responded to a posting, the details should be provided in the position description. However, this is not always the case. Often, you only have an idea as to the compensation range and go into the interview with limited information. In either case, this is not the time for salary negotiations; it is a screening question to make sure you are in the same ball park as what the employer is capable of paying for the particular position.
The first time an interviewer asks you about compensation, it is okay to deflect and attempt to move on. Remember that we want to negotiate compensation at the end of the process after the employer really wants you on the team, as you are then negotiating from a position of power. So when asked, just state, “I obviously want to earn a good income but the growth opportunity and cultural compatibility are more important than my initial salary.”
If the interviewer asks again, then you need to provide real numbers. Always use a range so you don’t sell yourself short or price yourself out of the position. It also tells the interviewer that you are flexible.
Published Rate
If you know the rate for a job board posting or listing on the company’s website, then simply state that you are comfortable with the advertised compensation as referenced in the published job description.
Recruiter Briefing
If your recruiter sent you in, make sure he or she gives you a rate or range. I know that some recruiters like to overstate the compensation to get you excited about the opportunity and then they back you into the offer at a lower rate just to close the deal. To avoid this, just tell your interviewer that their recruiter briefed the position at low-end to high-end and that you are comfortable with that range. If the position is outside of that range, he or she will tell you right away and you will know where you stand early on in the process.
Limited Information
When you don’t have all the information, it is best to stick close to your most recent earnings and best research regarding the position.
Ranges
Provide real numbers based on what you think the position is paying and on your most recent earnings.
Upshifter
We all want to increase earnings as our career progresses. Some employers will ask what you have earned during the past two years. They want W-2 reported income to see if you are making a gradual step up.
This phase lasts five to 10 minutes and gradually eases you into the meat and potatoes of the interview—the Behavioral Questions.
Behavioral Questions
Remember in the previous section when we counted down the top 10 reasons interviewers choose not to pursue a candidate? Remember the number-one reason? Failure to provide specific examples.
Interviewers are taught that the best indicator of your future performance is your pattern of past behaviors. Employers hire on behavior patterns and then teach the specific skills required for the job. If you fail to provide specific examples to demonstrate your behavior patterns, the interviewer will never fully grasp why you make decisions or realize how you attained the results you listed on your resume. The interviewer wants to understand your decision-making process.
The type of questions interviewers ask to determine your behavioral patterns and decision-making process are called behavioral questions. In this section, you will learn how to answer behavioral questions using the SOAR method (see page 113). This phase of the interview is typically the longest phase and can run anywhere from 10 minutes to more than an hour.
“Why should I hire you?”
Even though most interviewers will never be this direct (although some will) they all want to know this and you should be able to respond to this underlying question on every one of your responses. When you provide an answer to an interview question, the specific example you give using the SOAR method shows the interviewer whether or not your behavior pattern will add value to the organization.
Identifying Behavioral Questions
Before we can answer behavioral questions we have to be able to identify them.
Easily Recognized
Some interviewers will let you know they want a specific example by phrasing the questions in a way that leads into offering a SOAR response.
• “Tell me about a time when you…”
• “Give me an example where you…”
Harder to Recognize
Most interviewers want examples in the responses, but don’t have the skill to extract them from the candidates. In these circumstances, you have to know when to provide your specific examples using the SOAR method.
• “Why sales?”
• “Describe your leadership style.”
• “What is your biggest weakness?”
Most candidates do not recognize these as behavioral questions. By understanding you are in this phase of the interview, you can properly assume that most questions are behavioral in nature. Starting on page 118, we provide a list of typical behavioral questions by job type to help you determine when to provide your SOAR responses.
Theoretical Answers
Most candidates unknowingly respond to behavioral questions with theoretical answers. Theoretical answers explain what you would do or what you think you would do in a certain situation. What they lack are examples of when you have applied the theory to practice. Theoretical answers do not answer the underlying question, “Why should I hire you?” Here are four very common behavioral interview questions and the typical theoretical responses that candidates reply with:
Why Sales?
“Well, I have always known that I would end up in sales because I love people and I love influencing people. All of my friends and colleagues have always told me that I should be in sales because people listen to me. I love the idea of controlling my own income potential and have the work ethic it takes to succeed in a fast paced, competitive environment. I have an incredibly competitive nature, and love to see my name at the top of the list.”
Describe Your Leadership Style.
“My leadership style is based on open communication and trust. I firmly believe that as a leader, I should do my best to keep my people informed and include them in the decision-making process whenever possible. Sometimes, however, I know I must be able to make quick decisions for the benefit of the entire team. By communicating with my team on a regular basis, I earn their trust and encourage their contributions to the overall goals of the organization. I believe in praising in public whenever someone does something that helps the group. I also think that when it is time to reprimand or correct someone’s actions that it should be done in private. After documenting the conversation, I follow up with specific tasks listed as corrective actions.”
What Is Your Biggest Weakness/Area Needing Improvement?
“I really believe that I can improve my patience level. I am always ahead of schedule on deadlines and get irritated when other members of the team do not deliver the same quality results in a timely manner. I guess that is something I could improve, but I am so focused on accomplishing the project or task that I sometimes forget that others may not have the same level of dedication I do.”
How do You Handle Stress?
“I think that we all have stress in our lives, but it is how you deal with it that makes you productive. I also believe that every position or job will have situations that create stress for some people. The question you have to ask yourself is, are these the type of stressors that I can handle or not? I think that I do a good job of keeping my stress level in check by maintaining a good work/life balance, openly communicating with others involved should a situation start to spin out of control, and by using my resources.”
Great answers, right? Wrong! These are perfect examples of theory, not practice. By applying the SOAR Method, you can take the same data and show how, through your actions, you demonstrate the past performance that would lead to your predictive future behavior. We will look at these same four questions and responses again after we learn how to apply the SOAR Method to answer behavioral questions.
Answering Behavioral Questions
Over the years of placing thousands of candidates, I have developed a proven method to convey your specific examples. I know it is hard to remember to give examples on every question, so just use this method and you will succeed, but it takes practice!
The method is centered on you providing real world examples of your past behavior. Remember, past performance is the best indicator of future behavior. Behavioral patterns are what good interviewers are attempting to determine. So, the more specific, relative examples you can give, the better off you are. At the end of the book are some worksheets for you to use in scripting out your SOAR responses. I highly recommend that you do this for the most common interview questions you expect to encounter for your industry and position level. If you do this and rehearse, then when you are presented with the question, you know exactly which SOAR story you can apply to convey your example.
Once you rehearse your SOAR stories to the point where you know them inside and out, you will then have developed the storytelling pattern to create new ones on the fly for those unexpected questions that also need a SOAR response. So, get ready to learn the breakthrough method that will set you apart from the rest of the crowd.
The SOAR Method
Situation
This section sets the tone for the story you are about to relay. Great storytellers all have great lead-in statements. Remember the old fairytales you used to have read to you as a child that all started out “Once upon a time…”? These were examples of setting the situation. It is not only okay to use names and company names here; it is encouraged, as it adds validity to your SOAR stories.
Examples:
• “I had a recent situation at my current employer where I was leading a project team of 12 programmers.”
• “I have a great example to share with you about my last team’s quarterly sales contest.”
• “Just last month I had a discussion with my General Manager, Steve Wilson, regarding improving our group’s customer satisfaction index.”
Keep this section very brief—one or two sentences maximum. Identify the setting by stating where you were, who was involved, and establish the timeline (when the example occurred), and then move on to the Objective.
The SOAR Method
Objective
The dictionary defines objective as the projected state of affairs that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve. In this section, you clearly and concisely state what your desired achievement was at the onset of your example.
Examples:
• “My desired outcome was to reduce our store’s shrink rate to 1 percent, which would make my store the lowest in the region, well below our company guideline of 2.5 percent.”
• “After attending the sales training event, I committed to myself that I would reach the number-one ranking in the company by the end of the second quarter.”
• “I knew that my number-one objective was to reduce our cost of goods sold by 15 percent while maintaining the current revenues to bring my team in line with the company’s overall growth strategy.”
By stating your objective, you show the interviewer that you understood your goal and set out to achieve it through the planning and actions you will demonstrate in the Action section.
Action
Here you show the steps you took to achieve your Objective. Remember the set of action words we provided on page 29? Flip back and use those same action words to start off your action statements. This is the longest section to the method, but don’t go overboard. Cover the main points of what you did and state why you choose that course of action over the other options that were presented or suggested. About three to four sentences should be enough to cover the highlights. If the interviewer wants more detail, he or she will ask. If he or she does ask for more information, then you know that you have his or her interest—great job!
Examples:
• “I set out by first calling a meeting with all my team members to make sure they all understood the time-sensitive nature of the project. Our client needed the deliverable media in less than two weeks and we typically worked a project of this size for four to six weeks. In that meeting, I stressed to the team how important this key client relationship was to our business and that we would all have to step outside our normal comfort zones to meet the deadline. We held status meetings first thing every morning and afternoon and used the conference room as our operations hub, posting timelines and concepts all over the walls. In each meeting, I asked who needed assistance and either stayed late myself to assist or paired them up with other team members. Because the team saw my commitment level, I never once had to ask them to stay late. The day before the deadline, we did a dry run rehearsal in the morning and then fine-tuned for another dry run that evening.”
• “I decided to change my standard sales approach with this prospect, because my normal phone call approach was not getting me in front of the decision maker, Mary Jane, the VP of Talent Management. So instead of calling for an appointment, I physically showed up at the company’s facility every day, hoping to reach the decision maker. I was still unable to reach her, but on my fourth day of trying, her assistant told me that if I really wanted to get access to her that I should subscribe to her blog post and contribute some relevant content that she might publish, as she would then be more apt to take my call. So that night, I added a link to an article I researched that supported her post and she published it. The next day, I called just to say thank you. Upon hearing that I was a contributor to her blog, I was put right through. That eventually led to a face-to-face appointment.”
Using real names and experiences shows your decision-making process. Be sure to list any obstacles you had to overcome and how and why you did not foresee them in your original plan. Once you have outlined the steps you took to accomplish your objective, you are ready to share your results.
Result
Nobody wants to hear a story without a positive outcome, so be ready to take credit for your actions. I know that many of you have a hard time talking about yourself, but this is the one time it is socially acceptable to brag a little. Make sure that the result is in line with your initial objective and keep the communication to one or two sentences.
Examples:
• “After two weeks of this new approach, I saw my closing ratio increase more than 50 percent!”
• “At the end of the quarter, we reached our goal of 20-percent sales growth over the previous quarter.”
• “The entire corporation recently adopted the new procedure I implemented, and last month alone the savings were over $128,000.”
Results should be about what you did, not what your team or group accomplished. You can mention the team, but your SOAR story should be focused on how you reached your objective.
Application of SOAR Method
Remember the theoretical answers from a few pages ago? Let’s circle back and answer them using the SOAR Method.
Why Sales?
Theoretical Answer: “Well, I have always known that I would end up in sales because I love people and I love influencing people. All of my friends and colleagues have always told me that I should be in sales because people listen to me. I love the idea of controlling my own income potential and have the work ethic it takes to succeed in a fast paced, competitive environment. I have an incredibly competitive nature and love to see my name at the top of the list.”
SOAR Method Response:
S: “Sales is my passion because I love to influence people. Earlier this year, I sold my concept for a new fund-raising event to my fraternity, which had been doing the same car wash event for years with minimal participation.
O: “My goal was to get 100-percent participation from all active members and raise more money for our charity, the Disabled American Veterans, than ever before.
A: “I set out by describing my vision of selling discount cards for local retailers to other students. I had heard of similar programs at other campuses and thought that the concept would take off here, because there was currently nothing like it. I then asked key members to chair sub-committees to divide the workload. We had a retail group responsible for getting the retailers to agree to a discount, a support group who researched and selected the card printer and designer, and a sales group that consisted of all brothers to sell the cards around campus once they were complete. I was even able to convince several merchants to kick in some free meal coupons to award to the brothers that sold the most cards. I tracked all the card sales and posted the results on our main bulletin board each Sunday evening just prior to our weekly meeting.
R: “We had every brother participate, and at the end of the semester, we had sold more than $13,000 worth of cards. Our previous best from our old car wash was just over $1,000. We even had a waiting list of merchants that wanted to be included on the card for the next semester. The local DAV was so thrilled with our donation that they named our chapter as their benefactor of the year and even sent a letter to our national chapter thanking me personally and recognizing our group efforts.”
Describe Your Leadership Style.
Theoretical Answer: “My leadership style is based on open communication and trust. I firmly believe that as a leader I should do my best to keep my people informed and include them in the decision-making process whenever possible. Sometimes, however, I know I must be able to make quick decisions for the benefit of the entire team. By communicating with my team on a regular basis, I earn their trust and encourage their contributions to the overall goals of the organization. I believe in praising in public whenever someone does something that helps the group. I also think that when it is time to reprimand or correct someone’s actions that it should be done in private and documents with specific corrective actions cited moving forward.”
S: “My leadership style can best be summarized by a situation I had a few months ago when one of my team leaders came to me with a problem concerning a temporary worker assigned to his group. The temp worker said that she felt she was getting all the bad or unwanted positions in the production flow because she was female and a temp.
O: “My objective was twofold: first and foremost, investigate the claim before it escalated into a formal discrimination complaint and; two, to make sure the temp worker was able to voice her concerns through proper channels.
A: “After letting my team leader, Bob, give me the details of his conversation with Amy, the temp worker, I asked Bob if he was open to having a discussion with all three of us to get to the root cause for her complaint. Bob agreed and I then went out on to the production floor to find Amy. I told her to take a break and come with me into my office for a brief discussion. I started off by reassuring her that she was not in trouble and that we thanked her for voicing her concern to Bob. I then let Bob explain to her that all new temp workers spend the first two weeks working the least desirable positions to learn the entire production flow prior to getting a more permanent work assignment. Amy was relieved to hear it and said that if she had been told that during orientation that she never would have even voiced her concern. I asked Bob to summarize the conversation in writing and asked Amy if she would be fine with signing the summary for our records. She was more than willing to comply.
R: “As a result of the meeting, I followed up with our HR assistant to make sure she had a document in the production orientation packet that explained the initial rotation of positions. Most importantly, I am happy to report that Amy has moved from temp status to a full-time employee and was even named employee of the month last month.”
What Is Your Biggest Weakness/Area Needing Improvement?
Theoretical Answer: “I really believe that I can improve my patience level. I am always ahead of schedule on deadlines and get irritated when other members of the team do not deliver the same quality results in a timely manner. I guess that is something I could improve, but I am so focused on accomplishing the project or task that I sometimes forget that others may not have the same level of dedication I do.”
SOAR Method Response:
S: “I really believe that I could continue to improve my patience level. The best example I can think of to demonstrate this is a recent group project I was involved in with three other team members where we were tasked with producing design concepts for a billboard advertisement marketing campaign to a client in half the time we typically use to produce the materials.
O: “My challenge was to get each member of our team to contribute their concepts and materials within two business days. Each of these individuals manages several other accounts, and they were not used to producing materials this quickly. When I announced the time requirement, there were several concerns and complaints offered up by the team. I needed to set these concerns aside and focus everyone on the task at hand.
A: “Personally, I am always ahead of schedule on deadlines and am so focused on accomplishing the project or task, that I sometimes forget that others may not have the same sense of urgency as I do. I sent each designer off with the reminder that I would follow-up with them at noon on the suspense date, four hours prior to the delivery deadline to the client. When the time came, two of the three had completed designs ready for client presentation. The third, however, had barely begun her concept sketches. In the past, I would have been angry and demanded that she immediately produce something for presentation. In this instance, I just reminded her of the time-critical nature of this potentially lucrative deal for the company, and asked if she would be able to meet the deadline. She said that she would have her concept to me, but that it would be about an hour late. I told her that would work and that I would try and buy an extra hour of time from the client. I then called the client to reschedule our pitch, telling them that we had one last design they really needed to see.
R: “At the end of the project, we delivered three concept designs to the client. The one they selected was from the team member that was an hour late. We won the account and were successful in getting additional business from the client. I learned a valuable lesson that sometimes a little patience can pay off exponentially.”
How do You Handle Stress?
Theoretical Answer: “I think that we all have stress in our lives, but it is how you deal with it that makes you productive. I also believe that every position or job will have situations that create stress for some people. The question you have to ask yourself is, are these the type of stressors that I can handle or not? I think that I do a good job of keeping my stress level in check by maintaining a good work/life balance, openly communicating with others involved should a situation start to spin out of control, and by using my resources.”
SOAR Method Response:
S: “I think that we all have stress in our lives, but it is how you deal with it that makes you productive. Last quarter, I was challenged by my supervisor to increase our production numbers by more than 15 percent without any additional labor support or authorized overtime. For most people this would be a very stressful situation!
O: “My goal was to get our entire team to buy into the fact that we could achieve these numbers because I knew that once we believed we could get it done, we would.
A: “Initially, I was a bit concerned about such a huge increase without any additional labor, but decided not to let the challenge affect my work/life balance. Rather than get stressed out about the numbers, I decided to use the nervous energy to show the rest of the team how committed I was by pitching in whenever I could. I knew that all eyes were on me and that if I showed signs of stress, the rest of the team would react negatively. So, I met with the production team at the beginning and end of each shift and posted numerous charts throughout the plant that we updated daily to graph out our incremental progress. I also used my available resources by calling other plant managers from across the company to benchmark on their production flow to get additional ideas on how to increase our efficiency. The information I was able to learn from just a few phone calls really paid off.
R: “By the end of the quarter, we had increased our production numbers by more than 17.5 percent and celebrated with a departmental party.”
Keys to Success
Do you see how by simply telling a story and using the SOAR Method as our outline, you can easily demonstrate your behavior pattern?
Worksheets
The best prepared candidates have a matrix of questions and related SOAR stories they want to use that they refer to prior to ever going on an interview. By using the worksheets provided on page 201, you will be leaps and bounds ahead of your competition.
Rehearse
I know talking about yourself in a formatted structure will take some getting used to, but that is why you have to practice and continually refine your interviewing skills. If you have the time and resources, I highly recommend you get a partner to ask you some of the questions on your worksheets, and either use a video or audio recorder to tape your responses. Then review the media to critique yourself.
Each answer should be one to three minutes. Anything less, and you have not covered enough detail. Anything more, and you have lost their interest and shown that you cannot keep your comments concise.
This phase can last anywhere from 10 to 90 minutes, and typically ends when the interviewer asks if you have any questions for him or her.
Questions for the Interviewer
You know you are entering this phase when the interviewer asks, “What questions do you have for me?” or something similar. This tells you that the interviewer is finished with his or her interrogative period and is now ready to entertain your questions about the company or the position. Far too many candidates consider this the final part of the interview. It is not. Good interviewers continue to evaluate you by the questions you ask.
Prior to any interview, be sure you have five to 10 questions written out specific to the company and opportunity. Do your research ahead of time and have your questions ready. It is okay to have questions written down; it even demonstrates your focus. It is also okay to refer to your notes when asking questions. If you do not have any questions or you use the standard, “You answered all of my questions already” you will lose the interview. Do not ruin a great interview by making this simple mistake.
Types of Questions to Ask
Here are some topics that make for good questions:
Company/Culture
By asking about the culture of the organization, you are showing that you care about more than a paycheck and that you want to find a home where you fit in.
Position
Specific questions about the advertised position are encouraged. Most job postings or written descriptions found online are meant to weed out unqualified candidates, not attract the right ones. Ask about daily tasks, responsibilities, and challenges.
Performance/Growth
Another way to show your long-range goals is to inquire on the typical progression for those who meet or exceed expectations. It shows that you expect to be rewarded for your contributions but only when you earn it.
Process
If you are unsure as to the rest of the interview process, just ask, “What is the remainder of the interview process?” Many candidates consider this a closing question but it is NOT—it is a process question.
Types of Questions NOT to Ask
“What’s in It for Me?”
This is the most common mistake when it comes to questions for the interviewer. The interviewer is not the least bit concerned with what you want. He or she only wants to see if you meet the company’s needs.
Asking questions about compensation, benefits, time off, or perks like gym memberships or tuition reimbursement do not answer the question, “Why should I hire you?” You can always ask for a standard benefit sheet at the appropriate time (when an offer is delivered) that will cover all your personal concerns.
To ensure you do not ask these types of questions, write down all the questions you think are appropriate for the interview. Set the list aside and then look at it again the next day and ask yourself if it (A) has to do with you, or (B) has to do with you adding value to the company. If any of your questions come back with an A response, remove them from your list.
Training
You are being brought on to make an immediate impact. If you focus too much on what your training will involve, the interviewer will get the impression that you will need to have your hand held and become a burden. A single question like, “Does this position have a formalized training program?” is more than enough. Anything more will scare them off.
Already Covered
If you wrote down a question and the interviewer already provided ample response during your conversation, skip it and move on to the next one. This is why I recommend you write down at least five questions.
Public Knowledge
Readily available research material is not meant for questioning. General questions about stock price, competitors, or their industry are too vague and show your lack of preparation.
Phrasing Questions
Use the assumptive position when phrasing questions. By assuming that you are already on the team, you are demonstrating to the interviewer that you do not waste time and that you are already focused on increasing sales, improving profits, or driving customer satisfaction, whatever the case may be.
Example:
• Question without assumptive: What is your location’s profit goal for this year?
• Same question with assumptive: What is our profit goal for the location this year?
Here is another example that is a little less assuming, but still removes the invisible barrier between the interviewer and candidate:
• Question without assumptive: How have the current interest rates affected your business?
• Questions with assumptive: How have the current interest rates affected business?
Sample Questions to the Interviewer
Company/Culture
• What are the company’s three biggest strategic initiatives for this fiscal year?
• How will we increase market share while maintaining a high level of customer service?
• What opportunities do you see in our marketplace during the next few years?
• What challenges do you see in our industry in the next few years?
• What are some of the new areas of technology being explored? How do you think they will affect the business in the future?
• Can you describe the corporate culture for me?
Position
• To whom would I report and where does this fit into the organizational structure?
• What are the three most common traits of successful people currently in this position?
• How many people will I be leading?
• Tell me about the most successful person you know in the company who is in this type of position and why you think he or she is successful in the role.
• Who are the internal and external customers I would be serving? How would I interact with these customers, and how could I exceed their expectations?
• What are some barriers I could face in this position, and how could I best address them?
Performance/Growth
• How will my performance be evaluated?
• What are some of the traits that would make someone a good candidate for this position?
• What is the career progression track I can expect, assuming peak performance?
• How would I be rewarded as your number-one sales representative?
Process
• What are the remaining steps in the interview process?
• What are the three most important things you are looking for as you evaluate candidates for this position?
• What would a candidate need to do to exceed your expectations?
Your last question should always be a closing question. The next section covers different types of closing questions and why they are important.
Closing Questions and Methods
No matter how you think the interview went, you must always ask for the job! This is true for interviews for all types of positions. Interviewers will naturally think that your interest level is low unless you demonstrate otherwise by telling them you want the opportunity. Every interview must be closed at every stage of the interview process, regardless of industry, position title, or interviewer’s position.
Closing for Non-Closers
Not all of us are natural-born closers, so we need some help. During my freshman year in college, I was a little intimidated by some of the prerequisites. Chemistry and biology—or any science for that matter—were not my strengths. I was thrilled to read in the course catalogue that there were actually classes for “non-scientists.” I remember thinking, “Wow, I can actually do this. Chemistry for non-scientists will get me covered.” The same goes with closing. You have to do it no matter how uncomfortable it makes you. If you don’t, you will never graduate, progress to the next interview, or win the job.
Different Methods of Closing the Interviewer
Here are several methods I have developed over the years to help candidates overcome their fear of closing. I suggest you try them all out loud and see which one feels most comfortable for you personally. Regardless of which method you use to close the interview, make sure you remember to smile and show enthusiasm towards the position and opportunity.
Isolation
In this method, you attempt to get any potential objections the interviewer might have out in the open to address them right away. Assuming there will be none, you then move in for the close. If the interviewer does have objections, he or she will share them with you and give you the opportunity to address them on the spot. The hardest objection to overcome is the one you don’t know about. This method takes that out of the equation.
Examples:
• “Is there anything we covered today that would prevent me from moving forward in the interview process?”
• “I would love to meet the rest of the team, are they available today, or when would you like to schedule our next meeting?”
Set Up
Here you try to align your skills and behavior traits with the ones the interviewer deems most important. Once that is done, you push for the close.
Examples:
• “What are the three most common character traits of your top performers?”
• “Do you think that I have demonstrated my ability in those aspects today?”
• “Awesome, when can I expect the next interview to take place and with whom will I be meeting?”
The more advanced technique associated with this method is when you ask the question earlier in the interview, and then circle back to it as your close.
• “Jim, you previously mentioned that tenacity, teamwork, and initiative are the most common denominators of your top performers. Have I sufficiently demonstrated my tenacity, teamwork, and initiative today?”
• “Awesome, when can I expect the next interview to take place and with whom will I be meeting?”
Assumptive
This takes assurance that the interview went extremely well. This closing technique is typically used in sales interviews, as it demonstrates your confidence and shows your mastery of using the assumptive close.
Example:
• “Thank you so much for your time today, Bill. I think we had a great meeting, and I am already looking forward to making an impact on your team. What would you anticipate as a start date?”
Subtle
Most people end an interview with “What is the next step?” This is not a close, but a procedural inquiry. Spice it up just a bit, and it becomes a close.
Example:
• “What is the next step in the interview process I can expect and when would you anticipate that occurring?”
OR
• “I understand the next step is typically a plant tour. Will I be afforded that opportunity?”
Direct
Much like the assumptive method, this one takes confidence. The direct method puts the interviewer on the spot by asking if he or she perceives a fit.
Example:
• “I am extremely excited about this opportunity. Do you think that I am someone that would be a good fit for your team?”
OR
• “Do you think that I am a match for the opportunity?”
Overcoming Objections
Contrary to popular belief, there is no “Golden Candidate” for a position. Interviewers will have objections about every candidate they meet, including the one that eventually gets the offer. The whole point of the closing phase is to ferret out any potential objection(s) or roadblocks to your potential employment.
What most candidates fail to realize is that when interviewers tell you that they have an “apprehension,” a “concern,” or even a “challenge” with something in your background it means that they like you and want to give you the opportunity to better explain or position yourself. These are easy objections to deal with because you have been presented with them upfront. The objections that are hard to address are the hidden objections, the ones you are not even aware of that might be holding you back.
Our isolation closing technique does a nice job of getting the objections out into the open so you can address them. From here, you will now need to follow a distinct method to properly overcome the objection and move on with the rest of the process. Anyone that has ever had any sales training might recognize a variation to the ECIR Method of overcoming objections.
The ECIR Method to Overcoming Objections
Interviewer: |
“I am a little concerned with your lack of direct business-to-business sales experience.” |
Standard Response: |
“I know I don’t have much experience, but I am eager to learn and can promise you that I will work harder than any rep you have ever seen to beat your expectations.” |
ECIR Method Response: The following response says pretty much the same thing, but in a format that is non-combative, shows concern for the interviewers challenge, demonstrates understanding, and casts aside the potential for any future objections.
Example:
Interviewer: |
“The largest project you have managed to date was only a $100,000 budget. This position is for someone with $1 million-plus experience.” |
Standard Response: |
“My experience in the fundamentals of project management, to include a full understanding of scope, feasibility, risk assessment, goal definition, team selection and assignments, delegation of tasks, process control, reporting, and completion through deliverables, will ensure success, regardless of the budget size.” |
The End of the Interview
While the closing question usually ends the interview, don’t forget to thank the interviewer for his or her time and ask for a business card if you do not already have one. Offer a handshake and exit the facility. No matter how well you did, resist the temptation to jump for joy or call your significant other from the parking lot.