Interviewer vs. Interviewee

Giving an interview is an art. Many people say that it’s like an art of selling one’s personality. It’s an opportunity to let the interviewer explore you through different questions, simulations or some other ways. It is an opportunity for interviewee to exhibit some extraordinary tacts during interviews. Getting shortlisted among hundred of candidate is not less than a blessing now a day. Because many candidates are not succeeding in receiving interview calls even after applying at countless companies.

However, this is a separate debate why candidates don’t receive interview calls. Here my intentions are to discuss the challenges after receiving interview calls; where the real war begins!

Receiving a first interview call is an indication of getting yourself equipped with the best tools of giving interviews along with your skills how to use them. Because, you can only reach next level unless you perform up to the remarkable standards. When Interviewer cannot help appraising your performance; & you know what? Once you are done with this, get ready for the next tougher situation!

Next levels bring more challenges for interviewers. These are sensitive situations where interviewee has to prove his/her abilities according to the job requirements. Most of the candidates remain unlucky as they get into the further round of interviews. While going through the process of final Interviews, many candidates exhibit easy going behavior, ultimately they get rejected.

What Interviewers Expect?

Interviewers expect candidates to exhibit positive enthusiastic, honest, confident and mature behavior according to the requirements of job. They expect loyalty, commitment and dedication of work during interview. Many a time, interviewers try to explore candidates by giving an open room by asking such questions, i.e. “Describe your personality” or “Tell us what type of person you are”? Here you should have an idea what type of person you are? While answering this question, discuss it in terms of your role in Professional, Personal and your role with family. Candidates must work on such questions. Such questions can either push you up or bring you down to the earth. Sharp interviewees get themselves prepare for such sensitive questions & really pull the climate of interview pleasantly. Henceforth, things start going in the favor of such sharp candidates. Whereas, many unprepared candidates answer this questions in such a silly way that interviewer hardly takes few minutes & put the candidates in the regretted list. Nevertheless Interviewees can get optimum results through proper preparation & guidance.

Types of Interviewers

During the process of interviews, candidates will find different types of Interviewers. Few of them can probe your history in detail. Few interviewers lay stress on simulations and try to explore you hands on skills. Such people are least bothered about experience and more focused on knowledge & skills. Some interviewers only focus on experience. Some will try to impose stress on interviewees through their knowledge. However, you may find some interviewers who try to explore your personality in a friendly way by asking open-ended questions.

So, you as interviewee must be prepared for both the easiest & the toughest questions which interviewers can ask. The higher your skills to use the interview tools, the better your chances are towards selection.

I still remember one of my interviews during the position of “Recruitment & Selection Specialist”, when interviewer suddenly asked me to take his interview. I was not expecting this question from him, but, then I quickly gathered my forces and started taking interview of the interviewer. 

Purpose of telling this example is that, interviewer can ask any type of question from the candidate, and those who are well prepared can answer those questions in the best way!

Many of you might be thinking that I should discuss here the remedies of interview mistakes. But, frankly speaking, I’m not going to discuss any such stuff besides few different notions. You can find countless stuff through internet and through different books for the preparation of interviews. Because, my intentions are to portray a snapshot to those beginners who are just about to step into their professional life and are applying for interviews.

Be on safe side!

However, just for your interest, let me share few ideas to keep you on safe side:

      Get a brief introduction about the company for which you are going to be interviewed, i.e. structure of the organization, products/services, mission/vision statements, offices address and manufacturing process (If it is an production company).

      Candidates must carefully listen to the questions being asked (Presence of mind).

      If the interviewer is asking question in English, answer the question in the same language.

This is called, “Linguistic Trend”. Unfortunately, it is the dilemma for us that we feel proud in speaking English, even though we cannot speak properly. I’ve seen many candidates who like to answer the question in English even if the question is asked in Urdu. Just to impress interviewer, they try to answer in English and can’t succeed in conveying their answer properly.

Remember, what matters a lot is your “Confident”. How confidently you’re conveying your ideas/answers to the interviewer. No matter how weak you are in speaking English. In short, I mean to say that, you answer in the same language in which the question is being asked.

      Reach before time, i.e. 15 mins before at least.

      Get proper information about the interview premises lest you should waste your time in finding the place and exhaust your most of the energy in search of office.

      Some times, you confront a situation where you may be invited for back to back interviews at two or three organization in a day. So, in such conditions, learn how to manage your time.

      Keep pleasant and genuine smile on your face during interview.

      One last and important thing I would like to share is that, since candidates are on the initial level of the career, they should prefer to gain work experience of their field rather than putting monetary preference ahead. This may be one of the reasons of being regretted even if the candidates are matching their skills and knowledge according to the job.

Through out the discussion, I’ve tried to portray a real time picture of current situation and attempted to reduce the frustration of young blood that may arise. Because, I understand that students expend a huge amount of money during studies and expect that they would get a ‘Managerial Level’ position after completing their studies in some renowned organizations. But reality is different than perception.

So, my dear interviewees stay calm and have patience. You’ll get optimum results if you organize yourself as mentioned above. And, never ever get frustrated.

May God Bless you all!  


Author: Saad Masood
masood.saad@hotmail.com

Reluctance or Inability?

          Few months back I was having conversation with my one of the friends who told me that, his Training Department's person conducted "Training Need Analysis" upon the request of the line manager. After performing the  analysis, he came to know that, there was a gap of skills among of employees. Company was shifting to HRMS (Human Resource Management System) and Management was trying to reduce the manual work while applying the automatic system for the better and improved results. 

So, upon the recommendation of Training Department, concerned employees were sent on the training to get them equipped with the latest tools of technology and as to cope with emerging technological & professional trends.    

After the employees were returned from their training, they started working on their positions. Few months later, CEO called a meeting in which he asked Manager HR to calculate Return on Investment (ROI) of that training for which employees were sent. Guess what had happened??? Probably you might be thinking that after attending training sessions, employees had applied that up to the best level and process would have been streamlined. But, folks, nothing such happend :) It was found that, employees were still relying less on automatic process and still manual work was being done by them.

After listening all this situation from my friend, I was thinking that why we do not try to implement what we learn through different Training sessions and why we do not apply the knowledge on the job? I've seen many such situations where companies spend huge amount of money on their employees and don't even bother to calculate the Return on Investment (ROI) and do not monitor that the learned knowledge is being implemented and process is being improved or not? 


Perhaps, you'd agree with me that, most of the employees attend Training Sessions as to enrich their CVs for creating a better impression and they are least bothered about implementations.  
You'll meet many such people on different training sessions who come to attend such gatherings yet they are least bothered about implementations.


What I feel about this situation is that, when you apply your knowledge on your job, or when you get the practical results of your knowledge, you always remember it and cannot forget such concepts as applied practically. It will help you in future while delivering your knowledge to other people/subordinates in a better way! It will raise your value as a valuable employee and enhance your dignity at your organization. 

But, most of the time, when I see such people, I wonder and whisper to myself that why they do so? In the next moment I answer to myself that, either they are Reluctant to apply that knowledge on job or their inability forbids them to implement those learned skills. Or, what else the reason may be?




Author: Saad Masood
masood.saad@hotmail.com