It’s something most of us have to go through to enter the world of work, and repeat any number of times throughout our careers… it’s the dreaded interview process! 

I don’t know too many people that enjoy this process, both interviewer and interviewee – it can be nerve-wracking no matter which side of the metaphorical table you are on. 

When I’ve been in the position of interviewer I quite enjoy some parts of the process. I like meeting people and I especially like it when someone gives a complete outside the box answer to a question. The parts that are not so fun are deciding who to interview and then nervously hoping once the decision has been made that you have a) made the right decision and b) that your chosen candidate will accept the role and turn up on their start date! 

Being an interviewee is arguably the most anxiety inducing position. There are so many hoops you have to jump through to prove you’re the best person for the role. From drafting your CV, tailoring your cover letter to the role and company you are applying for, prepping for the interview by learning about the organisation you are applying to join; to perhaps having to prepare a presentation or take an aptitude test/exercise devised by your potential new employer. 

So, what can we do to make this process a bit less daunting and encourage the best out of both parties? Here are a few of my top tips. 

Tips for Interviewers

• Set out from the beginning what the expectations are for the interview process to your candidates. How many rounds of interviews will there be? Will they be expected to give a presentation, complete a timed exercise or aptitude test? 
• Include the salary range on the job description. This can be a contentious area for many recruitment teams or organisations, but candidates need to know this before they start the process to understand if this role is equivalent or more than their current role. Many wouldn’t want to waste their time if the salary is lower than they would expect for their experience. 
• Think about whether to give some (or all) of the questions in advance of the interview. This can lead to candidates giving you great examples of their work rather than being put on the spot in what is already a very unnatural feeling environment and nerves getting the better of them. 
• If a candidate reaches interview stage, but is not taken on for the role, be courteous and acknowledge the amount of time and effort they have put into your interview process. Give them a call or a personalised email to tell them they haven’t been successful. It can be very disheartening for a candidate to receive a generic email when they may have put in hours for prep time to interview with you. 

Tips for interviewees

• Do your research! When looking for a new role, really think about not only the role but the sort of organisation you want to work for. Make sure that they fit with your personal values; this will hopefully mean that if you are successful in getting the job you’ll be happy and engaged in your role. 
• More research! The number of times as in interviewer I have asked the question ‘so, what do you know about our organisation?’ only for the candidate to have not even bothered to have a quick look at our website. Just knowing a few things about the organisation will give you an idea on what sort of questions they may ask you at interview. 
• Think about common interview questions – Run through and even write down a few answers to potential interview question. Some common ones to give personal experience answers to include: 
• Tell us about a time when something didn’t go to plan and how you dealt with it
• What part of your career so far are you most proud of and why?
• Why do you think you are the right person for this job? 
• Tell us about a time when you had to prioritise your workload, how did you go about this? 

These are just a handful of examples that you could be asked, it’s always good to be prepared, so think of what else the interview might want to know about you to make sure you are right for the role.

Always think of a few questions to ask your interviewer to find out a bit more about the role or how the company works. This is as much about you deciding that this company is right for you as you are for it. For example, you might want to ask what their biggest challenge is in the department you are interviewing for. 

So fans of plans, whether you are the interviewer or the interviewee, just remember that we are all human and no matter how many times you interview in your career, there will always be nerves and anxiety in this process, but I hope the above has outlined some ways  to make the process less scary. 

PS - If you are keen for some individual wellbeing tips to complement this Working Well life, check our Personal Planner Lauren's Relationship With Self blog, out fortnightly on Tuesdays. You can read the latest edition here:  https://www.makemeaplan.com/news/