Friday, April 19, 2024

How To Prepare For A Talent Acquisition Interview

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How Do You Measure Quality Of Hire

Interviewing Tips from a Talent Acquisition Manager

This is a classic theres no right answer question because the top minds in the industry have no right answer yet. In fact, talent leaders agree that defining and accurately measuring quality of hire is one of their biggest challenges, with no one clear solution out there yet.

That said, theres near universal agreement that quality of hire is the most important metric in recruiting . So a promising recruiting candidate should have a perspective, or at least a theory, on how to measure it.

Their answer should provide insight into both their thought process and their commitment to taking on the industrys biggest challenges. Who knows, maybe theyll actually have the solution.

In Your Opinion How Can Our Company Stand Out In The Eyes Of Talented Graduates

You need to do some research to find a good answer to this question. And do not look for something obvious Because the competition is enormous, and offering a trainee program for undergrad students, or flexible working hours, is not something ten other companies in the city do not offer to the job applicants.

But maybe the company stands out in some waythe products they work on, the value they place on innovation, the scope of duties they allow new employees to take care of, the salary offer, anything. Try to imagine yourself in a shoes of a smart University student, whos slowly starting to look for their first real job. Is there anything in particular that attracts you to the company?

But it can also happen that they arent special in any way. Its just another tech company, or automotive, or whatever. Not one of the famous brands, not a company that can afford to pay highest salaries to their employees. In such a case, I suggest you to say that it is exactly your role to make them stand out.

The way you will present the job offers, some unique campaigns you will run on the social media, or an individual approach you want to apply in your work with each single talent. Perhaps the company isnt special in any way, but you can make it special in the eyes of the prospective job applicants.

Prepare To Talk About Specific Accomplishments

Most people go into their interview and make general statements and talk in very general terms. To set yourself apart, you want to prepare specific examples and talk about DETAILS. Facts, numbers and real accomplishments.

Hint: this is true on your resume also. Youll get far more interviews if you cram your resume with facts, figures and statistics instead of general statements like responsible for handling customer requests.

So when the hiring manager asks what you accomplished in your last job, or what you do each day, you should be ready to impress! This is not the time to hesitate or be unsure. Prepare ahead of time for this.

If youre looking for your first job without any work experience, then think about accomplishments in your academic career classes youve taken, projects youve completed, etc. Thats your most relevant experience!

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Tips To Ace Your Technical Test

Our experts Adam, Anissa, and Chris have seen it all over the numerous interviews theyve conducted in their time, and shared what stands out to them. Here are their top tips for the technical day:

Adam: The technical evaluations at Appian are designed to assess your approach to problem solving. You might consider brushing up on things like data structures, linked lists, recursion, arrays, trees, algorithmic and memory complexity analysis, and sorting and search algorithms in preparation for your interview. We also encourage engineers to think out loud as it creates a more collaborative experience.

Anissa: It can be pretty intense but in a good way we know interviewing is a two-way street and this is also a chance for you to get to know our product, meet their potential teammates, and get a taste of what working at Appian is actually like. We avoid gotcha questions, and were more interested in how you think. If you get stuck, walk us through your process and how you approach problem solving, thats really what were interested in. Dont be afraid to ask questions, the interviewers can also give you hints!

Tell Me About A Time When A Top Candidate Rejected A Job Offer What Did You Learn From The Situation

Talent Acquisition Specialist Job Description Template ...

Every recruiter has a one that got away story. But rather than brooding over it, the best recruiters try to figure out why the candidate rejected the offer and what they can do differently the next time.

Maybe the candidate had doubts about the job that the recruiter didnt pick up on until it was too late. Maybe they felt the culture wasnt a perfect fit for them. Or maybe they simply got a better offer elsewhere. Armed with this knowledge, the recruiter can approach the offer stage more strategically moving forward.

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How Do You Stay Up To Date On Hiring Industry Trends

As any industry evolves, so do the hiring needs of the companies within that industry. This question looks at how aware of the changing needs a talent acquisition candidate is.

An example of a great answer to this question could be a candidate sharing the various industry resources they reference. Additionally, you can ask further questions that look at how a candidate may use these trends to improve your hiring process.

As a whole, the recruiting industry has grown more competitive throughout 2019. Thus, recognizing that trend and adapting your recruiting strategy to overcome that challenge is important.

A talent acquisition manager who stays up to date on trends would then recognize the rise in how competitive the industry is. Then, a candidate who is aware of upcoming trends can prepare for that change to best support your company.

I Dont Expect You To Go Into Too Much Detail But Why Are You Leaving Your Last Job

An innocent question. But a question that if answered improperly, can be a deal breaker. While many individuals will be looking to a new job as a means of increasing their salary, not being paid well enough at your last job is not something you want to mention to your interviewer. After all, are you not likely to leave this particular job if you found you could make more down the street?

If youre currently employed and leaving of your own accord, craft your response around enhancing your career development and a seeking out of new challenges.

If your current employer is downsizing, be honest about it, remain positive, but keep it brief. If your employer fired you or let you go for cause, be prepared to give a brief but honest reply. No matter how tempting it may be, or how unfair it was that they let you go steer clear away from any and all drama and negativity. Any experienced employer understands that sometimes things happen. Staying positive is key here.

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What Are Your Weaknesses

Another tricky one. The purpose of this question is to see how you view and evaluate yourself.

One the one hand, if you suggest you dont have any weaknesses, your interviewer will almost certainly see you as a lair, egotistical, or both.

Dont fall into the trap of trying to present a positive skill in disguise as a weakness, like I work too hard or I am a perfectionist. Any experienced interviewer will see through this in a heartbeat.

Additionally, revealing that Im not really a morning person and have been known to come in late raises immediate and obvious red flags.

The trick here is to respond realistically by mentioning a small, work related weakness and what you are doing or have done to overcome it.

What Is A Virtual Interview

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A virtual interview, or video interview, is a digital method that enables remote assessment and screening of candidates. They are often used as a first stage screening method, although their use accelerated as more firms went remote during 2020.

Sometimes they are conducted by telephone but they mostly take place using video conferencing software. Common platforms for remote interviews include Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Hinterview.

Often, virtual interviewing will be conducted like a traditional interview. However, interviewing by video requires more thought about body language, facial expressions and non-verbal communication. These are harder to convey and interpret than during a face-to-face interview.

If youve got an online assessment coming up and want to make sure you leave a good first impression, read on. Weve got plenty of virtual interview tips, from preparing your technology to communicating confidently.

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Tying It All Together

Interviews are always a big deal for candidates. No matter how well established a person is, the prospect of a single conversation deciding if they get a new job or not often leads to anxiety.

For recruiters though, it is a completely different experience. It is just part of the daily grind, no different than answering emails or attending a weekly meeting.

What you dont want to happen is for interviews to become so routine, you arent putting the emphasis on them that you should. By following the seven steps listed above, youll avoid that, and consistently get the most out of your interviews while providing a strong candidate experience as well.

Connect With Staffing Agencies

Another great idea is to contact a staffing agency because there might be vacancies for recruiters in your area. Some staffing agencies look for different recruiters based in their specialized industry, so you can check if they need someone from your field. It is a good idea to reach out to these agencies to learn more about your options.

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How Do You Treat Candidates Who Dont Get The Job

Recruiters are often incentivized based on how many reqs they close and the time in which they close them. As a result, some short-sighted recruiters often forgo providing a good candidate experience to the candidates they reject, focusing solely on the people who have moved on in the hiring process.

This approach to hiring recruiters can hurt your companys employer brand and potentially your consumer brand too.

Instead, the best recruiters should make it clear they provide a strong experience to all candidates. This might include responding to every candidate who applies, even if they dont make it to the next stage, and personally phoning every interviewee who doesnt get the job. Listen for answers that show the recruiter is committed to consistently updating candidates throughout the process, so no one is left wondering where they stand.

Define The Core Characteristics Required

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The first step to prepare for a phone interview is defining the core attributes that your ideal candidate must possess. Note down a list of skills and qualities that you are looking for in an employee.

Apart from the technical skills required to do the job, you might look for employees who are:

  • Good communicators
  • Reliable and responsible
  • Proactive

Having these attributes could save your company lots of time and money in the future. While talking to the candidate, youll get a fair idea of whether they possess these skills.

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Have A Homework Assignment Ready For Them When Applicable

Heres the thing: Research suggests interviews, even structured interviews, arent particularly good indicators of if a person is right for your company or not. That means relying solely on an interview for screening can be a mistake.

Whats a better indictor of if a person is going to be a good fit for your company? Well, that same research shows that a relevant work sample is a stronger indicator of how theyll perform at the role, particularly when paired with a structured interview.

When possible, prepare some sort of homework assignment for a candidate that mimics a project theyll do in the offered role to gain valuable insight into their thought process and vision.

Describe How You Would Position Our Company To Candidates

Top candidates are often chased by several similar companies at once, so you want to know a recruiter can effectively differentiate your company to grab the attention of potential new hires. Not only does this question test their creativity and critical thinking, but it also tells you how much research theyve done on your company.

You may also want to turn this question into a work assessment, asking the recruiter to write an example of an outreach message theyd send to a candidate. If they can pinpoint some of the factors that make you unique and spin them into a compelling story, you know you have a strong contender on your hands.

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How To Design The Interview Process To Assess These Attributes

Once youve defined the attributes a recruiter needs to excel in the role, the next part of the structured hiring process is deciding how to assess them. Youll probably end up with a combination of questions and practical exercises to help you get a holistic understanding of a candidates abilities.

Well look at some sample interview questions in a moment, but what might a take-home assessment cover? This will vary depending on the role and the attributes youre trying to assess. Here are a few ideas for tasks you could assign:

  • Outline how to conduct a productive kickoff meeting
  • Present your approach to partnering with your hiring manager
  • Find profiles that would be a great fit for a sample job description
  • Craft an initial outreach email to a sample prospect
  • Define the components of an effective sourcing strategy

When youre creating a take-home assessment, be sure to outline which attributes youre looking to evaluate, which will likely be a set of technical skills.

Once you receive the assignment back from the candidate, consider how well they performed the task at hand:

  • Was the assignment submitted in a timely fashion?
  • Did the candidate follow the instructions?
  • Did their work product meet or exceed your expectations?
  • If there are gaps in the work product, are they coachable?

Cline Huguenin Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist Lausanne

Talent Acquisition | Talent Acquisition Interview Question & Answers – Part 2 #HR #readytogetupdate
  • Learn as much as you can about the company by browsing its website, and speaking to people in your network who work there.
  • If you need to work on a presentation, PowerPoint is not the only way. Think about using Prezi or Canva. Be passionate, and not too wordy on your slides.
  • Make sure you sell your experience and who you are.

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Explain Why Youre Interested In Interviewing With Them

After walking them through your resume, youll probably be asked why youre looking to make a job change, and/or why youre interested in their company in particular. This is where the research youve done pays off. You should already have two specific reasons for wanting to interview with their company.

When explaining your reason for job searching in general, I mentioned one example of how to turn a negative into a positive in Part I. Here are 2 more examples:

If your current company has no room for upward growth, say that youre looking for a job with more room for upward growth. If you dont like your coworkers, say youre hoping to find a team thats more collaborative. See the difference? Youre saying the same thing without sounding negative.

Whatever you say youre looking for, be prepared for them to ask why you cant get that in your current company. Just answer by saying that you dont think theres an opportunity to get this, and you considered this before starting to look externally. Simple and easy. That should end the line of questioning.

How Do You Prepare For Interviews With Candidates

Interviews are one way you can show candidates the company is a good place to work. Employers ask this question to make sure you can conduct a professional interview and attract more talent. In your answer, explain what steps you take to ensure that you’re asking appropriate interview questions for a specific role. Add what techniques you use to show how the company is a welcoming place to work.

Example:”Before an interview, I research useful interview questions for a particular role. I decide if these questions cover everything I need to know about a candidate and add more as needed. As I am waiting for a candidate, I read through their resume and cover letter one more time so it is fresh in my mind.

I find that it is just as important for an employer to make a good impression on candidates.On interview days, I dress in professional attire to show the candidate that we take our interviews seriously. I prepare the conference room by making it a comfortable temperature with appropriate lighting. I also place a few water bottles on the table in case the candidate gets thirsty.”

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Powerful Job Interview Tips From A Recruiter: How To Pass An Interview

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If you think most hiring decisions are based on your experience and qualifications, then you better keep reading. Your resume gets you in the door, but how you interview determines whether youre offered the job.

This article will teach you proven job interview tips to help you pass a job interview and get the job you want. Heres what were going to cover:

  • Part I: Job Interview Preparation Tips everything to do before your interview
  • Part II: Interviewing Tips the best strategies to use during your interview to stand out
  • Part III: Tips for After Your Interview how to make sure you get the job offer after your interview is over

These are the best interview tips that I know, from close to 5 years working as a Recruiter.

After you finish this article, youll know how to stand out from other job seekers and pass a job interview a majority of the time.

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