JOBTALKSJOBTALKS

Inside the Mind ofTHE INTERVIEWER

Indiana UniversityKelley School of BusinessC. Randall Powell, Ph.D

Inside the Mind of Your Interviewer

One person stands between you and your dream job. . . The interviewer

The most important person in the world.

Getting past him or her will advance the odds in yourfavor.

The Interviewer...

MBA Advantage

Knowing your recruiter makes the sales job that much easier.You have a better chance of convincing the interviewer that you are the best match for the position.

Interviewer Types

There are five general types of interviewers:1. Young Fast Tracker2. Middle Manager3. Technical Person4. Your Future Boss5. Professional Interviewer

Five Types of Interviewers

The Young Fast Tracker (YFT) is the shining potential superstar returning to his or her alma mater.Their interviews are often scheduled for Monday, Thursday, or Friday.

The Young Fast Tracker

Will try to do the same exceptional job at interviewing as he or she does everyday at the company, but they have limited experience at interviewing. They may be overly concerned about asking illegal or inappropriate questions.

YFT's are often limited in their view of their company and may still be tinged with naiveté.

The Young Fast Tracker

External signs of the YFT:

Well-groomed, conservatively dressedMid twenties to early thirtiesMBA from IU or other well respected schoolLoves the company and IUPretty social (depending of the company)

Identifying the YFT

Questions to ask to find a YFT:Did you graduate from here?How long have you been with the company?Do you do many interviews?Do you have tickets for the IU game tonight?

Identifying the YFT

The Middle Manager (MM) places high priority on hiring the "Right Stuff" and believes in developing young talent.The MM doesn't do tons of interviewing but knows what it takes to be successful in the company.The MM approaches the interview from a paternal viewpoint.

The Middle Manager

Here are some outward signs of the Middle Manager:

Highly polished wing tip shoesGray hairRumpled, expensive suitSerious demeanorStrictly business

Identifying the MM

The Technical Person (TP) is sometimes sent to fill specialized positions in production, operations, or finance.

The belief is that "it takes one to know one."

The Technical Person

The TP has very little training or experience in interviewing and has been sent to find "one of his or her own kind."

The TP probably loves his or her field almost as much as the company, if not more.

The TP will have a title such as analyst, technical representative, engineer, etc.

Identifying The TP

The most critical type of interviewer is the Future Boss (FB). The FB has been with the company from 4 to 20 years and knows exactly what he or she wants in a candidate.

If the FB has been with the company over 15 years and is still at the lower levels of management, he or she has probably peaked out.

The Future Boss

The simplest way to identify an FB is to ask: "Who will I report to in this position?"

Identifying the FB

To identify a pro, ask: Is this your first visit to our campus?" or "Do you work in Human Resources?"

Pros love their work but do occasionally get bored. They also love to talk about the company.

Show interest in their company or they may wonder why you don't love their company as much as they do.

The Professional Interviewer

The Young Fast Trackers value:Extracurricular activitiesCommon interestsEnthusiasmInterest in companySelf-confidenceLeadership positions

YFT Values

MM Values

The Middle Manager Places Emphasis on:

Work Ethic

Grades

Company Knowledge

Confidence

Vocational Maturity

Dedication

Humility

Leadership

The Technical Person looks for:GPAInterest and knowledge of fieldSpecial academic achievementsCaliber of your school's program

TP Values

The Future Boss places value on:Vocational maturityCommon sensePractical perspectiveTraditional work ethicWork experienceTeam player skillsPositive yet humble

FB Values

The Professional Interviewer considers:Personal impressionCommunication skillsEnthusiasmLeadershipCompetenceVocational maturityInterest The Professional

Interviewer

P101 Business PlacementSchool Of BusinessIndiana UniversityPhone: (812) 855-5317

Pro Values

Know what the interviewer is looking for

Highlight those aspects of your background

Consider Type of Interviewer

Identifying the style will help you establish a rapport with the interviewer

Your rapport with the interviewer is one of the most critical factors

Will make you stand out from the other interviewees

If you can, get liked by the interviewer

Interviewer Styles

The Intuitor The Feeler

The Thinker The Senser

!

Four Primary Styles

Relies on his/her intuition to make decisions"Knows a good one when they see one"

To spot an intuitor...Look for piles of paperwork in the roomAbstract art is often hung on the wallBooks on theory in the bookcaseunusual ties or scarves that imply creativity and

abstract thinking

!

The Intuitor...

Very organizedRelies on facts

To identify a Thinker...A neat and orderly interview roomA calculator or laptopCharts and computer printouts

The Thinker...

Relies on emotion

You can recognize a feeler by...Personal photos presentMomentos on the walls

The Feeler...

Has many creative ideasConstantly looking for clues

- something tangible

Clues to look for...Cluttered and disorderly deskPaintings are usually of action scenes

The Senser...

To build a rapport with these interviewer styles, you need to understand what "turns them on."

How to "Turn Them On"

Prepare for frequent digressions by the interviewer

Stress long-term planning abilityDiscuss ideas, trends, conceptsEmphasize your creativityAvoid details, stick to broad concepts

The Intuitor:

Be organized, specific, and to the pointBe logical and back conclusions with factsEmphasize your analytical skillsExpect a relatively impersonal reactionBe specific and objective

The Thinker:

Be prepared for fairly lengthy small talk and personal questionsSchedule meeting in informal atmosphereDress in warm lively colorsEmphasize sensitivity and concern for people

The Feeler:

Be conciseBe ready with factsExpect to run late or be interruptedAnticipate a hurried or abrupt styleUse action wordsAvoid sounding theoretical, philosophical, or too abstract

The Senser:

"What is your greatest accomplishment?"

For the "thinker," Tell about solving a problem The solution took study and analysis

How Would You Answer...

"What is your greatest accomplishment?"

For the "feeler," talk about a difficult work relationship how did you make it more positive?

How Would You Answer...

If "thinker" is a middle manager?

How would you change answer if "thinker" is YFT?

How Would You Answer...

The pro "intuitor" will want to heardifferent questions than the pro "thinker"

Each situation with a different typeof interviewer will call for

different answers and questions

Questions Will Also Differ

Most of you belong to the generation that followed the Baby Boomers.

As a generation, you don't want the same things the Baby Boomers want.

Since the Baby Boomers constitute most of the people you will be interviewing with, you will be facing the "Generation Gap."

Generation X Versus

The Baby Boomers

Tell the interviewer what he wants to hear.

Understanding the generational differences will make it easier for you to determine what your interviewer wants to hear.

Successful Interviewing

Consists of those age 18 to 28Influenced by your "War Years", parents, and the Baby BoomersYou have grown up with a different set of standards

Generation X

Baby Boomers Love adventure,

independence, risk Can work with general

goals/direction Can live with ambiguity,

multiple answers Want to be artists Understand "Paying Dues" Cynical about the system Distrust authority

Generation X Love information, process, facts

Work best with specific concrete goals

Expect the right answer, standards, clear procedures

Want to be experts Feel they have "Paid Dues" already Assume the system works Trust authority

The Generation Gap

Problems for a baby boomer interviewingGeneration X'er...conflict in values:

X'ers love glamourPerceived as being impatientMay not work long hours to get ahead

The Generation Gap

How would a baby boomer want you to answer "What do you want to be doing in five years?"

You expect to "Pay your dues" by learningIn five years, you expect to be making contribution

Don't use the expression "keeping my options open"

The Generation Gap

1. Your personality2. Your Experience3. Qualifications for the job4. Your background and references5. Enthusiasm for the job and company6. Education and technical background7. Your growth potential8. Ability to fit in with work group9. Your intelligence and capacity to learn10. How hard a worker you appear to be

What Employers Look For...

Of the top ten, six are personality driven

Other four are factual measures

In the interview, concentrate on getting along with the interviewer

Influential Scale

The recruiter really wants one of two things:

1. An easy pursue 2. A reason to eliminate you

Making the Recruiter's Job Easy

To eliminate yourself, step on one of these “Landmines of Interviewing”:

Poor/Unusual appearanceConceited, know it allUnenthusiasticExpects too much, too soonNo tactCondemnation of past employersPoor eye contact

Interviewing Landmines

Shopping aroundNo sense of humorMinimal interest in company or industryUnworkable restrictionsNot focusedHeavy money focus"What's in it for me?"Focused on short termNot willing to pay dues

Interviewing Landmines

To make yourself an easy pursue, follow-up!

Follow-up with a letter or phone callThis reminds them of your interview

Tells them you are still interested

Follow-Up

May be interpreted as disinterest

If you don't follow-up, the process is dead

Failure to Follow-Up

The interviewers provide recommendations to the people responsible for the decisions.

The tough part is recommending what to do on the middle of the pack people.

After the interview

Often decisions are made by committees.

How strong your interviewer's recommendation is may often make the difference.

Decisions

The right questions to ask:

Interviewers will sit down with the job description and skills needed then determine what skills and characteristics must come through in the interview

The Interviewer's Questions

Financial Analyst Position, job description:Handle multiple tasksDeal with internal customersProvide workable solutionsKeep track of numerous accounts

without error

Example

From the job description a list of traits is determined:

Handles stress wellTactfulSolution-orientedGets along with others wellDelegates effectivelyPrioritizes work effort

Traits

From the list of traits, the interviewer will determine what questions to ask during the interview

A question could be: "Why did you decide to come to IU for your MBA?"

Determining The Questions

The interviewer might be trying to see how your solution (coming to IU) matches with the problem you were facing (what to do with your career).

Interviewers usually reserve one or more questions for each of the traits identified as necessary for the job.

Purpose

Asked to describe your experiences in handling certain situations

Evaluated on certain skill sets

Eliminates subjectiveness

Allows comparison of many people

Targeted Selection

Targeted selection focuses on your past experiences

Past behavior is an indicator of how you will behave in the future

Targeted Selection

For a sales position, you might be asked: "Describe a recent situation in which you had to persuade others."

The follow-up question might be: "what was the outcome?"

Example

The interviewer is looking at your selling abilities. Your answer:

Will be evaluatedGiven a score of 1 to 5

The "Winner" at the end of the day is the person who has the most points.

Purpose

To answer targeted selection, use the STAR method

S = Brief explanation of the SituationT = The Tasks involvedA = The Action you took in completing the

projectR = The Results achieved

The STAR Method

"Give me an example of how you overcame an obstacle to achieve a goal."

The Answer... S T A R

Example

I found that my management had eliminated half the positions on the production team I led.

Situation

I analyzed what needed to be done: improve the productivity and effectiveness of my people.

Tasks

Developed a preliminary work plan. Took suggestions and built an entirely new production process, then empowered the team members.

Action

The result was a production team that met and exceeded our goal every single week.

Results

Interviewer tries to assess you in 30 minutesEvaluates you on personality and characteristics

If you know what goes on in recruiter's mind,you can adjust your strategy.

Land the job you really want!

Summary

If you would like to If you would like to learn more, learn more, Career Career Planning StrategiesPlanning Strategies textbook will supply textbook will supply additional information additional information on this topic.on this topic.