Delivering on the day
You are ready and prepared – now here are the tips to help you make the most of the interview day itself and demonstrate how well prepared and skilled you are to the interviewers.
The face-to-face meeting is a critical part of the recruitment process and you will need to impress from the start, so our general interview tips focus not just on answering the interview questions, but best practice behaviour before, during and after.
Question advice appears in the section on tackling key questions.
General Interview Dos and Donts
Be positive
Be sunny and enthusiastic when answering all questions. Show your excitement about coming to work for the organisation and look interested in the company information that they provide. Don't present negative views when asked questions or complain about your previous roles or colleagues – interviewers then might feel you would be negative when in your role.
Show confidence
Smile, look directly at your interviewers and speak clearly and at a steady pace. Don’t be afraid to state your strengths, in an interview it isn’t boasting. As long as you can back up what you are saying with examples which demonstrate that what you are saying is true, you will come across as confident not arrogant.
Be aware of personal traits
If you have a tendency to use a filler word – such as em, or ur, then be aware and slow down. Ask friends in advance if you have any quirky habits which might distract interviewers from the quality of your answers – e.g. playing with your hands or touching your hair - and try to minimise these.
Be considered
If you need time to collect your thoughts - take it. Some people jump too quickly into questions or babble generic facts without listening to the actual question when they are nervous. Instead take 3-4 seconds to reflect and make sure your answer is doing you justice and answers the question asked – it won't put interviewers off, instead they will think you are considered and listening to them carefully.
Back statements up
Always be factual and expand with evidence. Never kill off a question by answering with just a "yes" or "no." Remember the interview is an opportunity for you to sell yourself, so don’t miss the chance to prove the great things that you can provide.
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Don't pretend
If you don't understand a question, ask for clarification. This is expected and is preferable to providing an unsuitable answer.
Don’t Interrupt
Don’t talk over the interviewer, even if you are keen to get your answer across. It comes across as nervous and arrogant, and you might find that the interviewer wasn’t actually going to ask what you thought they were if you don't let them complete questions.
Don’t carry on regardless
Even if your examples are good, keep them short and to the point and if interrupted, stop and think about the new question. Don’t keep rambling on the same point once someone interjects, chances are they are interested in exploring something different at that time.
Don’t apologise
There is no need to apologise for experience that you don't have. That simply draws attention to negative points. Just sell what you do have and let the employer decide if this experience is sufficient. Remember they have seen your CV and have asked you to come in because of this so will know what areas have less experience in.
Before the interview
Be Punctual
Plan in advance how you are going to get to the interview and how much time to allow for the journey. It may be useful to do a test drive or dummy run to the interview to ensure everything runs smoothly. For interviews at rush hour in busy towns leave plenty of time to get stuck in traffic or lost. If lateness is unavoidable, call ahead so you can inform your interviewer of the delay and explain the circumstances clearly. You will not be penalised for trains breaking down or lines closing, as long as you take the time to explain (as early as possible).
Be smart and comfortable
Dress to impress and dress appropriately. Research the dress code of the company and ask your Mandeville consultant for advice. This will show you’ve done your homework. As a rule of thumb, being smartly dressed in a more casual office is less of a cardinal sin than under-dressing. A smart suit is generally a safe option. Wear something you are comfortable in. Twitching in an uncomfortable pair of trousers or stumbling in new heels can get you remembered for the wrong reasons.
Be sensible
Even if you have a 20 a day habit and are nervous – refrain from smoking to calm those nerves before the interview. Nothing is less appealing than stale smoke., especially in a confined space such as a interview room.
Be prepared
Know the name and job title of the person interviewing you to make it as easy as possible for receptionists to introduce you. Take along 2 copies of our CV, as the actual interviewer may not have read this in detail yet if they have spoken in detail regarding your skills with a Mandeville consultant, so you may be asked for another copy of it.
What to expect during the interview
Interviews will generally have four key stages: stages one and two will take the majority of the time as these are the key question and answer sessions
- Introductions and company scene setting
The interviewer will introduce themselves and the company, and set the scene for what they are looking for during the interview. Candidates can ask questions throughout this stage at relevant points.
Questions and Exploration
The interviewer will lead the candidate through various questions designed to assess their skills, how well they understand and want the role, and their suitability for that role and the company. The interviewer may lead candidates onto new topics throughout and interject, don’t be put off if this happens.
The type of questions may vary amongst behavioural questions, historical questions and competency based questions outlined in the practice section
Candidates Questions to the Employer
The candidate will be invited to ask questions about the employer, about the role and team they will be working in, about the industry or learning and development. It is highly advised to prepare these in advance, as not asking any shows a lack of interest and preparation. Your Mandeville consultant can help you in composing relevant questions.
Sample candidate questions are in the practice interview section
Wrap up and next Steps
The interviewer will explain what will happen next, what the next stages in the interview process are, when candidates will hear feedback and when the process will be concluded
After the interview
Send the interviewer an email or letter thanking them for their time. This demonstrates continued commitment to the role and eagerness for feedback.
If you are working with an agency call them to give your feedback on how the interview has progressed, so they can give you advice on next steps and contact the client on your behalf.
Remember the interview was your fact-finding time as much as the interviewers, it is a two way process where you decide if you want to work there, as much as they decide if you have the skills to work there. For this reason your consultant will be keen to hear how it went for you.
Don’t overanalyse how it went before you hear back. A good interviewer will not try to pick holes in your CV, or trip you up, they are asking for more detail as they are interested in you, so don’t be frightened if you are asked a lot of questions. Equally you may have addressed all the factors they were looking for succinctly, so don’t worry if your interview was quite short.
Your Retail Executive Recruitment consultant will also contact the client very soon after interview to give you prompt feedback on their view of the interview and encourage them to make a clear decision swiftly. This will minimise your uncertainty time and help you prepare for next steps.