The majority of job interviews are broken down into 3 stages:
1st round: On the phone conducted with a recruiter
2nd round: On the phone or in-house with a manager
3rd round: In-house with an executive or VP
This post is specifically about the 1st round interview with the company recruiter.
The goal of the 1st-round interviewer
The 1st-round interviewer has several priorities:
- Weed out the large applicant pool so that the decision makers of the company only interview qualified candidates
- Sell the applicant on why the company is amazing
- Understand and set expectations for salary, company culture, and job responsibilities
The 1st round interviewer will therefore focus mainly on behavioral type questions.
Types of questions that the 1st-round interviewer will ask
Tell me about yourself: There is a right way and a wrong way to answer this question. The wrong way of answering this question is to blindly start telling the interviewer about yourself: education, work experience, and hobbies. Though I’m sure you’re very interesting, the interviewer has better things to do than to listen to you talk about your life story.
The right way to answer the question is to tell a story that explains why you can bring unique value to the company. Your answer should model the following structure:
- Your current job position and the role you play at your company (10 seconds)
- What skill-sets and abilities you’ve developed throughout your career highlighted by achievements (40 seconds)
- Why you can bring unique value to the company you’re interviewing with (20 seconds)
- What you’re looking for in a company to work for highlighting specific reasons why this company matches the criteria for your ideal company (20 seconds)
What do you know about the company: The interviewer wants to know if you have a thorough understanding about the company. After all, if a candidate has no idea what the company does, then it shows that the candidate is lazy (because he did not spend 10 minutes to research the company) and that the candidate doesn’t care about the company; instead, he’s just applying to the company because he needs a job.
If you really want the position, then you need to have a thorough understanding of what the company does.
Do you have any questions for me: This is the time to make a final impression on the interviewer to let him know that you care about the company, you’re looking to stay at the company for a long time, and that you can add unique value.
The following questions are good core questions that can be asked at the end of every interview:
- I’m looking to join a company with rapid growth potential. Does your company prioritize hiring from within?
- In my previous position I’ve excelled at X and Y. Does your company currently have a lead for X and Y?
- I know that companies A and B are the closest competitors to your company. How do you differentiate yourselves in the market?
What the 1st-round interviewer is looking for
Ultimately, the 1st-round interviewer needs to weed out as many people as possible and only push through a select few to the 2nd round interview. The 1st-round interviewer is looking for candidates that fit the company culture, understand what the company does, and bring skill-sets and experience that will bring the company value.
Your goal is to make the recruiter your champion. If you do, then the recruiter will work with the manager or supervisor to push you to the top of the recruiting list and fit you into their busy schedules for an in-person interview.
Author:
Jun Loayza has sold 2 internet companies and lead social media technology campaigns for Sephora, Whole Foods Market, Levi’s, LG, and Activision. Learn more about how to get a job interview and the secret to getting job interviews.
