In the current market, it’s not enough to send a candidate preparing for interview a link to the client’s website and a job description. In a market where several candidates may be capable of doing the job, many recruiters are finding that employers are interviewing large numbers of candidates for each role. They are also asking them to jump through more hoops: more than six interviews are not uncommon for senior candidates.

In part, this reflects a lack of planning and organisation. It is also an illustration of how cautious many employers have become about making the wrong hiring decision. It puts more pressure on a candidate to perform well consistently and the very best recruiters are adept at helping them.

1) They advise interviewees about the interviewer’s role, responsibilities and background, so this can be used to build rapport. If the process is going to involve multiple interviews, they agree with the employer about the agenda for each one — eg which competencies are to be investigated — so that the candidate is prepared and nobody wastes time with duplicated interviews.

2) The best recruiters coach candidates to describe their measurable accomplishments, and back these up with third-party references. They probe weaknesses, but advise candidates to present them positively. For example, “I recently attended a course to improve…” or “one of the areas I’d like to develop in is…”

3) They advise candidates that the assessment process does not begin and end over the desk. Support staff are often asked for feedback and the candidate may be visible in the car park! It goes without saying that candidates should be aware of their online profiles and clean up anything unsuitable.

4) We are terminally awkward about discussing salary. A recruiter worth his/her salt should have already discussed and conveyed to the client what package would be acceptable. Nevertheless, candidates may need help if the subject arises. A response such as “I’m currently on X and I’d like to improve on that, taking into account the whole package” should suffice. A wild bid as a starter point for negotiation can lead to mistrust and rejection.

5) Recruiters should advise candidates to build a strong list of questions (in writing) which are appropriate to the role. These could include, for example, most urgent priorities for the postholder, company initiatives and structure. The predictable “What are the prospects?” suggests you think the role is a short-term option and possibly beneath you. Linked to this, candidates should consider carefully their answer to the hackneyed question “Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?” Candidates should avoid glib responses, such as “In your chair”, and instead express their objectives in terms of what they would like to be contributing.

6) Candidates can differentiate themselves with a positive close, always asking if there are any concerns or further information which would help in the decisionmaking process. Confirming the decision-making timeline and process, expressing interest and sending a brief ‘thank you’
email the next day can help.

Finally, the best recruiters push in advance of the interview for detailed, observation-based feedback from clients. They are not fobbed off with “Didn’t seem very ambitious” but instead ask “What did he do or say to make you think that?” With this information they can coach the candidate, improve his/her prospects and often find contradictory evidence to keep their candidate in the running.

In the current climate, the expert support and advice of a seasoned recruiter will make all the difference.

TOP TIPS

• Agree what core areas are being assessed at each interview
• Coach candidates to describe strengths and development areas persuasively
• Remind them that the interview is only one source of information available to the employer
• Prepare the predictable questions Insist on observed feedback from clients

Alison Humphries is director of Amelius Consulting and specialises in training and coaching for recruiters and leaders www.ameliusconsulting.co.uk