It Is Not a Once and Done Process
I am part of a weekly business networking group where I meet with other individuals in entrepreneurial businesses. The major purpose of the group is for us to assist each other in the development and customer growth of our businesses. We assist the other members of the group in understanding what we do, and the individuals whom we help, by conducting weekly presentations about our businesses.
One of my recent presentations went something as followed. I spoke about a job searcher who after preparing their resume and identifying possible job positions, waited a long time to be called in for an interview, finally reaching that point where an organization called them in to interview for their job opening. The job searcher answered the questions asked of them. The company was so impressed by the answers and the job searcher’s qualifications they looked to hire them on the spot.
I then said to the fellow members of the networking group that what I just described ONLY HAPPENS IN THE MOVIES. The reality in today’s job search world is that a candidate for a job position, will certainly go through multiple rounds of interviews with the same company, and often speak to as many as four, five, six or more people in an organization before a decision is made on their candidacy. That is often a surprise for those with whom I work, especially if they have not interviewed for a job in a long time.
Many job searchers will say to me, I expected that I would have to interview with the Human Resource Department or Recruiter for the position, and ultimately speak to the Hiring Manager. That may have been true long ago. It may also be possible in some unique circumstances, (perhaps in a small company, where the owner or boss of the company makes all the hiring decisions). So, who else may be involved in the interview process for a particular job opening at a company?
The Hiring Manager’s area may very well support multiple business functions in the company. Often a representative from each of those functional areas may be asked to be part of the interview process. If the position is of a highly technical nature, sometimes the Hiring Manager does not have the technology skills that the position requires, but often a veteran technologist that is part of their team does. Additionally, the Hiring Manager may often report to an area leader for the function where the opening is available. That individual may also be part of the interviewing process.
The point is this. While certainly the job searcher’s goal is to get selected for the job that is open (particularly if they have the skills for it, and like what they hear about the company and its philosophies), their true goal is this. THEY WANT TO BE SELECTED FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF INTERVIEWS. Along the way they want to eliminate the competition they are facing, (and need to remember that competition is not only other job interviewers, but may be an image of what the company sees of the individual whom they will select for the position). As the process proceeds forward, the savvy job searcher remembers what was important to each person who conducted an interview with them. They acknowledge those needs of that individual in a well-crafted “Thank You Note,” that not only is written to thank the interviewer for their time to speak about the position, but to INFLUENCE the interviewer as to how their experience and skills meet the needs of the company.
Can an interview process be exhausting for a job searcher? Absolutely! Often, they are going through a similar process with multiple employers. However, it is also an important process for the hiring company. Bringing in the right candidate, (whether the opening is to fill an existing position or to address a newly identified need), is essential to them. It is a process that I have found that individuals get better and better at as they move further into the job search process. That is why many times I will encourage my clients to take an early round of interviews with a company that is not their dream job, so as to get into understanding of what the process will entail.
Yes, it would be great if the interview process was like it may show in the movies, (or even the commercials for the job posting sites). However, the reality is that it is a process within the process of job searching and one which takes the patience, skill, will and preparation to constantly improve upon and master.
