This story describes two very different personal experiences of interviews from the candidate’s point of view. 

Some time ago I decided to move job as the business I worked for had been taken over by a company where my ability to take initiative and make things happen were hindered by a cumbersome company structure and unwelcoming staff. 

I started looking for new employment opportunities and I was soon invited to attend interviews with two engineering companies. 

Structured interview

The first company had arranged a group interview with psychometric tests and a final one-to-one interview.  The group interview took place in a large room with silent observers taking notes. 

It consisted in a game where we were split in two groups competing to resolve a problem.  The simulated problem did not fill me with enthusiasm, and I struggled to apply myself and share the competitive spirit of my fellow interviewees. 

The final on-to-one interview was rather aggressive and focussed on whether I would be happy to follow procedures to the letter (which did not inspire me).  It did not explore my motivations nor give me much insight into the role.

I left feeling frustrated.  Unsurprisingly, I was advised a few days later that I had not been successful. 

Informal interview

The interview process of the second company was very different. 

It started with a structured and predictable one-to-one interview.  Being well prepared to answer standard questions I thought I was able to make a good impression, but I did not learn much about the role or the company. 

As the interview went on, we heard the footsteps of someone coming up the stairs.  It was the founder of the business who had decided to join the interview un-announced. 

The interviewer looked surprised and explained he had to leave to interview another candidate.  I was left with the founder who started chatting about various non-work-related topics. 

I realised he had studied my CV and he was trying to find out whether I would be a good fit for his business. 

He seemed to have clear ideas about the characteristics and type of people he was looking for. 

This interesting and enjoyable conversation gave a me a good insight into the founder’s personality and wide-ranging interests. 

This interview was followed by a second one a few weeks later, at the end of which I was offered a six-month temporary role to check whether I was a good fit and able to support the company’s rapid growth. 

I accepted the offer without hesitation during the interview.  This would be the start of an enriching and challenging experience lasting over 12 years. 

Learnings

I learnt a lot from this experience.  Over the following years I was very privileged to support the owner when he interviewed candidates until he felt confident to hand this over to me and my colleagues. 

Nowadays I work with overstretched leaders of engineering SMEs to help them prepare their business so they can achieve profitable growth.

If you would like to explore how I could help you, please use the link below to book a free 30-minute conversation.

http://tinyurl.com/HerveJardonCalendar