Nervous about how to knock your next interview out of the park? One of the best ways to ease pre-interview nerves is to remember that this opportunity is just as much about figuring out if the company you’re interviewing with is a good fit for you.
Many job seekers feel the hiring process is about selling themselves to potential employers. While self-promotion certainly does come into play, candidates and companies are more equally positioned within the recruitment process than you might think. You may be hoping to land your dream job, but rest assured the hiring manager is hoping to attract the right candidate and find the perfect fit for their team and organisation.
Interviews aren’t about trying to say what you think a prospective employer wants to hear. They’re about putting your best foot forward, while asking the right questions and figuring out what the company can offer you. So how, exactly, do you figure out what a company has to offer during the recruitment process?
SEEK company reviews is an online portal where candidates can find and share trusted information about companies, written anonymously by current and past employees.
- Do your homework. Researching a potential employer before your interview doesn’t just show you’ve taken the time to learn more about their business. It also provides the opportunity to see what current and past employees have said about them, in their own words, and how the company has rated on offerings such as career development, work life balance and management.
- Figure out your values. Think about what you want from your next role, and what’s important to you. Is it the potential for career progression? Good work-life balance? Travel opportunities? Working with a small, innovative team?
Knowing what’s important to you will help you find companies whose offerings best align with what you’re looking for in an employer. When a company you work for takes pride in the same successes as you, sees your need and desire to grow in a role, or understands that they need to be tolerant of changing employee circumstances, you’ll feel supported to do your best for that company.
- Ask the right questions. You know that part of the interview where you’re asked if you have any questions of your own? This is your opportunity to ask smart questions – but it’s also a great chance to find out what the company can offer to persuade you to take the job.
If you’re stuck, try asking one of the below questions to get the ball rolling:
- Do you offer any professional development opportunities for staff?
- What would you say is the key benefit of working with your team?
- Is this company part of any employee benefits schemes?
- What opportunities for career progression is this role likely to offer over the next 5 years?
- How does this company ensure employees have a good work life balance?
Asking open-ended questions to turn to the conversation towards what the company can offer you will reveal a great deal in terms of how you will fit in professionally and culturally, and the value the company can genuinely offer you.
