Interviews

Does Your Employer Want to Know How to Keep You?

by

Many organizations in both the federal and private sectors are initiating “stay interviews” to learn how to keep their employees from leaving. The idea is that instead of waiting until an employee leaves and conducting an exit interview to discover what might have been done to keep an employee, the stay interview allows employers to collect information designed to retain their talent. Generally, stay interviews explore what employees like about the organization—and what they would like to see changed—with a goal of improving employee engagement and retention.

If your supervisor or someone from Human Resources tells you that they would like to conduct a stay interview, don’t panic! This is not a performance review nor does it mean that you should start looking for another job. Here are some things to know about stay interviews.

Stay interview questions generally focus on three specific areas:

  • What issues in the organization are hurting your productivity?
  • How can the organization help you grow — especially professional advancement?
  • What does the organization need to do to keep you engaged and productive going forward?

Stay interview questions are usually open-ended — that is, they can’t be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” The typical stay interview is a structured format.

Here is a list of questions that may be asked in a stay interview:

  1. What do you look forward to at work every day?
  2. What’s the best part of your job?
  3. What do you enjoy about your job?
  4. What do you dislike about your job?
  5. If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?
  6. What do you like most about working here?
  7. What do you think of the way employees are recognized? What could the organization do to improve employee recognition?
  8. How could your work/life balance be improved?
  9. Are there additional benefits you would like to see added to the organization’s benefits?
  10. Where do you see yourself in the next 1-2 years? How about the next 3-5 years?
  11. What additional resources or professional development opportunities would be useful to you?
  12. What do you want to learn? What skills do you want to develop here?
  13. If there are opportunities to move up within the organization, are you interested in learning more about how to do that?
  14. What parts of your job cause you anxiety or frustration? What helps alleviate your stress?
  15. Tell me about a situation that has made you consider resigning. What prompted you to think about leaving?
  16. What does your dream job look like?
  17. What did you enjoy about the job you had before this one? What do you wish you could bring from that job to this job?
  18. What didn’t you enjoy about that job?
  19. What do you like about the organization culture?
  20. Who do you want to work with — or connect with — at the organization that you’re not currently connected to?
  21. What do you think about on your way into work?
  22. What do you think about on your way home from work?
  23. Do I say and do things that help you be more effective in your job?
  24. Is there anything I can do to be a better manager?
  25. How can I make your experience at this organization better?

When done properly, stay interviews can help you become more engaged in your role and with the organization. Organizations that conduct stay interviews generally benefit from reduced employee turnover and higher workplace morale. From an employee perspective, the opportunity to be “listened to” and “heard” is valuable. A stay interview can allow you to address issues at your current organization so that you don’t have to look for a new position.

Follow Solutions for the Workplace on LinkedIn for more daily tips, resources, and more!

My Interview Went Well…But I Didn’t Get The Job

by

It happens to all of us; you think you nailed your interview and you’re already thinking about resigning from your current position but then you find out that you didn’t get the job. What happened?

Man looking at tablet with disapproval.

A number of things, of course, could have happened. Here are 10 to consider:

  1. You misread the room. It’s always possible that the interview did not go as well as you thought…you may have just misread the room, come off as overly rehearsed, arrogant, or any number of things.
  2. There were a lot of well-qualified interviewees. You may, in fact, have interviewed very well—but it’s possible others did as well. Don’t be discouraged, your non-selection does not mean that you weren’t qualified.
  3. Something about the way you presented yourself was not a good match. You may have had a great interview and strong qualifications but there may have been factors (yes, let’s call them unconscious biases) that turned off your interviewers. I once had a hiring manager tell me that she wouldn’t hire someone because the interviewee came in wearing something other than navy, black, or brown!
  4. Your social media did not match the image the organization wants to project. Right or wrong, many hiring managers will check your social media. What does yours say about you?
  5. The organization already had another candidate in mind. Sometimes interviews are just proforma. Doesn’t make it right. Think about it as the organization’s version of practicing even though they’re not serious about you as a candidate. Applicants do this all the time.
  6. You didn’t close the interview, do any follow-up, etc. Hiring managers want to know that you’re interested in their job; you should close your interview appropriately and follow up (without being a nuisance).
  7. The job disappeared, got canceled, was subject to budget cuts, priorities changed, or the position suffered a similar fate.
  8. Your references were not strong enough. Most employers will contact references—even for candidates they really liked. Are your references strong enough?
  9. Your social interactions with non-interviewers (receptionist, security, etc.) were not as pleasant, warm, and/or polite as they were with the interviewers. Everybody counts! And sometimes, everyone gets a vote.
  10. Your responses did not include strong accomplishments. It’s one thing to have simpatico with your interviewers; it’s another to really back up your answers with strong examples of your success—and tie those examples to the job you’re interviewing for.

Virtual Interviews—10 Ideas to Ace Them!

by

While the government and many companies are still hiring, the chance to have an in-person interview is slim at the moment. We all need to be prepared to ace our virtual ones! Here are 10 tips to do so:

  1. Make sure you have a camera. Even though the process itself is virtual, most employers will want to see you “face-to-face.” To accommodate this expectation, you should have a camera. The camera should be set a eye height (you may need to put your laptop on some books to raise it to the appropriate height) and your light should be on your face and not behind you.
  2. Make sure your cellphone is charged; or even better, use a landline for maximum sound quality. Or, if the interview is taking place on the computer, you should use a microphone to make sure you can be heard.
  3. Know how to use the technology ahead of time. What platform will the interviewer be using? Be sure to ask and plan accordingly. Download the technology before the interview. It’s never a bad idea to practice. While most of the common platforms work in a similar way, there are some subtle differences.
  4. Clean up the area where you will be interviewed; clear your desk / table and look at what’s behind you to make sure the image is clean and professional. If necessary; hang up a sheet behind you to cover things you do not want the interviews to see.
  5. Prepare. Just because the interview is virtual doesn’t mean you should “wing it.” You should prepare for your virtual interview the same way you should prepare for an in-person one; do your research on the organization, have your stories ready, and be ready with questions to ask the interviewers. And, you may even want to prepare more—you won’t have the advantage of establishing that face-to-face connection.
  6. Put your interview clothes on—even pants. Not only do cameras stray sometimes, you may move around. You don’t want to be caught in your sweatpants (or worse).
  7. A glass of water is OK, food is not.
  8. Minimize distractions. Close the door, banish your pets and children. Turn off any other phones, alerts, etc.
  9. Pay attention to your body language during the interview. You should sit up, and be slightly forward. Try not to play with your hair, twist your rings, or engage in other distracting behaviors. Maintain eye contact (well, camera contact!) and smile.
  10. Follow-up. After the interview, be sure to send a thank you email to your interviews; keep it short, thank him / her for their time, and add any point you want to emphasize or that you forgot.

While a virtual interview may feel different than what you’re used to, by following these tips, you can set yourself up to ace the interview!

Make the Interviewers Love You! Part 1 of 2

by

We all get nervous when it comes to interviewing. And if you are one of those who say that if you could just get the interview, you’ll ace it, you should be nervous! Interviews are not the time to wing it; preparation and planning is the key.

Interviews, whether in person, via videoconference, or on the phone, all require that you promote yourself, your qualifications, and your accomplishments. Here are 5 tips to make the interviewers love you:

Tip #1: Show your interest in the organization and the job. Be ready to articulate why the specific job and organization are a fit for you; know why you are applying (and saying you want a promotion is not the right answer!) and how this particular position leverages your skills, experience, and interests.

Tip #2: Research the organization, the position, interview panel members, and hiring manager. Google the organization; review their website, recent press, and strategic plan, as well as how the position fits into the organization’s strategy and mission. Check out your interview panel and hiring manager on LinkedIn so you can learn a little bit about their background and use that information to connect with them. This is not stalking—this is doing your research!

Tip #3: Be ready for “tell me about yourself,” and recognize that this is not a chance to share your biography. This is your opportunity to highlight your skills, experience, and accomplishments in a couple of pithy sentences. Of course, you want to tailor your response to the specific job you’re interviewing for. Practice your answer out loud and time it; aim for 45 – 60 seconds.

Tip #4: Have CCAR stories ready. You want to answer interview questions with specific examples / stories of your experience. The best framework to use for telling your stories is CCAR: context, challenge, action, result. Here’s an example:

Context: “I work as an IT specialist at a small local government agency. About a year after I started, the Director decided to update the agency’s website, my job was to test and launch the new website after it had been designed and developed.”

Challenge: “This was challenging because the website was 5 years old, used old technology, and no updates had been made since the original launch. In addition, I was given only 2 weeks for testing and launching—there was a lot of pressure.”

Action: “First, I created a comprehensive testing strategy and schedule for reviewing all of the new website’s content and graphics. I established daily check-ins with testers to ensure all timelines were met and all issues were identified and addressed. I also did a “soft launch,” to ensure that the new website worked in real time. To ensure user feedback during the soft launch, I added a pop-up short survey to encourage input from actual customers. Finally, I drafted a regular update schedule so that the new website would remain fresh in terms of content, as well as programming.”

Result: “As a result of these efforts, I launched a new website within the timeframe allotted to update it. Our agency receives a lot of positive feedback on the new website and it now serves as a model for other local government agencies’ websites. In addition, use of the updated website increased 20% within 6 months of updating.”

Tip #5: Use “I” when answering questions: While most of us grew up hearing that it is wrong to brag, there’s no “I” in team, etc., an interview is not the time to be self-effacing. Even though most of us operate as part of a larger team, most interviewers want to know about your personal contributions. You’ll need to temper your use of “I” so that you don’t off as a braggart and give credit to a group effort when due, but don’t forget that hiring managers are hiring YOU, and not your team.

8 Tips to Ace Your Phone Interview

by

Phone interviews are more and more common; either as the first step, or the only step in the interview process. If you do not make a good impression on a phone interview, the chances are that you will never get an in-person interview. Here are 8 tips for handling your phone interview with finesse.

1. Prepare. You should prepare as much for a phone interview as an in-person one. This includes scheduling the interview (find out the time of call and clarify time zones; who is calling whom and on what number; how long the call should last; whether there are any specific requirements for the call; and who will be on it—get the name, title, and phone number). You should also analyze the job posting, identify key words, and match your achievements and experience to those key words, with specific achievements. You should also prepare for the questions you will ask the interviewers.

2. Practice. Practice answering questions out loud. Tape yourself if you can so you can see how you sound.

3. Use a landline, if available. Landlines are more reliable than cell phones; call quality is better too.

4. Remove distractions. Turn off your other phones, keep your fingers off your keyboard, put pets (and children) outside. Call from a private place—not from Starbucks or outdoors.

5. Dress for success. Even though others cannot see you, you’ll sound better if you’re dressed as you would be for an in-person interview.

6. Slow down and smile. When you are nervous it is easy to talk faster, which makes you more difficult to understand. So talk a bit slower than you normally would. And when you smile, your enthusiasm will come through.

7. Consider placing empty chair near you when you are interviewing. “Talk” to the empty chair as if there was a real person sitting there. You may also want to consider standing up while interviewing on the phone. Your voice will sound stronger when your erect, rather than slumping in a chair.

8. Don’t allow “hi” or a mumbled “hello” to be the first words out of your mouth. Expect the call, and be sure to give your name when you answer.