Interview with a recruiter and supervisor

Often candidates go through 2-3 interviews. First with a recruiter, and then with the immediate supervisor. Let’s figure out how to interest them.
Depending on the level of vacancy and the size of the company, you may also meet with a HR director or a senior manager.

Recruiter interview

The task of the recruiter is to choose the most suitable job seekers from hundreds of responses. His work can be compared with a sieve through which he "sifts" the stream of resumes and selects those that meet the requirements of the position.

In fact, he compares the vacancy requirements with information about your experience, so your task is to give him confidence that he has made the right choice.

At the first interview, as a rule, you specify the formal data: did you really perform certain duties, did you know the programs that indicated whether you were ready to move, whether your experience was correctly indicated, and so on.

Some applicants are annoyed by such questions - “nevertheless it is written in the resume!” - they think. Nevertheless, we recommend that you do not refuse to clarify and help the recruiter make sure that your experience meets all the requirements.

Sometimes these clarifying questions are asked in a telephone interview to save time.

The second task of the recruiter is to assess how you fit a particular company: will you fit into the corporate culture, the atmosphere of the unit, will you get along with the future boss. That is why at the meeting you are asked questions that may seem strange and not even the case. For example, they simulate situations with your behavior in a particular situation. Or they ask who you want to be in five to ten years? Specify whether you smoke, do you like sports? So the recruiter checks to see if you take root in the new team.

For example, if you are used to smoke breaks every hour, and the company promotes a healthy lifestyle, you will feel like a black sheep. A similar discrepancy, if we are talking about an ordinary position, where growth is not provided, and you say that you see yourself in a year as the director of the unit.

If you have to negotiate and communicate with difficult clients, the recruiter can arrange a stressful interview for you, creating an uncomfortable situation, and observe your reaction. The way you show yourself will give him an understanding of how suitable you are for a job.

In any case, the task of the recruiter is to select a candidate on the basis of compliance with the conditions of the vacancy and the spirit of the company.

With the recruiter, you can and should discuss the conditions and work schedule, the benefits provided, staffing, opportunities for growth and training in the company, as well as the salary fork, if the interlocutor raises this issue.

And leave details of daily work and narrow professional moments for a meeting with the head.
Interview with a supervisor

If the recruiter invites you to meet with the future boss (relevant for specialists and applicants for leadership positions), congratulations, your chances are already very high.

At the first interviews, it was important for the interlocutors to get a general idea of ​​you and what you were doing. In the presentation, the leader can dwell on the details, focus on professional nuances, use more terms in speech.

The leader is unlikely to ask you about the strengths and weaknesses, as well as who you see yourself in 5 years, but he can offer you a working case and, following the course of your thoughts, evaluate how much you fit into his team.

Communication with the leader should be two-way - telling about yourself, ask how such cases are solved in his department.

For example, you worked as a sales manager for a company that pursued an aggressive policy and followed the rule: a contract at all costs. The new company may have other strategies, for example, not to provide a discount of more than 5% under any circumstances. Therefore, answering questions, it is always worth specifying: as is customary in this organization. So you show your flexibility.

Prepare questions for the manager in advance. You can remember a good professional question. On the eve of the meeting, study the biography of the interlocutor, his experience, completed projects. Treat the interview as a meeting with an interesting expert from your field. What would you like to ask him about?
Sincere interest in people and their work will surely attract an interlocutor to you. Famous journalists have been using this secret for centuries - and it is perfectly suited for interviews. But before asking questions, still ask if this can be done or is it better to leave it until the next time. If the interlocutor is inclined to take you to work, he will want to continue the conversation, otherwise he will not waste his and your time on aimless conversation.

We hope that our tips will help you better prepare for the interview. Successful job search!