Desirable traits: tips on enhancing your resume for executive roles
Taking time to perfect your resume is a crucial step toward landing the executive job you desire. When considering the job application, you want to focus on how your leadership skills, industry experience, and professional achievements qualify you for a leadership role. This begins when you submit your resume.It's important to remember that hiring managers sift through hundreds of resumes, so if you're applying for a c-suite position such as chief executive (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO), chief operating officer (COO) or similar, highlighting your relevant skills and experience is critical.Charlotte Hasler, Recruitment Manager at Reed, looks at some of the ways you can build a desirable resume to help land those executive roles.Q: What are employers looking for on a resume?A: Decision makers in search of their next executive-level hire are looking for that all-important impact. They’re looking to hire someone who’s going to add value, drive business growth, reduce costs, streamline operations, increase productivity in staff performance, and deliver key results. The most effective way to promote this is by referring to achievements throughout your resume – be specific including quantifiable information. It’s worth adding a summary section to each of the most relevant jobs to reinforce your impact.Q: What do achievements emphasize?A: It’s clear that executives are expected to deliver results and add value to the organization, which means you need to go beyond merely stating your job responsibilities on your resume and showcase your accomplishments. Clearly state what it is you’ve achieved, with clear emphasis on how it impacted the company, added value to your portfolio and helped you develop into a senior member of staff. Evaluate what you’re proud of, what challenges you’ve managed to overcome, how the company has changed/developed because of your actions, and how you’ve performed in line with your targets. It's critical to quantify your achievements for maximum impact. Some recruiters often overlook the achievements section, but it’s one of the best ways to give your resume that competitive edge.Q: What about leadership skills?A: At an executive level, your primary responsibility is to lead the organization towards sustained growth, while effectively managing people. Because of this, employers looking for c-suite professionals want to know if you have the ability to motivate, inspire, and guide teams to achieve not only their individual goals but also the wider organisation's ambition."To make your resume stand out, it's crucial to highlight your key achievements and quantify the impact you've had on previous businesses."Charlotte HaslerRecruitment Manager, ReedSpecify how you’ve managed teams, your leadership style, and the results you achieved. As a rule of thumb, include relevant key skills such as strategic planning, team building, communication, and decision-making in your personal summary or when describing previous roles.Q: Is resume customization important?A: At the executive level, I highly recommend customizing your resume for each role to highlight your suitability. At this point in your career, you’ll have years of experience, knowledge and skills, but it’s about knowing which areas of your work to highlight.To present a strong application, you'll need to thoroughly understand the requirements and expectations of the role, so take time to analyze the job description. Don't forget that hiring managers are looking for someone to meet their needs – not the needs of the applicant – so be sure to tailor your application accordingly.Q: Should relevant industry experience be included?A: Businesses in the market for a senior executive want to know if a potential applicant has extensive industry experience or can show evidence of transferable skills. Industry experience can come in a variety of forms, including work experience, voluntary work, courses, qualifications, and certifications. If you’ve completed any leadership courses from accredited bodies or a reputable business school, shout about them – they can enhance your resume, as can any relevant courses in the desired field. Degrees or higher qualifications should always be included, particularly if you have an MBA or equivalent, along with affiliations to chartered institutes or other industry bodies. Any qualifications gained outside of the role will go a long way to proactively show your dedication and commitment to a job or sector, which is something that hiring managers hold in high esteem.Q: How long should a resume be?A: Many executive-level professionals struggle to keep their resume to a readable length; we recommend limiting it to two or three pages. While it can be tough to know what to cut down, you can keep a resume concise by:Focusing on achievements and impact at previous roles rather than a detailed description of job responsibilities.For any past experience – usually from 10-15 years ago – the date range, company name and job title will suffice. It's recommended to still include the basic details of your earlier career, as hiring managers are often interested in the career path you’ve taken.Streamlining sections that don’t need to be so wordy. Consider using bullet points to get your message across.Q: Does wording matter?A: Absolutely. Careful attention should be paid to the way your resume is written – as the way you articulate yourself will help employers understand more about you. Your resume should grab an employer’s attention, emphasising your skills and accomplishments. Also consider your word choices – phrases such as ‘directed company vision’, ‘implemented strategic change’, ‘managed large teams’ and ‘delivered successful results’ will help convey the impact and results of your work, when used with quantifiable data such as team sizes and results delivered."When applying for executive roles, your career history and track record play a key part."Charlotte HaslerRecruitment Manager, ReedA well-polished resume will set you apart from other candidates by highlighting your strengths, skills and ability to fulfil the role requirements, while ensuring that you have the best opportunity to secure an interview and, most importantly, the job.Are you looking for your next executive level role? Submit your resume and work with one of our specialist recruitment consultants today.
From manager to director: taking the step up
What makes a great director? How do you know if you’re ready to take that next step up in your career? How important are qualifications at that level? These are just some of the questions we asked Graham Wilson, Leadership Wizard and Founder and CEO of Successfactory. Watch the short video interview or read the full interview below: Q: What makes a great director?A: When it comes to leadership, the only thing we can control is our behavior. The rest of it is about other people deciding whether they want to follow. Going from a manager to a director, you’ve still got to be an authentic person. You should strive to be who you are, and the more you are really yourself, the more people will trust you. The more people trust you, the more likely they are to follow you.You've got to have the capability to create a high-performance environment where success is inevitable. I think quite often we're very good at setting goals and giving direction, but we then don't spend enough time to actually remove the barriers that can stop you from being successful. You've also got to get comfortable, particularly in today's world, with the volatility of the marketplace. You’ve got to be comfortable with ambiguity and leading without knowing all the answers.Additionally, you can’t be a successful director without a great team around you, so your ability to build teams is fundamental. When someone says to me:‘Is that person a great director?’, I say:‘Well, let me have a look at the team around them’. Being a good director means almost making yourself redundant, because you want the team to be delivering on the business, which will give you time to do the strategic thinking.Finding the balance between strategy and culture is also key. You can have a great culture, but with a poor strategy, you'll fail. And if you have a great strategy with a poor culture, you'll also fail, so seek out both.Ultimately, if you can build a high-performance environment, remove the barriers, you're authentic, can inspire action, can communicate with meaning, are good at storytelling, can unleash innovation in the organisation, then you’re in a great position. A great director drives the business forward with empathy, courage, and care, and realizes that at the end of the day, it's all about people.Q: Are there different skill sets needed for being a manager and a director?A: Skill sets are important and mindset is also really important. From a management point of view, you're more focused on the here and now, and the status quo, and making sure the business is efficient and effective, making sure that people are aligned behind the strategy, and actually driving the business forward.As a director, you’ve still got to do the same sort of role, but it requires a slightly different skill set and a lot more strategic thinking. What I find with a lot of managers in the first stage of moving into that role, is they find that it’s a big step as they’ve got to get comfortable with the fact that they’re paid to think, they’re paid to look at a strategic level, not just an operational point of view.Also, it's a different type of power. When you're a manager leading your team, you have a certain amount of positional power, whereas when you're a director working in a large organisation, you're often working across different functions and you're having to look at a holistic view of the business, so you also have to start to influence in a different way. Therefore, building your influencing and networking skills is really important. I think you should always have a relationship with every person in the business, plus all your key customers.In summary, there are some subtle differences, but from a management point of view, I would say it's more about the ‘what’ and the ‘how’. Whereas at leadership and director levels, it’s more about the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ from a cultural point of view.Q: Does being a good manager mean someone will naturally be a good director?A: I think you are going to get a lot of people who are more naturally gifted to think in a strategic way and are big-picture thinkers. But I'm not a big fan of the idea that you're born to be a great leader or born to be a great director. I think it requires hard work.If you don't change the way you operate, focus on developing your skills, and start to think about things differently, then you will probably fail.Sometimes what can happen is people go to a leadership meeting and represent their part of the business, whereas they should be thinking and talking at a more strategic level across the whole organisation. I think you've got to be able to be comfortable with that and be able to make that shift. If you don't, then you might have been an amazing manager, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll make a great director.Q: How will someone know if they are ready for the next step up to director?A: One of the key things that is important in a corporate organization is you cannot be promoted unless you've got a great team around you. Because if you take yourself away, then there might be an impact on performance. I think one way to look at it is if you can say: ‘I've developed my team, my team is a high performance, I have a successor in place who can take over my role, I'm prepared to develop and grow and shift my thinking into a more strategic role’, then you’re likely ready.And having that flexibility of mind to know and recognize that it's not just a promotion and doing the same as what you would do now on a bigger scale; it's a different context. I think you’re ready when you're willing to adopt a new style, a new approach while still being authentic, you're really good at strategic thinking, you understand what strategy really is in today's world, and understand that it's a learning process, and how to be able to communicate with meaning.A good manager will do everything technically correctly hit every KPI and get good results, whereas a great director will do all of that through their team but will also be able to give meaning to the strategy.So, ultimately, I think a great indicator is when you're comfortable storytelling, you're comfortable presenting, you're feeling comfortable with ambiguity, you're comfortable without knowing all the answers, you're great at facilitating groups, and you feel comfortable moving out of your subject matter expertise area and thinking more holistically around the business, both internally and externally, in the short term and long term.Q: What steps should someone take if they want to progress to director?A: You've got to understand your rationale, your reason why you want to become a director. I think we can sometimes fall into the trap of it being money orientated and not recognising that it is a different role that requires a different level of resilience. You’re accountable for a bigger part of the business, so you've got to be comfortable with that. So certainly, building your resilience would be really important, and you want to start doing that now.Being able to cope with pressure and perform in mission-critical situations is key, and develop what I call ‘the six pillars of resilience’, which is really understanding your purpose and what you really want out of life, what commitment you're prepared to give, how you want to live your life, and would a director position give you that.The second thing is, how much energy and vitality do you have? Do you sleep well? Eat well? Do you practice mindfulness? Are you exercising and fit enough to be able to take on a more strategic role?Also, you want to start building your support network now. You want to have good relationships across the business, make sure that you are persistent and can manage from an emotional intelligence point of view, and also start to develop conversational and storytelling skills.I would suggest that you start that journey now. Get yourself a good coach, a good mentor, and start to think about what makes a great director. Who are some of the directors that you admire both inside your own organisation, and in other organizations as well?The starting point has to be, ‘What's my reason why?’ then work backward from what great looks like and think ‘What am I going to work on that's going to help me to move into that director role’, and make sure you get the right support to make that happen.Q: How relevant are qualifications, or are soft skills more important at that level?A: Bit of both, really. In terms of leadership, you are measured on your results, so it's not just what you know, it's more about what you do with what you know. I think what academic qualifications do, is give you some rigour in thinking, but it doesn't necessarily mean that you are going to be successful. One of the things you ought to be thinking about as a director is, ‘What is it I need to do and be to be successful now and in the future?’A challenge with a lot of qualifications is that they are often backward-looking. They’re research-based and based on what people did in the past. You've got to be really careful about which qualifications you go for. I think some people tend to just grab the MBA badge or whatever qualification it is, but for me, it's more about how you apply that knowledge.You want to be thinking,‘How do I learn and grow and develop a great way of operating so that I build that credibility and deliver results?’I wouldn't discourage anyone in completing a qualification if that's something that you feel would benefit you, but I think the key really is about developing your softer skills such as your influencing skills, your persuasion skills, and negotiating skills.One of the things we teach on our programmes is helping leaders to develop an authentic leadership brand. Look at your self-awareness and who you are, build on your strengths and create a leadership brand. If you can do that, that will certainly outweigh the qualifications.Q: What's the one piece of advice you would give to someone who is looking to progress into a director position?A: Be you. Be really comfortable with who you are.Don't fall into the trap of trying to copy someone who you admire and someone who has been successful in the business, because they've been successful in the past and what you've got to do is carve out your own way of doing it. I think that's probably my top tip - be authentic, be real, be courageous and confident enough to be able to bring your real self to work, because the more real you are, the more influencing power you have. Which means that people are more likely to trust you and are more likely to follow you and do great things.If you are looking to take that next step in your career or looking for a talented professional to join your business, get in touch with one of our specialist consultants today.
Improve your hiring strategy with AI interview tools
Unleashing the potential of AI in recruitmentArtificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the recruitment field and altering how businesses recruit. Here are a few methods through which AI can boost the productivity and efficacy of the recruitment process:Automate repetitive tasksA key advantage of utilizing AI recruitment instruments is their capacity to automate monotonous tasks. Such tasks may encompass sifting through resumes, arranging interviews, and dispatching subsequent emails. AI makes tasks easier, giving recruiters and managers more time for important parts of hiring.Streamline candidate screeningConventional screening techniques can be lengthy and prone to human mistakes. AI can quickly analyze many resumes and identify the best candidates using predetermined criteria. This not only speeds up the screening procedure but also ensures that we don't miss any candidates.Gain valuable insightsAI can offer crucial understanding that aids recruiters and hiring managers in making knowledgeable choices. Predictive analytics can anticipate a candidate's work performance and similarity with the company culture. It will help the hiring manager to understand if that job applicant is a good fit for the business.AI recruitment instruments can also scrutinize a candidate's social media accounts to understand their character and principles. This understanding can assist recruiters in making more impartial and data-oriented recruitment choices. Learn more about social media screening.An inventive use of AI in hiring is the creation of interview questions powered by AI. This tech employs machine learning algorithms to scan the given criteria and produce pertinent interview questions. The system takes into account the job title, skill set, and experience level. It then generates questions that accurately evaluate whether a candidate is suitable for the role.Introducing Reed's interview question generatorReed's interview question generator generates interview questions using AI algorithms, based on criteria given by the employer. It's a powerful tool.The tool has a simple interface, allowing employers to enter job details and get a list of questions. You can download the list in a Word document for your interview. You can also copy it to send to a colleague or use it in another document. The tool is helpful for hiring managers in many ways. The tool helps hiring managers in many ways.Employers can access Reed’s interview question generator online here. Tailoring interviews with customizable criteriaTo begin, just enter the job title, seniority level (e.g. entry-level, middle manager, board level), and industry for the recruitment process. Next, you pick a maximum of three soft skills that you desire in your ideal candidate. Options include abilities like emotional intelligence, inventiveness, business acumen, and analytical thinking, among others.In just a few minutes, the tool will produce a collection of custom-made interview queries for applicants. Once your questions are ready, you have the flexibility to reorder the question sequence, choose different skills, refresh the whole set or lock your favourite questions and revise the rest.How does the tool adapt to different industries and job roles?This AI-based interview instrument enables companies to customize interview queries according to their unique requirements. The selection criteria encompass the job position, necessary skills, experience level, among others. The instrument utilizes these parameters to formulate questions that align with the job and the company's needs.You can use the interview question generator for any job role. Either select one from the drop-down list, or just choose your own. You can also choose from 27 industries, from engineering and manufacturing to insurance and pensions.Reed's interview question generator can help assess candidates with relevant questions. You can use it for hiring in a tech startup or a manufacturing company.Maximising hiring success with AI-generated questionsSkilfully designed interview queries are crucial for assessing a candidate's abilities, background, and suitability for a position. Employers can now utilize our cutting-edge interview question generator tool to aid them in making knowledgeable recruitment choices. Interview questions help to gain a better understanding of a candidate's skills. They also ensure a fair interview process, reduce bias, and improve the quality of hiring.Utilizing the tool offers several advantages to employers, including time efficiency, enhanced candidate experience, and superior hires. The interview question generator is especially useful for specialized roles or sectors where certain skills or experiences are necessary. By creating customized questions, the tool assists employers in evaluating if candidates have the distinctive skills needed.
Sales interview questions: The 10 most common questions and how to answer them
Selling yourself is crucial for a sales role – especially when responding to those sales executive interview questions – because hiring managers will want you to sell yourself as you would their products.At Reed, we have experience with thousands of candidates who are looking for a new sales career, whether they are beginners or experts in the head of sales or sales and marketing director roles – so we have an idea of what sales interview questions you will likely face and how to answer them.This blog is also a useful resource for those in charge of sales talent acquisition who need sales interview questions ideas to find the best people, whether they are looking for sales manager interview questions, sales director interview questions, or sales executive interview questions.Here are our top 10 sales interview questions – and how to answer them:Sales interview questions and answersWhat do you know about our company?This is the most frequent question in a sales interview. The interviewer wants to know if sales interviewees have done their research and understood their organization before their interview.What kind of answers should candidates give?If you are not ready to answer this sales interview question, then the interviewer will think that you are also unprepared for making sales calls. The key to answering this question is doing your homework. Make sure you examine the company website of the business you might work for. You should also look at their social media presence – this can involve sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even TikTok, but remember that if the company is B2B-oriented, LinkedIn will probably be an important tool.When answering sales interview questions like this one, think about what drives you and how that drive aligns with the mission statement and employee value proposition of the company you want to join.What kind of responses should you look for as an employer?Employers who pose this type of sales interview question should expect candidates to comprehend their business, what drives it, and how that matches their own values. Ideally, responses would contain examples of a candidate’s research, maybe a reference to some sales leaders, what they have posted on LinkedIn, and how that mirrors the company’s culture. It might also include proposals on how to enhance product sales directly to the customer through social media.Ideally, when responding to sales job interview questions, candidates should be well-informed about your company but also go beyond that and offer constructive suggestions from their research results.How do you feel about making cold calls?This is one of the most common sales job interview questions, as cold calling is a vital skill for the job, especially for sales advisor interview questions. The interviewer will want to learn about your background, self-assurance, and character.What kind of responses should candidates give?When responding to this sales interview question, you should try and show that you are sociable and can initiate a dialogue.If you can provide examples of when you have performed this task before, that can be very beneficial.You could also stress how even though results may vary on a cold call; doing research on the individual and business you are contacting can be very helpful.What responses should you look for as an employer?Employers should seek candidates who can reply to this sales advisor interview question in a confident, friendly, and optimistic way.The reply should always be yes, even if they have never done the task before. This is, after all, their opportunity to sell themselves.What are your strengths as a sales representative?This is one of the questions to ask in a sales interview that will really allow the candidates to showcase themselves. It’s an opportunity for interviewees to discuss the main aspects of their previous achievements and how they relate to this new role.What kind of responses should candidates give?When responding to this sales interview question, candidates should not only praise the work they have done before but describe what abilities and traits they have that have enabled them to accomplish their objectives.If you did hundreds of cold calls a day to reach your goals, then brag about it.If you created a smart email campaign to target specific people, then this sales job interview question will let you explain how and why you did it – and how your strategies can work again for your potential employer.What responses should you look for as an employer?Hiring managers should seek candidates who can sell themselves and demonstrate how they have excelled in the past, especially if they are asking sales executive interview questions.Realistically candidates should mention how they have a passion for solving problems, can be empathetic when talking to prospective customers, and know how to seal a deal.The past can indicate the future, and if you are a hiring manager asking this sales interview question you will get a sense of how candidates perform and how they are likely to tackle and meet your organization’s sales targets.What drives you?When it comes to questions to ask in a sales interview, in this case hiring managers want to understand what motivates a candidate – why do you want to work in sales, what about this job and our company excites you?What kind of responses should candidates give?Candidates should try to align their responses to the goals of the company they want to join. Of course, salary and bonus are going to be significant motivational factors, but it is important to expand any answer beyond that.A good answer to sales interview questions like this would be to emphasize how you exceed your quota and aim to improve your personal best results.What responses should you look for as an employer?As an employer, with such sales interview questions and answers, you should seek candidates who can explain why they are enthusiastic and driven.In response to this question, you will need to ensure that interviewees are being truthful and genuine and can come up with two to four things that are really important to them in a work environment.This answer shouldn’t be about money, it may be a minor factor, but candidates should talk about topics such as their career goals, diversity, company culture, work environment, targets, personal motivators, and teammates.What are you looking for in your next job?Sales interview questions – whether they are for sales executive or sales advisor positions, are often similar to those you will face at most job interviews – and this question is a good example of that.Interviewers ask this as they want to ensure you are a great fit for their company.What kind of responses should candidates give?Candidates responding to such sales job interview questions, should use their understanding of the company they are applying to along with their own interests when answering this question. If you are asked this sales interview question, you could mention workplace culture, tools that are provided by that company or management styles.You may also want to think about addressing the hiring company’s standards, goals or work environment in your response.What responses should you look for as an employer?As the interviewer for a sales role by asking this question you will be looking for insight into your potential employee’s reasoning behind leaving their current role and their hopes and ambitions for the future.In response to this question, you should look for clear responses – everyone knows what they want – whether that be more job satisfaction, more learning opportunities, or a cooperative team culture. From your interviewee’s response, you should be able to determine whether they are a good match for your business and how they can add a new dimension to your team.What do you dislike about sales?This is a sales interview question that will challenge those applying for both sales representative and sales executive roles. Along with questions to ask in a sales interview such as describing your weaknesses, or how you have solved a conflict at work, this can really make a candidate think.What kind of responses should candidates give?Anyone who is asked a sales interview question about what they dislike in sales should be honest and candid in their answer – but be sure to balance the negatives by talking about what you enjoy about the job.There are positives and negatives in every role and field, so being honest is important, but this is another chance to talk about why you applied for the position.What responses should you look for as an employer?We all know that sales can be a high-pressure industry – this may be a common theme in response to this question. However, hopefully, your interviewee will emphasize how they cope well with pressure.In response to this question, you need to look for your candidate to discuss both sides of the issue. Mentioning their negative answer but offsetting the answer with more positives. Obviously, anyone who tells you why they simply don’t like the sector may want to consider changing their career path.What are you seeking in your next role?This is a very typical sales advisor interview question that aims to find out if the candidate has a positive, proactive attitude. Hiring managers are looking for people with a growth mindset, who can really contribute to their team.What kind of responses should candidates give?For people responding to such sales interview questions, it is important not to dwell too much on what is wrong with your current job. Instead, focus on what you have gained from it and how you are now eager to advance.What responses should you look for as an employer?Interviewers want to hear from someone who is focused on the opportunity in front of them – what they can offer to the role and how that will benefit the company, and vice-versa. A hiring manager would want candidates to talk about how they are looking for a new challenge or adventure, and where they can apply the skills they acquired at their current employer to achieve goals for the potential new one.You should pay close attention to your interviewee’s response looking for signs of trouble in their last position – are they leaving because they had a bad relationship with their manager, or are they looking to work for you because you pay more? If their answer is based on dissatisfaction in their last role, you may want to explore this further, to ensure they are going to be happy working as part of your team.Hopefully, your interviewee will also give you insight into what most attracted them to your job role – they may have applied because they saw something unique or appealing about your company, This has the potential to give you insight into how effective your talent acquisition strategy is.Tell me about a time you achieved or were proud of yourself?When it comes to sales interview questions and answers, you can’t go wrong with this classic. Interviewers ask this sales job interview question as they want to understand your drive to succeed – and what your greatest accomplishments are.What kind of responses should candidates give?Candidates should first describe the situation they were in and any problems that needed to be solved, before going on to say what they were assigned and what their objectives were. The next step to answer this sales interview question is to talk about what action you took.Do this step by step and explain why you did what you did at each stage. It is, of course, essential to then say what the result was.What responses should you look for as an employer?Hiring managers should expect candidates to remember that they are interviewing for a sales role, so any answer should be relevant to that sector. You will want to look out for a time when a candidate was determined, and reaped rewards as a result of their actions. If an interviewee has data to support what they are saying this will help provide a close to perfect answer.How would your coworkers describe you?This sales interview question reveals how well a candidate can assess themselves, and also gives hiring managers a sense of how they would fit in with their organization’s culture and existing team members.What kind of responses should candidates give?A good response would see you showcase your abilities and positivity, by talking about how coworkers always praise your perseverance or how goal-driven you are. It is also important to stress how you enjoy the company of your colleagues, how you collaborate well with others as part of a team, and that you enjoy working in a positive and friendly environment.What responses should you look for as an employer?When answering this sales jobs interview question, employers will want to hear how someone will adapt to their culture, and how they can adjust to the environment around them. Being part of a team and getting along with other team members is essential.How did you close your biggest sale?This question is likely to come up whether you are asking sales executive interview questions, sales director interview questions or sales manager interview questions. This is another opportunity for interviewees for sales roles to sell themselves and talk about how the work they have done has led to tangible success.What kind of responses should candidates give?Sales interview questions like this are testing you for examples of your sales achievements. A good response could include details of how you worked with a customer who was unsure about making a purchase and how you convinced them to do so.What responses should you expect as an employer?This sales interview question is asking for a concrete example of success, supported by data and information as to how the outcome was achieved. It is a great chance to discover the true skills and knowledge of the person you are interviewing.Reed has a proven track record in finding sales professionals who boost company performance, as well as the experience and expertise to help sales professionals take their next career step. Contact one of our specialists today.
Interview questions to ask candidates - and what their answers mean
A good interview should be planned using a mix of different question types. They should always be adapted to the specific qualities you’d like a candidate to show relevant to a particular role. These questions should give you insight into their strengths, weaknesses and how well they will fit into the team. Here is a selection of the main types of questions to ask when interviewing.The standard competency questionThese are the most common type of questions to ask when interviewing, and will usually start with the phrase along the lines of “Can you give me an example of when you…”. They can be adjusted to suit whichever skills you’d like the candidate to tell you about, for example, delivering excellent customer service, resolving a conflict or influencing a senior stakeholder.Competency style questions are good for when you want to find out about specific competencies or skills the candidate has, and how they have used them to resolve previous situations. Good candidates will often plan responses to these and should give clear, thought-through examples.Look for evidence in their answers that they can give you a clear situation, the task at hand, the action they personally took, and the (positive) result of that action - the STAR method.The follow-up questionFollow-up questions allow you to get more detail, and look beyond the glossy prepared answer, which, although sounding impressive, may cover up a lack of detail or personal involvement. Asking good follow-up questions allows the candidate to engage on a higher level, and have to think on the spot a bit more, as they might not be as prepared for one of these.The curveball questionIf you really want to test a candidate’s ability to think on their feet, throw in a curveball or two. These can be completely unrelated to the job but may be an extension of something on their CV or relate to current affairs that you’d like them to comment on or explain to you. It will test their decision-making under pressure, and the ability to articulate an unprepared response, which can be very important in some jobs.The hypothetical situation questionSome love and some hate these, but they can be seen as a very good example of testing rational thought and logical reasoning quite quickly. Such questions are normally along the lines of asking the candidate to imagine they are in a certain situation, and then asking them to make a decision, based on information and parameters provided.The “describe yourself” questionThese can come in many forms, and you can ask candidates to imagine what their previous boss or co-workers would say about them, or just to sum themselves up in a few words. This will show whether a candidate can empathize with another person’s point of view and express it, or their ability to give a succinct answer when only a few words are required.
Seven types of interview bias and how to avoid them
We might want to think that our choices are logical and that we have complete control over them – but the reality is that we are always affected by cognitive biases.What are biases?The brain cannot properly assess every new piece of information it encounters, so it’s designed to make quick decisions about people, situations, and objects. While these mental shortcuts are a necessary survival skill, making fast decisions without careful evaluation can be a bad thing and lead to opinions that are unfairly biased.Types of interview biasesWhen it comes to doing interviews, you can do your best to be objective, but biases can creep in. That’s why it’s so crucial to be aware of the different types so you can identify and actively avoid them. Here are seven different types of common interview biases:StereotypingA stereotype is a simplified opinion about a specific group of people, based on a fixed set of characteristics that we think are typical of that group.It is a serious problem in interviews, as the interviewer can make a judgment about a candidate that is not based on their skills or ability but on an initial stereotype.Gender and racial biasGender or racial bias is when the interviewer has a belief about a certain gender or race, thinking that the job is not appropriate for someone of that gender or race.Interviewers should never let gender or racial bias affect their hiring decisions, not only from an ethical standpoint, but they may also face legal consequences for discrimination.Confirmation biasConfirmation bias is where the interviewer may ask questions or make suggestive statements that prompt the interviewee to confirm what they believe they already know about them, based on their CV or application.It also relates to how people pay more attention to information that supports their existing beliefs, prefer to interact with people who have similar views, and are unwilling to listen to different opinions.It’s important to be aware of this bias - if people are being hired because they have the same views as their line managers, it can hinder growth and innovation across the business.Recency biasRecency bias is when an interviewer tends to remember and favor applicants who were interviewed more recently.You may have interviewed many candidates in any given day and each one can seem to blend with the next. This is when you may fall victim to recency bias and subconsciously favor candidates toward the end of the interview process. The problem is that the best person for the job could be someone you interviewed right at the beginning of the day or halfway through.Similarity biasAlso known as affinity bias, similarity bias is when an interviewer makes hiring decisions based on similar physical attributes or shared interests that are either discussed during the interview, or shown on a candidate’s CV.For example, an interviewer may ask the potential employee if they had a good weekend, and the interviewee could reply with something like: “I did thank you, I went for a hike with my dog”. If the interviewer is also a fan of hiking and dog-owning, then whether intentional or not, the interviewer will view the candidate more positively, even before any skills or work-related information has been obtained.Halo biasThe halo bias is when one positive characteristic dominates all others. For example, if the person interviewing sees that the applicant went to a prestigious university on their CV or had previously worked for a very well-known brand that they admire, they may focus on that and ignore negative traits.Horn biasContrary to the halo bias, the horn bias is when a negative characteristic dominates all the positive skills and abilities. For example, a candidate may have made a spelling mistake on their CV and the interviewer can’t forget about it, giving too much weight to the error and ignoring the many positive qualities they have.How to avoid bias when interviewingKeep interviews uniformAsk every candidate the same questions – ensuring they are relevant to the skills and abilities of the interviewee - and document their answers correctly. Taking notes as you go will prevent opinions and biases from sneaking in.Provide training to interviewersAll interviewers should receive training in diversity and inclusion and learn how to identify and avoid their own unconscious biases. This will provide a more equitable system for all potential employees and help hiring managers discover their own hidden biases.Have a diverse group of interviewersIf there are multiple interview stages or you are using a group of interviewers, make sure the group is diverse to allow for a more balanced decision to be made. Each interviewer will have different biases, so together the bias is lowered.Limit personal chatsSome small talk is necessary when greeting an interviewee but keep it brief. Engaging in personal chats can lead to similarity bias.Use a standard scoring systemCreate a standard scoring system and apply this to all interviews. Referring to this later will ensure each candidate is assessed fairly and on an equal basis.Record and re-play remote interviewsIf you are doing remote interviews, record them (with the candidate’s consent) and re-play them in a different order to avoid recency bias.