Candidate Advice: Interview Tips

The second instalment of our “Candidate Advice” series is here and this time we have asked the team at Elliott Scott HR for their top interview tips. Our top tips: Do your research – Take the time to research the company and if possible, the department you are interviewing for. There are many ways to find out more about a company now including: their website, social media platforms such as LinkedIn and by searching them on Google and YouTube. A lot of companies have some really informative videos which can give you a great sense about their culture and values. Often the interviewer will ask what you know about the company as well as if you are aware of recent developments.

Know your own CV - It may be obvious but know your CV well and be able to articulate your motivations and enthusiasm for wanting to join the company, and to be part of the team. Read through your CV out loud to practice talking through your experience and have the ability to verbalise your reasoning for moving from firm to firm.

What are your key achievements? - At Elliott Scott HR we focus on strengths-based interviewing as we want to bring out the best in our candidates, so always think about your key achievements and what will differentiate you against others.

Questions - Have a couple of well thought out questions ready to ask your interviewers. An interview should be a two-way process where you leave with a good sense of the opportunity and organisation.

Data Insights - Candidates who can demonstrate their achievements through factual data stand out. Being able to showcase great statistics about what you have accomplished in previous roles will go a long way in an interview.

Prepare competency-based examples - Once you have understood the job description and how your position fits into the overall organisation start preparing examples of your previous experience. These examples should directly indicate that you are able to perform the duties and responsibilities required for the role.

Show Confidence - Being able to emphasize your relationship-building and client-facing skills is important, as interviewers are looking for someone who can present themselves well.

Work Load – Interviewers will want to understand what your current volume of work looks like. Be prepared to speak to your current workload and your comfort with these responsibilities.

PMA – As it is such a competitive market, employers want to find candidates who are excited and passionate about their mission and brand. A positive mental attitude can go a long way, make sure you are able to clearly articulate why you want to work for them and why this role appeals to you. We recommend bookmarking this toolkit it so you can easily come back and reference these blogs when you’re looking for your next role. Be sure to also check out the candidate advice blog prior to this on how to structure your CV to stand out here.

Thank you to our team who contributed to this blog: Kirstin Hunt, Garrett Tardrew and Abby Judelman. If you need assistance with finding your next HR role or are hiring into your organisation, find your regional contact on our team page here.