Need Help with Job Interviewing Skills? Watch this Coaching Session (VIDEO)

What do companies look for when interviewing potential employees? Hear what they prioritize first-hand in this on-demand panel discussion featuring:

• Senior Manager, Recruiting, Brightspot, Avery Davila
• Technical Sourcer, Hired, Gabe Morabe
• Candidate Experience Manager, Hired, Alice Tan* 
• Candidate Experience Manager, Hired, Maria Coffey*

What are recruiters really listening for?

Avery Davila

I think it’s really important in the interview process to be engaged. It comes across as you’re genuinely interested in the company, you’re genuinely interested in the role, and you’re excited to be there. Look engaged, have good posture, pay attention, and maintain good eye contact. This is a little difficult with the virtual world nowadays but you get the gist!

Gabe Morabe

Ask genuine questions and follow up. Perhaps I say something in the introduction of the interview and you mention it during the middle of the interview. Say it’s how interesting this product is or you have experience doing this in the past. It shows me that you’re 1) actively listening and 2) relating it back to your previous experiences.

Avery Davila

I suggest also having a notepad handy and jotting down a few notes, perhaps key things that stick out from the conversation. For example, if there’s any discussion around role expectations and you have notes to reflect back on. I think it also shows you’re interested and comprehending the information. I did that during my interview with Brightspot actually and I even used it to reflect back on before my first day so there’s a double positive. 

Gabe Morabe

You can take those notes and apply it to all your other interviews as well. It’s not just for one company. All these companies are probably going to be looking for the same thing especially if you’re applying for a specific role.

In regard to concise stories of previous work experiences, I’m definitely looking for how you take your preview experiences, look at the job description, and apply it to how your experience fits in with this role specifically. This can be alignment with certain projects, an initiative you’ve led, a certain amount of sales within a certain market.

Avery Davila

I recommend, as you’re preparing for interviews and trying to be concise, outlining your experience and making sure that you hit all the key points. If there are metrics, challenges, successes, or specific projects you want to highlight, make a quick outline. Jot down about two sentences to help you concisely articulate so you’re not going back and forth in a story or you leave the interview realizing you wanted to mention this. That’s a good tip for preparation to help you be concise and clear when you’re explaining your background.

Definitely ask questions too. It shows you’re genuinely interested in the company. Have questions prepared even if they’re simple ones and even if they’ve been answered earlier in the interview process. You can ask the same questions to different interviewers because you can get that different perspective based on the role and the unique experiences they’ve had, how long their tenure has been, etc.

Watch now to discover: 

• How to appear confident (with examples of how candidates excel without knowing what to expect)
• What recruiters see as red flags and how to avoid them 
• Resources for interview tips and more!

*Since this event, Alice and Maria have taken their CX insights to new roles as Pre-Sales Enablement Specialist and Customer Success Manager with Hired respectively.

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Watch the original presentation below.