The traditional advice for job seekers had always been around selling oneself to the company (but not too aggressively), showcasing that you had done lots of research (but not being overly showy about it) and offering examples of your achievements (but not too boastfully). That advice and that thinking, though largely quite common sense, put the emphasis squarely on the company being king. The interviewee was subservient to the interviewer. The candidate can make a difference but will never rock the boat…etc etc
In more recent years that emphasis has shifted towards the candidate. You are interviewing them as much as the other way round and they need to work hard to tell you why you should join them and not a rival. It’s a candidate-driven market and the candidate is king. The company will develop you, but will never try to take your personality away…etc etc
Has the emphasis shifted too much? Maybe so. It sounds obvious but the right balance is somewhere in the middle. The reality today is that strong candidates have multiple options while attractive companies have multiple candidates applying for each position.
And what of the interview process itself?
The interview process is not just the candidates’ means of representing themselves to the company, but the company’s way of representing themselves to the candidate…and more than that – to the wider world too.
91% of people say their view of a company is influenced by the interview process, and people are 6 times more likely to tell others if they have a negative experience. This article by Richard Solomon, Global Recruitment Director for Regus, represents an interesting take on this.
- by Tariq Siraj