The Job Interview: What Do Employers Want?

Congratulations! All the time and attention you put into your resume has paid off, and you’ve been called for an interview. In most cases, this means that you are on the short list of candidates for the position, so pat yourself on the back and get to work on honing those interview skills. With a little planning and a positive attitude, you can impress potential employers simply by being yourself. Or rather, by being your best self.

Many people make the mistake of going into an interview with nothing more than a vague plan to answer the questions honestly and hope the kind-hearted employer will dole out rewards for such things as good intentions or desperate needs. In fact, the employer’s job is to hire the candidate who is willing and able to help the company – not to hire you because you need the job. It’s important to remember this during the interview (and even after you’ve been hired) so that you can frame your responses to interview questions in a way that helps both you and the employer learn whether or not you’re right for the position.

While the tips I’ve provided below may seem obvious to some readers, I assure you that a large number of candidates I’ve interviewed over the years either didn’t know these basics or didn’t want the job!

Don’t Forget To…

1. Dress appropriately. An employer’s first impression of you will carry a lot of weight throughout the interview and the decision making process. If you know what the current employees wear, choose something similar. If not, choose your interview outfit based on what you’ve learned about the company from your research. It goes without saying that you should be neat and clean. While business casual is fine for most companies, it is never appropriate to arrive for your interview dressed in shorts, T shirts, skimpy and revealing clothes, or overly-bold patterns or jewelry.
2. Be on time. This speaks to your dependability; being late for the interview suggests that you won’t make it to work on time, either. Getting lost on your way to the meeting is not an acceptable excuse, either – if you don’t know exactly where you’re going, practice driving the route a day or two before the interview.
3. Know the company. Employers wanted dedicated workers, and you want to enjoy your job. Before your interview, be sure you know what sort of business you’ve encountered. What’s the purpose of the company? Its history, recent achievements, philosophy? Is this company conducting business in a way that meshes with your own code of ethics?
4. Have your resume and references with you. The employer may have misplaced the resume you sent earlier, or you may want a copy to refer to during the interview or while filling out an application. Being prepared in this way shows that you are proactive and have the ability to plan ahead for possible problems.
5. Be prepared for questions. Remember, the employer is trying to determine what you can do for the company. You can expect certain questions from almost any interviewer, so think about what you want to say before you arrive.

Some typical questions include:

• Tell me about yourself:

  The interviewer is not interested in your blue-ribbon winning project in fourth grade. Use this question to talk about recent experience that carries over into the position you’re applying for. Don’t just quote from your resume, here is the perfect opportunity to mention the skills you’ve gained from volunteering, hobbies, or general life experience that didn’t fit on your resume. Keep this response friendly but brief, no more than 1-2 minutes. If the interviewer hears something of interest, she will ask a follow-up question.

• What do you know about our company?

  Aren’t you glad you did your research? You don’t have to tell the interviewer that you know only what’s on the company’s website. A brief answer is sufficient. For example, you might say: I know that Company has an excellent reputation in the industry. I’ve used these products myself and always been pleased. I also know that Company makes generous contributions to important causes, and I’m very impressed by your commitment to the community. Whatever you mention at this point should be the absolute truth. Don’t pretend that you know more than you do, and don’t dole out praise unless you really mean it.

• Why did you leave your last job?

  Even if you quit your previous job because the boss was a demon-possessed tyrant who made employees grovel on their knees each morning, do not mention it in your interview. Complaining and whining about how bad things were at your previous company will not endear you to an interviewer who realizes that he may be the next object of your complaints. But again – be honest in your answer. Did you leave the previous position because you wanted new challenges? Were you let go because of company downsizing? If the truthful answer is that you were fired because you failed to show up for work, didn’t get your work done, or violated workplace rules of any kind, then you’ll want to word the truthful answer in a way that doesn’t sound quite so bad. And you might also want to give attention to improving your work ethic.

• Where would you like to be in five years?

  This question offers you the opportunity to show that you are committed to working hard for your next employer. Again, answer honestly and make references to how your personal goals coincide with the goals of the company.

• Tell me about a time when you …

  This almost always concludes with a phrase that forces you to admit to mistakes — tell me about a time when you failed to live up to your potential or tell me about a time when you broke a rule and caused a massive disaster. The point of this question is not to make you feel bad about yourself or to make you feel insecure. The interviewer wants to know how you recovered from that mistake. “Fess up, explain briefly how you erred, and then focus on how you fixed the mess. For example, you might talk about a time when you spilled coffee on the keyboard which caused a short in the system leading to a massive city-wide blackout. The important part of this story is how you recovered by using MacGyver-like techniques to repair the system quickly.

• Some questions are out of bounds.

  Employers are not allowed to ask non-job related questions during the interview. Questions about your age, your child care arrangement, marital status, ethnic or religious background, your family, your sex life, or any disability that does not directly affect the job you would be required to do are some examples of illegal questions. Be aware, however, that some interviewers may ask questions of this sort with no harmful intent; perhaps the interviewer is simply looking for a good child care provider for his own children. You may choose to answer the questions if you wish, but if you prefer not to divulge that information, simply explain -without hostility or haughtiness-that your personal life is under control and will not have a negative effect on your work.

• Obstacles

  If you have an obvious disability and think the interviewer may be concerned about how it will affect your work, go ahead and address it if you are comfortable doing so This gives you a chance to let the employer know how you work around the disability and to assure her that it will not negatively affect your job performance

• Be ready to ask questions of your own.

  Failure to ask any questions about the job and / or the company implies that you don”t really care what you do so long as there’s a paycheck. Even if this is true, it isn’t what an employer wants to hear from you. Be sure the questions you ask are phrased in a way that assures the employer of your interest in helping the company.

Examples include:

• What do you feel are the two or three most important responsibilities in this position?
• Given my particular skills and experience, how do you think I can best benefit this company?
• Are employees encouraged to be proactive?

Ask questions that will help you determine whether this workplace is right for you, but do so without putting the interviewer in a defensive position. If, for example, you are an environmental activist and want to ask about the company’s policy on energy conservation, keep your tone neutral and objectively consider the answer instead of demanding to know why the company has so many lights on in the empty reception area.

Remember – the point of an interview is for the employer to get to know you and to decide whether you can benefit the company. It also allows you to get a feel for the work environment and determine whether you can be happy and productive in the position. The best way to assess the match is by being honest, being your best self, and being attentive to the impressions you pick up during the interview. Good luck and good (job) hunting!