What is the purpose of a job interview?

Job interviews are terrifying. On the see-saw ride that is an interview both the interviewer and interviewee are constantly vying for control and, where possible, the upper-hand. In a job market such as the South African one, for the most part, the balance of power lies with the person who is conducting the interview.

If an interview is conducted properly, a lot of effort has gone into preparing the interview. Each company has its own internal mechanisms and processes but according to several top executive recruiters, there are only three true job interview questions.

The only three true job interview questions are:

1. Can you do the job?
2. Will you love the job?
3. Can we tolerate working with you?

These may seem, on the surface, to be nothing more than rhetorical questions the MD of a company might ask of its senior executives, but it’s so much more. Almost every question you were ever asked in an interview, or that you asked someone in an interview you were conducting, was a subset of a deeper in-depth follow up to one of these three questions. Each question is masked by different words and contexts, but every question, however it is phrased, is just a variation on one of these topics: Candidate’s strengths, their motivation and their fit.

So can you do the job? (Candidate’s Strengths)

Executive Search firm Heidrick & Struggles CEO, Kevin Kelly explained that it’s not just about the technical skills, but also about leadership and interpersonal strengths. Technical skills help you climb the ladder. As you get there, managing up, down and across become more important.

You can’t tell by looking at a piece of paper what some of the strengths and weaknesses really are…We ask for specific examples of not only what’s been successful but what they’ve done that hasn’t gone well or a task they they’ve, quite frankly, failed at and how they learned from that experience and what they’d do different in a new scenario.
Not only is it important to look at the technical skill set they have…but also the strengths on what I call the EQ side of the equation in terms of getting along and dealing or interacting with people.

Are you going to love the job once you are here? (Candidate’s motivation)
Cornerstone International Group CEO, Bill Guyemphasizes the changing nature of motivation,

…younger employees do not wish to get paid merely for working hard—just the reverse: they will work hard because they enjoy their environment and the challenges associated with their work…. Executiveswho embrace this new management style are attracting and retaining better employees.

Can We Tolerate Working With You? (Fit)

Heidrick’s Kelly went on to explain the importance of cultural fit:
A lot of it is cultural fit and whether they are going to fit well into the organization… The perception is that when (senior leaders) come into the firm, a totally new environment, they know everything. And they could do little things such as send emails in a voicemail culture that tend to negatively snowball over time. 

How to prepare for an interview

If you are the one conducting the interview it’s quite simple: Get clear on what strengths, motivation and fit insights you are looking for before you meet the next candidate. Make sure you have crystallised your thoughts before you arrive so that you can appear to be organised from the outset.

If you are the candidate to be interviewed, prepare by thinking of examples that will help to illustrate your strengths, what it is that motivates you about the organisation and role you are interviewing for as well as the fit between your own preferences and the organisations.

Think of the interview process as an opportunity for you to showcase your ability to solve the organisation and interviewer’s problem. That is why it is imperative that you continually point out your strengths in the areas that appear really important to the interviewer/s, don’t be scared to talk about how you are motivated by the challenges of the prospective role, and the role you see yourself fulfilling within the organisation. Most important – you must make the interviewer want you on their team.

If you are in the job market, Good Luck and hopefully these tips will help you.