The post that I wrote a couple of weeks ago, Hiring Process – Likes and Dislikes, received some great attention so I thought that I would write a little more about interviewing, particularly maintaining transparency throughout the process. This post has been built from my experience, descriptions/complaints from friends, theory from human resources classes at business school and some logical thinking. This article focuses on the two main parties present during the interview process, the candidate and the employer, and how it is mutually beneficial for each to present themselves honestly and openly.

Lets get this party started!

Candidate side

It’s easy to say “just be yourself, you’ll do fine” when talking to someone that has an upcoming interview, but can this really work? I feel that it can and being yourself is critical in impressing any employer, especially if you get hired. If you get hired for being someone that you really aren’t you may very well have a miserable time with both your work and the people working around you. Do not pretend to be interested in something you are not just to get the job – this will undoubtedly come back to bite you in the end.

There has been a lot of discussion in books, blogs and magazines about how the “net generation” has a general disregard for their own privacy and that some of those Facebook photos may come back to haunt them when applying to jobs. There is definitely a good point with this, but at the same time, if sharing those photographs and experiences with friends, family and strangers is how that person is, why would they want to work for an organization that would not hire them just because of some photos? Exercising caution is still necessary for many people, but you may be the type of person that doesn’t care if an employer sees a picture of you passed out in front of a keg.

Ask questions and arise concerns about specific tasks and requirements regarding the position. If the job requires Cognos knowledge and you have no experience, be honest about it and ask about training that may be provided. After all, if they view you as a great candidate for the position they will provide the necessary training to fill in those small gaps. I couldn’t imagine anything worse than pretending you know a piece of software in an interview and then showing, on the job, that you are completely oblivious.

Overall, it is your résumé and cover letter that have scored you the interview so present yourself and your merits in a truthful manner.

Employer side

Similar to the last article, I feel that these tips to employers, from a candidate-perspective, can relieve stress on both sides as well as find the best candidate-employer match possible.

Openly discuss the reason for filling this position – is this a newly created job or is it simply filling a role that has high turnover? If high turnover typically occurs, be honest about it and communicate the need in finding a candidate that can handle stressful/demanding/boring/menial work. I know that saying “we typically experience high turnover due to this demanding position” will frighten away some candidates, but there will be the select few that thrive in such an environment. Hold off for these individuals that have a plan of attack, otherwise you will just experience more turnover if you are hiding your problems. Don’t hide the crappy parts of the job.

Show work examples! Show the candidate examples of the process they will be following. If this is an analysis position show examples of the raw data, the intermediate analysis and the presentation from past employees. Ask the candidate, at each step, how they may approach moving forward – do NOT ask them to do it and be sure to take their approach lightly as they are thinking very much on their feet with little background.

My experience has been that interviewers are largely secretive about how their department works and this is not overly appealing. We want to know the basics about how the group is managed and how work is dealt out – no need to spill the beans, but give us an idea. In one interview I asked the hiring VP, who was new to the organization, about his plan to improve the department. I was amazed when this sparked a 30-minute two-way conversation about the good, the bad and the ugly in the department and his plans to fix it – never before I had seen such openness in an interview, but it was unbelievably appreciated. The biggest part with opening up is trust and interviewers do not seem to understand that they CAN trust those they are interviewing with more information than they typically provide.

Finally, when it comes to the interview process, rejection can be a difficult step for both parties. To make this process easier it would be AMAZING to have employers be honest. Most of the time rejections come in the form of generic and auto-mailed notices with others saying “we needed more experience for this position” and you know what, these suck. If you found a candidate with five years of experience in the field or found that the position required a stronger technical background TELL US THAT! Most likely we have applied to many jobs at many organizations in a similar field. We can take that feedback and improve our skills to get into the field. Telling us that you wanted “more experience in thetelecom industry” takes the employer very little time and can give us candidates a huge boost.

Conclusion

It all comes back to the opening of this article, both parties need to be honest and open with each other. I understand that “selling yourself” is crucial in an interview, but stay within your skill set and promote your merits to employers. To employers, present the position in a truthful manner and you will have an easier time finding a qualified candidate that will fit into the environment. After all, the best place to build trust between employee and manager is during the interview so present yourself in a transparent manner and get started!

Since my graduation in October I have had both the pleasure and the frustration of interviewing at a variety of firms and in a variety of industries. In these difficult economic times the number of jobs available has decreased and the number of applicants has increased – making it far more difficult for individuals like myself.

Before I get into what experiences I have enjoyed and those that have made the hunt difficult, let me first describe a little about where I am looking for work. I have a handful of cities (Toronto, Vancouver and San Francisco) where I focus my search for positions relating to analysis, Internet marketing, general marketing, and business development. At this time I have applied to over 200 jobs, managed 6 interviews and a single job offer.

Okay, time to move on to the focus of this article. If you an employer or hiring manager you will probably think these are logical, but it is shocking how many firms make the process difficult.

What I like

Accommodation. Living three hours away from Toronto does not make the in-person interview an easy feat, but fortunately all organizations, thus far, have allowed me to choose afternoon interviews with one company even meeting me between Sarnia and Toronto, in a neutral city.

Casual conversation. Starting the interview off with a substantial amount of casual conversation really makes me feel more comfortable and open throughout the interview. This is conversation beyond asking about how my drive was and where I stopped for lunch.

Email applications. There is nothing, repeat NOTHING, worse than dealing with different application systems across different companies – there are only so many drop-down boxes that I can handle. While integrating into Monster.ca works well, I much prefer applying to careers@companyname.com with the email body as the cover letter and attached resume. It is always a pleasure when I find such a method.

What I dislike

Job fairs. There is nothing worse than standing in a crowded arena with pushy job hunters and overwhelmed corporate representatives. It is not unusual to stand at a booth for thirty minutes in hopes of talking to a representative. Small and single-company meet and greets could be far more effective and comfortable.

Contact months after applying. I applied to your company four months ago, why are you contacting me now? I have forgotten about that position already so justrepost it – frankly you are lucky that I am still unemployed!

Job description removed. This occurs surprisingly often – once the company has their list of candidates the job description is removed from the website. How are we suppose to study for the interview without such information? I have since learned to save the text after applying – something that has saved me twice so far.

Surprise tests. So the job involves some SQL, database work and basic HTML – I know all of these, but often use resources for syntax help. Why do you need to give me an impromptu test at the end of the interview? Ask about my experience or how I would approach the problem – there is no need to stand over me while I struggle under the stress of an interview!

No email contact or business card. Now this is just bizarre and it involves one of the largest companies in Canada. I was in contact, via phone only, with the HR department who arranged a phone interview and then an in-person interview. All I knew, from the phone conversation, was the first name of the individual I was meeting, the time and the location. During the interview, which went extremely well, I was never provided with a business card or contact information of the hiring manager that interviewed me. I would normally have thanked them for their time, but instead the only other contact I had from the organization was an automated rejection voice mail – JOY!

Well, there you go! I do not feel that I am asking for treatment beyond what should be expected so if you are involved on the hiring side of the process I encourage you to take these thoughts to heart. The best hiring experience is one with open communication during all stages – including rejection.