“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand;
they listen with the intent to reply.”
― Stephen R. Covey,
This week I have had feedback from multiple candidates and
clients that they did not feel they were “heard” in an interview. We cram a very important information
exchange into an interview that is usually 30 minutes to an hour. From the candidate perspective it is their
next job/career progression at stake. On
the employer side it is evaluating whether the candidate is right for the job
and the culture. Is this the right person to invest in?
Truly listening to understand by both parties is critical to
make the most of an interview. Here are
some tips.
Interviewers:
Prepare your questions.
More than enough to fill the time slot in advance. It would be a terrible waste for you not to
be listening to a candidate because you are thinking about what to ask them
next.
Don’t have a single “right answer” that you are looking
for. Truly listen to the entire answer
that is given and evaluate that answer on its own merit with an open mind.
Clear your mind of your other priorities, silence emails,
silence phones and interview in a quiet space without distraction. Honor the time slot allotted. These candidates have taken time and prepared
for this visit. They deserve your undivided attention.
Candidates:
It is good to have a list of things you want to share but
not at the expense of not listening to and directly answering the
questions your interviewer has prepared.
Once you sit down breathe deeply, clear your mind and focus
on the interviewers questions. Allow a pause when the interviewer is done
speaking to be sure that was the entire question and to give yourself a moment
to organize your answer.
Do not ramble and elaborate outside of the content of the
question. A direct answer and one
example is plenty.
It is typical for an interviewer to share a bit about the
job content and the company. Listen
carefully, with an open and inquisitive mind.
Let them finish. If what they
shared brought questions to mind it is ok to jot a note and when they are
finished you can ask your question.
Sometimes this starts a great dialog.
Both:
It is better to have a quality exchange than burn through a
list of question without really listening to each other. If you feel time is short and you want more
information you can arrange to follow up with a phone call, an email exchange
or a second interview.
Have you ever been in an interview where you felt the other
party was not listening? How do you
handle a rushed interview?
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