The New Style of Job Interview Adopted By Employers for 2015

By Chris Delaney

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We live in a fast paced world where everything is upgraded constantly; out with the old and in with the new. Products, systems and processes are improved so customers and consumers get the best product, and for businesses to beat their competition.

Now, even the job interview process has been upgraded for 2015. Employers for years have been outwitted by manipulative interviewees who use the internet to source cleverly worded interview answers to sector interview questions found posted on a job interview website.

In short the internet become a tool for job hunters to easily convince the interviewer that they are the right match for the role, often this would lead to an unsuitable candidate being offered the position.

Employers quickly learnt that the old style interview process was eating into their profit margins through a reduction in staff retention (employees leaving/being sacked due to the pressure of being offered a position at an unsuitable level) and an increase in overhead cost; recruitment, HR cost, training and development.

A New Style of Interviewing

A new style of interviewing was required. Employers were keen to source a style of job interviewing that could not be tricked by applicants searching job interview advice websites.

Employers wanted to know an applicant’s strengths, abilities and skills. This gave birth to ‘Strength Based Interviewing.’ Strength based interviews look at applicant’s strengths, what employees enjoy doing and asks interviewees to give their preference on task and duties.

This style of interviewing is hard to manipulate because the interviewee can’t give a wrong answer, they can only state their preference. The questions asked at a strength based interview are hard to predict as you will be asked “what engages you”, “when are you in the flow”, “what energises you”, as well as asking comparison questions “do you prefer starting or finishing a task”

These questions uncover your temperament, motivational traits and stress indicators. The questions help you and the employer to know in which situations and environments you perform at your best.

What the Employer is Looking For

Every employer is looking to hire the best candidate that can first meet the criteria of the job role in terms of experience and qualifications (sourced by the application process) as well as the person who can make the biggest impact.

If you enjoy the role and work best in a particular environment, as well as fitting in well with the current team, you will work at your optimum level.

Strength-based interviewing is beneficial to the interviewee as well as the employer. Most job hunters want to find that perfect company to work for. They look for a job they enjoy with good benefits; if they are happy in this role they are happy to stay there rather the job hop.

Once you are offered a job based on your natural talent, you will in most likelihood find that perfect role.  Being able to work naturally at your optimum will help you receive positive appraisals, promotional opportunity, career progression and pay rises.

Example Strength Based Interview Questions

You may be the following or similar questions in a strength based interview:

  • What gives you energy?
  • What are you good at?
  • What are you doing when you are using your strengths?
  • What environment helps you learn best?
  • Do you learn more rapidly when you learn alone or when you are learning within a group?
  • What engages you?
  • When are you in the flow?
  • What energises you?
  • What inspires you?
  • Do you prefer giving or taking orders?
  • What comes naturally to you?
  • Do you prefer staring or finishing a task?
  • Describe a successful day?
  • What do you enjoy the least?
  • What is important in your life?
  • Are you more into processes/systems or people?
  • What have you achieved that you are really proud of?
  • How do you stay motivated?
  • Are you motivated more when working alone or when working with others?
  • Are you at your best when following orders or being intuitive?


Chris Delaney is an Interview Coach and author of The 73 Rules for Influencing the Interview using Psychology, NLP and Hypnotic Persuasion Techniques. Contact Chris on Google+

 

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