• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Cornerstone International Group

Executive Search Firm

About Cornerstone

About Cornerstone

The Cornerstone Edge

AESC

Leadership Team

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Become a Partner

Play Video

Get to know Cornerstone

Retained Executive Search

Discover

Retained Executive Search

Assessments

Specializations

Consumer / FMCG

Industrial

Non-Profit

Finance & Private Equity

Life Science & Health

More...

Find an Office

North America

Latin America

Europe / Middle East

Asia

 Find an Office

 Find a Search Consultant

Coaching / Leadership Dev

Discover

Executive Coaching Services

Leadership Development

Board & CEO Advisory Services

Assessments

Find a Coach

News / Blog

News & Blog Posts

National Outlooks

Videos

Surveys

Press Releases

Popular Blog Topics

COVID-19

diversity

leadership development

Healthcare

executive search

executive coaching

women in business

Life Science

neuroscience

vitality quotient

Latest Blog Post

Asia’s Fast-Growing EV Market Will Disrupt Automotive Industry Recruitment

June 2, 2022
Contact
Blog Winning the Candidate Interview
Jun 10

Winning the Candidate Interview

Cornerstone International Group

What You DO Want to Do

Bear in mind that you are unlikely to get a second chance to leave a good impression.   So, get ready by really preparing yourself beforehand. In other words, do your homework.

Candidate interview

Obtain the relevant information and data on the company in advance and, if possible, of the person(s) who will interview you.  Collect these data from several sources (Stock Exchange, CVM, Serasa, Google, Who is Who, Annual Report, the company’s website, media, etc.) or the social media (Facebook, Yahoo, Linkedin, Orkut, qualified blogs, etc.).

Arrive early for the interview. In this way, you will be calmer and more at ease, besides having the opportunity to get used to the
environment and seeing the people who work there.

Think as the employer.  Put yourself in the interviewer’s seat, not only to understand “what” he asked but, more importantly,
“why” he asked that specific question.

Interact with the interviewer.  The interviewer will want to check if your abilities and competencies can be translated into solid results
for the company. Therefore, prepare evidence or proof of the link: “Competencies = Results”.

Ask questions…intelligent ones.  Do not keep on passively answering questions; ask your own as well on relevant issues concerning the position and the situation of the company.

Use your body language in your favor. Sometimes, this may be more eloquent than the spoken word. Dress appropriately / Look straight into the eye / Use a firm handshake / Stay relaxed and natural /Give a genuine smile!

The company wants to hire someone who will meet its current and future needs.  Consequently, do not linger on your past glories and results. Instead, focus more on what you will be able to bring to your future employer.

Remember that you will be appraised for your technical competencies, but you will be selected based on your personal competencies.  The skills and qualifications you present are indeed important. However, the confidence, the chemistry, and the bonding you are able to generate are usually the determining factors for the final choice.

 

What You DO NOT Want to Do

Do not arrive late and fail to get yourself adequately prepared for the interview. This can be fatal!

Do not monopolize the talk.  Try to be brief, objective, and interesting. In reality, the best interviews are the ones where the rule “3:1” applies, that is, you are in the “listening” mode three times more than in the “talking” mode.

Do not be defensive.
In case you have to answer a belligerent or deleterious question, do so with elegance and class. Do not take it as a personal offense.

Never speak badly about your former boss or current employer.
This usually backfires.

Do not lie or “beat around the bush”.
The truth will always prevail in the end and this tactic can ruin your intentions. If you don’t know the answer to a question, admit it and do not feel ashamed about it.

Do not be arrogant or try to “teach” the interviewer how to run his own business.  Nobody likes a “know-it-all”.

Do not force a situation in which you do not see yourself as the best fit.  Sometimes, it is better to think it over so that, in the future, you will not regret, or even worse, you will not feel frustrated about a decision. Put your ego temporarily aside.

Do not discuss the compensation issue at the wrong time.  This part of the discussion should be left for the appropriate time, that is, when both sides feel
comfortable enough to close the hiring. And, do so preferably with the person who is the effective decision maker.

Do not leave the interview without taking down notes.  These notes may be very important for an eventual future interview or for the continuation
of the selection process.

Do not forget to look for and learn valuable lessons after each interview (especially the ones where you did not fare so well). Take advantage to learn what you should do and what you should avoid doing in a future opportunity.

12
SHARES
LinkedinFacebookTweetShareEmailPrint

Filed Under: Blog

Robert - CEO headhunter

About Robert Wong

Robert Wong is the Chairman of Havik, the Brazilian office of Cornerstone International Group. He is the author of the best-seller “Success is to be in Equilibrium” and of the book “Super Tips for Landing a Great Job.” He has led presentations at the World Economic Forum, The Economist Conferences, and other prominent events.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

  • News
    • Blog
    • National Outlooks
    • Press Releases
    • Newsletters
    • Surveys
    • Articles of Interest
    • Whitepapers
    • Videos

Get Latest Posts and Stay Informed

Our thought leaders share their industry knowledge and expertise.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Recent News

  • PRESS RELEASE: Cornerstone International Group Recognized as a Global Leader in Executive Talent Search June 21, 2022
  • The Cornerstone Eagle – June 2022 – Impactful Leadership June 17, 2022
  • Asia’s Fast-Growing EV Market Will Disrupt Automotive Industry Recruitment June 2, 2022

News / Blog Archives

Footer

Areas of Specialization

  • by Industry
    • Life Science & Health
    • Financial Services PE & Family Office
    • Industrial
    • Consumer
    • Technology
    • Private Equity
    • Infrastructure & EPC
  • by Function
    • Board Directors & CEO
    • Human Resources
    • Finance and Legal
    • Agile Talent
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Operations & Supply Chain

Quick Browse

  • Find an Office
  • Find a Consultant
  • Find a Coach

Services

  • Retained Executive Search
  • Board & CEO Advisory
  • Executive Coaching

About Us

  • About Cornerstone
  • The Cornerstone Edge
  • Join Cornerstone

Switch Language

Connect with Cornerstone

Copyright © 2022 · Cornerstone International Group · Sitemap

Website Development by LimeCuda

Member-Only Portal