Your CV has made it through the initial selection and has impressed the recruiter or hiring manager. After a well-deserved pat on the back, your thoughts are likely to turn to the interview. Get ready to embrace the prospect of multiple stage interview process; it’s likely in any competitive job sector.

Sure, the time commitment and drawn-out uncertainty of multiple interviews can be frustrating. But having several meetings with a prospective new employer can work to your advantage. It’s worth remembering that interviews are a two-way process. Making a career move is a big decision and selecting which company to join is an important choice.

A multiple stage hiring process will allow you to explore all aspects thoroughly. When you do finally sign a new job contract, you can be confident in the knowledge that the role and business is a good personal match for your career objectives.

Each interview stage determines whether you progress to the next round as the company narrows the number of applicants down. To ensure that you place yourself in the strongest possible position to advance further, it’s essential that you tailor your approach to match the agenda of each interview stage.

Here are some tips on what interviewers look for during this process and how to maximise your potential in all stages.

Pre-screening

A pre-screening telephone call is a practical and common first step. Especially when a particular position attracts a high number of applicants. This stage can happen quickly and with little or no warning. The moment you submit your application, you need to ensure you’re ready for a call.

The employer may present this conversation as an ‘initial chat’. But don’t let them catch you off guard: you should never treat this type of call as informal.

If they contact you at a time or in a location that’s not conducive to a professional conversation, show that you’re happy that they’ve been in contact and politely ask for a re-schedule. It’s far better to say “Unfortunately I’m unable to speak now. Is there a convenient time when I can call you back?” than their first impression being of you struggling to speak over loud music.

In this call, a hiring manager will want to learn more about you. They’ll want to gain an insight into your motivations and knowledge of the position and company. To prepare, highlight the desired experience and skills in the job description. Then, write down corresponding bullet points about your career history and expertise.

Showing enthusiasm for the position and demonstrating a strong interest in the company is a key goal for a pre-screening call. Before a hiring manager decides to put you forward to the next stage, they will need to know that you are fully committed to this opportunity. In-house interviews are an investment for all parties: they will want to avoid wasting a decision-makers valuable time.

Telephone interview

A scheduled telephone interview is more structured than a pre-screening call. This is usually preceded by a call or email to arrange a specific interview time, along with confirmation of who will be part of the call. If you are at all unclear about the format, do ask.

We advise that clients clarify every conversation and stage to minimalise surprises and maximise insight opportunities. Find out who will be participating and say, “Is there anything specific that I should prepare or anything that they will want to cover?”. Repeat this enquiry for all stages. Apart from revealing any beneficial preparation, it will also reinforce that you are serious about this application.

The focus of a telephone interview is similar to a first face-to-face interview. Prepare for common and job-specific interview questions designed to assess your skills and experience. With no visual clues to assist the interviewer, the content of your answers will have an even greater influence on the outcome.

A telephone interview offers the benefit of being able to have notes in front of you, so use this to your advantage! Your past performance is the greatest indicator that an interviewer will have of your future performance, so make sure you have facts and figures relating to your achievements to hand.

Assessing a company culture or team fit is harder in a phone call so that the primary focus will be on your ability and skills match. However, where you can, convey sought-after personal qualities and inject some personality throughout the natural flow of the conversation.

One effective technique to achieve this is to ask the interviewer some questions. If you compose and prepare strong questions about the company’s plans and what it expects the successful to deliver, you’ll emphasise your motivation and positive attitude.

Questions can also help transition an interview’s one-way flow of information into a two-way conversation; this, in turn, helps build rapport. And, you should communicate all of this in a clear, positive tone of voice!

First face-to-face interview

The format of an interview can take the form of a panel, single face-to-face interview or collection of one-on-one interviews. Make sure you know exactly what to expect, who you will be meeting, and importantly, their titles. Knowing job titles will help you plan which questions to ask. It also enables you to tailor your ‘pitch’ according to the interviewer’s responsibility, job level and likely focus.

Strong content is still a crucial element for a successful in-person interview. So, personal presentation and interview techniques will be an influential factor. In a face-to-face meeting, you’ll influence the interviewer with how you communicate your answers, your ability to think on your feet and your personality.

Behavioural questions that demand longer, structured answers will be more prevalent. Prepare and rehearse examples or ‘mini-stories’ using the STAR method to demonstrate skills and personal qualities which correspond with the job’s person specification.

Highlighting achievements in person feels more comfortable than in a telephone call as you can gauge audience interest, so do try to capitalise on this. If you find ‘selling’ yourself difficult, it’s worth remembering that tangible results are always the most effective way of illustrating your value. Now is not the time to be overly modest, strong achievements will assist your progression to the next stage.

You aim to leave the first meeting knowing enough about the role and having a good sense of the company. You need to feel convinced that this career move is right for you. The questions you ask will not only help you assess the opportunity further, but the additional information gleaned from the interviewer’s responses can provide valuable insights too.

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An understanding of a company’s culture, for example, will help you tailor your answer to questions such as ‘What type of environment do you like to work in?’ or ‘How do you work with colleagues?’

Second interviews

Second interviews provide opportunities for both sides to verify understanding, clarify information, confirm potential cultural fit and probe any areas of concern. A different mix of interviewers is likely to conduct a second interview or attend a presentation you may have been set for this stage.

A new hire is a considerable investment for any business; a consensus across senior colleagues creates confidence in an appointment.

Meeting a range of people will help confirm your impression of the team fit or expose any inconsistencies. If you are scheduled to meet someone senior in the business which operates two or more levels higher than the role you are interviewing for, then your future potential needs to shine.

Talent development and succession planning will be part of their agenda, not just filling an immediate vacancy. If you view this as a medium to long-term move, being on the radar of a senior manager or executive will help you establish your internal profile, if you were to join.

Having confirmed your skills and experience match during the first interview, the company’s assessment of your cultural and team fit will play a greater significance in latter stages. Use the knowledge gained from your first interactions.

Thread some of the language used by the previous interviewers into your conversation and answers, to help reiterate your close match. Plan additional questions: big picture questions for senior interviewers, together with more detailed questions about the role for the second meeting with your prospective boss.

These interviews need to add value for everyone and should never feel like a repetition of a first interview. Keep up to date with industry or company developments throughout the process; referencing and discussing latest news during the various stages sends out a message of genuine interest and proactive nature.

Third interviews

When you reach a third or final stage, you’ll understandably start to feel positive about the potential outcome. There is, however, no such thing as a ‘rubber stamp’ meeting; you remain under consideration right up until the contract is firmly in your hand.

An invitation to ‘meet the team’ may be less formal in structure. But it is nonetheless still a key hurdle before any job offer is officially extended. Whether these conversations are arranged in an office setting or a more social environment. You need to stay in ‘interview mode’; now is not the time to recount funny office stories.

Let team members lead with questions they may have; your replies need to show your ability to make a strong contribution. And, that you will complement the team’s existing talent and skill-set. While you want to impress them, be conscious never to dominate the conversation or appear boastful.

As you are talking, they will be trying to picture you in the company. They’ll also ask themselves if you are a good team fit. Ask them team-focused questions. For example why they joined, what they like about the company and what exciting challenges they are working on. It all shows a personal interest. Plus, they send out a message that you are interested in forging good colleague and collaborative relationships.

Master the multiple stage interview process

When embarking on a multiple stage interview process, you will need a good measure of organisation, patience, resilience and focus. Establish a routine of making comprehensive notes after every conversation. Debrief yourself after every stage and create an actionable list of specific preparation or research tasks.

Positioned as a well prepared, amenable, motivated candidate who consistently meets the expectations of every interview stage, you will have a significant advantage.