No one to please and nothing to prove.

Here’s my new mantra to calm some of the anxiety I experience before interviews:
“I have no one to please and nothing to prove. I don’t even know if I want this job yet!”

I found this quote after googling “I hate interviews will i ever get a job”. Seriously.

The article, which includes tips on overcoming interview anxiety, stated the obvious:
“A job interview is a very artificial situation.“

Perhaps the key to improving the interviewing process is taking steps to encourage a more authentic conversation rather than to have a static test.

Having endured nearly 100 interviews over the past year, I know that the best ones happen when the script is ditched and real personalities are revealed.

I strongly believe that if you have a set list of questions you want to ask prospective employees during an interview then include that as part of the application process.

Requiring applicants to answer specific questions when submitting a resume helps both you and the applicant by weeding out those who are blinding submitting generic cover letters to dozens of employers (full disclosure, I’ve been guilty of this!).

It’s immeasurably helpful for me to understand exactly what a company wants when they put the extra effort into creating a more equitable process for hiring. I’ve written about this before, but it bears repeating.

I plan to examine more lessons learned from my own experiences, but in the meantime, here are some useful resources I’ve found online.

​Just tell candidates what you’re going to ask ahead of time.
It's time to make transparent interviews the new normal.
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TIPS ON OVERCOMING INTERVIEW ANXIETY

1. Prepare for your interview thoroughly
2. Practice your answers
3. Picture your success
4. Eliminate variables
5. Eat well and exercise
6. Lower your stress levels
7. Increase your confidence
8. Take deep breaths
9. Pay attention
10. Ask questions
11. Think before responding
12. Accept the outcome

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS TO ASK EMPLOYERS

• Why is this position open?
• What kind of performance benchmarks do you look for?
• What metrics of success will you use to evaluate my performance?
• What is the company culture like?
• What does your company do for team building or fun?
• What are the biggest opportunities in the company right now?
• What are the biggest challenges facing the company right now?
• What does the career path look like for someone in this role?
• Do you provide professional development opportunities?
• What is the company’s management style?
• What is the best part of working for the company?
• What is different about working here than anywhere else?
• How has your role changed since you have been here?
• What traits do I need to succeed in this position?
• What other departments will I most closely work with?
• What are the next steps in the interview process?

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• WHAT MAKES IT A GREAT DAY AND WHAT MAKES IT A CHALLENGING DAY AT WORK?
• WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU PROMOTED SOMEONE WITHIN YOUR TEAM, AND WHY?
• WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU EXPECT THE PERSON IN THIS POSITION TO FACE?
• HOW ARE CRITICISM AND FEEDBACK HANDLED WITHIN THE TEAM?
• WHAT IS THE MAIN REASON EMPLOYEES STAY AT OR LEAVE THIS COMPANY?
• WHAT’S THE COMPANY’S APPROACH TO SUPPORTING WORK-LIFE BALANCE, AND WHAT ARE SOME RECENT INITIATIVES YOU’VE PUT IN PLACE RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC?
• DO YOU HAVE ANY HESITANCY IN HIRING ME?