A Recruiter’s Inside Guide

Written by Charlotte Flatley and Madeleine McCormack – Proresumewrite.com

The way to a successful interview

Table of Contents

Telephone Interview with the Recruitment Specialist ........................................................ 2

o Applying for a position with a company .................................................................. 2

o Standard questions the Recruitment Specialist will ask ......................................... 2

Interview with the Hiring Manager ........................................................................................ 4

o Preparing for your interview ....................................................................................... 4

o Types of questions which could be asked in the interview ................................... 7

Interview Behaviour and Etiquette ...................................................................................... 10

Interview Do’s and Don’ts .................................................................................................... 14

STAR Technique ...................................................................................................................... 15

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In this Interview guide we will walk you through the steps you will need to

take to ensure that; when you put the phone down or walk out of that

interview room, you are left feeling positive about how it all went and

whatever happens you did your absolute best.

From the first initial call from the Recruitment Specialist, through to an

interview with the Hiring Manager, we will give you the tools you need to

be well prepared.

Telephone Interview with the Recruitment

Specialist

Applying for a position with a company

Before applying for any position ensure you are happy with your resume. This

needs to be a professional document which truly reflects your skills,

experience, who you are and what you do. For each position you apply for

tailor a cover letter which addresses the job criteria and how your skills,

experience and attributes meet these requirements.

Once you have submitted your application, be sure to save a copy of the

advert. Online advertisements will be removed once the application

timeframe has closed.

Standard questions the Recruitment Specialist will

ask

When the Recruitment Specialist calls you in regards to a position you need to

ensure you feel confident that you remember; the role, company, why you

applied for the position and are able to articulate your relevant skills and

experience. However, if the call catches you off guard, do not worry. Simply

thank them for their call and request that you call them back shortly, confirm

a time and take their details.

Be prepared for the telephone interview by having a copy of the

advertisement and your resume in front of you and be sure to familiarise

yourself with them.

Now is the time to prepare yourself for the telephone interview with the

recruiter. This will be a short call, so it is important that you get across your

relevant skills and experience in line with the position criteria. The first thing is;

understanding what sort of questions they are going to ask you and what sort

of information they are hoping to gather. Some of the questions they may ask

will be –

What are you working rights; are you on a VISA which enables you to

work in that country, do you have Permanent Residency or are you a

citizen?

How did your hear about the position and have you previously

interviewed with the company?

What experience do you have relevant to the role?

o The recruiter will want you to walk them through your career. Be

briefly descriptive yet focus on relevant experience, you will only

have a short time to do so.

What qualifications do you have?

What are your motivations for applying for the position and why are

you interested in working for the company?

What are your future career objectives?

o Do not be afraid to say you are not sure yet, however, follow up

with; ‘but I would like to progress further and I would be open to

opportunities which allowed me to do so as I feel I could add

value to the organisation.’

What is your notice period?

Do you have any upcoming holidays?

What is your availability to start if successful?

Are there any conflicts of interest with your application i.e. do you own

a consultancy company on the side?

Have you applied for any other roles?

o Be upfront it you have, they will respect your honesty. Be careful

though to only be open about roles that you have been

contacted about or think you might get contacted for. You do

not want to be seen saying - yes I have applied for many and

have not heard back from any.

What is your current salary?

o It is now increasingly more prevalent that recruiters will ask for

salary information, this is so that they can understand where you

sit in the market and whether you would be open to negotiation

should the packages be different. You can at this stage ask if

they are able to disclose what the salary would be but if they

can't respect this and leave it, you do not want to give off the

wrong impression that you are purely money motivated. Whilst

money is important you should be driven by the opportunity.

It is imperative that you call the Recruiter back when you say you will! If they

miss your call it could be because they were tied up. Only call them once

and leave a message, they will call you back as soon as they can. Most

people have caller ID and needless to say when they see they have 15

missed calls from the same number it doesn't look the best.

Interview with the Hiring Manager

Preparing for your interview

Do not be afraid to ask the Recruitment Specialist relevant questions about

the interview process, for example;

√ How many people will be attending on the day?

√ How long will the interview go for?

√ Is there anything that I need to bring with me?

√ Would they mind sending you a copy of the advertisement with the

interview confirmation, so you may fully prepare beforehand? etc.

Questions which are not relevant and should not be asked are;

х How many people are you interviewing?

х What do you think my chances are?

х How much money are you paying? etc.

Again, at this stage it is too early in the process to begin asking questions

around remuneration and benefits. If you believe in yourself and your abilities,

have faith the company will pay in line with the current market rate. In many

large organisations the Recruitment Specialist will not know what money is

being paid until they present an offer of employment. If you press on this

subject it can make the relationship awkward, just understand that if they are

able to share it with you they will.

Be sure to listen to the Recruitment Specialist when they are explaining the

interview process. A good Recruiter will talk you through what will happen on

the day of the interview. They should cover; who will be there, how long it will

go for and where it will be. They will then send you an interview confirmation

for you to refer to, but it is always a good idea to jot down the details just in

case.

Now remember all companies are different, including what sort of interview

structure and style they use. The Recruitment Specialist will describe their

particular method, it is very important that you understand and have clear

expectations of what is involved and what you need to prepare for. It is

highly recommended that you take lots of notes at this stage. A popular

method with large organisations which is now beginning to be adopted by

many smaller companies is; behavioural interviewing combined with

competency based questions, some specific positions may require you to do

a presentation also.

The best way to prepare for an interview of any kind is to ensure that you are

100% familiar with the information stated in the advert. The advertisement will

generally highlight;

Brief description of the Company

The function of the position

The key responsibilities of the role

The Technical and non-technical skill set the preferred candidate

should possess

The companies values and preferred candidates personal attributes

Go through each point of the advert and look for synergies with your own

experience. Pose each of these points to yourself as a question and using

your experience answer it.

For example, if the position requires you to have written safety procedures then

ask yourself “What safety procedures have I written?” Then write down the

answer.

If the position requires you to have good communications skills, ask yourself

‘When have I demonstrated good communication?” Then write down the

answer.

For example, if the position requires you to have written safety procedures

then ask yourself “What safety procedures have I written?” Then write down

the answer.

If the position requires you to have good communications skills, ask yourself

‘When have I demonstrated good communication?” Then write down the

answer.

Follow the STAR technique included in this guide when practicing the answers

to your questions. This technique or ones similar are most likely to be used

during the interview itself, so it is important that you have taken the time to

remember the details of relevant events.

Be sure to research the company thoroughly; know what the business is

about and the recent ventures it has been involved in, is it a local or global

company, where does it sit in its specific market, how is it tracking with its

projects etc. You will not normally be quizzed on this in the interview but do

not be surprised if you are asked what you know about the company. The

last thing you want is to be caught off guard. It is important for you to know

this information for yourself as well, as it should form part of your reasoning

why you want the role and understanding of how it will influence your career

path.

The interview is going to be the perfect time for you to ask the interviewers

any questions you may have, do not waste this opportunity! Before the

interview, ensure you have a list of questions you would like to ask. This will

demonstrate to the interviewers that you have thought about the position in

depth, as long as your questions are appropriate this will be seen as

favourable by the interviewers.

The interviewer should introduce this section, however, if this is missed politely

ask if there is time for you to ask a few questions. Keep it brief, about three is

sufficient. Some standard questions which are appropriate to ask are;

What do you see as the key challenges of this role?

What would you be expecting of the successful candidate in the first 3

- 6 months?

I feel I have a good understanding of the role but can you provide a

It is important to know what the company’s values are, as there will normally be

a question or two related to these or behavioural questions written to be in line

with them. The company will be assessing to see how your personal values match

with theirs and are you a good culture fit for the company.

It is important to know what the company’s values are, as there will normally be a

question or two related to these or behavioural questions written to be in line with

them. The company will be assessing to see how your personal values match with

theirs and whether you are a good culture fit for the company.

brief insight into how you feel it fits into the bigger organisation/project.

In regards to the team you manage can you provide an insight into the

size and make up of responsibilities?

What do you think are the key challenges of this project and how can

this role help to make a difference?

Types of questions which could be asked in the

interview

Typical standard questions you may be asked in a face to face (or formal

telephone) interview are -

Career overview and key achievements

Safety - if it is a mining/resources/oil & gas company they will always

ask this.

Technical questions related to the key responsibilities of the role

Behavioural/soft skills questions related to the key criteria of the role

Company values

Role motivation and career aspirations

The career overview (although seemingly the easiest) can often be where

most people fall down. It is generally the first question asked, so it is likely that

you are going to be nervous when responding. To overcome your nerves

consider the below points;

Go over your career in chronological order (either starting with your

current or most recent position and working back or working from past

to present – either way is appropriate)

Focus on your relevant experience in line with the position

Keep your overview to 5/10 mins - You will have many other questions

to answer in order to get your experience and skills across

It is important to know what the company’s values are, as there will normally be a

question or two related to these or behavioural questions written to be in line

with them. The company will be assessing to see how your personal values match

with theirs and are you a good culture fit for the company.

Definitely do not ask about salary and remuneration in the interview. This is not

the appropriate time to have that discussion and should always be handled

offline with the recruiter.

Do not read from your resume, you should be able to highlight your

experience and tell the interviewers more than what they can read on

paper

Describe a relevant career achievement

Your career overview is your chance to make a good first impression on the

interviewers. So practice providing a brief career overview that is RELEVANT

to that SPECIFIC role. Remember that the interviewers have read your

resume, so they do not need you to walk them through all of what you have

already included on there.

They do however want to get an idea of the career journey you have been

on but delve more into the roles that you feel are relevant. Explain why you

think they are relevant (using words such as “transferable skills include”,

“synergies with this position would be “etc.), then talk through what your

responsibilities were in each particular position. If you were involved in a

project do not forget to give the context such as; size, budget/scope,

timescales etc. (as long as it is not confidential). The Interviewers will

generally ask for a particular career highlight or key achievement, have a

relevant one in mind and keep it short and specific.

It is important that you do not go any longer than this, as you may not be

given enough time to answer all of the remaining questions, leaving you at a

disadvantage.

If you are applying for a role within a mining/resources or oil & gas company

then you can guarantee that there will be a question based on safety. A lot

of people stumble here if they have only been in corporate/office based

positions as they feel that safety is not as prominent. In the mining/ resources

and oil & gas industry organisations take office safety as seriously as field

safety, so make sure you do not show/demonstrate your indifference to it.

Office safety examples could relate to; ergonomics, being a fire warden, trip

hazards, kitchen hazards, heavy lifting and safe work initiatives. Often these

companies will also want to know about your personal safety, think; driving

(speed limits/seat belts/no drink driving etc.), DIY, gardening, hobbies/sports,

It is important to know what the company’s values are, as there will normally be a

question or two related to these or behavioural questions written to be in line

with them. The company will be assessing to see how your personal values match

with theirs and are you a good culture fit for the company.

Between the career overview and key achievement section it should take

around 10 minutes so make sure to practice what you are going to say

ahead of time.

home safety gear and children safety/swimming etc. They are assessing your

attitude towards safety and that you care, they do not expect you to be a

HES professional (unless you are one) but they will want to know you take it

seriously.

Another common question which is used traditionally to close out the

interview (but also has been known to start the interview after the career

overview) is about your motivations for applying for the role you are

interviewing for, why you want to work for the company and what your

longer term career aspirations are. Seems straight forward enough, but this

question can have the largest impact on the outcome of your interview. This

question tells the interviewers more about you, your drivers and your attitude,

than any other question, so be careful how you answer it. The simple rule is,

do not be negative or problem focused, instead be positive and solution

focused. The question is NOT "Why do you not want to work where you

currently are?" Do not waste the interviewer’s time by telling them why you

do not want to work for your current company and no time talking about

why you want their role with their company. So in addressing the true

intention of the question make sure you cover;

Why you want the job (not the company, not any job, THAT specific

job)

What do you think you can bring to the role and how can you add

value

Talk about the company and why personally you are driven to work for

them (this could be because of their reputation within the market or

your interests in the projects they are involved in etc.)

What you want to do longer term, do you have a set career goal you

are working towards? Talk about your shorter term goals to achieve

this. At the same time if you do not know which direction you want to

take be honest about that. Explain that you are driven and want to

progress but just not sure which path you want to take yet, that you

would be open to seeing what opportunities in the future and where

you can add the most value to that organisation.

In that question they want to get a real feel of you and what drives you but

also they want to hear what you think you will bring to the role. It is a two-way

street, it not all about what the company can do for you but what you can

do for the company, so recap how you would be of value to them.

Interview Behaviour and Etiquette

Now you are prepared for you the interview questions, it is important that you

understand the expected interview behaviours and etiquette. Through all of

your engagements with the company you must ensure you make a good

impression. In this section we will go through what is acceptable behaviour

and what is not.

1. Try to be flexible with interview times:

You will normally have a good couple of days to prepare. That said

sometimes things can happen last minute so if you do get a call asking you to

come in for interview in a day or two's time try to be flexible as this shows that

you are keen for the opportunity and can be adaptable.

2. Research the interview panel:

The Recruiter should provide you with the name and job titles of all the

people who will be interviewing you, however, if they do not it is ok to ask

them to share this with you. Once you have the names of the interviewers,

take a look beforehand at their experience on LinkedIn or depending on the

seniority see if there is a blurb on the company website about them and their

experience. It is helpful for you to know who you will be meeting and where

they have come from as they may be things in common and you will know

how to better present information to them.

3. Name dropping mutual contacts only:

If you notice that you have a mutual contact then you can casually drop a

name during the interview if it links to a relevant example or company you

It is important to know what the company’s values are, as there will normally be

a question or two related to these or behavioural questions written to be in line

with them. The company will be assessing to see how your personal values

match with theirs and are you a good culture fit for the company.

Be careful and tactful in your approach, for example; do not just come out

with "you studied at UWA and I did too". This is likely to put them on edge as

they do not know why or how you know this information. Instead try "I was

doing some research beforehand and saw on LinkedIn that you had

previously attended UWA which is the same university I went to", this is

much less invasive.

worked for, but do not continually name drop different people. You also

want to be careful of who you mention, as you do not know the interviewers

feelings of that person and you could be considered guilty by association.

4. Note taking prior and during the interview:

This is an undecided point with both Recruiters and Hiring Managers if it is

favourable or not for candidates to use notes during and interview. The best

thing to do is; prepare and have notes which you can refer to if there is an

opportunity to, but know them well enough that you do not need to rely on

them if they are not permitted. Bring them with you to the interview but

check with the Recruiter if it is ok for you to use them. Many will feel that it

demonstrates that you are organised, prepared and keen to make a good

impression. However, it is critical that if you are given the opportunity to refer

to your notes, that you do just that, refer only! Do not get caught up on

reading from them verbatim, this will not go down well.

The notes should be prompts only, dot points or visual aids, not long

sentences that you read from. You should know your own experience, so a

reminder should be all you need. If you get nervous and start to waffle or

stumble, you can then refer to these prompts. Before you interview you

should have already noted down specific examples that you think are

relevant and have practiced beforehand, so you should not need to check

your notes. An example of a prompt is; Safety Procedure – Warehouse

Supervisor – X company.

5. Language used including the universal “we”:

It is very important that you consider the language that you use during an

interview. This is a time to sell you skills and experience, but there is a fine line

between selling and coming across and arrogant. The purpose of the

interview is for the interviewers to get a good understanding of you have

done during you career. Many people find themselves referring to ‘we’

throughout their interview. Whilst the word ‘we’ implies that you are team

oriented, which is a positive attribute, it does not tell the interviewers what

you particularly did and what you are capable of. On the other hand, those

who refer to ‘I’ throughout the interview can be perceived as egotistical and

not someone who recognises the value of their team members.

6) Listening - Be sure you listen to the interview questions carefully:

Not actively listening is surprisingly a very common mistake. When you are

nervous you may find that you will only listen to one part of the question and

not the rest of it or you will hear what they want to hear and end up giving an

irrelevant example. Do not be afraid to jot down notes when the interviewer

is asking a question and pull out the key criteria you need to address, for

example;

“Tell us about a time you have been busy and pressurised at work and still

ensured the safety of yourself and others was not compromised.”

The key things you need to address;

Provide a busy/ high pressured situation (do not say every day is busy,

give a specific example which is over and above your general duties).

What did you do (your actions) to ensure the safety of yourself and

your team.

What was the result of the situation due to your actions

If you feel that you haven't got a grasp of the question do not start waffling in

the hopes it might come to you or you might strike it lucky and get the topic.

Ask the interviewer to repeat the question, this will not look bad as the

interview panel prefer you to give a relevant example rather than waffle.

Remember do not be general or theoretical (avoid I would do this) and

remember to be specific i.e. “I am busy on a day to day basis however one

specific example where I was busy and under pressure was...”

The best way to communicate your answer is by first stating whether or not it

was a team effort. For example you could say; “it was a team project and we

were tasked with delivering X, however, I was responsible for Y. I did a,b,c to

contribute to the project and we then won an award for the work we

produced”.

7) Engage with everyone in the room and make eye contact:

Make sure you engage with everyone in the room, not just the hiring

manager. Everyone at the end of the interview will provide their thoughts and

feedback to come to a general consensus on how they felt it went. Although

the manager will make an overriding decision, if you have ignored anyone in

the room they will not comment favourably on your interview. Make sure to

make eye contact when talking to people, don't look at your hands or feet,

don't fidget in your chair, don't lean back in the chair etc. Be interested and

show it.

8) Time Keeping:

Interviews are normally only one hour in length and compromise traditionally

of a minimum of 6 questions but can go up to 9 or 10. Therefore it is important

to be clear and concise with your answers, on average you will only have

approximately 4 - 5 minutes to respond to each question. It can sound like

plenty of time but you will be surprised how quick it goes. Practice responding

to one of the standard questions and time it, chances are you will go over.

Being brief is really all about practicing; not waffling, not getting caught up in

detail and making sure that what you are saying is relevant, on point and

follows the STAR technique.

9) Asking questions of the panel:

At the end of every interview there should be time allocated for you to ask

questions of the interviewers. Be sure that you always ask a couple of

questions, you should already have these prepared but you may find that

you have through of some others throughout the interview. By not asking a

question it can give the impression that you feel you know the job already

which let's face it no one knows the job fully until you are in it. Again you want

to come across as interested in the position and not over-confident.

Most importantly remember to close out the interview by thanking them for

their time and the opportunity to meet with them.

Interview Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s:

√ Be prepared for the telephone interview with the Recruiter, have a saved

copy of the advert and your resume at hand

√ Ask the Recruiter for a better time to discuss the role if you are not in a

position to speak with them, but be sure to call them back at the exact

time you say you will

√ Ask the Recruiter appropriate questions about the recruitment process

and nature of the interview

√ Prepare for your interview thoroughly, using the information provided by

the recruiter and the description of the position on the advertisement

√ Consider the STAR technique when preparing your examples which you

may use in the interview

√ Prepare notes for your interview but do not be reliant on them, you may

not be able to use them in the interview. Ask the recruiter if it is ok if you

refer to them.

√ Be sure to listen to the interview question, jot down notes and consider the

main criteria

√ Be engaging, make sure you engage with everyone in the room not just

the hiring manager. All of the interviewers will be provided their thoughts

and feedback on your skills, experience and culture fit.

√ Practice your examples and time them, remember; do not waffle, do not

go into too much detail, be relevant and consider the STAR technique

√ Be honest and respectful at all times during the recruitment process, no

matter who you are liaising with

Don’ts:

х Do not ask the Recruiter or panel inappropriate questions about

remuneration, benefits or about other candidates

х Do not be late for your interview, always arrive early to the general

interview location and approx. 5 minutes early to the actual interview

х Do not attend the interview in non-appropriate clothing, if unsure ask the

interviewer if it is smart business, business casual or casual

х Do not make jokes, you never know the full background of the panel and

who might be offended

х Be aware of body language, this can speak louder than words so make

sure to sit upright and be present and engaging with the room

STAR Technique

This is one of the most common interview styles used by companies today.

This acronym lays out the structure that interviewers are looking for you to

follow when providing your specific examples to their questions. It stands for;

When addressing the situation, keep it to a high level overview. The

Interviewers do not need to necessarily know all the ins and outs of what

happened, they just need a feel for it.

Detail the task you were working on and your particular actions; what did you

specifically do (be careful of saying ‘we’) to help rectify the situation.

Most importantly highlight the result of the situation and what difference did

your actions make to it.

It is always an extra value add if you can also provide a lesson learnt from the

example i.e. something you would do differently if given the chance again or

in the future. This helps to demonstrate your awareness of the importance of

reflecting back and utilizing previous learnings to help better future

outcomes.

Pro Resume Write wishes you all the best for your

interview!

It is important to know what the company’s values are, as there will normally be

a question or two related to these or behavioural questions written to be in line

with them. The company will be assessing to see how your personal values

match with theirs and are you a good culture fit for the company.

Situation – Describe a particular work related circumstance.

Task - Describe the particular task you were undertaking.

Action – Describe your actions

Result – Describe the outcome of your actions and the overall result of the

situation