Have you ever wondered what’s going through the heads of the hiring managers at a job interview? The process of getting hired for a job can be mysterious and time-consuming – and it’s the same for people doing the hiring.
There are many questions that hiring managers ask their prospective new employees, and just as many questions that the managers ask themselves.
Here are a few key questions that managers have on their minds as they decide who to hire:
- Is this person the right fit for the job? Managers want to hire the right person for each job. The “right” person does not always equal the “best educated,” “most experienced” or “highest paid” person. If you’ve ever been turned down for a job that you felt well qualified for, the reasons might be that the hiring manager thought you were overqualified (and therefore likely to leave for another job), too expensive (and unwilling to accept the salary budgeted for the job), or otherwise just not a good fit. Sometimes managers go with their gut when making the final decision on a hire. If a manager feels a twinge of doubt about you, or wonders if you’ll really still be around in six months, they probably will choose someone else.
- Does this person really want the job? If you’re applying for a job in a totally different career field, or if you’re applying for a job that might be considered a “step down” from what you’ve done before, or if you come across as being low-energy or disinterested during your job interview, the hiring manager might ask themselves, “Does this person really want the job? Are they really committed to this company?” To show that you want the job, ask lots of good, detailed questions about the position, about the team, and about the company. Show that you’ve done your research. Show that you know something about what the company does and that you’re interested in seeing where the company is headed in the future.
- Do I want to work with this person? Managers are just like anyone else – they like to work with people who they like. If you can build a good rapport during the job interview, and come across as being the kind of person that your manager will want to spend 8 or more hours a day with, you’ll be much more likely to get the job.
- Will this person fit in with the rest of the team? Managers aren’t hiring just based on their own preferences, they’re also thinking about the rest of your future team. There are different personalities, skill sets, and work styles to think about. Every team is its own unique ecosystem, and managers need to be careful whenever they introduce a new person into the mix.
- Will this person make me look good to my boss? Managers don’t want to hire people who are going to make them look bad. Ideally, they want to hire people who will help make the team stronger, who will help get better results, and who will help the manager look smart for having hired them.
As you get ready to answer questions at your job interview, give some thought to the questions your interviewer is asking herself. This might help you show that you’re the person with the answers to the boss’s problem – and get you hired.
Ben Gran (http://benjamingran.com/) is a freelance writer and marketing consultant based in Des Moines, Iowa. He is an award-winning blogger who loves to write about careers and the future of work.
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