4 of the Most Important Things You Need to Convey to Candidates in a Job Interview

The job interview is a two-way street. In the interview, professionals are trying to determine which job and company is the best for them. And, as more positions become available, job seekers can afford to be more selective when it comes to choosing a new employer.

Just as there are certain things job candidates should convey to interviewers in order to land the job, there are a number of things interviewers should convey about the organization and position in order to convince a candidate to join the company.

Here are some of the most important things you need to communicate to job seekers during the interview:

1. Company culture

Interviewers must convey the sense of the corporate culture from a personal perspective, apart from what corporate marketing literature states.

What matters most to candidates today is having their ideas considered for value and implementation, a sense of ownership in projects they are assigned, and the real potential for advancement based on contributions to the higher strategic objectives of the organization beyond normal duties and responsibilities. Knowledge of these factors early in interview stages helps shape the tone of the interviewer’s response.

Interviewers can frame their pitch by asking questions of candidates, such as the elements of a corporate culture that the candidate would find attractive and important; how they value working with others vs. being an individual contributor; and what aspects of their career objective are

important to them in the next 5 to 10 years.

The responses will vary from candidate to candidate, but the responses help shape various selling points for recruiting specific candidates.

Donn LeVie Jr., Author and Speaker, Donn LeVie Jr. Strategies

2. Unique benefits

Especially if you’re a smaller scale company and can’t compete with corporate salaries, it’s important to highlight the benefits that are unique to your business. If you offer the ability to work from home, a flexible schedule, free coffee and snacks, and/or a fun company culture, be sure to highlight those things to your potential employee.

You can ask your potential employee, “What are you looking for in terms of scheduling?” or “What sort of schedule are you interested in?” Chances are, especially if you’re hiring Millennials, they want a fun company culture and flexible schedule.

Dana Case, Director of Operations, MyCorporation.com

3. What’s in it for them

It is extremely important for interviewers to consider the value proposition the job holds to the potential candidate. Quite simply, what’s in it for him/her that is specific to the candidate’s current situation?

The conversation needs to be tailored to the candidate’s needs. It could be the need for a clear career path, a detailed explanation of a training program, a better compensation plan, a vivid picture of how this person will be mentored into the new role — the list goes on. It’s our job, as interviewers, to uncover these needs and wishes and to honestly respond.

Interviews should focus initially on the candidate and what they are looking for. My first question to a passive candidate is always, “Are you actively looking to make a change or just open to hearing about opportunities?” Their answer sets the tone for the whole meeting and is a good lead-in to asking, “If you were to make a change, what would the ideal next position look like to you?”

These are very open questions that invite dialogue, help you learn what the candidate is looking for without any filters or assumptions on their end. It also shows that you value their interests and wishes for their own career, which is an excellent rapport-building tool.

Anne Finn, Corporate Recruiting Manager, Eliassen Group

4. A realistic snapshot

At ActivityDeck, we firmly believe that, while it’s important to show the perks and highlights of the job, it’s equally important to show them the real picture. Once you tell them what they will really be doing and what will be expected from them, you develop a relationship of trust and honesty with the candidate. And once you do this, the candidates reciprocate.

In order to build a relationship of trust, the interviewer needs to be very clear about the roles, responsibilities, and the perks of the job. Telling them the truth will help candidates understand the position and the company, and will improve employee retention, too, as employees are prepared for the perks and challenges of the job.

Ankit Seth, Co-Founder, ActivityDeck

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What do you think is the most important thing to convey to candidates during the job interview? Let us know in the comments!