|
Tells Nokia...... why interview clear aapne na kia?
Anil Mahajan
The Beware Factor
Interview: 10.00 AM
What if...
I hire him…
He wins Pitches…
Mr. Popular…
He Takes my Job!!!
So, I better not hire him.
What we discussed in the last issue on “The Beware Factor” has been
amply demonstrated in the recent ad on TV by Nokia.
The power of negative imaging generates fear in the hiring manager –
and it is a power that is abundantly & universally present among all
professionals. Hiring manager, therefore, tend not to select people
who appear better than them.
One notable exception was Henry Rockefeller. He was asked by a news
magazine as to what was the secret of his success.
“I always select professionals better than me.”
The stark reality is that almost cent per cent of hiring managers
either go for a professional appearing a shade or a couple of shades
lower in ability. The hiring manager is not the owner of the
organisation, and he doesn’t want to have nightmares about losing his
job. He find the easiest solution: REJECT THIS MAN under one pretext
or another.
So where is the solution for the candidate?
Either try to appear a shade lower than the interviewer or try to
appear like his alter ego (again a shade lower) as a bit of narcissism
is present in everybody. You see your face everyday in the mirror &
never hate it. Even Mogambo likes himself. Being a hiring manager’s
alter ego needs a careful research of the interviewer both offline,
before the interview and online during the interview. Relating is a
deadly tool & coupled with Alter ego tool generates a strong Potion to
effectively nip the “The Beware Factor” in the bud.
Common Ground
One of my readers could not fully understand the Relating concept &
called me up. He was to appear in an interview in a durables company &
the hiring manager was some Bannerjee. He thought that relating meant
the interviewer would select one of his Relations or a Bengali fellow.
It took me half an hour to explain the concept of relating which is
Continually Building Common Ground. You are not being interviewed for
a govt. job where Bhai Bhatijabaad(nepotism) matters the most. It is a
case of one of the private sector organisations, where delivery &
results are most important. Selection tool “Relating” dwells on the
comfort level. More the comfort level you can generate into the mind
of the hiring manager, better are your chances of selection.
Now, why the hell he is looking for comfort level? Because, he would
find himself comfortable in generating results for the company with
you as a subordinate.
Comfort level, Relating Concept and Beware factors have been
sufficiently discussed.
Another psychographic factor I am gonna discuss now is “Handle Tool
Factor”.
Interview the Company
When you go for the interview, “Interview companies for your job -
don’t let them interview you”.
For most job seekers, this is an important attitudinal distinction.
Many of us forget that the decision to accept a position is far more
critical for us than it is for the employer. If they make a mistake,
they just go through the recruiting process again. You, on the other
hand, have invested an amount of your professional lifetime that is
gone forever.
Viewing it that way, your
“selection” takes on a different perspective.
A majority of job seekers go to the interview simply to get grilled.
You don’t get an opportunity for asking any questions during an
interview, except sometimes in the end. The interviewer is bombarding
you unknown missiles & you are trying your best to answer. The “Handle
Tool Factor” helps you in turning unknown missiles into known
missiles. You ask a small question or make a statement somewhere in
the beginning, so that the subject of discussion revolves throughout
around your expertise.
For example, In case you are exceptionally good in network marketing
and you have done enough homework on knowing the weak points of the
interviewing company in marketing, casually mention in the beginning
itself that you know the company is facing problems in network
marketing.
Now, most of the questions shot by the interviewer will be known
missiles & will revolve around the subject of your core-competence.
Other nasty questions on your probable weak links elsewhere will most
probably be warded off. In the final analysis, you don’t get a job —
you pick one.
You must develop an attitude of not falling prey to the unpredictable
situations but instead try to foster or help create development of a
situation favourable to you.
How much do you expect?
How much do you expect? This is the most frequently asked question in
an interview. Giving a figure right in the beginning to the HRD
gatekeepers doesn’t help. If you need a job badly & that too on your
terms, try to delay answering this question till the interview with
the hiring manager is over. As a headhunter, I have utilised this
delaying tactic in getting higher salaries for candidates I have sent
to my clients. I train the applicant into replying differently to the
HRD folks in the first phase, or otherwise HRD will bid him good bye,
feeling he is expensive or is not cost effective without realizing his
worth (the worth can be realized by the hiring head only).
Once you have the hiring
manager on your side i.e., he has started liking you immensely, it is
the time to play your “Taking Advantage of the Situation” card. Now
you ask for a higher salary & you get it only because suddenly the
hiring manager is pleading with the HRD into hiring you as he has
developed a strong feeling that you would be an asset to him (probably
he has realized that you alone can put, let’s say, the hydraulic
system in order, or lift the dwindling market share) and he is damn
interested in preserving the asset.
Normally the jobseekers give in right in the beginning. Either they
are outrightly rejected for asking for too much, or they settle for
too little or even peanuts as they know they need the job badly & they
don’t risk negotiation. Job seekers who give “yes, but…” excuses for
accepting less than they’re worth suffer from Negotiating Impairment
Syndrome, which is characterized by a discounting or outright denial
of opportunities to negotiate for more money.
Back to Mr. Disaster
Lemme continue with Mr. Disaster attending a mock interview session
with me.
Now, I am sick of this man & shoot a question to him. “You left
company XYZ in January 1984 & joined company ABC in October 1985. What
were you doing all these months? The man, who was no longer slouching,
starts tapping his foot more furiously. This is fidgeting. It is
criminal to indulge in fidgeting like playing with your hair, clicking
pen tops, tapping feet or unconsciously touching parts of the body.
Nobody likes others indulging in fidgeting & rejection in the
interview is guaranteed 100%.
I have been trying in vain
to make eye contact with him for the last 25 minutes. You must build
chemistry with the interviewer by looking the interviewer in the eye.
You don’t want to stare, as this shows aggression. Occasionally, and
nonchalantly, glance at the interviewer’s hand as he is speaking. By
constantly looking around the room while you are talking, you convey a
lack of confidence or discomfort with what is being discussed.
The bugger is nervously
giving incoherent reply to my question on the gap in service again
without eye contact. Check your CV for possible gaps! Make sure you
know how you are going to explain time gaps on your CV. Write down and
practice possible questions! Writing them down and practicing them
with someone will make it easier to remember when you get to the
interview.
Mr. Disaster is nervous? Neither being nervous nor being incoherent
helps. Both these unwanted traits drive the final nail into the
coffin. Take a deep breath and remember you’ve already passed the
first test, generally a screening of your resume by either a placement
consultant or HRD fellas or by both. You better know they’re
interested or they wouldn’t be taking the time to interview you.
Therefore, go into the interview knowing you’ve already got them on
the hook. Be confident, yet not boastful.
I think space constraints signal me to sign off now.
No two interviews are the same, so you can’t plan exactly how the
interview will go, but it is important to have a Interview Strategy.
It is imperative that you face the interview as a selling meeting;
meaning building personal chemistry and establishing an open dialogue
for free information exchange.
Success is not necessarily what you say, but how you say it.
 |
|
Jobnet's
Placement Consultants Directory - India & International
What's Inside?
Placement Consultants in
over 38 cities in India
International Placement
Consultants in over 31 countries
Coverage in MNC's NGO's
UN Government & Indian Co websites
Special Section for
Freshers
with complete Addresses,
telephone numbers, email ids & specializations.
Jobnet Placement Consultants
Directory -
Order Online
or Call - 09811017183 |
