In all of our social roles and businesses, our success is determined by our behavior, and the job search is no exception. During career counseling, candidates often ask the question of how much information they can tell about themselves during an interview. What is the recommended boundary between under-disclosing and over-sharing? Sometimes it can be difficult to strike a balance between what information to provide and what information to withhold, so the purpose of this blog post is to provide some key insights and tips on what to look out for when auditioning and what the prevailing trends are.
Screening call. How to prepare for it?
We are seeing a growing trend towards 'light chats' which may seem less binding and are referred to as 'screening' calls in recruiter terminology, but even when you receive such calls, it is important to convey a clear and concise message about your intentions and expectations with the aim of leaving a good impression. first impression. If during the first call you share redundant information that is not relevant to the assessment of your abilities to perform the proposed work, you may lose the interest of the selection specialist and/or not be invited to further selection.
The character of the candidate will speak. How to achieve balance?
Some candidates are naturally very talkative and exhibit more typical extrovert characteristics, so their dominance during the interview is a common phenomenon. As recruiters, we usually enjoy talking with such interviewers because we hear a lot of different stories or even compliments, but there are times when the conversation becomes extremely difficult to control and it deviates from the main goal. Such candidates can be helped by taking time to myself and rethinking what my long-term career expectations are, how they relate to the position I am applying for. Getting the most important information about your experience, skills, strengths and expectations clear and clearly in your notes can help you structure your thoughts and become a more attentive listener as well as a motivated candidate.
A reserved type of candidate. Is less is more?
Other candidates by nature do not like to share information and more easily tolerate a pause of silence during the interview, so filling the silence with information can become the task of the selection specialist. Unfortunately, in these cases, common interview questions like "tell me about yourself" don't always work as an icebreaker, and candidates can fall into the trap of feeling like they have to share irrelevant information. Candidates who do not share fully and openly can leave the impression of unmotivated candidates, creating a vicious cycle. If the candidate describes himself as a reserved type of candidate, we recommend not to go overboard and stick to "less is more", but we would also add that you should not be afraid to ask the selection specialist if you have answered his question or if he would like more information. A good recruiter is likely to appreciate if you want more information and ask additional questions, giving you extra attention and time.
Confidentiality Concerns.
Interviewing is a good time to build trust, so candidates should not only share the personal information the interviewer asks for, but also show that they know when not to share and what not to say. Company sales data, employee salaries, customer information are sensitive or confidential. If a candidate too openly shares irrelevant stories or personal information during the interview, the selection specialist raises a "red flag" more often, as the risk of failing the confidentiality exam and the new workplace increases. Also, not showing categoricalness about the current or former workplace is not easy in all cases, especially when the candidate feels grievances. If a large part of the interview airwaves is occupied by the candidate sharing previous unsuccessful experiences, it is important for both parties to turn this experience into lessons learned and increased competence, and this is a difficult task for both interviewers.
To summarize this topic, the best result in the selection process is likely to be achieved when the selection specialist creates the right conditions for the candidate to relax and open up and takes responsibility for following the interview plan. We believe that an honest and relaxed candidate can more confidently reveal his potential in the selection, so let's encourage discussion and feedback together.
Thank you for reading.
