iCIMS Hire Expectations™

As jobs are becoming more and more difficult to find, job seekers are taking extreme measures in an effort to make themselves stand out to employers. Where formality was once the best way to get noticed for a position, now creativity may be the key to landing the perfect job.

I will admit that I, myself, have seen the movie Legally Blonde probably close to 40 times. For those of you who share my love for romantic comedies, you might remember that ‘Elle Woods’ was one of the first to take part in this creative approach to the application process. When applying to Harvard Law, she decided to send a video expressing herself, in lieu of a personal essay, which helped her gain a spot at the school even though her credentials may not have been the most impressive. Later on in the movie, she gives out her resume which was printed on pink, scented paper. Was Elle Woods on to something with her daring alterations to standard procedure?

In an article on Careerbuilder, advertising professional, Alec Brownstein, was fed up with applying for jobs in the usual matter, especially since he was getting zero response from recruiters. Brownstein thought about how everyone “Googles themselves” and came up with an idea. He bought sponsored links attached to the names of top advertising professionals. This way, when they Googled themselves, Brownstein’s ad would come up saying, "Hey, [creative director's name] Goooogling [sic] yourself is a lot of fun. Hiring me is fun, too" with a link to his website. This idea was very inexpensive, six dollars to be exact, and in a few months he was hired at top-advertising firm, Young & Rubicam.

Other creative ideas include t-shirts that read “Hire Me” and heat-sensitive resume paper, so the paper will change color when touched.

Although some of these ideas have proven successful, there is a fine line between creativity and desperation. Employers want to see that you are clever and will use this intelligence if hired at their company. Some people are going above and (maybe a little too far) beyond in hopes of getting noticed. One employer wrote about a candidate who taped a plastic spoon on their resume and wrote “Need to Eat” on it. While this may be ‘cute’ it came off as desperate to the employer and didn’t illustrate any accomplishments or qualifications. There have also been cases of people getting billboards put up for $1200, advertising the person’s resume or even getting tattoos that say “Hire Me”.

To all of you recruiters out there…What is the most creative way someone has applied to your company? Did an “out of the ordinary” application make you more or less likely to hire the applicant?

Although the pink, scented resume worked in the case of Legally Blonde, job seekers must take into consideration the type of job in which they are hoping to land. Although creativity and ingenuity may work for some professions, others still stick to protocol. There are still ways to get noticed in an interview even without using any crazy tactics.

Some important things to remember before an interview:

• Timing is everything- Showing up late to an interview can cost you the job before you even say hello. Many companies view showing up on time as being late, and showing up early as being on time. So play it safe and be early!
• Dress the part- No matter what type of position you are applying for, it is always good to dress more formal than usual when going for an interview. Wearing a tuxedo (like in the move Step-Brothers) may not be the best idea, but looking somewhat professional will show the employer you are serious about the position. Also, try accenting your outfit with a few bold colors. Colors like red and royal blue exude power and will help you stand out to the interviewer. 
• Relax- While being interviewed, the most important thing is to stay calm. Avoiding eye contact and fidgeting tells your interviewer that you are not confident. Also, never lie! Your interviewer will be more interested in hearing your real experience and what you want to learn in the future, than hear embellished information and find out later that you were dishonest. 
• Personality- In my opinion, personality is everything. Jobs that deal with any type of customer service or sales require employees with great people skills. Answering questions robotically might show that you know your stuff, but showing that you are friendly and personable can also be what sets you apart from other candidates. 

From the time of adolescence, we have all had the same classic interviewing tips ingrained into our brains: look them in the eye, have a firm handshake, dress appropriately, arrive on time, etc. As a prospective babysitter or paperboy, these tips seemed overwhelming and irrelevant, despite our parent’s insistence. Ironically, in an age where one is more likely to be looking at a webcam and could feasibly be wearing pajama pants, we might have (finally) proven our parents wrong after all.

Phone and (more recently) video interviewing is becoming more and more prominent in the hiring process. And why wouldn’t it? Among other things, virtual interviewing saves time and money, is beneficial to the environment, and allows interviews to be recorded and replayed. For college students like me, virtual interviewing is an integral part of the internship process that allows for an abundance of opportunities which would otherwise be highly unlikely. I have personally reaped the benefits of virtual interviewing. After applying to iCIMS in Hazlet, NJ, I had two phone interviews, saving me the time and money of having to travel home from school in Boston. Next spring, while I am studying abroad, I will use video interviewing to apply to internships for the following summer. 

But can interaction via telephone or computer truly give recruiters a clear picture of candidates? And conversely, does a mere phone call or video chat give candidates a fair forum to showcase their abilities? On the one hand, both the interviewer and interviewee definitely cannot get a full sense of the other person through a virtual interview. Observing one’s mannerisms and the way they carry themselves can say a lot about how they interact with others, their level of aggression, and their general demeanor - all important aspects when considering a candidate’s fit within the company. In addition, there is always the possibility of technical problems such as lost connections; disruptions like this can make the conversation awkward and distort the interview’s authenticity.

However, virtual communication skills are becoming increasingly important in today’s society. As a candidate that interviews virtually, one will most likely be expected to communicate with clients virtually. Perhaps, in this situation, the recruiter should be most interested in the candidate that can exude themselves best in a virtual setting. 

Some companies are successfully using technology to improve not only the interview process, but the entire hiring and management of employees. Applicant Tracking Systems allow organizations to track candidates’ progress through the entire hiring process. Further, some employee management programs allow automation of the entire employee lifecycle utilizing one centralized platform, as opposed to using multiple, disparate programs. Like virtual interviewing, this saves time, money and the environment!

While technology is making remarkable advances, the debate about virtual interviewing really comes down to balance. In an information age with increasing virtual communication, it is vital to have the knowledge and skills to successfully engage with people in a virtual forum. Nevertheless, solely virtual skills cannot sustain a career. One must still have the ability to effectively communicate with people in person; this means looking them in the eye, having a firm handshake, dressing appropriately, arriving on time, etc. So maybe we should thank our parents for the lecture after all…

Tips for the Virtual Interview Novice:

If you do find yourself intimidated by a virtual interview, don’t worry, it’s easy to make it great! With a phone interview, remember to have your resume on hand; go somewhere quiet and ensure that you have good cell service, or use an available land line. Also, speak clearly and do not interrupt the interviewer. With a video interview, be conscious of the camera. Make sure you read all instructions and questions carefully, dress professionally, and look at the camera. In addition, check that you have good lighting and that your surroundings are not distracting; poor lighting or clutter can take away from you. Finally, remember to smile! No matter what type of interview, a smile always comes through. Good luck!

The interviewing process has been around perhaps for as long as there have been professions. Since trust-building is the most important aspect of any inter-human relationship, the interview is particularly important when it comes to hiring just the right person for the right job.

As the free market developed and grew, both quantitatively and conceptually, so too, did our ideas of what an interview should be like. But today's free market is vastly different from yesteryear's. With the rise of the Internet, globalization, and a general rapid, flexible mobility in almost every aspect of our modern lives, business as usual is different. This we cannot deny.

Although changing the way we think about the interview may be difficult, here are a few things we should consider before resorting to the old interview model.

1. Playing mind games is inefficient.

Recruiters may sometimes get a certain pleasure out of playing psychological tricks on interviewees. This of course, is understandable. However, when we actually think about the process, we will understand how counterintuitive these tricks are. The job of the interviewer should be to bring out the best in each prospective employee. While it can be helpful to see how quickly interviewees can think on their feet with questions like "What are your biggest flaws?", these types of questions should be limited. Making the interviewee as comfortable as possible will most accurately demonstrate exactly how the person can benefit the company.

2. Gauging interviewee interests is important.

While it may seem like an irrelevant endeavor to ask the job candidate about her extra-curricular activities or hobbies, this may be a more important set of questions than one would initially think. An interviewer should aim at getting the best possible holistic picture of who each individual candidate is. Asking the candidate what she does outside of work can help to understand how she can employ the full stratum of her abilities at work.

3. Personal branding is much more complicated now that it used to be.

The Internet is now at the heart of virtually every job, no matter how mundane or basic the position may be. As such, it is essential to find out how well-developed the candidate's knowledge of the Internet is. More importantly, the candidate should have a thorough understanding of her respective Internet identity. Personal branding is not just about general presentability, amiability, and persuasiveness. It's about identity construction, especially in a place that is as mired with falsehoods as the World Wide Web. An interviewer can accomplish this by both searching social media networks, but also by being up-front about virtual and real identity issues during the actual Interview.

Some of these considerations may seem now more self-evident aspects of the interview process. But they are easy to forget since the old-school interview is so deeply embedded in our collective business sub consciousness. Remember these tips, and both you and the candidate will have a more productive and enjoyable session.

This guest post is contributed by Katheryn Rivas, who writes on the topics of online universities accredited.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id: katherynrivas87@gmail.com.