How to interview for a director position. Preparatory stage before the interview. Typical methods of psychological attack

More and more serious requirements are imposed on applicants for the position of manager. After all, the prosperity of the company and the well-being of all employees depend for the most part on the members of the management team.

Firstly, before meeting with the recruiting manager, study the employing company in detail, look at the company's Internet portal, reviews about it, company news, and also go to the company's official pages in in social networks- get an idea of the corporate culture of the organization: what is the emphasis in the activities, what is valued in the company, what is the company proud of, who are the company's customers. Using this knowledge, you will be able to get closer to understanding how to successfully pass an interview for a managerial position in this company, you will be able to talk about your experience and qualifications in the context of the needs of the employer, to be, as they say, “on the same wavelength”.

Secondly, When presenting the essence of your professional experience, focus on those job functions that are indicated in the vacancy for which you are applying. Talk more concrete facts, especially those that can be verified. There are nuances here. Consider two situations to consider when interviewing for a managerial position.

First: You have not yet held a leadership position. Then you need to remember and describe at least the minimum experience of manifesting yourself as a manager. Perhaps you replaced your boss when the latter was on vacation, on sick leave, or was on a business trip. Or, taking the position of a specialist, you managed a project, where you productively performed the main functions of a leader: organized the project implementation process, planned resources, motivated other members project team, controlled the deadlines and standards, made adjustments to the project execution process.

A story about situations where you have shown yourself as an informal leader will also allow the recruiter to conclude that you can take responsibility, motivate people to certain actions to inspire and lead them.

In addition, if you did not have time to master the specific functions of a leader as deeply as a potential employer requires, then be sure to study this issue yourself: watch free video trainings on youtube or vkontakte, fortunately, there are many worthy business coaches from all over Russia information for effective management.

After that, be sure to tell at the interview for a managerial position that you know how to manage correctly, you want to expand the area of responsibility and are ready to put your knowledge into practice.

Second situation: You have already worked in a leadership position. Then concentrate your story about the experience around your real achievements, preferably in digitized form. Show how the company has changed with your arrival, what specifically has become better, more efficient, what tasks you have solved.

My practical activities at the previous place of work, I recommend that you state it in the form of two large blocks: the functioning of the company and the development of the company.

What have you done to improve the efficiency of the company, what business processes have you optimized, what standards have you implemented, how did this help the company achieve its goals?

What have you done to develop the company, to bring the company closer to its goals? What methods and management tools did you use? It was mostly manual control or system management was built.

Describing the level of tasks that you were involved in, it will not be difficult for the HR manager to understand at what level of management you were effective: strategic, tactical or operational.

Remember that one of the key problems of top management in Russia is that most of the top managers, due to fear of losing control over the situation, do not know how, and often do not want to delegate tasks at the operational level to responsible persons. Therefore, give examples from practice of how you effectively distributed tasks, how you rationally used your work time: looking for suppliers of paper clips for the office or designing a new one organizational structure in connection with the adopted new strategy of the company.

Thirdly, to succeed in an interview - ask the right questions in right order. Often it is on the applicant's questions that the recruiting manager makes a projection about the values of the candidate and his real motivation. One candidate asks first about the provision of a company car, about paying for a mobile phone, about medical insurance, about paying for sick leave, about the availability of overtime and food costs. The second candidate asks about the area of responsibility, the terms of reference, the goals of the company, the tasks that will be assigned to the new employee, and the corporate culture. All questions are important, but the answers to them can be received in a different order and it is important to consider this. What do you think, what portraits of candidates can a recruiter or business owner draw for himself, who makes a decision on hiring?

Fourth, In the final part of the interview, ask questions: “For what key criteria will you choose a new employee?”, “What else can I do to take this position?”. This is very simple questions and they need answers. Asking these questions will give you a clear idea of what else you can do to get the job you want. Take action.

Fifth, After the interview, be sure to write a letter to e-mail to the person with whom the interview was, thank you for the meeting, and if after the interview you have a desire to work in this particular company, then write about it. Once again, briefly, point by point (preferably 3-5 points), state how exactly you can strengthen the company, increase its potential and development. Remember that high salaries pay valuable employees who bring real value to the organization, and this can always be either estimated or measured.

And the last advice on how to successfully pass an interview for a managerial position: in all communications with the contact persons of the employer, focus on your capabilities, your desire to work for the good of the company; take a proactive stance in negotiations with the employer, do not hesitate to offer your ideas even before hiring. Rest assured that you will be appreciated.

Good day to you, dear friend!

In cab The general's Internet is visited by the candidate. General: “I can only give you five minutes! We already know something about you, everything is clear to me. “Of course, of course… I won’t delay you.” The candidate was visibly flustered. Why are such attacks and hard questions at the interview for a managerial position, today we'll talk.

The dialogue described above is a real situation from the practice of the author of these lines.

After the meeting, the general, in my questioning look, said the following:

“Why so hard? My friend, we are looking for a candidate for the position of COO. I need to know who I'm dealing with. Did you see how he flickered? The heads of the workshops will simply peck it and all the issues will have to be decided by me. ”

We must be prepared for such twists and turns in the interview. Especially if we apply for the position of leader.

It should be understood that the tough stage of the interview has nothing to do with how well you fit into the position based on your qualifications or experience. It has to do with you personally.

Typically, a manager (less often a recruiter) uses hard tactics for one of two purposes:

Test your strength. Is it possible to deal with you as an equal partner, or you can be dictated to terms now and in the future.
Make you weaker. If you do not win back the “collision”, fall into a stupor or show excessive emotions that will interfere with you, you become weaker and you can be pushed through, for example, by salary. To the very bottom.

Negotiations are made with the strong, conditions are dictated to the weak.

Typical methods of psychological attack

Attack on personality.

“Are you generally competent in this topic? How are we going to talk to you?”

status pressure

A long wait in the corridor, a limitation in the time of the conversation (as in the example that I gave).

“You were still in kindergarten when I sorted out such issues!”

Creating an uncomfortable situation

Low or too high chair, light in the face from the window.

Experiencing awkwardness at the level of the body, you do not grow in strength. The lion's share of your energy goes into holding this uncomfortable posture.

Silent dialogue

“Well, you first tell me, and I will listen, see what level you have.”

In fairness, I’ll say that the tough part of the interview is precisely the part, the initial test.

The content of the business part of the conversation largely depends on how you go through it.

Rules of the game

To survive in a tough interview, you need to play the games that you are offered correctly.

At each point in time, you should test at what stage the interview is and what state you are in.

It is important to separate emotion and technology.

The main principle of a tough interview is to evoke uncomfortable emotions.If you are led, you become weaker.

If you understand: yes I have negative emotions, but that's part of the game - you can move on.

If you know that status attack is an emotional game, you are just playing by those rules.Try to win back the attack.If you didn’t win back, you were lowered one rank lower.

Know that the first attack may be followed by a second and more until you sink to the bottom.

Try not to start the main part of the conversation if you have not restored emotional balance.

Provocation is part of this tough interview technology.

Response Strategies

It's important to understand here:

1. What is this game for?.

What type of person does a manager select for his team? Or why a recruiter does it.

If this is just a check on your emotional stability, - You can simply ignore the attack.

2. What status in further conversation and possibly relationships will suit you. If you want to show the personal power of a person of an equal level with whom you need to negotiate, I recommend avoiding the following mistakes:

a) Ignore attack. You will immediately be counted into the category of weaker ones. If a suitable answer does not come to mind, apply. joke? You can try if you are sure it will be funny.

b) make excuses. “Oh, I’ll explain now, the thing is… you know…”

You are giving up your positions.

v) go to conflict

Argue, prove, if you understand that this is an attack on you, and not an ordinary fair question.

This is very important to share.

Worst Response Strategy — carry on a conversation from a state of need. Need is the fear of failing an interview. Dependence on the outcome, vulnerability on the final outcome.

You kind of become so small and dependent on the person opposite.

Need/Fear State Markers:

verbosity - as if you are afraid of being late, that they will not hear you, they will not understand.
no pauses and questions
talk more about yourself, and not the tasks of the company and partner
rejection of the answer "no". You make concessions because you are afraid of getting a “no” answer.

Best Response Strategy — save dignity, inner contact with your value and the benefit that you can bring.

Conviction in your value and usefulness for the people with whom you communicate - this is the state of dignity. And you don't have to prove or convince anything.

It is from this state of dignity that one should communicate. How is it with Vysotsky: “You can’t rummage around like this ...”)

Dignity state markers:

You are talking with the interlocutor, and not with your internal dialogue.
Asking questions.
You can start talking freely about him and his needs. If necessary, you really want to tell about yourself.

One of the markers of this state: can you say the phrase: “You can refuse ...”?

Just make an offer: "You can say no, and you and I don't waste our time." In a state of need, it is very difficult to say this phrase.

Techniques for repelling a psychological attack

In this article, we said that you have a preliminary proposal. This is what you go to the head with.

If still not, these may be your advantages, the answer to the question “?”. This is your horse.

Repelling an emotional attack is not a substantive response.

This is not an excuse, a rebuttal, or an argument.

This is a bridge for your skate.

The answer in most cases begins with the words "You are absolutely right ...", or something like that. Accompanied by a slight smile with the tips of the lips. Just not to the ears and God forbid laughter.

1. Strengthening the attack

“I can only give you five minutes!”

We pause, - You are absolutely right, I think 4 minutes is enough to understand whether it is worth talking further. That is why I will be brief and move on to what I would like to say ...

2. Template break

- Don't need a portfolio, tell me quickly .... And waiting for you to flicker, apologize ...

- You are absolutely right. Shouldn't be shown. If you are ready to make a decision based on a short oral conversation, great. It is important that it will be your decision...”

The main thing is that you have shown that you have value and you value your time, you are not afraid to leave.

3. Refine content

- I heard your managers are not clean-handed ...

- You are absolutely right, it happens that employees are not clean at hand (remember?). I hope you have strong arguments and evidence. We can devote time to reviewing them or move on to what I would like to say”

You have no need, you are not afraid that the work will slip away from you. And when you're not afraid, you're much more likely to get it.

4. Compliment attack

“You are absolutely right, Lev Abramovich. Thank you for clearly and most importantly loudly conveyed your position. Now listen to my…”

5. I am flattered

“There are rumors that you need to keep an eye out for…”

“I am flattered that a person of your level is interested in me, but it surprises me that he stands on other people's opinions. That is why we can give each other the opportunity to discuss this issue in today's conversation.”

It is very important that there is no irony in your answers, let alone mockery.

6. Game in the fog

More about this approach. You can also apply other techniques from this article to relieve anxiety.

So let's sum it up:

Distinguish between business and hard emotional part of the conversation.
In the tough phase of the interview, there are rules, strategies for responding.
It is important to constantly monitor your condition, in what phase of the interview you are.
Reflection of any psychological attack is not a meaningful discussion. It's a way to jump onto your skate.

Perhaps the techniques for repelling emotional attacks seemed difficult to you. Especially if you are not one of those who will not go into their pocket for a word. Indeed, people often get lost in the event of unexpected arrivals.

But the very understanding that this is just a trick is an important step towards the ability to repel attacks and hold on with dignity. The skill will come gradually. And it will serve you faithfully not only at the interview.

Thank you for your interest in the article.

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An interview with a manager is one of the most important stages in employment for a particular position. It often happens that unprepared people fail the survey or behave not quite correctly, which is why they are not hired. So how should you behave correctly and what should you answer in an interview? Let's figure it out.

5 major mistakes

First of all, it’s worth starting with 5 main mistakes that almost all candidates make when they are with a leader. At first glance, these things may not seem so significant, but in the end they play a rather important role.

Calm, only calm

The first and most common mistake in any interview with a manager is excitement. Generally, to worry for a person in certain situations- this is quite normal, but not in this case. Anxiety is one of the most dangerous enemies at any interview. Even if a completed application form and a rich resume are on the side of the applicant, then uncertainty, trembling in the voice, sweat, shifty eyes, etc., will obviously not play in favor of the candidate.

Here is a simple example of how to behave in an interview when applying for a job. The voice is clear and confident, the gaze is concentrated, the behavior is calm, the hands do not "dance" around, but the most important thing is the absence of fear. If you stick to this behavior, then there will be no excitement. As for the feeling of fear, then everything is simple. Do not be afraid that the person who accepts you at the interview occupies a leadership position, because, first of all, he is the same person as you. We do not have a feeling of fear in stores in front of sellers, in front of bank employees or in cafes in front of waiters, so why be afraid of a leader?

And one more pretty important point. Before an interview, some people come up with a "terrific" thought, which is supposedly designed to help with excitement and experience - taking a sedative. Doing this is highly discouraged. The head and mind must be extremely clear in order to clearly receive all the information and competently answer questions, and sedatives do not allow this to be fully done.

I know everything, I can

The second most common mistake when interviewing a manager is overconfidence in yourself and your abilities. It would seem that this could be bad? Everything is simple. A candidate who is too self-confident, as a rule, makes slightly overstated demands, for example, a salary of not 30,000 rubles, but 60,000. Of course, there is nothing wrong with such a desire, but if we are talking about a specific vacancy with specific conditions, then demand more, especially at the stage of negotiations, it's just stupid.

In addition, such people often begin to list large lists of what they know and can do, even embellishing it all a little - for greater effect, so to speak. Naturally, the manager will have a completely logical question, they say, why is a person with such a track record and knowledge still out of work? The answer is known to both parties, but the employer will simply remain silent, not voicing it, and the applicant will say that until that time there were no interesting offers.

One way or another, you should not overestimate yourself too much and even more so lie, even a little. You should always be yourself and answer as openly as possible.

Everything suits me

The third most common mistake when interviewing a manager is completely agreeing with everything and even more. This refers to when the candidate agrees with everything that the employer says, and also slightly underestimates his requirements in the hope that this will play into the hands. The reason for all this is the well-established stereotype that leaders should always answer what they want to hear.

This is an extremely false statement, especially in the context of an interview. Agreeing with absolutely everything that the “chief” says and lowering his own requirements, the applicant shows his weakness and, as a result, is not focused on the result in his work in the future. Why, then, take this particular person for the position, if you can find another, more interested and with a "spark" in his eyes?

The conclusion here is simple: in no case should you underestimate your self-esteem, and even more so, seem ready for anything, malleable and spineless person.

Ex work

The fourth mistake that many people make when interviewing a director is the story of leaving their previous job. Not everyone tells the truth, as it really was, because sometimes it may not play into better side. It's one thing to say that the dismissal was own will, and another that fired management. In both cases, the director at the interview will have a question, what caused such an act?

The answers here are always different, but usually it all comes down to what was bad boss or the conditions did not suit, they paid little, there was no vacation, etc. Of course, few people believe the words, even if they are true, because if it were otherwise, it turns out that there are not so many honest leaders. Of course, information on leaving a previous job can be checked by the contact phone numbers of the former bosses, which are left in the questionnaire, but they do not always do this. In addition, if such numbers are not indicated, then this only exacerbates the situation.

Ideally, there is only one solution that will reflect favorably - a characteristic. It is the characteristic with previous place work and will be the best argument that a person left of his own free will or was fired for one reason or another. Getting a characterization is easy - the main thing is not to quarrel with your superiors when leaving work.

Bluff

Well, the last mistake that occurs at an interview for a position in a new place is a bluff. This means the following, when a candidate allegedly inadvertently, during an interview with the director or someone from the management, mentions that he has one or more offers for similar positions, and if he is hired today, then he refuses from negotiations with them.

This is done in order to show the importance of his person, they say, that's what I am, that's how many people offer me a job. In reality, however, it turns out differently. At best, such a candidate will be informed that they will call him back - a classic of the genre. At worst, they will immediately refuse with an offer to go to work in other companies, which, according to the applicant, offer him similar positions.

Here you need to remember the following - even if you have a couple of “fallback” options in mind, you should never talk about them at an interview, because no one will beg anyone to get a job in their company. This must be clearly understood. It is best to first familiarize yourself with all the conditions on two, three different places, and after that draw conclusions where to go. And there is no need to talk about the fact that someone offers a similar vacancy there, because if this were true, then such a person is unlikely to be sitting in the office for an interview at another company.

At the interview

Very often you can hear a lot of questions related to how the interview goes after all?

Usually the whole process is divided into 2 stages: telephone conversation and a visit to the office. More details will be below. For the rest, everything goes according to classical scheme. First, a questionnaire is filled out, where the candidate indicates what position he is applying for, information about himself, his qualities, previous jobs, desired wages etc.

After that, the questionnaire is handed over to the secretary, who takes it to the head. After usually 5 minutes, the second stage begins - an interview with the authorities, within which questions will be asked regarding some points of the questionnaire and additional ones. If everything went well, the candidate made a positive impression on the employer, then with a probability of 99% he will be offered a job. That, in fact, is all the information regarding the question: how is the interview going.

Questions

The questions in an interview with a manager are pretty standard and, in theory, should not cause any difficulties, but usually it is not so. In order to avoid misunderstandings, below will be offered a small list of the most common questions and answers to them, or rather, what should be answered.

Examples of interview answers:

Transfer strengths and quality. In this case, you need to list all your strengths, for example, hard work, responsibility, quality of work, compliance with all deadlines, etc. Actually, nothing complicated.
What is interesting about a vacant position for a candidate? Usually, this question is often asked to those who decide to change not only their place of work, but also their specialty. The simplest example. The man worked as a sales assistant, and in a new place he claims to be a freight forwarder. In this case, it is necessary to clearly and clearly explain what the decision is connected with. As experience shows, usually this is a simple desire to change the situation and learn a new profession.
Why should you be hired for the position? Another one of the most FAQ. When answering it, you should not say that you need money or that there is no other choice - it is repulsive. On the contrary, it is necessary to tell what attracts the profession (if it differs from the previous one), what experience you hope to get in it, what prospects you see, and everything in this style.

From the above examples, one conclusion can be drawn that it is necessary to answer the interview as honestly as possible and, most importantly, confidently, without trembling in your voice. In this case, you can guarantee a 25% success rate.

Now is the time to move on to the interview stages.

telephone interview

The first stage of employment for any job begins with a phone call. In other words, the first interview is over the phone. It is best to call before lunch, because very often it is possible to come to the office for an interview on the same day.

As for how to conduct a conversation, here is a minimal set of tips:

Clearly defined voice.
Lack of excitement.
Attentiveness.

Here are 3 basic rules to remember. Also, a big plus of a phone call is that you can immediately clarify some questions regarding the work schedule, wages and official employment.

Second phase

Now is the time to talk about what to do in the second stage - the interview with the manager. First of all, you need to prepare. There is such a Russian folk saying: "They meet according to their clothes, see them off according to their mind." So here it is appearance must match, since the first impression is formed precisely by the way a person is dressed.

Clothing should be comfortable, clean and not wrinkled. The style can be chosen both business and casual, but you need to remember the following: if you are going to get a job, for example, a foreman, then you don’t need to wear trousers, a shirt with a tie and a jacket. Clothing is selected directly from the circumstances. And yet, in the summer, some often come to an interview in a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops - this is wrong. You can leave the T-shirt, but it is better to change the shorts and flip-flops for jeans and sneakers.

It is also very important at the second stage to show your manners and punctuality, that is, to arrive at the place ahead of time, by 10-15 minutes, and politely say hello.

When the time comes to enter the manager's office for a personal conversation, be sure to first knock on the door, and only then open it. In this way, you can show your upbringing and make a positive first impression.

As for the further conversation and how to answer at the interview, this was said earlier, so there is no point in repeating. The only thing you need to take with you when going to an interview in the office is a portfolio with the best works, a copy of your resume, a reference from your last job (if any), a pen, passport and notepad, in case you need to write something down, for example, some important details type of work schedule, wages, etc.

In conclusion, I would like to talk about 5 very valuable advice. They will definitely help you pass the interview. So let's get started.

About myself

Most often, job seekers are put into a stupor by the simplest request - to tell about yourself. At first glance, there is nothing complicated about this, but for some reason very often people are simply lost. Here is a plan for how to write the right story about yourself in an interview. Example:

Tell about your education, what it is, indicate the name of the institute, faculty, profession.
Next, you need to remember about all additional training courses, if any.
List of previous jobs. Here it is desirable to mention periods, i.e. how many days, weeks, months or years you have worked in previous places.
If the future vacancy is related to a computer, then you should definitely tell about all the programs that you own, including even those that are not very well mastered (sometimes this is important).
And finally, we can say a few words about the knowledge of foreign languages.

It is worth remembering that it is worth talking about all this without any excitement and hesitation, as if you are talking with your friend or old friend.

But a bad example can be attributed to a meager enumeration of their capabilities, frequent hitches, interruptions, uncertainty, or much worse if the employer has to pull out information, as they say, with “pincers”.

Smile

The second tip is to smile and good mood. It is very important to come to the interview in good location spirit - it helps a lot both when filling out the questionnaire and in a personal conversation with the manager. In addition, a cheerful and cheerful person disposes much more to himself than a gloomy or too concentrated one.

The phone is the enemy

Another Pretty useful advice- turn off the sound on the phone during the interview. Thus, no one will be able to interfere with you, and if a call suddenly rings during a conversation with the authorities, then this will only play a minus. By the way, a competent manager at the interview also turns off the sound.

Do not chew

Some people prefer to chew gum during interviews to calm their nerves a bit. It is not worth doing this, since there will be no benefit from it, and besides, such behavior will indicate a "high" level of culture.

pauses

Well, the last tip - you should always pause during a conversation. Learning to speak clearly and clearly is one thing, but there will be zero sense if you do not make tactical pauses in the conversation. Everything just mixes into a mess.

That, in general, is all that concerns the interview. It is not difficult to pass it, the main thing is to remember some things and be confident in yourself!

An interview is a responsible event, both for the applicant and for the head of the company: the first one needs a job, and the second one needs a good employee. How the interview will be conducted and what questions the applicant will hear depends on the vacancy for which position there is in the organization. Let's take a look at how an interview for a managerial position works.

Getting ready for an interview

Of course, every applicant, before going to an interview, tries to prepare as best as possible for it. And rightly so, because it is there that you can produce good impression to the manager and show their merits and qualities that the company needs so much.

When an organization considers candidates for a managerial position, the most outstanding of them are taken into account. Each position requires certain skills and abilities. But this is not enough for a candidate for the position of manager, because, in addition to this, he must also show what personal qualities, experience and achievements.

When conducting an interview for a managerial position, the manager will want to thoroughly study the applicant from all sides. He will be asked all sorts of questions that may affect several areas. Particular attention is paid to:

intellect;
leadership qualities;
innovative thinking;
influence;
opinions and opinions;
commercial savvy;
strategic vision;
attraction of resources from outside;
performance;
ability to build relationships with third parties;
the ability to interest and manage relationships;
experience in the international field.

An applicant who wants to take a leadership position must be well prepared. He needs to know the answer to each of the listed items. In addition, you should not bring theoretical knowledge, here you should talk about practice, personal experience.

As a rule, the interview goes as follows: first, the employer must talk about the position itself, responsibilities, possible prospects and career growth. Clarifies details and details. Further, the applicant can already ask the manager or employer questions of interest to him. Here we clarify: the candidate not only can, but must ask them! If the applicant does not have any questions during a conversation with the manager, then he looks absolutely not interested in the work. It is not necessary to prepare a whole list of counter questions, it is quite enough to ask about three or four.

Do not forget that the interview is conducted in order to get to know the candidates as best as possible, "probing" them, to test their abilities and qualities. After you have been offered a vacant position, you can ask all your questions.

Sometimes the interview begins with the request of the employer to the candidate to tell about his position in life, goals, plans for the future, difficulties and prospects. Answers should be comprehensive and clear, so you should prepare answers to them in advance.

Questions to ask in an interview for a managerial position

In addition to the standard interview questions for all (tell us about yourself, the company, your positive and negative aspects etc.), here it is acceptable to ask questions typical for future leaders. These include:

What leadership qualities do you possess?
Tell us about your past professional mistakes and the lessons learned from them?
Can you influence employees?

In addition, the manager may invite the applicant to present a specific situation and ask him to find a way out of it. Since the purpose of the interview is to find a leader, the following question is quite possible: “What qualities should a great leader have?” Your task is to list them.

Most importantly, remember that in order to competently manage personnel, the manager must have the following qualities:

self-confidence;
courage;
worldview;
communication skills;
tendency to introspection;
the ability to create a cohesive team and manage it;
the ability to support their subordinates.

It is these qualities of a good leader that should be highlighted when answering the question posed. Of course, when talking with a manager or leader, you should not breed demagoguery. By doing this, you will only tire the interlocutor and appear in the form of a talker. But the “bare” facts of your life and experience will also be inappropriate, because the applicant for a leadership position must be able to speak competently and beautifully, observing the golden mean.

Taking an example from personal experience, tell us about how you were able to get out of this situation, what tasks you solved, what results you achieved. Keep the sequence in your story. But you should not constantly "Yakat". You may seem like an upstart boss, which you absolutely do not need.

How to answer the manager's questions correctly?

So, you came to the interview because you want to take the vacant position of the head. An employer is sitting in front of you, and your further career depends on how you prove yourself. But how to build a dialogue and answer the questions of the employer?

First, listen carefully to the interlocutor, do not be distracted by extraneous thoughts. After hearing the question, quickly analyze: what does the employer want to hear from you? If suddenly you did not understand something in the question or did not hear it, ask again. It will be better than an incomprehensible or incorrect answer.

Secondly, remember that the answers must be well-structured. They must have a beginning, a middle and, accordingly, an end. First, briefly describe the situation, the problem that has arisen. Then, mention the tasks you set for yourself to solve the problem.

In the middle of the answer, it is worth talking about the problems that you had to face in this situation, and how exactly you solved them. At the end, draw conclusions, describe the indicators by which you measure your success.

Try to prove to the employer that you are always result-oriented in your work.

Qualities for hiring

What qualities should an applicant have? Of course, each employer sets for itself certain criteria for selecting candidates. But there are those qualities that a candidate needs in any interview:

Confidence in your strength;
neat appearance;
work experience and professionalism;
letters of recommendation;
demeanor;
sociability.

In addition to these qualities that are standard for all applicants, there are those that every leader should possess, namely:

ability to manage, organize the work of the team;
ability to work in a team;
be the initiator, go for the result;
be able to handle multiple tasks at the same time;
with all responsibility and seriousness, have a good sense of humor.

Study well and remember the listed qualities before you go to work with an employer. But what if the applicant believes that he does not have all these qualities at all? To refuse leadership position? Not at all. Very often we are able to show certain virtues and opportunities directly during work. You just need to remember these characteristics and strive for them. That's when you're sure to succeed!

Rules of etiquette: hiring

Each hut has its own rattles. Each company has its own technology and personnel selection procedure. It may include different amount stages. Stages may vary in duration, content and methods of implementation. Today we will talk about the interview, the main actors in which there will be a new employee and general manager. Our review will be useful both to candidates who will have to communicate with the first person of the company, and to the top managers themselves conducting interviews. So, how to successfully pass an interview with a manager? Job seekers will get information about what to expect from leaders, and interviewers will be able to get some new ideas on how to test the competencies and motivation of their future employees.

When is the CEO interview?

The recruitment process in companies is usually regulated and fixed for each position. Depending on the level of the position, it may contain a different number of stages. We tried to collect the most complete picture, a kind of guide to the selection stages. If it does not coincide with the procedure adopted in your company, feel free to cross out the excess.

	A comment
Resume selection	Accumulation of a database of candidates that meet the requirements. Conducted by an internal recruiter or an external performer.
Phone interview	Checking the interest of the candidate, his adequacy. Deciding on an invitation to a face-to-face meeting. Conducted by an internal recruiter or an external performer.
Interview with a recruiting agency or with an HR freelancer	It is carried out in case of transfer of an application for selection to an external executor. Initial evaluation of candidates, checking for compliance with customer requirements.
Interview with the HR manager of the company	The desire and ability of the candidate to perform official duties, advantages and disadvantages are highlighted in comparison with other candidates, motivation, compliance with corporate culture.
Checking professional and personal competencies	Professional and psychological tests, business games, test tasks, solving cases or real production problems. Collection and analysis of references from previous jobs.
Interview with immediate supervisor	The professional knowledge, skills and abilities of the candidate, the ability to work well with the team and the leader himself are evaluated.
Interview with head of HR department	Conducted for candidates for key business vacancies, or if an internal recruiter has doubts or difficulties with the choice.
Interview with the CEO	It is held for top managers of the first line of subordination, candidates for positions important for business, personal assistants and secretaries. In principle, the CEO may wish to speak to any candidate.
Security interview	Most often it concerns top management and financially responsible employees, or a wider range of employees, if required by the company's security policy.

As we can see, the interview with the CEO is practically the final, the penultimate stage in the selection of future employees of the company.

Who is interviewing the CEO

In different companies, the company has adopted different practices for inviting applicants to interviews of such a high level. At the first interview in recruitment agency or directly in the company, the candidate is informed about how the selection process will proceed and finds out if the usual practice for his position includes a conversation with a top manager.

Most often, interviews with the first person of the company are invited:

heads of departments and divisions that report directly to him;
consultants, experts, analysts who work directly with the head;
employees of priority areas for the company;
ordinary employees of small and medium-sized companies;
employees invited to develop new directions for the company;
line employees on the proposal of the immediate supervisor;
personal assistants and personal secretaries.

Leaders of companies, like no one else, are capable of unexpected and non-standard solutions. Therefore, they can be interested in any applicant. And that means you have to be ready. Moreover, the preparation process is not fraught with anything supernatural. In fact, it is no different from the actions that any self-respecting candidate will take to prepare for any interview.

How to Prepare for a CEO Interview

Refresh your company information. Go to the corporate website Special attention pay attention to the mission and strategy, development history, highlight key points. See what the media has said or written about them. Remember and systematize everything that employees told you at the previous stages of selection. The company is the brainchild of the leader, the subject of his pride. The more freely the candidate will be guided in questions about her, the more favorable will be the attitude towards him.
Research market information. Explore industry reviews, key trends, leaderboards, forecasts.
Gather information about the leader. Use available sources:

press publications,
social media profiles,
author's articles of the head,
recordings of speeches at conferences,
information from company employees - a recruiter and line manager (if any) at an interview, a subject expert at testing, other employees on the sidelines,
use industry word of mouth.

You will be interested in business information that reveals the scope of his interests, leadership style, approach to business, value system, way of negotiating.

Rehearse short story About Me. Highlight your most important achievements, distinctive qualities, outstanding results. Re-evaluate your experience with everything you've learned about the company and its leader. Prepare to speak in terms of the company's corporate culture. Take into account all the comments, if they were in the previous stages. Consider answering personal questions.
Prepare a list of questions. Competent, well-thought-out questions will help you not only get the necessary information, but also show your interest in work, motivation, initiative and high level competence.
Make a list of referees. Call them and ask permission to provide phone numbers and other contact details to the prospective employer. Make sure that the positive feedback you're hoping for hasn't changed.
Take care of your appearance. Times when a business suit was the only possible option to meet the big boss are a thing of the past. Follow the company's dress code. It is quite logical to ask a recruiter about him at the initial stage of the interview.
Get directions to the meeting point. Consider several options for how you can get there. This will avoid unnecessary nerves and turmoil, as well as not being late for such an important meeting.
Gather everything you need: several copies of the resume, notepad, pen, notes, test(if you have done it), an electronic media with examples of work, a portfolio of projects, a list and contacts of people who can give you recommendations, etc. Even if you don’t need all this at the interview, you will feel more confident that all the necessary information at your fingertips.
take it easy. Job interview anxiety is understandable and predictable. And your manager will not miss the opportunity to check how you cope with this condition. A fainting assistant or a spotted deputy are not exactly the kind of people a CEO wants to lean on. Remember, he is also a human and usually does not bite in the workplace. If the jitters still overcomes, use the old reception of speakers. Imagine that you have to talk with a cucumber. Natural, green, in pimples. True, it helps.

If the future leader is an expat, you should pay attention to a few more points.

“Knead your tongue” - as soon as the interview will take place on foreign language(most likely in English), brush up on your skills, visit a conversation club, chat online with friends, or simply find an interlocutor on specialized sites for the exchange of language experience and talk in any voice chat;
find information about traditions and features business etiquette the country of which he is a representative - foreigners especially appreciate the respect and interest in such things when they are abroad;
take into account the features national character and mentality when building a dialogue.

What is a CEO interview like?

CEO magazine polled top executives who often interview about their favorite interviewing techniques. If we summarize their answers, we get approximately the following set.

Formal meeting. Takes about 10 minutes. It has a motivational and educational character. Carried out with a line employee on the proposal of the immediate supervisor.
Structured interview. Most of the survey participants recognized this technique as the most commonly used. The interviewer sticks to the plan. Questions are formulated and verified in advance. It takes an average of half an hour to several hours.
Stress interview. Conducted at a fast pace. Answers to questions are required at lightning speed. Questions are asked without a visible plan. There may be questions of a personal nature. The duration is usually up to half an hour.
situational interview. The candidate is offered several cases. He needs to describe his actions in each of them. Aimed at identifying and evaluating professional and personal competencies.
Projective interview. Questions are not asked directly to the applicant. He is asked to describe himself in terms of the previous manager and former colleagues, to talk about the actions of hypothetical employees in certain situations.

Sample interview questions for a CEO

	Brief description of a good answer
Tell us about yourself.	Short, well structured story. The candidate knows what he is good at and says it in terms of the vacancy and the corporate culture of the company.
Why did you choose this job? What attracted you to her?	A specific answer based on knowledge of the company, the market situation. Emphasis on the merits of the company, new experience, favorite work, the coincidence of the requirements of the company and personal goals.
Why should we choose you, why are you better than other applicants?	Refusal to evaluate others. Analysis of experience and achievements in previous jobs, applying it to the tasks of the vacancy and the goals of the company. Emphasis on the added value that the applicant can bring to the company.
Tell us about your weaknesses.	Recognition of shortcomings, the ability to use them for peaceful purposes and compensate, as well as to consider them as a point of growth.
Why did you leave (or are leaving) your previous job? What do you not like?	Positive and gratitude in relation to the previous companies. The desire for change, the need to move on, to gain new experience.
Do you have other job offers?	If there are such proposals, emphasize the interest in this particular vacancy. Give reasons or refer to the answer to question 2.
What do you want to achieve in your new location?	You need to be especially careful when answering this question. If a candidate applies for the position of Deputy General Director, it is not worth talking about career growth. Oddly enough, but this should not be done in the case of an assistant manager. It is better to go into the area of improving competencies.
Who can give you advice?	Quick clear response with indication specific people and their contact details.
What salary do you expect? or Are you satisfied with the level of income offered by the company?	A good specialist knows his own worth. You can safely call the amount that you received at your last job as the minimum bar or the average value for the market, which can be viewed on job sites.
How do you spend your free time? What are your hobbies and interests?	What is important here is not what the candidate says, it is important how he does it. On the one hand, life outside of work should be and cause enthusiasm and inspiration. On the other hand, if the candidate talks about work with much less zeal, this may suggest that the work does not inspire him.
How do you see the ideal leader?	Appeal to professionalism in all its manifestations and to what the corporate culture of the company says. Don't flatter.

We have listed the most common questions that a job seeker will probably come across in an interview with a manager. But it is important to remember that top managers are often experienced negotiators. They will observe your behavioral reactions, confuse non-standard tasks, provoke. Be yourself, do not lie, do not lose your presence of mind and sense of humor. Get together, react lively, ask questions. After all, you have common goal: You want a job, and the CEO wants to hire an employee.