My name is Ivan Ganchev, and I am the director of "Training" at Armeec Insurance Jscand CCB "Life", owner of HR Value ltd., and the YouTube channel HR Value. With over 2500 events in 12 years in training and development of people in an organisational context, I define myself as a business coach and storyteller.
In the dynamics of the labour market, especially after Covid, the right moment to change jobs is every moment we can connect new opportunities with our desire to develop and update our skills and competencies. The life cycle of a career is increasingly determined by a simple fraction, in which the numerator represents the employee's attitude. At the same time, the denominator is the environment of work, also known as the organisational culture. More and more employers are looking at the impact of the employee or job candidate on the environment and the team. That is why the criteria for a "good interview" are quantitative - experience, certificates and education, as well as qualitative - skills for receiving and giving feedback, designing highly effective habits, behaviour and problem-solving skills (or at least fragmenting them into feasible and the employee's control steps and activities).
During the initial stage of the process, the selection manager firstly seeks answers to three main questions :
First, what is it like to work with you every day?
Second, can you learn/change according to the environment and its needs?
Third, do you have the courage to take the initiative?
In the conversation beyond greeting and positioning in the space of the first meeting and "checking" the content in the candidate's CV with examples and lessons from previous work experience, these are some of the determining factors whether you are a "suitable" candidate not only technically but and as part of the team and its internal organisational dynamics. Proper communication skills that the employer's representative monitors between the meeting lines include presentation skills, knowledge of the company and the sector, previous experience - both achievements and failures, changes, innovations, projects and interests, developing the skills sought by the employer, and attitudes. Preparation for the first interview should always include knowledge, the opportunity for critical introspection, examples and interests.
The manager considers speech formation skills and smooth and coherent speech; the choice of linguistics and terms from the relevant industry paves the way to the next selection stage.
Professionally preparing your CV is vital, but the candidate's behaviour during the meeting is more crucial to create an environment of trust. I advise my clients to be prepared with exciting events and news that engage with the company and the sector. It serves the conversation flow and answers a favourite interview question - "What do you know about our company?".
Appearance is a popular topic, and working from a distance has blurred some orthodox rules in our market, but a candidate will not go wrong if they are neat, with good hygiene and clean shoes. You should consider this if the environment involves working with an end customer or an official dress code. The same rules apply to ladies, and it is good to be careful in terms of jewellery and makeup.
Showing initiative, sharing previous experience, individual projects, and achievements should be demonstrated in an open proposal to send additional information, materials, publications, or a specially prepared presentation on a topic related to the position they applied for. Also, suppose the middle of the interview allows. In that case, you can use tools to visually present processes, such as a flipchart and several markers, even an A4 sheet and a pencil. It makes a strong impression and shows initiative and skills to present to a group of people if done at the right time. Demonstrating good communication at the team level is a trump card, tilting the scales in your favour among the other candidates.
As part of the preparation for an interview, in addition to the address, name and number of the employer's representative, I always advise the rule of "3" - many selection specialists and line managers, often like "provocative questions "such as" What are your strongest traits? "," Why should we focus on you as a candidate? "or" What are your weaknesses?". The rule is that you should share up to 3 specific things on a similar issue. As a preparation, get some small pieces of paper and point out three of your strengths, three things you don't necessarily like but are actively working on, and three things you would like to take from working for the company. Divide them by colour, think of three examples for each piece of paper, and rehearse each strong one at least twice. This "game" will help you be prepared and respond promptly to such a question. Be sure to rehearse it with another person so that you can train your behaviour.
If your interview is online, do what is necessary to technically secure the process - a decent camera, headphones for good sound and a pleasant, neat and bright background behind you. When you can't shake hands with the person in front of you, you have fewer opportunities to create a pleasant atmosphere and environment of trust - noise, dark video from the basement and piles of plates or clothes won't necessarily leave a good impression on your interview partner.
For a striking finale of a first interview, there are two main elements - the topic of remuneration and your questions. The remuneration discussion almost always takes place during the initial meeting. Be prepared to set a specific amount or desired range, both gross, net and annual. Let the amount be adequate to the sector and the position, and it is advisable to research in advance the salaries in the industry for which you are applying. The answer to the question "What remuneration do you expect?" should never be a slap in the face with a figure - BGN 1,500. What would leave a better impression would be answering: "In a similar company for this position, the remuneration varies from x to y".
The second element to being a recognisable candidate in the first interview is your pre-asked questions. Prepare preliminary questions about the position, the company, and the selection process you are a part of. If you received an answer to any of your pre-asked questions during the conversation, mark it and continue with the other essential things. Be sure to ask about:
The position - "Is this position vacant or new for the organisation?"
What are the success criteria (if the position is new) or "What did the previous colleague do in this position?"
"What else is expected of the candidate beyond the description in the ad?"
"At what stage is the selection at the moment?" - Are you among the first candidates, or is the selection at an advanced stage?
"When and how will you get feedback?" Or "What's next?"
"Tell me about the team!" / "What is the work environment?"
"What are the conditions for learning and development - introductory training, additional qualifications, the opportunity to attend external courses, mentoring?".
The ideal candidate is a term from the scientific literature, for which the working environment in our country gives evidence every day. That is why I believe there are two types of candidates - those who are prepared and those who aren't. If you choose to be ready, you will invest time and effort without an immediate guarantee of success. Still, you will undoubtedly be a recognisable candidate, which is the first step to a successful job hunt. Create conditions to be noticed and be the pro-active party - active people are recognised as the asset of a successful organisation.
