[BizCareers] Avoiding job spec misrepresentation

This week we cover good questions to ask during an interview, how to avoid falling into the trap of job spec misrepresentation, and how to follow up after an interview.

By Juliette Attwell

22 Apr 2014

[BizCareers] Avoiding job spec misrepresentation

I recently attended an interview and was unsure of what to make of it. What I would like to know is which questions should I ask to make sure it is a good company to work for, and how do I make sure that the company / role is not being misrepresented? Many thanks - Kate

Hi Kate,

Thank you for your great question.

It is a great misperception that the interview is all about selling yourself to the interviewer. 50% of the interview is the company selling itself to you and you finding out whether there is synergy between yourself and the company.

There are a few things you can ask to make sure that this company values its people, for example:

Have there been any resignations in the last six months, and if so, how many? If 50% of the workforce has left in the last six months, you know that there is something that is not quite right.
How long has your longest serving employee been here and what is their position?
How do you reward your employees? Find out whether there are incentives, e.g Friday lunches, office treats, family fun days etc. These are all an indication of whether a company values its people or not.
How quickly do you promote, can you please give me an example of one of your current employee's career paths within your company?
Do you have a corporate social investment initiative? Can you give me an example of what you do for this? If the answer is yes and donations/charity days/giving back are done on a regular basis, this is a good indication of a socially responsible company and one which would be nice to work for.

With regards to the job description itself, perhaps ask if you can meet with the team you'll be working with, without the manager present and ask questions about their roles and what they do on a daily basis, as well as whether their role matches what was discussed with them. If you have the time, you could also request to work a trial day to get a better indication of this.

Much can also be found online. Google the companies name and see what comes up. It could be some great press releases about awards and achievements the company has made or it could be a complaint on Hello Peter.

You will never truly know what is in store for you until you start at a company, but you can often get your most valuable insight from yourself, go with your first gut reaction, it is probably right!

Best of luck!

Interview followup

After an interview, if I feel I would like to pursue the role, should I send a followup email/ letter to say thank you and indicate my interest after the interview. If so, how long should I wait before I send it? Thanks for your help. - Jennifer R

Hi Jennifer,

The answer is yes. If you are interested, always send an email thanking the interviewer for their time. Let them know that you are interested in the role and highlight areas as to why you feel you match the role and company - without rambling too much.

Before that, however, when you are in the interview thank them for their time and ask them how they thought the interview went. You can ask for example, "How do you feel the interview went? Am I someone you feel is right for the role," then end off with saying, "I am very interested in working for your company and I look forward to hearing your decision."

This helps the interviewer to know where you stand and they will appreciate your honesty.

Best of luck!

Remember to always love what you do!
Juliette

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Juliette Attwell

About Juliette Attwell

Juliette Attwell is Head of Marketing & Operations at Recruitgroup. Recruitgroup has won Careerjunction Recruiter of the Year in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 as well as Fast Growth Business of the Year at the National Business Awards 2014. Juliette holds a Bcom Honours in Marketing Management and is the resident "agony aunt" on the BizCareers Column, she was also a finalist in the Top Young Executive at the National Business Awards 2014.