Selection tips
In today’s business climate more and more employers are looking to run formal and informal graduate programs. Most graduate selection processes are very similar or are variations on a theme so hopefully the following key points will help clarify what to expect in the busy months to come. Given the high volume most large employers receive (ratios of 300+ applications/per role are not uncommon!), as an employer it is about making informed choices at each stage that will help shortlist candidates in the most effective manner.
The different stages typically include the following although the order varies from organization to organization:
1) Application form
2) Telephone or face-to-face interview
3) Psychometric (aptitude) tests
4) Assessment centre (may include psychometric tests)
5) Further interviews
6) Site visits
Application Form
The first stage is key. If it’s been badly completed (spelling mistakes, incomplete answers, poorly thought out, overly long, questions not answered as set), chances are it won’t make the cut. Typically employers are looking for demonstration of certain attributes, competencies and experiences. Look at the website or even ask the employer – what are they looking for? Most should be happy to tell you because they should consequently receive fewer applications (to screen) but of a higher quality, as candidates will have given more thought as to their suitability and preparation.
Psychometric testing
This is now used universally by most employers, as it tries to level the playing field and objectively assess applicants ability to reason with verbal, numerical and abstract data (useful for all those business reports and strategy sessions to come!) Become familiar with psychometric tests (ask your careers centre, read a practice book or search online) and practice and you should find your performance reflects your ability.
Assessment centres
These can vary and will typically comprise case studies, individual and group exercises and usually a group or individual interview. Again, do your preparation, think out aloud but above all, be yourself and think of the competencies the employer might be looking for. In Unilever for example, ours are posted online. The days of playing the collaborator who repeatedly asks during an assessment centre exercise "And what do you think?" won’t get you far, if you can’t constructively challenge, think outside the square, develop rapport with those in your group, influence accordingly and form a consensus. Again, be yourself and remain vigilant of the competencies the employer is seeking.
Case studies
Practice, practice, practice! Universities now appear to run so many different business skills workshops, business challenges, broader competitions such as SIFE & HEWSO to name just a few: all are good practice grounds. Get involved to test yourself out so that you have planned and prepared before trying it for real in your graduate applications. Remember the saying – "You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression" (and that goes for employers as well!)
Interviews in general
So many people have written good advice about interviews already; if nothing else, remember to relax, as it is much about you interviewing the company as it is they-you. They are just as keen to find the best people and know that it is a competitive marketplace for talent.
Be yourself, be prepared to talk about anything and everything, though key areas most interviewers will try and cover off are:
- Does this person have the ‘Smarts’ to do the job?
- Do they appear to actually want to do it?
- Will they fit in culturally?
The types of interview vary. Some employers will conduct group interviews (more than one person are interviwed at the same time) others will run panel or single interviews or a combination thereof. Interviews can be formal or informal and the list continues! At Unilever, we tend to run informal interviews with one or two managers with any group work undertaken at the assessment centre stage.
Now, employers won’t necessarily want clones – we certainly embrace diversity as it is through diversity of background and thinking that you make informed and innovative choices that in a business setting can mean the difference between seizing new opportunities or always coming second.
Be prepared to challenge and ask tough questions yourself. A good set of probing questions from an interviewee demonstrates not only that they have given the opportunity/role serious thought, but that it is of importance to them to find answers that will help them decide. As an employer, such cues suggest this person is interested and with the right, open answers could help make the interviewee feel that this is the company they wish to come and work for.
Behavioural Event Interviewing (BEI)
There are a number of variations of BEIs, but all typically ask for a situation when you have demonstrated a particular competency (competency being a behaviour that is proven to lead to exceptional results), using the premise that one of the best predictors of future performance is past performance. In its simplest form BEI’s can follow the STAR approach – "tell me about the situation, what action you consequently took and with what results".
Most common mistakes are for the person being interviewed to answer in the present or hypothetical rather than referring to a specific, concrete example from the past. Also, the use of "we" rather than "I did this" ensures interviewees are scored down.
Typically many things are looked for and given the framework the interviewer may provide (situation overview, key headlines, context then breaking down into a lot more detail), the BEI’s purpose is to try and see the real person by really exploring one or two key events, seeing what the interviewee was thinking, feeling, doing, saying, responding to get a more intuitive feel for how they behave. Typically in-depth BEIs can be quite intensive, for both interviewee and interviewer, especially if an interviewee is sugar coating their answers!!
So what advice in order to be successful?
Plan ahead, do your SWOT analysis about past experiences, assess what you did do well (and you may be asked for examples when you failed – so don’t just focus on the achievements) and how so that you are confident if it will be a good example to use. Ultimately the better self-insight (learning) you have, the better your performance will be not only in the interview but thereafter. If you can demonstrate such learning ability, it will usually hold significant sway with employers, given the movement towards leadership (from management) and emotional intelligence (from reliance just on IQ).
Don’t try and use a particular example if it does not relate to the competency asked, as it will show inflexibility and an inability, at a basic level, to actually answer the question!
If you’re stuck, don’t try to embellish, sugar coat or take credit for somebody else’s achievements. It is far too obvious in an in-depth BEI and will be the lasting impression you give. Take your time, choose a suitable example or even ask for more instructions if you are unsure what it is you are being asked to recall.
In Summary - Ultimately what makes it happen.
In short YOU do! Enthusiasm, ability, preparation and interest all stand out a mile in graduates who apply. Typically 50% of applications are received in the final week of closing, however the majority of successful candidates apply well beforehand.
As an employer, leadership is key for us. If that’s the development opportunity you want with an employer, what have you done to go out and grab such opportunities in the past? How well do you know yourself? Emotional intelligence is BIG these days – being self-aware of your emotions and being able to manage them accordingly, understanding others and how to effectively manage your relationships underpins most, if not all, leadership frameworks and competency clusters. Leadership development that you may undergo in your first job will build on such self awareness and insights, so it’s never too late to start if you haven’t already. It will significantly improve your interpersonal skills and personal life as well.
As in the words of Henry Ford, "If you believe you can, or if you believe you can’t, You’re right!"
