HR managers and CEOs: What we expect when you walk into an interview

When you are getting ready for your job interview, you have probably gone through standard job-seeking procedure. You know to put your phone away, not to dress like a slob and to practice your answers to the most common interview questions. As practical as these rituals are, there are real secrets that can give you an edge and make you stand out in a sea of similar, if not better applicants. We talked to HR managers and CEOs who shared some of the secrets of the trade that will land you the job. Also, good to note that the opinions expressed are their own and not those of the institutions they work for.

Before we meet you…

Before you even get the interview, your resume tells us who you are. We go through thousands of applicants, scanning 100 applications an hour for suitable applicants. Therefore we cannot go through stories on your resume. Keep it short, clear and concise. Do not list all the job descriptions of your previous jobs. Focus only on results and tie results and outcomes to the company’s financial position. Along with that, do not use one CV for all applications. Tailor-make your CV for every new job application to align your skills with those required.

 When we see you…

On interview day, the top most quality you need is confidence. How do you present yourself? How you come across to the interviewing panel, showing your preparedness and confidence to do the job is what most guarantees you to get the job. Good presentation skills are also a huge plus.

 Kelvin Riungu, HR Manager at Subaru Kenya

 Scratch beneath the surface… 

Learning as much as possible about a company’s services, products, customers and competition will give you an edge in understanding and addressing the employer’s needs. Go beyond reading what’s on the company’s website. Read news coverage of the company and check out the company’s social media feeds with the goal of finding information that you can weave into a conversation on how you can help the company get closer to its goals, and how your skills align.

 Some of our questions are loaded…be smart

My favourite interview question to ask is “What do you want to do differently in this job?” I find that the best answers highlight what they aspire to, rather than what they’re running from in their current job. If they focus more on what they don’t like about their boss or current company, that tells you a lot. It tests whether they’re a positive person and how they handle adversity.

Geoffrey Mulei, CEO Tanda Africa

Temper your expectations…

Our company is always hiring because we are a freelance platform and we have over 100 creatives we pay monthly. From my experience the past six months hiring a social media marketer, applicants usually have an inflated expectation compared to the work they are meant to put in. The current mindset is that digital marketing is a fancy role yet SMES are demanding and cannot pay you like blue chip companies, for example Safaricom. So applicants get annoyed when they learn they will earn Sh20,000 monthly and not triple that. I wish people would realise that the blue chip companies will only take in about 10 per cent of the workface and the other 90 per cent will have to work for SMEs. Do not search for a job by just ticking off the job description. You need to have a founder’s mindset and find actual ways to help the business grow; that is the only way to build your career.

Do not judge a book by its cover…

My partner was looking for an office assistant once and shortlisted some candidates. One lady who worked at a bank was among the ones referred by a job agency. Later she gave a review of the workplace, reporting that from the building’s appearance, they may not be able to afford her. This is a problem prevalent with young people looking for their second job. Businesses in River Road make more money than those in Upper Hill, but you find young people clamouring to work in offices that offer snacks and have fancy spaces. If your priorities are mixed up, you will miss out on a lot of good opportunities.

Bernard Momanyi, CEO Onesha Technologies

 No matter what, project confidence

In my eight years in HR I have met all kinds of applicants and most have some stage fright. If you feel nervous, queasy, and afraid of stammering during the interview then you need to beat that stage fight just as you would for a speech or theatrical performance, with lots of practice.

Do this exercise at home. Go through the interview questions in front of a mirror and record the answers. Practice it over and over again without getting tired. When you internalise your content you own your content and deliver it with confidence, because you know everything you will say next. Remember the interviewer does not know you. When you are a master of your job, you exude it.

Please answer this question right…

There is also this famous interview question that you may have come across, “Tell me about yourself.” Have you heard about an elevator speech? Every individual, even those not looking for a job, needs one. It is a one-minute pitch about who they are. In the answer include your name, where you have worked, what your greatest skill is and what your greatest achievement is. Package it in a way that piques our interest in finding out more about you and how you can contribute to the organisation. What is it about you that makes you so unique? Highlight that and you are guaranteed to get the job.

Makena Mantu, HR Manager at Syukrou International

Preparedness is terribly underrated...

I consider myself an elderly HR person, having worked for over 25 years in human resource across different industries. I believe the biggest hurdle is that the education system has not evolved at the same rate as the job market. 8-4-4 focused a lot on memorisation as opposed to comprehension. Even with the curriculum based system, the problem still persists. As such, applicants may be missing out not by their own fault. However, getting a deeper understanding of what you do beyond the classroom may help.

Majority of candidates do not even know whom they are interviewing for. Some send out hundreds of applications they even forget which company they are interviewing for. For instance, if you are going to interview in a bank or a financial institution, dress appropriately, not just decently.

Polly Mwangi, East Africa HR Manager at SUCAFINA