HOW TO ASK FOR THE JOB
The goal of every interview is to get an offer: an offer for the job or an offer to interview more. Your goal in the first interview is to be asked back. It is highly unlikely you"ll be hired in one interview although I"ve had it happen. There are 2 closing questions-as we call them in sales-that are appropriate for your first interview: 1. Who will I meet in the second interview?2. When would you like to schedule our next meeting?If you don"t think the interview went well, then you"ll want to try this next question. It will surface their concerns and give you an opportunity to deal with them; you just have to be brave enough to let them finish talking before you answer: 3. Is there any reason you wouldn"t consider inviting me back for a second interview?
Don"t interrupt and don"t argue. If they have misunderstood something you said, say "I see. What gave you that impression?" Again, let them talk until you feel confident you can address their concerns.
When you book the second interview, ask the following 2 questions: 1. Are there any presentation materials I should bring?2. Who, besides yourself, will make the final hiring decision? Will I be meeting with them as well?
At the end of the final interview, you want to ask: * What challenges would you have me tackle first?* Is there anything preventing you from extending an offer to me?* When would you like me to start?
Throughout the interview process, you must maintain your enthusiasm for the job. Your objective is to get the offer and then think about whether you really want it. Many people mistakenly try to decide if they want the job during the interview. Big mistake! This will distract you during the interview, and your lack of focus will be apparent to the interviewer. Focus only on getting the offer.
CONCLUDING THE MEETING
When you"re just about ready to go, ask one last question: "Is there anything else you think I should know about the company or this position?" This signals that you"ve finished. If they like what they"ve seen, they will say something to regain control. Tell them you"re interested in meeting the key people you"ll be working with if they think there"s a good fit. Now shut up.
Go home and write them a memorable thank-you note. Use Interviewbest. com to construct a PowerPoint capturing the information you now recognize the hiring manager needs to know to hire you with confidence.
HOW TO HANDLE MONEY
There"s only one way to handle money; defer the conversation until you know you want the job. Memorize the following line for when you"re asked about salary expectations: "I like this company and I like the opportunity, but it"s premature to discuss potential compensation until we"ve mutually agreed there"s a good fit both ways. Wouldn"t you agree?"
That"s the only answer you need. It brands you as bright, confident, and self-a.s.sured-exactly what they want. If they come back with the old "We just want to make sure we"re in the range" line, you must say, "I"m certain you"ll be fair." That statement will stop them in their tracks. It accomplishes 2 goals. In their mind, it signifies money isn"t the most important issue-which every employer likes to know, and it forces them to the bargaining table. You want them to get you to the table. You"ll learn how to close the deal in Chapter 13.
GUERRILLA INTELLIGENCE.
Soft Diligence Steve Panyko
An essential phase of your job search is that time when you establish a cultural fit or shared values between the organization and yourself. This is the logical next step after "hard diligence" or the process of a.n.a.lyzing financial statements, history, and backgrounds on key players of the company.
As you go through your interview, you will seek to determine how the management team views and relates to their customers, to their employees, and to their shareholders and board of directors. These 3 directions of interaction are critical for you to understand and for you to be culturally aligned with the organization.
To determine the value placed on customers, you should ask questions like: * Who is your best customer, and why? * Who is your best customer, and why?* Who is your worst customer, and why?* How have your customers affected your product development?* How many times do you visit your customers?
The answers you get should never disparage the customer, should value the customers" input in determining product requirements, and should generally reflect a desire to meet with the customer more often than the pressures of the job currently allow. Responses outside that envelope are a red flag that the organization does not have good customer relationships and may believe they can be successful despite the customer.
Next explore the value placed on employees. First determine stability by asking average length of service, time since the last downsizing, rate of growth, and turnover rates. Once you have a.s.sessed stability, ask questions like:* How often do you hold all-hands meetings?* How are service anniversaries, critical accomplishments, and holidays celebrated?* How do you encourage employees to partic.i.p.ate in community projects?* What emphasis is placed on training and staff development?* Other than for cause, what reasons have caused employees to leave the company?
It is important that the answers to these questions portray a genuine caring for employees, the community they live in, and their families. A healthy organization has a consistent track record of growth and is obsessed with employee development. The latter should be referenced to company policy and not be a matter of one manager"s att.i.tude.
Finally, you need to a.s.sess the value the management team and the organization place on their stakeholders (shareholders and the board of directors). Probe how frequently the board of directors have toured the facility or seen product demos. Determine whether the board or investors have helped develop new business or champion new market opportunities. Look for contentious att.i.tudes toward either investors or the board of directors. Ask questions like:* In this position, will I have an opportunity to meet the board, and if so, what will they be interested in learning about me as a part of the organization?* Does your sales and marketing organization view investors as a strategic partner in opening new markets?* Has there been turnover on the board of directors, and if so, why?
These questions should paint the picture of the management team, staff, and investors all aligned to grow the business and learn from the marketplace. They should proudly discuss strategic relationships or distribution partnerships that have been co-developed with investors or members of the board of directors. If your responses portray isolation from stakeholders, be cautious about both the stability of the management team and their openness to utilize outside resources to help develop and grow the business.
Most people do a good job of a.s.sessing the "hard data" a.s.sociated with the organization where they are seeking employment, and other parts of this book talk about how to use modern tools to perform this hard diligence. Do not underestimate the importance of "soft diligence." You must be comfortable that your values and att.i.tudes toward customers, employees, and stakeholders are consistent with those of the managers and employees with whom you interview. If they are not, this often leads to long-term dissatisfaction with your job. If they are aligned, the opportunity for you is very real.
Steve Panyko has been a senior executive at AT&T Bell Laboratories, Motorola, Harris Corporation, and ITT. He has also been CEO of 4 private equity funded companies that he helped establish, fund, and take through successful exits. Now Steve works out of the Colorado Springs office of Perry-Martel International. www.linkedin.com/in/sfpanyko/.
SECOND AND THIRD INTERVIEWS
It is rare that anyone is hired on the first interview. It happens, but normally only at the most junior levels. Even presidents will want you to meet their senior executive team before making an offer, no matter how impressed they may be. No one wants to upset the delicate team dynamics they have in place. Directors, of course, will have you meet their vice president. The lower you are on the corporate hierarchy, the more likely you"ll meet several people in the process.
You know that being invited back for second and third interviews means that the company is interested in you and you"re interviewing well. Make sure you continue to sell yourself just as you did in the first interview. Don"t a.s.sume the first person who interviewed you has pa.s.sed on the details of that meeting.
Generally speaking, you need to ask everyone in the process the questions you asked the first interviewer. Plan your agenda so you know what you want to cover in the interview. Work on improving areas that may have been perceived as weak in the first interview. An employer"s decision-making process is less rational than you might think. You want everyone you meet to like you. Once you"ve made it into the "acceptable" category, getting the offer is a matter of fit. Make sure you get a business card from everyone you meet. Thank-you notes need to go to each interviewer separately.
Tips for Other Types of Interviews * * Telephone interviews: Telephone interviews: Phone interviews are used to screen candidates out-not in! The screener"s job is to decide whether you warrant an in-person interview. Your job is to convince them you do by sounding enthusiastic. Screeners don"t necessarily know what the job entails and may not care by the time they get to you on their list. It is your responsibility to tell them how your skills and accomplishments fit the requirements. Phone interviews are used to screen candidates out-not in! The screener"s job is to decide whether you warrant an in-person interview. Your job is to convince them you do by sounding enthusiastic. Screeners don"t necessarily know what the job entails and may not care by the time they get to you on their list. It is your responsibility to tell them how your skills and accomplishments fit the requirements.When someone calls you to do a telephone interview, make sure you can actually take the call. If you can"t speak at the moment, tell the caller and arrange for a time to return the call, or ask for a minute to walk into a conference room and change phones. Very few people will refuse you this time, and it could make the difference between receiving a so-so or a superstar rating. Take a few minutes to get ready by reading your resume and reviewing the company"s ad.
* Board or group interviews: Board or group interviews: If you"re faced with a panel of interviewers, the first thing you want to do is to walk to the end of the table and shake each of their hands and ask each partic.i.p.ant for a business card. When you sit down, lay the cards out on the table so that each card faces its owner. When you begin to answer questions, you can address them by name. This will impress the interviewers and build your confidence. If you"re faced with a panel of interviewers, the first thing you want to do is to walk to the end of the table and shake each of their hands and ask each partic.i.p.ant for a business card. When you sit down, lay the cards out on the table so that each card faces its owner. When you begin to answer questions, you can address them by name. This will impress the interviewers and build your confidence.When asked a question, look directly at the questioner when answering. Don"t worry about the rest of the panel. If multiple people ask you questions at the same time, answer the first one completely before moving to the next. It is quite all right to ask the speaker to please repeat a question. Be genuine and relaxed, especially if you sense they are trying to irritate you. They may try to see how you react under pressure.
Chapter 13.
Negotiating the Deal
How to Bargain with Confidence
The worst thing you can possibly do in a deal is seem desperate to make it. That makes the other guy smell blood, and then you"re dead. The best thing you can do is deal from strength, and leverage is the biggest strength you can have. Leverage is having something the other guy wants. Or better yet, needs. Or best of all, simply can"t do without.
-DONALD J. TRUMP, Trump: The Art of the Deal
Congratulations. You"ve been through all the interviews. You like the organization and the job-it"s a good fit. The organization likes you, too, and offers you the position, so now what? How do you make sure you get the best deal possible?
Guerrilla, you"ve been setting up the close from the first moment you walked into the employer"s office. You looked sharp, acted smart, and came off as self-a.s.sured by not talking about compensation-a real "A+ Player." Carry that same behavior into the negotiations. Candidates who net the best results approach the negotiation process with a blend of positive att.i.tude and preparation.
The information in this chapter is important to your financial well-being, whether you are an individual contributor or a senior executive. Some of the ent.i.tlements and strategies may not apply to your current situation, but the strategies and tactics are valid for every new hire. As you go through the chapter, think about how you can apply these techniques.
PROJECT A WINNING ATt.i.tUDE
Unlike many business deals that are short-lived and transactional in nature, employment negotiations are relationship driven and can last a lifetime. It may be acceptable to thump your fist on the desk to gain a concession buying a car because you"re not likely to see the salesperson again; however, you"ll likely see the employer"s negotiator every morning at the water cooler. You may get a small special consideration, but at what cost-being labeled a horse"s a.s.s? The uncompromising aloofness of a candidate who doesn"t give a d.a.m.n bespeaks such a wealth of self-confidence that the client may figure there"s something to it, but if you don"t deliver, you"ll be dispatched with equal indifference.
In negotiations, flashy, bold, or arrogant behavior is a detriment. Approach the negotiations instead with detached enthusiasm coupled with the ability to walk away. If any old offer is acceptable, you have nothing to negotiate-but you must negotiate because you risk alienating the employer if you don"t. After all, it"s no fun for the fisherman when the fish jumps into the boat.
You don"t want to appear so excited that they offer you less than top dollar. Conversely, don"t run them off by appearing indifferent. As a headhunter, I never worry about the brash, ego-driven candidates-they"re easy to close-it"s the quiet ones I have to keep an eye on. Your leverage rests with your confidence in your ability to do the job. You don"t need to sell. The employer must sell you. But first, you need to understand what you"re buying.
PREPARING FOR THE OFFER AND NEGOTIATIONS