It doesn't matter how senior a candidate is, there are still a few 'trouble spots' that can be worry-some when facing an important interview. And usually for executives the stakes are pretty high. So here are some useful tips that can get overlooked but should help make the process a successful one.
Preparation is king. Regardless of how adept you may be at running meetings at senior level, an interview is a slightly different kind of meeting and requires a good level of thought and preparation before embarking upon it if you want to ensure the best possible outcome.
It's important to think through what the interviewers will be looking for from you and make sure you are able to give it to them with relative ease. For example, they may be looking for evidence of specific experience and it is important you can recount specific details relatively easily and succinctly. Have another read through of the job description or role brief, or if there isn't one, think through the job and note down what is required of you in terms of skills and experience as they relate to the tasks. Then prepare your best examples of your experience for each. For example, if there are direct reports to this role you may want to think of your best example of where you have managed under-performance. If there is a business development element you may wish to prepare the best example of a relevant win you have achieved. In each, be prepared to talk about these things in detail. That means, giving context, actions, outcomes and learns. If you haven't thought these through beforehand it is too easy to waffle and give too much information or go off on tangents.
The reason I recommend this level of preparation is that you will find it that much easier to paint a picture of yourself for them by using examples of real things you have done - this gives an interviewer EVIDENCE and that a proven indicator of future performance.
In addition to this, take a bit of time out to find out what you can about your interviewer, whether it be someone from HR or your potential line manager. Look them up on LinkedIn, Google them. Read all you can that would be relevant to that person so you can get a good idea of what he/she is like as a person, what is generally on their agenda and what level of communication they are likely to be looking for from you. This will help you to pitch your approach well. For example a male 40 year old MD of a global telco with a highly entrepreneurial background, single and no kids, who flies light aircraft for a hobby and drives a red Bentley, may require a different approach to a female 47 year old long-standing CEO of a not-for-profit with 4 kids who lives in the countryside and rides her horses every spare moment she has, loves camping and volunteers at a soup kitchen every Friday night. Finding some common ground before you meet will prove a piece of gold in developing rapport in a relatively short space of time. If you are engaging via a recruiter, as them to find out what they can and pass you any insights about the person. They may well know them well or have a good network around them - use this valuable tool!
Lastly, be prepared with questions. This may sound a bit basic, but it is often overlooked when there is a recruiter involved as it can be easier to leave the tough questions to them. However, at this level I believe it is incredibly important to ask the important questions. It can be enormously helpful in steering your interviewer to where you want to them to go, if done right, and will also give them the added insight into how you think and operate. Give this some serious thought..... it's a biggie. Voltaire once said "Judge a man not by his answers but by his questions."
The rest is all fairly basic, but I'll say it anyway.
- Be on time, or 5-10 minutes early at the most (not 30 minutes early, it's generally rather irritating if someone arrives too early for a meeting, unless it's been agreed).
- Dress appropriately - do give this some thought is all I will say on this. Think about the environment, the culture, the people you're meeting and the impression you want to give.
- Don't swear. It may sound silly, but I'm just putting it out there. Just don't.
Good luck!
