Dana Cripps, Cordant People, offers advice for recruiters to pass on to their candidates

Making sure that your candidates are prepared, confident and interview ready is not only vital to your candidate’s chances of success but also goes a long way to building a good working relationship with your client – sending a super prepped candidate will go miles to show your client that you know your marketplace and increase the chance of repeat business.

I’ve brought together some hints and tips below for you to make certain that your candidate is ready to nail that interview and bag the job!

– Appearance – Make sure your candidate knows what is expected of them when it comes to the interview dress code – it could be that your client has a more relaxed approach or they may expect potential recruits to be suited and booted! Find out and make sure your candidate is informed.

– Time Keeping – Make sure your candidate knows exactly where they are going and what time they need to arrive by – assist them with google maps and make sure you pass on all the details you can about the location and who they need to ask for on arrival.

– Your Candidate’s CV – Make sure your candidate knows their CV inside out and are able to answer any questions thrown their way about their work history or experience.

– Knowledge of the company – It will pay for your candidate to have researched the client’s company – do all you can to assist them with this with any insider knowledge you have to give them an advantage over the competition. Give them the company website to research and advise them to check the company social media feeds too.

– Interview Process – Ensure you have made your candidate aware of the interview process they can expect; Who will they be meeting? Will the interview be a one on one or a panel style? Will there be any exercises or tasks involved? Are there likely to be second interviews?

– Panel interviews – If the client is holding panel interviews advise your candidate to make sure that they engage with everyone involved and not just the obvious interview lead. Directing their answers to the whole room will build an impression with the whole panel.

– Typical Questions – Prepare your candidate by getting them to think of answers to some typical interview questions such as “Tell me about yourself” “What additional skills do you think you can bring to this role?” “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

– Prepare Questions – Make sure your candidate prepares some questions of their own. Interviews are not only a process for your client to find their next employee but also an opportunity for your candidate to suss out if the organisation is right for them. Encourage your candidate to ask questions about the culture and environment and what they can expect if they are successful.

– Smile! – Remind your candidate to smile! Not only do first impressions count but smiling releases endorphins which help you feel happier and can also lower stress levels