During interviews, hiring managers are looking for clues about a candidate’s competency and ability to fit into their work environment. They look for proof of past success as a way to gain confidence in the candidate’s abilities and are much less likely to make an offer if the candidate can’t deliver this proof. Hiring managers are also interested in what others say about your performance and if you can demonstrate that the people who you connect with in your professional life can consistently articulate your value add you are more likely to convince them that you are a good fit for their open position.
Here are a few recommendations for incorporating feedback from others into your interview strategy:
- Re-read your performance reviews and pay special attention to notes about projects where you helped the company make money, save money, save time, grow the business or keep the business. Look for examples of how you did more with less, improved a process or completed a project ahead of schedule or under budget.
- Talk to colleagues, peers and vendors to see what they say about your performance or relationships with them. If you are using social networking tools such as LinkedIn or Naymz, ask for endorsements and use these endorsements in your interview strategy to prove your successes.
- Take advantage of a 360 feedback tool. Checkster has a simple and free tool that you can use to gather collective feedback that is anonymous, confidential and fully automated. Incorporate information about what others say about your performance into your interview strategy to validate your competencies and unique value proposition.
