Before a candidate meets the recruiter, an initial interview is usually done by telephone. This allows the recruiter to determine the candidate’s interest for the job, working conditions, schedule, etc. . . . and to set a time for the face-to-face interview. A telephone interview often lasts less than half an hour. Don’t overlook this step because it is crucial for what comes after.

Prepare for it thoroughly: do your homework on the company and the job, have your CV at hand, and psychologially prepare yourself to take the call. If the recruiter calls at an inconvenient time, don’t hesitate to ask him or her to call back, and fix a time.

The next step is to meet the employer face to face. This interview can last more than an hour, and may be drawn out over several sessions. Your aspirations, experience, education, qualities. . . will be addressed. The recruiter(s) are trying to see if your personality clicks with the corporate culture and the existing team. “The interview questions mainly serve to validate whether the candidate’s values match those of the company,” specifies Éric Méthot, RONA Canada Senior Manager, People and Culture department.

Specific questions will also be asked to check the candidate’s skills and his or her ability to perform the duties of the job to be filled. Often, one or more role-playing exercises complete the questions to test the candidate’s behaviour with respect to likely on-the-job situations. In these cases, the key is not to panic: just imagine yourself in a specific situation and react naturally, without trying to come up with the perfect answer.

For example, the employer can ask a potential cashier, “What would you do if a customer told you he had given you $20, and you were sure that he had not?” Or, in an interview for a customer service representative, “How would you react if a customer asked you a question you didn’t know the answer to?”

Once again, preparation is essential: you should anticipate the questions you will be asked to answer and do some research on the company and the job. Make sure you are well groomed and prepare a few questions to ask at the end of the interview to show your interest.