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The executive interview

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Interview guide for knowledge workers/intelligent executives, managers and CXO types. They’ll be senior executives and managers, salespeople, finance executives, marketers, customer services executives, lawyers, management consultants, operations and logistics specialists, and IT consultants and professionals. And let’s not forget HR professionals who might be great at hiring people, but are not so smart at interviewing for a position themselves.

The more senior the position, the greater the quality of the competition, it’s essential therefore that you put your best foot forward.

Index

First interviews• Proper prior preparation

• Questions you can expect to be asked

• Questions you should be asking

Pages

Pages

Pages

3 - 5

6 - 8

9 - 10

Competency based interviewing• What does it mean

• Some examples

• How to answer them

Pages

Pages

Pages

11

12

13

Second and subsequent interviews• Second/subsequent interviews

• Presentations and panel interviews

• Phone interviews

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Pages

Pages

14

15 - 17

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How to close meetings & salary negotiation Pages 18 - 20

Copyright 2012. An Intelligent Executive white paper from Armstrong Hall.

White paper: The executive interview

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First interviews (part 1)

Proper prior preparation

“What do you know about our company?”

The more senior the position, the greater the competition. For Management/“C” level roles – and those knowledge worker/intelligent executive type roles which have a big impact on bottom line business – it’s’ essential you make it clear that you understand the employer’s line of business.

Its’ extremely likely you’ll be asked the question “What do you know about our company?”

You can research the company by looking on the web. Find out about their line of business and keys facts and figures, such as when the company was established, its financial year end, turnover and perhaps number of employees.

The more senior the position for which you are applying the more that will be expected of you. In fact at a senior level you would need to be able to demonstrate a knowledge of the company’s:

• Line of business

• Growth

• Profitability

• Margins

• Market share

At senior levels you need to give a much fuller overview of your understanding of the business’s key driving factors, including your ability to articulate its strengths and weaknesses, and which opportunities and threats the company faces in the marketplace.



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To research a company it’s best to go on-line. However, company websites usually contain a proliferation of information, and it can be difficult to find what you’re looking for. So we suggest that you look for “About us” or “Company information” and you may find it there. If not, look for the news section or press releases.

In addition check out what info is available on a search engine like Google, type in the company name and “financial statement” or company name and “financial report”. You may find that the information a privately owned company makes public is limited, so you may need to be more creative. If there’s a recruiter involved ask him or her, talk to people you know - such as customers, or suppliers. If you know people in accounts departments with access to a credit-checking agency, ask them if they can look up the info. Or you can always phone up the company directly, and speak to the marketing or HR department.

You need to be able to articulate your answer to this question well, so we suggest you develop an “elevator pitch” setting out a high-level view of what the employer company does, its strengths and vital statistics. You will need to include facts and figures, and perhaps incorporate golden words or phrases which make what you say sound impressive. Examples of these are: morph, exceptional, ground-breaking, game changing, trend setting, innovation, transformational…. Your answer should be up to two minutes long – the amount of time it takes to take an elevator ride.

Be prepared to say more when questioned.

Check out the backgrounds and get the inside line of the people you’ll be meeting

Look up the backgrounds of the people with whom you’ll be meeting on Linkedin, Facebook and Google. And if possible get the inside track about them using your people network.



Robin Smith Head of

Robin Smith Head of ABC Corp.

04


How to conduct yourself

Interviews normally last around an hour, and you need to use this time wisely. The questions you’ll be asked by your interviewer will probably take up half of this, leaving you only 30 minutes of talk time in which to provide answers or ask your own questions.

Begin the meeting by asking what the interviewer/s would like to cover and how long they have set aside.

On your part, ask the questions you consider most important at the first interview, leaving less important topics until later.

It’s very likely you’ll meet more than one person during your first or subsequent interviews, and this meeting may be of an impromptu nature. Try to make a note of their names immediately because you may need to refer them again in subsequent conversations or meetings. If the introduction was fast, ask again “I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name, and by the way, how do you fit in here/what’s your position?”

Personal presentation

When you go into a meeting you need to impress on the interviewer/s that you’re efficient, organised and in control of your life, and that you’ll bring these qualities to the company.

If you go into a meeting without any form of note-taking material, you will come across as being too casual. If you take in too much material you may be seen as disorganised – briefcases are increasingly seen as out dated and any display of lots of papers or folders which you have to flick through can be interpreted negatively.

Take with you a compact executive notepad/writing book and an executive pen, or a tablet. If you are making use of a tablet you need to be confident you can access anything quickly. Sometimes a traditional writing book is most agile.

You also need to look the part for the level of role at which you are interviewing, so make sure your clothes reflect this. The more senior the role, the more expensive your wardrobe needs to be. You need to project the image of someone who is successful and a role model.

Go for neutral colours such as a suit in plain navy, dark grey or black, and wear black leather shoes. Ladies could wear black or navy. Your shirt or blouse should look crisp and fresh, and ideally, to look your best, anything you wear should be less than a year old.

De-clutter

Many people will get worked up in the final hours before an interview, do lots of research, solicit opinions and try to think of the various questions which may be put to them, and those questions they should be asking. In an attempt to cover all eventualities they risk facing the interview with information overload and an element of confusion.

On the day, you need to be really sharp and clearly focussed. To avoid stress and confusion you should take some time - ideally the night before the interview - to de-clutter your mind and focus on the basics. Write down just four or five questions which you can reference during the meeting and you’ll find the rest comes naturally.



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Questions you can expect to be asked

1. What do you know about our company?

• You need to be able to describe succinctly the nature of company to which you’re applying, and the business in which it operates. You should be familiar with key facts and figures including when it was established, number of employees, annual turnover and perhaps profitability and growth rate. NB Senior roles require a more insightful answer.

2. Tell me about yourself/talk me through your CV/Resume

Don’t be offended when asked this question – some senior people see this as being quite basic. However, many interviewers find this a great way to see how well someone can account for themselves, how well they can project themselves and that it’s a good way to get to know a candidate’s abilities, and motivations.

Most people struggle when answering this question, regardless as to how senior they are. Our pointers are:

• Firstly turn the table on the interviewer ~ find out what they want you to cover and how long they would like you to spend talking through it.

• Most interviewers will expect this to take up to just 20 minutes of an hour meeting. We stress those words “up to”!

• So it’s important to keep yourself on track. It’s easy to drift off the subject and give long answers. Not answering the question will irritate and bore the interviewer.

• What’s the interviewer looking for? For senior management positions they wish to satisfy themselves that you have the background and skills to do the job.

• So where appropriate make certain what you say is relevant to the company, its line of business and the requirements of the role.

• You should be careful not to place all your emphasis on making what you have done seem relevant to the job. Don’t go over the top because the interviewer might easily think you’re saying what you think he wants to hear, rather than the real you!

• Where appropriate align your experiences, skills and achievements to the nature of the opening for which you are interviewing. Be sure to communicate things which you consider particularly relevant, and understand recent experiences and achievements are more meaningful than those which happened a long time ago.

• Include facts and figures which show you in a good light. The balance of what you say should be on the positive.

• Early career experience should be covered quickly since it has least value and more recent experience covered in more detail.

• If you’ve had considerable experience and a large number of previous employers, it’s important to keep your answer brief – you may wish to think of your career in three short chapters to bring the interviewer up to date. So for example, you could say “following graduation in Economics, I joined one of the big four and for the next 10 years spent time as an auditor, and accounting supervisor” i.e. This would represent the first chapter of your career.

• Whatever you do, don’t go into ‘broadcast mode’ and ramble on at length about things in your past employment history which have little or no relevance to the current situation.

• Throw the question back to the interviewer as appropriate – ask him or her if there is anything else they would like to know about you.



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3. Questions about your CV/Resume

• Consider the hiring requirement from the employer’s perspective and what is written in their job spec (if you have a copy). Then examine your CV and think about the questions you may be asked.

4. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

• A word of warning – sometimes this question is phrased in a different way, such as: “How would your colleagues describe you?”

• This can be a tricky question. Emphasise your strengths and align them with the job you’re being interviewed for.

• Think of a past weakness that you have either identified yourself or that has been pointed out to you. Tell them how you overcame that particular weakness and explain that because of your corrective action it is now either no longer a weakness or it is less of a weakness.

5. What would you bring to the role? / Why should we choose you?

• Tell them that in your view you have the necessary skills and experience to do the job. It is important to illustrate this with facts and figures, and emphasise your skills which are relevant to them.

• These must be substantiated with specific information: financial facts such as profit, sales, budget and growth. Other facts such as how long you have had the job or the number of reports that you have managed as well as your technical capabilities or regulatory qualifications.

• Choosing facts and figures which show you in the best light will make you appear more convincing. A lack of facts and figures makes you appear unconvincing.

• Tell them that you want the job.

• Tell them that from everything you have seen and heard, you think you would fit in well and make a positive contribution to the business.

6. How would you approach the role?

• Consider any question/s you may need to put to the interviewer before answering the question.

• Your answer will depend on the nature of your role and timescales.

• The first thing is to seek consensus as to the nature of the role and exactly what is expected.

• Agree or outline any timescales and specific goals to be realised.

• Consider breaking down your answer into beginning, middle and end – so as to give it a structure and present it in a logical timeline.



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7. What is your current situation?

• If you have been made redundant don’t project any negative feelings. It’s best to show that you’ve accepted the situation as fate and put a positive spin on it. Say you see this is an opportunity to move on, and that you are really quite keen on this particular opening.

8. What kind of opportunity are you looking for now?

• Angle your answer so it relates to the kind of opportunity that you’re interviewing for.

9. What attracts you to this position with us?

• Think of your value to the employer – a good answer might be: “from what I can understand, this position makes particularly good use of my skills and experience, and offers me a challenging position in which to grow my career”.

10. How will this position fit in with your longer term career goals?/How do you wish to progress your career?

• Your focus must always be on the job for which you are being interviewed there and then. It’s a common mistake to start talking about a future job rather than the job in hand.

11. What do you like and dislike about your current job?/What motivates you?

• Talk about things you like, which are transferable to your new employer and ideally those which will be of most value to the employer.

• Don’t bad mouth your current or previous employer/s. And think twice about expressing the frustrations you experience at your current company – you may face similar ones in your new job.



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Questions you should be asking?

At a glance!

1. What would you like to cover today and how long have we got?

2. I’m interested to understand more about your company, today and how you see it developing, perhaps in the contexts of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

3. “How has the position arisen?”

4. “What is the nature of the job role?” AND “What are the key performance measurements?”

5. “What attributes are you looking for in a candidate?”

6. “What’s your recruitment process, how do you feel about my suitability to your

company and the role? What happens next? AND what timescales are you working to”

Here’s the logic.

Your level of seniority may influence the stage, scope and depth of which you are able to ask questions.

In most interviews there exists a “balance of power”. Inexperienced interviewers may have a limited understanding of this and may proceed with a selfish approach to interviewing and fail to understand that recruitment is a two way process. This balance of power (which party wants who most) can change during an interview or through the interview process.

Assuming an interview is an hour long, you can expect 30 minutes of talk time each. So we suggest you prioritise around perhaps just five most important areas/questions.

Make sure that you put your questions in a logical order. For example, you should be finding out about the company objectives before the nature of the role and then subsequently about how performance in that role is measured.



Company Info

PerformanceMeasurements

Role InfoPersonCriteria

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If the interviewer does not quickly outline an agenda for the meeting, we would suggest you ask him or her how they wish to play it…

• What would you like to cover today and how long have we got?

• Ask them to tell you more about the company as they see it

• I’m interested to understand more about your company, today and how you see it developing, perhaps in the contexts of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

If appropriate ask what the company’s strategic objective is: are they pursuing a buy, grow or sell agenda? In other words are they looking for a stock market flotation (if not currently a publicly listed company), to make acquisitions, a trade sale/sell out, disposals, or organic growth etc.

• “How has the position arisen?”

It is a big mistake not to ask this question, since it can reveal a lot about the company, nature of the role or challenges.

• “What is the nature of the job role?” OR “Can you tell me more about the job role?”

“What’s going to be expected of the person holding the job, i.e. what are the performance measurements?” OR “How will the success of the job holder be measured?”

• “What resources will be made available to the job holder and what is the scope of responsibility?”

Depending on the nature of the opening, you may wish to find out what kind of resources will be made available to you in order for you to perform in your role, and to explore the scope of your decision making limits and responsibilities.

• “What did you mean when you talked about?”

During the course of the interview you may have wondered why the interviewer asked you a particular question. This would be a good opportunity for you to query why he or she asked it. You could ask: “What did you mean when you asked me that?” or “Why is that important to you?”

At the end, try to establish where you stand as a contender for the role…

• “What attributes are they looking for in a candidate?”

One way to close the meeting, is to ask four questions in succession without pausing….

• “What’s your recruitment process, how do you feel about my suitability to your company and the role? What happens next? AND what timescales are you working to”

Shortly after the first interview (and any others), you would be wise to note down what was said of most importance and by whom at the meeting, as well as any areas which you think are important to be covered at the next stage.



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Competency based interviewing (part 1)

What does it mean?

Competency-based interviews are structured interviews where the interviewer will be working from a set of pre-determined questions. It works on the basis that the past is a predictor of the future, so the interviewee can therefore expect to be asked a number of questions focused on drawing on his or her past experience. Competency-based interview questions will typically commence with words to the effect: “Can you tell me about a time when you….”

These are often based around core competencies such as:

• Communication skills

• Delivering results

• Interpersonal skills

• Use of initiative

• Planning and organising

• Analytical thinking

• Strategic thinking

• Building relationships

• Developing others

• Teamwork

Expect them to be focused around very predictable business critical goals which you will be expected to be responsible for, and against which your performance is most likely to be measured, and by which you will be determined a success or failure.

These are most likely to be industry and job specific. You should consider what matters most in the position into which the employer is hiring. And contemplate what areas you think they are most likely to probe you about.

You should reflect on what insight you have into the opportunity from any job spec, briefing from a head-hunter, internal recruiter, job advert or inside line from someone in your network. And then try to second guess what questions they are most likely to put to you. Consider sitting in the interviewers’ shoes and think about what questions you might ask if you were on their side of the table.



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“Can you tell me abouta time when you…..”



Examples of competency based interview questions

The following are examples of competency-based interview questions, and will give you an indication as to what form they may take. These examples are very open: it is likely that interviewers will use the questions you see below but they may well combine them to probe more deeply. In other words they may ask more specific questions based on how your experiences might relate to their environment – industry specifics, dimensions/scope of responsibilities, role type and technical issues.

Management/influence

Describe a time when you have had to change a process or methodology? How did you go about it?

Can you describe a time when you have had to influence business decisions where the business was not directly accountable to you?

Describe your recent experience of partnering with senior managers to influence commercial outcomes.

Communication and presentation

Can you think of a time when you have tried to persuade someone else to adopt your point of view – what was the situation? How did you present your views/arguments? What was the result?

Tell us about any major changes you have experienced in your work environment?

Tell us about a time when you failed – why did you fail? What did you learn from the situation?

Commercial and business awareness

Describe a situation where you have championed strategic thinking corporately.

Describe financial/commercial decisions that you have made/advised on.

Describe an occasion when you have borrowed ideas from other industries.

Decision making - problem solving and analysis

Tell us about a particularly difficult decision you have had to make.

Describe a complex problem that you have had to deal with.

Tell us about some of the analytical methods you have used in the past, e.g. cost benefit analysis. How have these helped you to add value?

Team-working

Can you tell me about a time when you have had to resolve conflict between individuals?

Describe a time where you have had to use different approaches to deal with different personalities or situations.

Can you describe a time when you worked in a team drawn from other departments/areas of your business?



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Resilience/action orientated

Tell us about a project where you have persisted in spite of obstacles.

Tell us about a major achievement and how you went about it.

Describe a time when you experienced setbacks in your work.


How to answer them

Firstly try to second guess which competency based questions they are most likely to put to you.

Secondly, think back through time to when you have been faced with a similar responsibility, project or challenge in the past – this should ideally be one which was recent (ideally in the last two years where the outcome was successful. Things which happened a long time ago e.g. five years ago carry far less weight.

Thirdly, give your answer a structure and cover the bases well – use the STAR formula!

Situation – say where you were (employer name), what you role was and when it happened.

Task – outline the challenge or nature of the project for which you were responsible and why it was important.

Action – explain how you approached the task and the actions you took. If your efforts were part of a team effort, focus most on what you did, and what you contributed. Avoid saying what you thought you might do – you need to focus on what you have achieved.

Result – what were the outcomes? These should be substantiated with facts and figures and should show you in a positive light.

What if you can’t think of a good or recent example? In this case you may wish to say that you cannot think of a directly comparable situation, but you can think of something similar, and then elaborate on how you might have approached this task if faced with it.



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Second and subsequent interviews (part 1)

Second and subsequent interviews

Whilst it is common to meet key decision makers at more than one interview, you can expect to meet different people at various stages.

This represents a chance for you to build a more complete picture of the opportunity and to get different perspectives on it. It is also an opportunity for you to show them that you are the best person for the job.

Asking the same questions at the second interview of the same person you met at the first one will demonstrate ignorance! Ask different questions or ones which might allow you to find out more about areas of particular interest to you.

If you are asking a different person, you could ask one, some or all of the same questions at the second interview, which you asked at the first.

If the person who interviewed you at the first meeting is present at the second, you could repeat the question by saying: “When I met with abc previously we talked about xyz. I’m interested to find out more about this area, may I ask your thoughts?”. A second interview is also a good opportunity to raise questions which were not covered for one reason or another at the first.

Ideally, shortly after the first interview, write down the key things which were mentioned, so that you can consider them before the second interview – how they were said, the points made, choices of phrase and word etc.

You should be ready for different questions - AND questions about areas covered at the first interview which might have exposed your weaknesses, or perhaps were not covered fully.

You need to ask new questions. And delve more deeply into any important aspects.

Expect to see new people! You need to be as keen at the second interview as you were at the first. This is a common shortcoming. Be even more curious about the organisation/job or where you stand as a candidate. You’ve been invited back because you’re a contender.



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Presentation and panel interviews

Find out what is expected and who will be there.

• Ideally get the details from them in writing – how long the presentation is to be and what they would like covered. Be sure to ask who is to be present, names and job titles plus any additional insight you can glean.

If possible, take a sounding on your presentation before the day.

• Assuming you are applying internally, it is likely you will have a sponsor or mentor – be sure to clarify your understanding of the presentation subject and take a sounding on an overview of your presentation.

• Furthermore, an insider may give you a steer as to how the panel see you as a candidate – your strengths and weaknesses, and perhaps what they are looking to hear.

• When interviewing for a position internally, seek friendly external inputs – someone who is well established within an organisation may have developed insular views, while an external perspective may sharpen you up and help you project yourself as a stronger candidate.

• For people interviewing externally, it is less likely you will have a sponsor or warm enough relationship to do this. However if you are able to, do so. Regardless, be sure to get some inputs from a qualified friend.

Don’t be stupid and ignore the normal presentation rules!

• Give your presentation a structure: an introduction, the content and a conclusion. Give them a roadmap – an introduction and list of topics you will cover. Without this they’ll wonder where they are going and are more likely to questions at stages which may not suit you.

• Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them and tell them what you have told them.

• If it’s a 20 minute presentation use perhaps six or seven slides.

• You should avoid a regular pitfall ~ people invariably try to say too much.

You should give relevant facts and figures.

• A failure to do so is a common shortcoming of people presenting at interview. This is particularly important when asked about how you would approach the job/your first 100 days/your plans for the first 30/60 and 90 days.

Grab and maintain their attention.

• The easiest way to hook an audience is to describe the problem/opportunities and how you will overcome them/realise them. Use visuals for greater impact and use the power of three – express subjects and points in threes.

• People buy benefits not technicalities, so be sure you convey what you mean to them and that each person understands your message. You need to talk with passion and belief.



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A frequent hazard in interview-based presentations, is people joining late and leaving early!

• Best advice – be careful not to over-run and be ready to summarise what’s already been covered to a late joiner.

Rehearse like hell.

• Most people don’t rehearse and this is a mistake. Decision makers can always tell how well prepared someone is and rehearsing will help you be better prepared to handle “dialogue”. And “dialogue” brings about synergy!

Each panellist is likely to be working to a fixed set of questions to ask.

• An important aspect is to include each person in the meeting and appreciate that different people may have different knowledge levels and interests in different subject areas/aspects.

• Appreciate that different people on the panel may have different perspectives and what someone can see as a weakness another may see as a strength. Be careful not to jump to conclusions during or after interview. Panel interviews are subject to post interview debrief!

Your opportunity to find out more and gain different perspectives.

• Have relevant questions pre-determined and written down to ask, ideally asking different people on the panel different questions and endeavouring to include them all.

How to end the meeting.

• Invariably most companies interview several people and will want to debrief together after the interview – so the chances of them offering you there and then are remote.

• They need to be convinced of three things: does the candidate want the job, can the candidate do the job and will the candidate fit in.

• Perhaps ask three questions rolled into one: how well do you match up to their expectations, how you compare with other candidates and what timescales are they working to.

• Assuming you are interested, you can end by thanking them for their time, and saying that you have been pleased to meet them, are excited about the opening and are looking forward to hearing back from them.



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Final word

It’s as much a meeting as it is a presentation.

Candidates often interpret being requested to give a presentation as being just that – but ordinarily it’s as much a meeting as it is a presentation. You need to synergise with the people you are seeing so you need to interact with them, and if you are to work there, they need to be happy you’ll fit in. On starting your presentation and only after having stated the subject areas you will cover in your presentation – you may wish to say “please ask questions as we go along and I will answer them either immediately” or you may say “I’ll cover that later”. Use your common sense, you need to respond properly to the right questions and make sure you complete the presentation.


Phone interviews

These are more widespread than people realise. Often with senior executives’ time being at a premium, organisations will pursue a telephone call. In some cases position or stake-holders may be based overseas, which means a telephone call is more practical.

1. You should find out as much as you can in advance about the company and the opening.

2. Phone interviews are often short. You need to have key facts and figures to hand, so that when you are asked about your track record or some statistic, you can give a prompt and meaningful answer.

3. At the start of the call it is essential that you clarify the purpose of the call, what they would like to get out of the conversation and how long they would like the call to last.

4. When answering questions – you should answer the question AND stick to the point.

• Listen and clarify as appropriate.

5. Because the interviewer cannot see you, your personality will not easily come through!

• You need to consider how you can project your personality to enhance your application, without spoiling your chances.

6. Be ready to say what your salary package is and what your expectations are.

• When a company asks about a salary package and an answer is given, this sets an expectation. It is therefore important to let them know when answering that you have higher or lower expectations.

7. You should finish the call by finding out what happens next AND agreeing to any follow-on action.

• If they do not volunteer to invite you to the next stage, you may wish to ask if he or she has any concerns, and try overcome these as appropriate



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How to close the meeting and salary negotiation (part 1)

How to close the interview

Many people are uncertain how to finish the interview. However everyone wants to find out where they stand – even if perhaps they don’t want the job.

Often an employer is looking for the candidate to close/find out where they stand/nail the job offer – particularly if he or she is a senior manager or in sales or procurement. Sometimes employers are looking for people who are hard-nosed and really quite outcome and results oriented, in which case, they would be expecting those people to close.

Consider asking one of three questions:

1. “I hope that you don’t mind my asking, but how do you feel about my suitability for the role?”

2. “I like the look of this opportunity because (state a reason)… “Are there any concerns that you have that I can clear up right now?”

3. The third question is a really smart one: “How strong a candidate am I, both for the requirement for which you’re looking to hire into and in comparison to other candidates that you’re looking at?”

Final word

As a minimum we suggest you ask...

“Would you please tell me about the recruitment process and what timescales are you looking at?”



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How to close the meeting and salary negotiation (part 2)

A candidate is always in a stronger position right at the end of the process once the company has made him or her an offer. That is a very good time to start negotiating. You’re in a stronger position because they want you.

At the first interview the potential package is unlikely to come up other than in the context of an interviewer asking you what your current package is. Don’t expect for one moment to get into a negotiation.

Don’t get involved in detailed package or salary negotiations at a first interview, but do be prepared to answer the questions: “What is your current salary?” or “What are your salary expectations?” People often sell themselves short: think not only about your current salary but also cost out any benefits.

When a company takes note of your salary, it can create an expectation to them. If you are due for a salary rise or are about to be moved up a grade, you should state “My basic salary is xxx, my benefits are xxx, and by the way I’m due for an increase of…”.

But you need to exercise a degree of common sense. If a job was initially advertised at c. 150k, there is no point in going in, saying your salary is 250k and that you are looking for something similar. Clearly the company isn’t going to take you seriously

In medium and large sized companies, managers are often given a pool of money to distribute as they see fit. So it’s particularly important that you maximise your starting salary. Or you will have to really excel so your manager can justify awarding you more than the next person. Otherwise, he or she will find themselves in a position of having to rob Peter to pay Paul.

1. You should seek out some benchmarks:

• Adverts, salary surveys, speak with head-hunters, recruitment consultants and fellow colleagues.

2. You need to know what your bottom line would be, and the figure that you really want.

• Focus on the higher number, but don’t throw the job away by over-pricing yourself.

• Ideally discuss the salary package at the end of the interview process. By then you will have built your value in their eyes before talking money. And you will have established they want to hire you.

3. When asked about your current salary package:

• Give a clear answer to include a fixed basic salary and TOTAL value of your package. Mention any other major points which you think should be taken into account – for example, benefits, a pending pay rise etc.

4. Identify your most convincing benchmark:

• Which gives you the greatest leverage AND use it your advantage.

• Extra value you bring to the employer.

• What are the positions above and below yours paid?

• Other job offers and counter offers.



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Final word

Understand…

The best time to ensure you are properly compensated is when you first join a company, because, once you have joined that company, it is difficult to get major increases beyond inflation, except when you receive a promotion.



Good Luck

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Documents

The executive interview - Intelligent Executiveintelligentexecutive.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/... · Management/“C” level roles – and those knowledge worker/ intelligent executive