Interview training report

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Now that the site is up again - here is my promised report on what interviewers are taught to look for.

For anyone not familiar with this thread - my company (big well respected corporation) sent me to intensive training to learn how to interview people. Here is what I learned.

There is a list of good body language practices at monster .com - Our trainer said many companies will judge you against these behaviors especially in the retail and service areas- translation makes sense to learn them.


However the trainer said company policy is to ignore body language because it is culture based (meaning ok eye contact in the US might be rude in China, etc.) and very unscientific. Ask if you want examples.

What my company looks for is how your previous behaviors match company values. To do this they ask questions about how you handled past situations. This is currently the most popular interview technique and even the stupid computer interviews at starbucks use this.

To prepare for this type of interview

Step 1 figure out what traits/values your target company has. By the way most companies publish their core values - or just ask a supervisor what are your companies core values before you apply.
Step 2 figure out what behaviors go with these traits.
Step 3 think of specific examples where your individual actions demonstrated these traits. Concentrate on what you contributed. DO NOT USE PERSONAL EXAMPLES - e.g. your proudist accomplishment is not breaking up with an abusive partner, etc.
Twist on step 3 - if asked how you would handle the situation - imagine how someone with the desired traits acts and say that.

DO NOT mention anything about a handicap in the interview. According to the HR lady, the only role for a handicap is after the job offer is made and you ask for accomodations.

Hope this helps.. If you have more specific questions about what I learned - ask
.

Very interesting, julieme. Thanks for posting this. It explains some past failures - I shall have to develop some new tactics.

Any idea how much this stuff differs from industry to industry? I'm mainly interested in entertainment and technical industries.

Also, do you know any other way to find out the company values aside from talking to supervisors?

Hi again,

To answer the questions..

Core values differ by industry alot... Generally because different industries try to meet different expectations.

For example Disney focuses more on safety, courtesy, wholesomeness, and fun at its parks. Soney wants inovation, etc.

To find core values go to google and type "Company name" "Core Values".

Hope this helps. Will try to answer questions 2/week.