Welcome to the bringing the human Back To Human Resources,
podcast, the podcast, all about the delicate balance between
people and business. And quite literally reconnecting
the to my name is Tracy Ruben and I've spent nearly my entire
professional career in a jar, join me as I share stories,
opinions and words of advice with you each week.
Welcome back to the podcast. Everyone thanks for being here.
Don't forget to rate review, And subscribe, and share this with a
friend. If you're listening on YouTube,
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well. Before I jump into this week's
topic, I just want to thank everyone for your Outreach and
feedback on last week's episode and last week's episode was
called cancel cancel culture. And I got so much great feedback
between messages on LinkedIn. Emails DM's comments on the
actual post on Instagram. Thank you so much.
I really received a lot of great feedback and actually the
feedback I think was great because there were so many
people who were like, you know what this is exactly what I've
been trying to put into words. Or this is exactly how I feel
and I'm just I'm glad that it was able to resonate in some way
with you and thanks for being here to listen to some more
topics about bringing the human back.
Human resources in some capacity for another week.
If you haven't yet, listen to cancel, cancel culture, last
week's episode, you definitely should.
I think it's really relevant. Considering the hashtag times
where in, so give it a listen. Let me know what you think and
if anything I know some people have also said to me recently
that they are, you know, they're they're struggling to keep up.
There are a lot of episodes, they've got to catch up to some
of the previous episodes definitely do.
So although the episodes are not consecutive.
Sometimes it's helpful especially if I'm referencing
back. But feel free to listen, feel
free to share. Thank you again for all of your
feedback. This week, I want to talk about
going into interviews and getting the most out of them and
I was inspired to talk about this because recently I
completed the internship program for my company and obviously I
didn't go through the internship program because I'm not an
intern but it was the first time that we actually hosted and held
an internship program for our interns and our interns work on
a six-month basis. It was a six-month program It
was collaborative project so it wasn't just me.
I worked with a couple of colleagues on the execution of
the program but we got some really great feedback from our
interns and one of the most recent program meetings that we
hosted for our interns was basically like a LinkedIn resume
interview tips type of program which I led.
And in that program toward the end, I talked about, like
interview tips, interview considerations, And things that
you should really think about going into an interview and
while you're in the interview, how you should act things you
should say, things you should avoid, and things like that.
So I thought I'd share those tips with you this week,
especially if you are in the process of making a transition.
If you're in the process of moving, there are a lot of
people who listen who are recently graduates of high
school or college. And so you might be in like a
mode of interviewing. So I think it's important to get
them. Absolute most out of interviews
as possible. So the first thing that you want
to think about when it comes to interviewing is that you have to
get something out of it. It's not just about putting
yourself out there and you know, hopefully getting a job offer or
making more money or whatever it is.
It's, it's about getting something out of it.
So if you're going into an interview, what kinds of
questions are you asking? Some people will say, ask very
specific questions that you pay Yourself in a good light.
And this is especially coming at the end of an interview, where
it's like the dreaded, what questions do you have for me,
question from the interviewer, or the recruiter, or the hiring
manager? Whoever it is, and I've found
throughout my experience, as an HR person as a friend who's
helped Mentor. People ahead of their
interviews, Etc. That people always freak out
about the question part. They're always like which
question is the right question. Ask there is no right question,
but there is a wrong question. So when you're going into an
interview, if someone asks you, what questions do you have for
me and you really want to know what the culture of the company
is like, or the way in which they're addressing dni
initiatives or the way that they treat employees in circumstances
that require health and safety protocol.
For example, you have to ask those questions, right?
It's not about asking well, what kind of Of candidate.
Are you looking for, at the end of the day, you're sitting in
front of them, they're interviewing you for a reason.
You're clearly the type of candidate that they're looking
for. So if you have an opportunity to
ask questions, which everyone does at the end of an interview,
ask the questions that you actually need the answer to
also, when you are interviewing or you're getting ready to
interview, think about this as an opportunity to Market
yourself, right? So you're going into an
interview. You're meeting someone New?
Are you putting yourself your best self forward your best foot
forward. How are you taking advantage of
the time with that person? Now I will say for sure I have
had interviews where I was going in, not in the right mindset,
had a difficult day. Maybe wasn't excited about the
interview because I'm sure that I'm not alone in having had an
interview that I wasn't excited about.
Like maybe it was just an interview to interview to get
the experience like I've Vividly can remember an interview that I
took back in the day, just to take it and get the experience
and I wasn't excited about it. But actually, when I think back
on that experience, there was a missed opportunity to network
and connect with someone who you never know, could have offered
me a job in the future. So when you approach interviews,
Not only would I encourage you to kind of have fun with it,
don't see it as something that's like super stressful, like try
to just kind of relax and go in and be yourself.
But also see it as an opportunity to really get your
name and your personal brand out there.
So something that I've been thinking about a lot recently is
that this podcast is part of my personal brand, right?
So like how do I talk about or how do I implement the podcast
as part of my introduction to someone new?
And this is not even necessarily just an interview skill.
This is like a meet and greet networking skill that allows
itself to kind of shine in the middle of an interview.
And so what I always Recommend people do.
And this is something that I learned at Target is to have
like a 30 to 60 second elevator pitch.
So, if you're standing next to someone, if you're at a Gala,
you're at an event where you're meeting someone new, when you
have the opportunity to introduce yourself, what does
that sound like? And so I have a very specific
format that I follow and that I suggest others follow when it
comes to actually doing those things and and introducing
yourself so that it's clear its Sighs and and it's easy to
understand what this person is bringing to the table.
And here's here's another hot take when someone asks you to
tell them a little bit about yourself, that's not an
opportunity or not the time to go over your entire resume.
I can tell you, for sure. If I asked candidate, tell me a
little bit about yourself and they go through their entire
resume and it takes 20 minutes, that's almost always going to be
a failed interview because I'm not giving the opportunity.
Unity to actually ask questions. I'm not given the opportunity to
understand what's going on. Now, certainly interviewers may
interrupt, right? But it's difficult when someone
says tell me a little bit about yourself and you've gone through
10 years of experience, or five years of experience.
Instead of saying, hey, this is, you know what I do?
And I'm a passionate about. This is why I'm interested in
the job, Etc. So, if someone asks you to
introduce yourself, introduce yourself don't explain your
entire, you know, life experience and Your career
because that will come out in the interview and I think
sometimes candidates go through their entire resume and that
question because of nerves and wanting to get through all of
the wonderful pieces of experience that they have as
quickly as possible. But what it does is, actually it
becomes kind of frustrating for the interviewer, it derails, the
conversation so it's not as personable, it's not really
conversational. It's kind of like a dictation
almost and it, It prevents the interviewer from really
connecting with you because you're just talking about
business and instead you can take the opportunity or use the
opportunity to introduce yourself to have fun with it to
relax to really connect and be personable with the person
quote-unquote across the desk from, you interviews can be
really intimidating. They can be really stressful
especially if it's a job that you really really want.
But I think that when we break it down, one of Things that I
always try to keep in mind and also tell others as I Mentor or
coach them is that every single person that you were going to
meet has interviewed for the job that they're in, they have
interviewed for a job that they've held in the past and so
there is no judgment necessarily on who you are or how you are
rather, what you're going to bring to the table.
So if you're bringing to the table confidence, humility and
mutual respect, for example, Right off the bat, then you're
not giving them an opportunity to think mmmm.
What this person doesn't have the skill set in most cases.
The interview is really trying to understand your Readiness for
the roll, your ability to be capable in the role and to
succeed, right? So it's not about who you are
necessarily. It's about what you're bringing
to the table where the, who you are comes into play, is in the
personality, because people will hire People just like people
work for people. People hire people.
So if I have an open position that I'm interviewing for to
hire for, let's say, and the person is not personable.
How do I see them fitting on the team?
I probably don't. But if I see someone who maybe
they don't even have, all the experience that we need, but
their personable. They're energized, their humble,
they're excited, they're hungry. They're they've done their
research. That's someone who probably is
going. To pass the interview and move
on to the next stage and certainly the hardest part of
interviewing is actually getting the interview that is typically
the part that takes the longest or you, where you run the risk
of not being seen. Because, you know, you have to
be noticed in order to get an interview.
But once you have that interview, don't lose sight of
the goal like take advantage of that time with that person.
Don't let that 30 minutes to an hour.
Go to waste or even if it's a 15-minute screening call.
Make it your best 15 minutes of the day.
I talked about this a little bit just before and that's on the
topic of research. When you go into your interview
with someone, make sure you've done your research.
If you're applying for a job just to apply and you don't know
what the company stands for what their stock prices or what they.
You know, what they have recently rolled out products
that they sell Mission their mission that they stand for,
whatever the industry or the company is If you have not done
that research, you might as well cancel the interview because
it's they interviewers recruiters hiring managers.
They will be able to notice if you have done your research and
you actually understand the brand, or the company or the
organization, so make sure that when you accept an interview and
you've you know, again that's tends to be the hardest part is
actually getting the interview, take advantage of the time in
preparation. Make sure you're going into that
interview. Ready to go with all of Research
and all of the knowledge that will fuel your explanation of
why you are capable competent and the right fit recently.
I had someone ask me how they can make sure that they get
their points across without being too nervous and with like
remembering what it is that they want to say and kind of explain
to a hiring manager or recruiter.
And what I said is that, you know these stories about our
experiences Has the explanation of what we do and what we've
gone through in our careers, those are our stories so we
can't get them wrong. We can't forget our own
experiences necessarily when it comes to recalling specific
examples of things and so when you go into an interview, my
best advice is to actually take it easy, like, relax, you're
talking about yourself, you're talking about your own
experience. So, if you're Nervous.
Think about why are you nervous? What is stressing you out?
Is it that you're afraid of them, not liking you is it that
you're afraid of them thinking, you know, asking hard questions
or thinking that you're incapable?
What's the worst that can happen?
If they think that way there would probably say, you know
what, it's not the right fit right now but they interviewed
really well and that's great. That's the worst-case scenario,
right? Is that you don't get the job or
you don't move on to the next interview.
In the best case scenario is that they see that you're
confident and capable competent and they move you on to the next
interview or they offer you the role because you walk into the
interview, not so afraid of the things that you can't change,
right? Like you can't change if someone
thinks that you're not ready for the role.
If you've put yourself out there and if you've done your due
diligence and doing your research, understanding the job
description, and the actual role and you've done all that, you
could to portray your Ins for the role.
Sometimes people just don't see it from the person that they're
interviewing. That's okay.
Again, the best case scenario is that you put yourself out there,
you're prepared, you're confident, you share your
experiences in a way that is effective and then you
potentially will move on to the next round or you'll get it
you'll get a job offer. So I know it's a little bit
easier said than done. And for me being an extrovert,
it's I know that I am not necessarily the case study for
For what interviewing looks like.
But my best advice to you is to not put so much pressure on
yourself to be a certain way to act a certain way to look a
certain way. Just go into the interview being
yourself and you will get your strengths across to the hiring
manager. Even if you're not the right fit
for the role, if you still go into an interview thinking that
way, feeling that way prepared, that way I promise you, it will
be a good interview. I'm Confident that it'll be a
good interview. And again, coming back to this
point that this is an opportunity to Network and, and
make a connection. You never know.
If that person that you've interviewed with, then considers
you for a different role in that, same breath or in the
future. And one of my last points here,
on some considerations ahead of getting into an interview is
that you will have bad interviews and that's okay,
Shake It Off. Let it be a learning lesson.
Then let it be something that you grow from, and an experience
that will shape you for future interview as well.
I mean, I mentioned it before that bad interviews happen.
I've for sure, I've had interviews that I didn't like, I
wasn't prepared for that. Didn't go well, but I think that
there are so many opportunities to grow and continue to learn
and those bad interviews can often shape us and And, you
know, on this point to something that it makes me think about is
that if you don't get a good feeling from the person, when
you're interviewing with them, you should, you know, read that
as as a them showing you their true colors and showing you what
the culture of the company is like not.
Everyone is going to be an amazing, like ambassador of the
company when they interview with you, if you're a candidate, but
if they are not excited, if they're not friendly then, That
means that is potentially what the company stands for and it's
really one of the reasons why every higher is so impactful
because every higher makes up or comprises the culture of the
company because every single person invests in and grows and
develops the culture. So, if there's someone who is a
hiring manager or forward-facing for candidates or external
people, you know, that's a that sends a message.
If they're not the right person to get someone excited about a
new opportunity, especially so, you know, read read everything
as an example of what it could be like, getting into this role
or the company. Don't, you know, don't ignore
red flags but also it's okay. If things don't go exactly as
planned because we can't expect everything to go exactly as
planned because that's just not how life works.
So, I guess, I think just to kind of wrap up on these
thoughts, interviewing all it is, is a conversation.
Keep it simple, keep it real right?
Like be yourself, be authentic, be transparent and be positive
to because if you go into an interview and you rip your
previous manager to shreds, persons, not going to be so
excited about offering you a new opportunity because it's just
not a good look. So if you go into a
conversation, excited to speak with someone excited, To network
excited for the new opportunity. You've done your research.
You're confident in your skill set, then the interview is by
and large going to go fine. It's where you go from fine to
great. That the energy is important,
the excitement is important. Your skill set is important,
being able to talk about what you do and how you do things is
super important. So if you are fresh out of
college or fresh out of high school, looking for a job,
whether it's Your first job, your third job.
I hope that these tips helped you.
I think interviewing is also a skill set.
So the more you do it, the better you get at it and if you
have an opportunity to go on interviews, Don't Say No.
Even if it's not a company that you want to work for, you should
still take the interview you never know.
You might end up really liking the organization or the people
that you meet but it's also an opportunity to practice on this
topic of practicing because I realize I have one more tip for
you. You should absolutely if you've
never done this before, stand in front of a mirror, have your
interview questions, ready to go, potentially a camera,
recording, you and interview yourself.
So look in the, I swear, I did this in college, I had of my
interviews for Target. I stood in front of my mirror, I
set up my camera and I recorded myself and I literally said, so,
Tracy, tell me a little bit about yourself and I would
answer the question while looking at Myself in the mirror
making sure I maintained eye contact and then I watched it
back on the recording and what I learned is that I played with my
hair a lot, I was fidgeting a little bit and so being able to
see that and Coach myself in that moment, it was really
helpful because I was cognizant of the things that I wanted to
make sure I didn't do in the interview.
So I highly highly highly recommend that you do that.
It's really helpful. It might seem weird or feel
weird, but it does become a little bit normal.
Just consider yourself Auditioning for like a TV show
or something and you watch it back.
It's better to watch it, back on your own verses to wish that you
did something differently in the interview, because you weren't
aware that you did it. So, this also comes into play
with people who say, like a lot on a lot when you record
yourself and you are able to hear how you speak there, are
things that you pick up on that. You might not have recognized
previously, or if you hadn't recorded yourself.
So highly, highly Commend, I do this.
Also, when I'm getting ready for presentations, I don't
necessarily record myself anymore, but I do practice in
the mirror. So I want to spend the last few
minutes here answering a question that was posed to me,
and it was posed recently and it was a question around whether or
not. I recommend managers having
friendships or personal relationships with their
employees and the way I answered this was that I will never say,
don't do this, or don't do that because Every company, every
culture is different, everyone is different.
But what I said was proceed with caution, and I think that I
talked about this on a previous episode to maybe it was the one
around Valentine's Day around like love in the workplace.
But I really, I think it comes down to practicing some
discretion thinking about, okay, well, what is the culture of the
company? Are we laid back or are?
We buttoned up for buttoned up having personal relationships or
friendships with your employees is going to be a?
No no it's going to be something.
Thing that potentially gets you in trouble.
It's going to make things really complicated.
And I would just discourage it. If you're in a culture where
things are more laid back, it's more casual things are, you
know, like lines are blurred because everyone is, you know,
maybe there's not a lot of hierarchy, maybe everyone is,
maybe it's like a start-up environment and everyone just
kind of works with each other. And it's, it's a small
tight-knit community that I can see also as being a little bit
complicated potentially. But there's probably more of an
opportunity. You to have those personal
relationships and friendships without things being a violation
or weird or, you know, against the culture.
But what I also said, which I think is consistent regardless
of whether you're in a casual or formal buttoned-up, environment
is that there will always be a blurred line if that line is
blurred. And so, it's important for the
manager to set boundaries, right out?
Right out of the gate. So if someone is Galloping a
friendship and the manager has an opportunity to say, hey, just
want to let you know. Like, I need to keep work
work-based and our friendship can be friendship outside of
work, but when it comes down to work, I'm going to have to
always do my job and I hope that that doesn't ever negatively
impact, I do. But if I have to hold you
accountable, I will. And that is a direct
conversation but one that definitely needs to happen.
If a manager, if it is going to have a personal relationship
with someone, meaning a friendship, not a romantic one,
Friendship with someone on their team.
Now what I would also suggest is that if this is you or someone,
you know that it's really clear whether or not the company's
policies prevent or prohibit this type of behavior.
Some companies actually have policies that say you can't
fraternize with your team's so or people be quote unquote below
you. So this is super important to be
aware of if that is a policy overall.
Again, I would say A probably discourage you from being
friends with your employees but if you do decide to be friends
with your employees, make sure that it's not a violation of
policy. Make sure that you set
boundaries, make sure that you are clear on your expectations
of like what's professional. It's not professional.
Especially at work. Those things should never be
clearly like present at work. I think keeping things
professional at work is is really important.
Especially if you have those personal relationships or
friendships and then Every manager in every, like person
who becomes a friend of a manager should be clear that
there they are, consciously aware of or negating.
The black-and-white opportunity of being professional, and that
there will be a gray area that there will be a blurred line.
And if there aren't clear boundaries, it can become
extremely complicated. So if you go in recognizing that
and you know that that's going to happen and you still want to
be friends with someone on your team, just be prepared for
things to be a little bit. It complicated.
You'll need to be able to continue to assert yourself as a
leader, and you just have to make sure that those boundaries
are set. Again, it comes down to the
culture. It comes down to the people, I
think, as well. But I kind of I discourage that
because I think you can avoid like, it's good to avoid making
things complicated, but I do encourage you to know the
policies. Think about the risks involved
and think about the policies you have to make sure that you're
not violating. Policy for sure.
Thank you so much for being here again for another week.
Don't forget to rate review And subscribe.
And follow me on Instagram at HR.
Tracy, that's HRT raci. And I will see you next week.
Bye.