Recruitment process: Interviews
Succeeding at the interview
You will normally be given a week's notice of the interview date. If you have a disability and need any specific arrangements to be made on your behalf then let us know in advance and we will make every effort to meet your requirements.
At Walsall Council you will be interviewed by a panel which will normally be made up of 2 or 3 people. The panel will ask candidates a set of questions which have been agreed between panel members beforehand. The questions will have been chosen to allow you to expand on your application and demonstrate to the panel the extent to which you meet the most important requirements of the job.
The panel will use probing questions to help you provide evidence that you have the skills to do the job. This may involve firstly asking a broad question about the subject area and then asking questions that require more specific information. For example:
- What is your experience of dealing with people over the telephone? (broad)
- How did you deal with any 'irate' telephone calls? (specific)
The questions you will be asked will be linked to the employee specification, so read it again before you attend the interview. In this way you may be able to anticipate the questions you will be asked and think about the best way of answering them. Be ready to expand on your answers, don't just use 'yes' and 'no' answers. You have basically got to sell yourself, your skills and your experience.
During the interview listen carefully to the questions being asked. If you don't understand then don't be afraid to ask the panel member to repeat the question. Few people get through an interview without some mistakes, so don't lose heart if this happens to you.
You will also have the opportunity to ask questions about the job, conditions of employment or training opportunities etc. The panel keeps a record of their assessment of each candidate so that the reasons for their decisions are clear, consistent and objective. Don't be worried by the panel taking notes during the interview.
Try and feel confident - remember you've been shortlisted from dozens (or even hundreds) of applicants.
If you attend an interview and are unsuccessful, you can ask for feedback on your performance. This can be very useful and may help you with your next interview. Don't lose heart, use each interview as a learning opportunity and keep on trying until you are successful!
This page was last updated on 01 February 2010