Interviewing - The Initial Screen
Interviewing - The Initial Screen
Make a good first impression on the screening call
OK, so you’ve finally updated your resumé by creating a succinct version and a detailed/infographic one that you’ve linked on your personal website and now you’re getting hits! After some emails with a recruiter to schedule a time to meet, it’s time to prepare!
You’ll want to make the most of any interactions you have with the hiring team including the initial phone/video screen with the HR recruiter. It’s easy to overlook this screening call as a formality, but I’d recommend taking it seriously.
Screening - Preparing for the first call
Typically, companies will start by having you speak to an HR recruiter to do some “pre-screening”, verify your interest, learn why you’re looking to move, and potentially gauge your interest in some parts of the job description before moving you onto the actual interviews. These are usually not technical (though they may have some “canned” questions for you) and your job is to clarify any questions they may have regarding your resumé/work history while sounding friendly and interested. The call may also wrap up with some salary expectations, so have a range in mind!
Prepare the following before the call:
Why are you looking to leave your current role?
Why are you interested in the new company?
Why are you interested in the role at the new company?
What is your timeframe to start at the new company?
What are your salary expectations?
Even if it sounds or feels silly, practice speaking or reciting the answers to these questions so you can smoothly deliver your lines when called upon.
Pro-tip: Time your responses so you can set the stage for an answer. For example, “Sure, do you mind if I take about 3 minutes to answer this one? There’s a lot I’d like to cover.”
If the screening is a phone call, that’s easy, just be available in a quiet place so you can talk undisturbed. The only complications would be ones that you introduce like a Bluetooth headset. If you’re using one, make sure it’s charged, paired and ready to go.
If it’s a video call there’s a lot more to prepare, but a lot more that you can do make a good first impression!
Quick video call prep tips:
Testing… - Test your camera and lighting. You can do this on your PC or Mac using the built-in Camera utility/app. Make sure there’s more than adequate lighting for your face to be seen clearly.
Front lighting, not back lighting - Ensure your light source is in front of you. A bright window behind you will cause the camera to adjust, usually leaving your face dark.
Sound check - Test your mic and speakers. Most video conferencing apps will have ways to edit and test your sound settings including the microphone and speakers. Simpler set ups will have no problem, but if you have multiple speaker/audio connections and more than one mic, make sure the ones you plan to use are working properly.
Field of view - What’s visible? If there’s anything inappropriate or questionable, remove it so it won’t be visible.
No doors - If possible, don’t have a door behind you since there’s a possibility someone could step in accidentally.
Pre-downloads - Click the link they sent you and download whatever you need well before your meeting. It could be Zoom/Webex/Teams or another conferencing tool that you don’t currently have installed or updated. You can work out any issues in advance of your meeting.
Dress the part - There’s an old saying that’s something like, “dress for the role you want.” I take that to mean business casual at the absolute minimum, but otherwise a nice dress shirt or blouse that you would wear for a corporate meeting would be appropriate. Even if it’s for a very laid-back, casual company, overdressing is usually not as a big of an issue as underdressing!
I know, it seems like a lot, but getting a new job is important! Get a sip of water (or bring a cup) and use the restroom, because it’s time!
Screening - Taking the call
Now that you’re prepared, it’s time for the actual call.
If it’s a video call, login early and ensure your mic, camera, and speakers are all set and wait for them to arrive.
Just like in-person interactions, your first impression on a phone or video call is critical! You can start by simply showing up on time! It sounds like a given, but punctuality cannot be taken for granted.
Luckily, I’m a firm believer in “if you’re not early, you’re late.” If you don’t follow that line of thinking, make an extra effort by blocking out your personal calendar and, if you’re still working another job, block that one out, too (no calendar info needed, just “busy”).
Small talk
Initially, there might be some small talk and that’s OK to participate in! Don’t be too long-winded since that will cut into the actual screening time. If they’re asking about the weather where you live or if you’re going to watch the big game, it’s perfectly fine to engage and answer! Again, don’t go too far down the rabbit hole with your answers or follow up questions since you want to focus on moving the screening forward. Being friendly and responsive is obviously a plus, so smile!
Digging deeper
You’ve hopefully prepared responses to the common questions listed above so now’s the time to responded clearly and succinctly.
You may be asked any of the questions I had listed above. Again, this will probably not be a technical interview. The recruiter wants to check out your demeanor, your interest, and any ambiguities in your work history.
Pro-tip: You’ll want to avoid speaking negatively about your manager or company, if possible. You don’t want to sound like you’re “running away” from something, nor do you want to sound petty or bitter.
Some possible responses could be:
I’m looking for leadership opportunities (much better than, “my manager thought I wasn’t qualified to lead a team").
I’ve been learning more about cybersecurity and I’d love to leverage my deep networking background to work at a security company (much better than, “I need to work at a security company to complete my CISSP requirements”).
I’ve heard nothing but good things about the company culture and would love to find a better work-life balance (much better than, “we’re understaffed, so I regularly have to work more than 60 hours/week” or “I have a two hour commute so I want to work remotely”).
As I’ve been preparing for leadership roles, I’ve heard that career development and training are important to your company and I’d like a chance to learn and be mentored (much better than, “I’m in a dead-end job with no hope for advancement”).
Hopefully you’ve prepared your responses so you can give clear and concise answers. Remember, you’ve lived these experiences, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself to remember them!
Answering the $$$ question
This is the question that you’ll want to have a well-thought out answer for. No recruiter is going to ask you what you’re making now, nor will they want to know if you volunteer it.
Chances are you’re moving for multiple reasons and money is in the top three. Compensation can be complicated, so take the time to think about what you “need” to make to accept an offer.
I typically like to answer this question in terms that the HR team is familiar with:
OTE - On Target Equivalent - if all the stars align and goals are met, this is the annual total
Fixed component - your base salary
Variable component - could be commission, other bonuses
RSU - Restricted Stock Unit - shares of the company’s stock that will be set aside and issued upon meeting certain goals or years of service
MBO - Management by Objectives - a set of objectives collaborated on by you and your manager with the goal typically resulting in a bonus
Based on those notes, your answer might sound something like:
I’m pretty flexible overall but would like an OTE of greater than $200k. I understand that there are fixed and variable components, and as long as my base is at least $150k, I’d be more than happy to accept.
I’m pretty flexible on how it comes together, so if the fixed and variable parts of the salary can hit a $300k OTE, I don’t mind if it’s composed of bonuses, RSUs, etc.
If the OTE is around $200k and the fixed component is at least 60% of that, I’d be ready to sign tomorrow!
Again, take the time to really prepare this answer. Some people think they don’t want to leave their current role for a less than 10% raise, but this is of course an arbitrary number. Think about what works for you and your situation along with all the other components: Work-life balance, commute, remote work, company culture, etc.
Screening - Wrapping up
There’s no need for a “hard close” (a sales manager is cringing somewhere…) but you can definitely ask about next steps if the recruiter is open to answering. In a hot job market for a competitive role, they could be screening 10 or more other candidates so you’ll want to know if you’re moving forward or if you need to keep hunting!
Lately, some recruiters have volunteered the info at the end of the call. Something like, “OK, I’d like to move you forward, can you give me availability next week?”.
If they don’t give you a direct statement about next steps, I’d go with something like:
Thank you for the time! I really enjoyed speaking with you and learning more about the company/role. Would you like my availability for any follow ups?
Thanks for the time! I loved learning more about the company and role. I hope there are some next steps to look forward to. If you’d like, I can block out time over the next two weeks.
Thank you for clarifying the job description and I hope I was able to illustrate how I’d be a good fit. Would you like me to block out any time over the next two weeks?
If you don’t move on, try to learn from it:
That’s too bad about the next steps, but I enjoyed speaking with you and hope to work with you again in the future. If you don’t mind, can you let me know which qualification criteria I should work on?
Thank you so much for the time. I would still love to work for your company. Do you mind letting me know what areas/certifications/technologies I can look at to prepare for next time?
If you’ve gotten confirmation on a follow up, congratulations! Now there’s a lot more work to prepare for the actual interviews! If you did not get the green light, that’s OK. You’ve earned some valuable experience and will be better prepared and more comfortable the next time around. There’s always something positive you can take away from these screenings/interviews.
More to come!
OK so this article got WAY longer than I had planned, and we just covered the pre-screen! Next article will be about the actual interviews. I’m sure it will be long since there are so many things to cover (technical? behavioral? panel interview?).