Interviews aren’t really about you

There’s an important truth that no one tells you about the interview process. No one is hiding this. Most people just don’t bother to think about it. Yet, it can change your entire approach to the process.

The truth: The interview process isn’t about you.

It’s about you a bit, of course. You’re the one they are talking to. But think about it. Hiring managers are trying to fill a role. They aren’t trying to hire you. They’re trying to fill a role because they have…

1. A problem that their team needs to solve – They’re on the hook for some vital business outcome.
2. Open headcount – They usually only get open headcount after a long period of running over capacity, after a long period of difficulty, or after a sudden (and sometimes dramatic) change.

A hiring manager’s top priority, then, is finding someone who will deliver the outcomes they need to deliver as quickly as possible, ideally someone who will continue to deliver in the future. When they meet you, then, they aren’t curious about who you are, they are curious about whether you can solve their problem well, solve their problem quickly, and solve future problems as they arise.

They care about the benefits you can provide to them.

So your imperative becomes: 

Help interviewers see their needs fulfilled through you, not just see you more clearly.

Most job hunting advice is about describing yourself more clearly. So, if you’re having trouble with your resume, this is why. If you’re struggling in interviews, this is why.

Shifting your perspective requires that you understand the benefits that they need from you (beyond just the requirements they list in the job description). It gives you the chance to tell a strong narrative about how you map to their needs. And it ensures that you tell stories in interviews that aren’t just interesting, they’re compelling.

Counter-intuitively, focusing on the hiring team’s needs instead of focusing on you makes you appear bigger and more capable.

Focusing on you, makes you seem smaller

Trying to show them everything about you leaves them to sort out what applies to their situation. They won’t be able to do it completely, so they will just see a small piece of who you are, creating boundaries around their perception of you.

They think “This candidate can do X, but I don’t know about Y or Z”

Focusing on them and their needs makes you seem bigger

Showing how you fulfill all of their needs leaves them with a broad perception of you. After all, if you can address all of their needs, they will sense how your boundaries go beyond just this role and how much extra you must offer.

They think “This candidate can do X, Y, and Z. Imagine what else we could do together. 

Internalizing this gives you more power in the interview process.

1. You’ll have a valuable answer to “Tell me about yourself” questions that frames your story in the terms the hiring team needs to hear.
2. Instead of facing the process with stress about how you might perform, you can face it with curiosity about what they need.
3. Instead of worrying about how to show your full background, you can simplify everything to show how you will address their needs.
4. Instead of asking generic or meaningless questions during interviews, you’ll have a meaningful dialog, testing your hypotheses about how you’ll drive success in the role. Side note: it’s amazing how much this kind of dialog can help you get the job.
5. And if you don’t get a job offer, instead of feeling personally rejected because you tried to show them everything about yourself, you can feel curious about how you might better understand their needs and map them to your strengths.

The best part is that shifting your perspective this way and developing the skills to deliver for the interviewer also develops skills and attitudes that will make you a stronger performer once you land the role. You’ll understand your new job better. You’ll know which of your own strengths to lean into. And you’ll and your leader will share a vision of success.

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Assignment

1. Find a job description that interests you and parse it for the hiring team’s needs. Create your own list of the requirements that they describe. Add requirements that you can infer even if they haven’t been mentioned.
2. Write a note to yourself about why they are hiring for this role. What business outcomes you think they need and why do they need them now? Review your stories for moments when you helped deliver similar outcomes.