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Interviewing has changed.

It’s no longer a one way street where it’s acceptable to fire a list questions at the interviewee you’ve downloaded from the internet.

Candidates want, need and deserve more.

When faced with the choice of 2 or 3 companies and job offers to choose from, all they have to go on is how they’ve been made to feel so far in the recruitment process. Believe us, the interview is mentioned very highly in their deciding factor.

And luckily for companies looking to hire, it’s the one area you have control over!

However, there’s a change in the type of questions candidates are asking in 2023.

Not only do you need to prepare for them, you need to be able to answer them confidently and truthfully because if a candidate is asking, it’s important for them to know. Those who pose articulate and relevant questions during an interview demonstrate a genuine interest in working for the  company they are interviewing at, their culture and their ethos – why any business would be evasive just doesn’t make sense.

We’ll share below 4 of the top questions that are becoming increasingly common for a candidate to ask during the interview process so you can be sure you feel confident in answering them.

What will you do to support my development?

Key points:

Not everyone wants to climb the ladder but they DO want to be in a role that allows them to learn and grow.

Support doesn’t have to mean expensive courses. It can be as simple as quarterly reviews with action plans, skill assessments and monitoring enjoyment factors of the role they’re in. It could even be secondments to other departments to broaden their knowledge.

People want to hear that if they choose to invest part of their career with you, you’ll be giving them an opportunity to develop personally and professionally so think about what you currently do for your employee’s and if it can be improved.

What are the parental leave/sickness policies here?

Key points:

When life changes, people want to know you’ll still be there for them.

Asking about parental leave or sickness policies is to help them understand whether you value your employees and their individual circumstances, plus to protect themselves financially should anything unexpected happen in their lives.

Now whilst some people are confident in asking the above question, others aren’t for fear of being discriminated against which is obviously wrong but we’re sure does happen.

Trust us though, they ALL want to know.

So why not lay your cards on the table and beat them to it? Talk about your benefits and INCLUDE maternity or parental leave and sickness policies in that discussion. You’ll be giving that prospective employee a fantastic insight in to your open, honest and inclusive culture.

How often are your salary reviews and how regularly are bonuses achieved by the majority of staff?

Key points:

This doesn’t mean someone is all about the money.

But spending habits, priorities, financial commitments and plans for the future are important and no one wants to be promised one figure, only to realise that it’s entirely impossible 6 months down the line.

It’s not good enough to avoid the question, say “all that info will be in the contract” or to give guestimates. Have figures ready, know your business and provide people with a realistic overview of their earning potential (and of course how you’ll ensure they achieve it!)

How do you differ from another travel company who does the same thing?

Key points:

Candidates don’t care that you’re a “tech focused” company if they’ve heard the tech doesn’t actually work….

They don’t believe your “family” culture claim if it’s just words on a website.

They want to see and hear proof of what you do to differentiate yourselves as an employer, and to the market you operate in.  So think of your Unique Selling Points! And be prepared to offer up actual proof that you do what you say you do.

Why not offer for them to have a chat with a member of the team they’re going to be working on, direct them to your (obviously active!) social media posts where you engage with your staff and encourage them to be themselves, show them examples of things you’ve changed in the business based on employee feedback.

We hope you’ve found this helpful in understanding how you can showcase what a brilliant place to work your company is. And if there are things you could be doing better, we hope this gives you some food for thought.

For a chat on hiring in the business travel or travel tech space, please do get in touch with Emma or Caroline and we’ll happily help you navigate your hiring needs! 

[email protected]

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