Interviewing: The Balance of Power.

You’re in a job search. You have been thinking hard about all the elements that define that ideal next job. You know why you are wanting to leave your current job: Perhaps the goal is new challenges, or more responsibility, or more growth opportunity, or improved compensation – or a constellation of any or all of these pieces. In any case, you are very focused on what you need to achieve for you. That’s a critical part of the job search. But the “Me” focus is at odds with what is really going on during interviews.

With a big nod to Nick Corcodilos and his great book “Ask the Headhunter” (see the May 2019 Journal post), the bottom line in all interviews is that the company has a job to offer. They can offer it to you, or not. At the time of the interview, the prospective employer holds all the power in the equation.

For you, the job seeker, there is only one way to shift the balance of power: Win their offer.

Once you have the job offer in hand, the ball is in your court. The prospective employer has demonstrated concretely that they want you. There is a definite potential risk for them at this point: They have put their search on hold and frozen their candidate pipeline while they wait on your decision. They know it is in their best interest to now provide all the information you need to make your decision whether or not to accept their offer.

To play the game effectively, your first move is to fully realize that the interview is the employer’s turf. They own it. Your goal is to go in and consultatively determine what they need the incoming person to do (what’s keeping the hiring manager up at night) and how they want this person to accomplish that (the style that works for best for them). You get to this by asking good questions. Next, you roll out your examples and career stories that vividly demonstrate how you can do what the hiring manager / department needs done, in the style in which they want it done.

In a word, your focus in the interview should be mostly on the needs of the prospective employer. Of course you will talk about your experience, career goals, what you are looking for in your next job, but you are aligning this to their needs. Unless you have an offer, your needs don’t really come into play.

This is a broad brush statement. Naturally if you learn during the course of the interview that the job does not meet your needs or there is no chemistry with the team, or the commute, travel, or other aspect of the job is a deal-breaker, then there is no need to continue. One graciously bows out of the process so as not to waste anyone’s time or burn bridges.

But assuming you put on your game face, played to win, and you have won the offer, then you go back to your wish list and your needs to see how well the company, team, hiring manager, and offer align. The balance of power resides with you. Now you ask the Me-centric questions about career path, projects, the review process, benefits, and so forth that will allow you to negotiate on the offer (if needed) and do your due diligence to ensure you know what you are walking into and what the expectations are.

There is nothing more critical in the interviewing process than understanding this balance of power and how to manage it. The work you do up front researching the company and its strategy, and thinking hard about how to illustrate how your skills match what the prospective employer needs, is the best way to invest your time with an eye to winning the offer and putting yourself in charge of the process.