How to Get Hired: A HR Expert’s Guide on What to Do

Ever wanted to know how the hiring process works? How do you ace an interview and what do hiring managers look out for during the process? Cheong Boon Aik, General Manager of HRLinked Asia, walks us through the dos and don’ts when looking for a job with a prospective company. Boon Aik has been in the HR and recruitment industry since 2015, and in the hiring process as a people manager for 20 years. His company, HRLinked Asia, specialises in recruiting talents of various job specialisation in the ICT and Engineering sector, which includes Sales, Marketing, Finance, IT, Strategic Planning, Technical, Purchasing, etc.

1. What is the first thing that you do upon receiving a mandate/brief from a hirer?

For each mandate we receive, we have a consultation to pen down a detailed hiring brief with the client. Through this, we gain a deep understanding of what the client is looking for, what makes up the ideal candidate. We will also find out the challenges the client faces in the hiring process, if there are any specific skillsets and attributes they are looking for in candidates, and the must-haves and good-to-haves.

2. What do you do to prepare candidates for the interview?

Attending an interview is just like attending a consultative sales presentation to achieve a win-win goal for both parties. It requires a lot of preparation beforehand. The interview process will involve fact-finding, rapport, an understanding of needs, presentation, and the closing. For the ease of discussion, I broadly categorise it into (i) good understanding of the company and roles, (ii) relevancy of skillset, knowledge, and experience, and (iii) communication skills during the interview. 

Candidates must have a good understanding about the role they are applying for. It is important to share the relevant hiring brief with candidates for the interview. Very often, I will gather the company's profile deck, annual reports (if available), and social media content such as product presentation, pitch videos, and webinars to help candidates prepare for it. 

I also advise candidates to focus on their strengths such as their skillsets, experience, and attributes that are relevant to the job requirements. To do well during the interview, I remind candidates to be more aware of their communication skills. Be truthful. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) when necessary if discussing a past event. Focus on what good they have gained and the positive impact they have left behind after the situation.

3. What are some of the common mistakes candidates make during the interview process?

There are several mistakes that candidates make that result in poor performance during an interview. The top few mistakes they make are: 

1. Not being able to articulate the relevance of their experience and skills to the roles they are applying for. 
2. The focus on what is there for “me”, rather than what the companies are looking for. 
3. The lack of understanding of the nature of the business or the roles they are applying for. 
4. The focus on push factors rather than pull factors. 
5. Poor communication skills such as the lack of listening skills, clear articulation of views and thoughts in a coherent manner, their energy level not being in sync with the interviewers, and failing to read non-verbal signs from the interviewers. 

Among all, poor communication skills is the top reason for poor interview performance.

4. What do hiring managers look out for the most during the interview and selection process?

Hiring managers are looking for candidates with the best job fit in terms of technical skillset requirements, soft skills, trainability, and cultural fit i.e. whether the candidate can work well with their team members and in their corporate environment. They will also look at the character and attitude of the candidate, especially whether they can work well with the hiring manager. Chemistry plays a big part.

5. What advice do you have for both candidates and hiring managers when it comes to finding a job or suitable candidates?

Job searching and the hiring process are costly and important processes to job seekers and hirers. It involves devoting much effort, time, and cost from the interview process, hiring, onboarding, to the employee retention stage. I would like to advise both parties to be truthful, committed, and responsible through this entire process. 

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