Recently I have interviewed several dozen people for a variety of roles I am hiring at Microsoft. We have a lot of interest in working on Windows Azure in the company and some very impressive people have come through my office recently. In the process I have noticed a few things anyone can do to stand out, and some mistakes everyone should avoid for the same reason.
Before The Interview:
1) Develop a plan: The standard is much higher for an internal hire in terms of what you should know about the business, the competitors and the industry. One of the most common reasons for hiring internally is the hiring manager expects an internal candidate will be effective in the role much sooner. Seek out others who are familiar with the business and develop a sense for the key challenges and opportunities. Build a plan to bring to the interview of what you will do in the first 90 days and a hypothesis for the longer term. While in the interview, walk through your approach quickly and share credit for key observations while still being clear you take personal responsibility for achieving results. Send the details of the plan in a follow-up email noting any changes you made because of feedback during the interview. It is less important that your plan is “right” (although that helps) than demonstrating an understanding of the business and a passion for making a positive impact.
2) Build your reputation before it is needed: Hiring managers are much more aggressive on checking references for internal candidates because they are more likely to receive candid feedback than with references on external hires. Success in finding a new role in your company will largely turn not as much on who you know, as who knows you—and what they remember. Every interaction, no matter how small, is building your reputation. Work to be known, and work to be known for accomplishing something significant. Seek out opportunities to share your success stories, involve other people in the success of your efforts, and be purposeful about building relationships and connections into as many groups as possible. Every project team, every meeting, every co-worker is a potential reference (good or bad). Make sure they will want to work with you in the future.
3) Enlist co-workers help, the right way: Ask your co-workers for help in finding a new opportunity and for advice on where to look next in the company. When you land an interview in a different organization, look for connections who can give you some context for the opportunities and challenges the new team is facing (see point 1 above). Do not have your co-workers send proactive endorsements to a hiring manager, unless they have an existing relationship.
In The Interview
1. Be prepared for the standard questions: As an internal candidate you may expect that the hiring manager already knows quite a bit about you or assumes your background and basic competencies are strong. Very few hiring managers know the full background of internal candidates, and only slightly vary their interview process and questions from those used with an external hire. When you come prepared as if you were interviewing for the first time with the company it demonstrates that you are taking the opportunity seriously. No matter how many meetings you have sat in with a hiring manager, assume they know almost nothing about your work history. If you are wrong it costs you nothing. If in fact they know less about you than you assumed it is useful to know this, and gives you a chance to build the perception you prefer. There are a number of online resources for interview preparation that cover the basic questions that usually come up in an interview (strengths, weaknesses, insights from your 3 greatest successes and failures, your leadership style, work habits, etc). Be prepared for these basics as hiring managers often believe they learn more about a candidate who cannot answer these questions. Be particularly well prepared with multiple stories of projects you led that made a significant impact on the business.
2. Answer the question you are asked: Hiring managers consider not only the quality of your response, but also whether or not that answer is related to the question they posed. If you are unsure of the intent of an interview question, or what is being asked, it is much better to seek clarification than to give a canned answer to the question you wish had been asked.
Notice When The Conversation Shifts
The first phase of an interview is often assessing basic competencies and work history. The second phase begins with a shift to a conversation of the business and the specific position. The first phase of the interview generally screens candidates out, but it is this second phase that will actually get you in. Most candidates prepare extensively for one phase of the interview but not the other. In the second phase of the interview the hiring manager is assessing whether or not you understand the business and that you can work effectively within the culture of the team. This phase of the interview should feel much more like a conversation. Ask questions, offer suggestions, listen carefully to what is said (and not said). Demonstrate that although you came in with ideas on how to impact the business you listen for new information and ideas.
Special Case 1: Interviewing For a Sales Position
Make an ‘ask’: Most sales managers will remember one part of the sales interview more than any other: how you try to ‘close.’ Most sales managers will turn down a candidate even if every other aspect of the process was ideal if the candidate does not effectively close in the interview. It is generally assumed that how you handle this aspect of the interview will be similar to how you will work with a customer. Consider carefully the selling style of the role, the interviewer’s role in the hiring process and the nature of the person. At a minimum, you should ask every interviewer in the cycle what other concerns or questions you can address for them in the interview and make it clear that you want the role. With the hiring sales manager you should explicitly ask for the job in a way that uncovers additional objections, makes it clear you want the role, and does make that person wildly uncomfortable.
Special Case 2: Interviewing For A Management Position
Describe Your Leadership Style: Beyond the basic competency questions above be prepared to discuss your best hires, worst hires, former directs you coached, and how you manage change with your team. In an internal interview be cautious to protect the identity and privacy of directs you use as examples in these questions. Also be prepared to discuss your leadership style and how it has evolved. There are no ‘right’ responses to several of these questions it is more important to demonstrate that you have some level of self-awareness and that you have invested time and energy into how to be a more effective leader. While there is no ‘right’ response it is useful to set expectations early on how you manage--particularly if your style differs considerably from the hiring manager.
Special Case 3: Interviewing For A Job You Don’t Want
Never Do This: High performers are frequently approached about open positions or referred by their co-workers. Never put yourself into the hiring process for a role you suspect is not a fit for your career goals or abilities. If you were recruited for a position and have concerns, first setup an informational meeting clearly stating you want to learn more about the role before you apply to participate in the interview process. Turning down an internal job offer after volunteering to participate in the interview process raises many uncomfortable questions for you and the hiring manager.
The biggest mistake you can make when interviewing for a position at your current company is not preparing for the process as if you were interviewing at a new firm. You should assume people know much less about you and your background than you think they do and be thoughtful about what you want them to know about you ahead of time.
