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Lloyd Recruitment are the most down to earth and human recruiters I have dealt with. I’m lucky I’m to have been a client of theirs on both sides and could not recommend them more highly. The team are extremely professional, respond when they say they will and always take the time to resolve sometimes tricky scenarios. I feel it is more about placing the right people than just getting a fee. It’s always a pleasure working with Lloyd Recruitment!

Having worked with Lloyd Recruitment Services for over 18 years, they are one of the best in the business! They have built up an impressive understanding of our company and whenever a vacancy arises, candidates come ready vetted and fully prepared for interviews. They definitely supply quality over quantity every time and in turn this is why they are our preferred recruitment supplier.

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When it comes to an interview, you can

never be too prepared.

Thorough research & effective preparation

is absolutely essential to guarantee

interview success.

Getting started

First things first, you need to know what to prepare

for. Aside from giving you an insight into the role

and organisation, good interview preparation will

also give you confidence.

Key things to cover:

● Research the company

● Read the job and person specification

thoroughly

● Find out what the interview format will be

● Know your CV

● Practice answers to commonly asked

questions

● Prepare questions to ask the interviewer

Research the company

Interviewers expect candidates to have a good

understanding of what their organisation does

– find out how big the company is, who their

customers are, and who their main competitors

are – as well as any recent developments or plans

within the company. Find out who your interviewer

will be and try finding them on the company

website and LinkedIn.

Read the job description

When it comes to interview preparation, the job

description is your best friend.

Not only will a thorough examination of the duties

and person specification help you to understand

more about what the role entails – it will also

help you to recognise exactly what the employer

is looking for. Then, you can tailor your answers

accordingly – coming up with examples that prove

you’re the best candidate for the role.

Figure out the format

Interviews can take a number of forms – from

telephone interviews to one-on-one and group

interviews, to position-specific tests, role plays,

and psychometric questionnaires. Each one will

require a different type of preparation. Often,

this will be explained when you’re invited to the

interview, but there’s no harm in asking for more

information if needed.

Know your CV

Make sure you know your CV inside out before the

interview, so that you can answer any questions

around dates, career history and qualifications

without hesitation.

Preparing for an Interview

Practice answers to commonly asked

questions

See our guide to commonly asked questions and

practice your answers. Make sure that you have

specific examples at the ready. Factual information

is always best. Rehearse out loud or ask a friend /

your Lloyd Recruitment Services Consultant to do a practice interview

with you.

Prepare questions to ask the interviewer

There is nothing worse than getting to the end of

the interview and going blank when asked if there

is anything else you’d like to know. Make sure that

you have 3 questions prepared to ask, so that if 1

or 2 are answered during the interview, you’ll still

have 1 on standby.

The day before the interview;

Although you should have the bulk of your

preparation done by now – there will still be last

minute things to do;

● Pick your outfit and try it on

● Make sure that you have the address and

check where the nearest car park is

● Do a trial run to check the journey time

● Put important information into a folder

(e.g. your CV, portfolio, certificates, or

any other examples of your work and/or

qualifications and your passport or driving

license)

● Read and review the research you’ve done

Sorting out all of the above in advance will mean

less stress on the day of the interview.

The day of the interview

By now, you should feel prepared.

All that’s left to do is get there on time, and put

your preparation to good use.

Plan to arrive at least 10 minutes before your

scheduled interview time – and if you’re going to

be late for any reason, make sure you telephone

your Consultant at Optima, who can notify the

company on your behalf.

Your Consultant is available at

any time to provide you with additional

advice and coaching before your interview.

First impressions count

A cliché but true: 33% of interviewers claimed to know whether they were going to hire someone in the first 90 seconds. This may not seem fair but is as true of video interviews (e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams etc.) as face-to-face.

There is much advice and guidance available on this topic but the key points to consider are around your initial presentation and impact.

Technical preparation

1. Connection and equipment

Make sure to test your connection (WiFi or ideally cable) beforehand: if at home or you have low bandwidth, ensure you have exclusive use of the connection and that others aren’t attempting to stream or download. Keep in mind that a borrowed interview room in the depths of your office won’t have a good mobile signal if you’re planning to use that. Also avoid using your phone as a WiFi hotspot for your laptop unless you are very confident of the signal.

Ensure your device is plugged in or fully charged: video calls are much more draining than many other uses.

Some video software works best on Chrome and not all works well on Safari (Apple).

With some you can inadvertently have the link open more than once and it may cause echo: close all other links and browsers!

Use a steady camera, ideally the one built into your laptop: if you have to use mobiles then rest smartphones or tablets on a flat surface or, ideally, in a holder. No employer is impressed by you holding a device in your hand and it looking like a recording of the ‘Blair Witch Project’.

Make sure audio and video is switched on and that you have “allowed” these in your browser, if asked. Test your audio and camera including reviewing position and background (see below).

Check that both sides know account and connection details: Skype can be especially problematic in this regard. If WhatsApp or Skype (rare but still used!) decide who is calling who if necessary. Agree a backup plan e.g. a mobile number, but don’t be tempted to give up on the video option. Telephone calls are not a substitute for a thorough virtual interview.

2. Close all apps

Close other programmes that may cause interruptions or distracting notifications such as Outlook, Facebook and Twitter. Not only can it throw you off, and use bandwidth, it can also appear unprofessional as it could be noticed by the interviewer that you’re constantly glancing away

3. Keep your account professional

With some video apps there may be account names or photos. The prospect of an interview with “kittenluvver123xxx” is hardly going to fill an employer with optimism. Perhaps stick to your name or initials to maintain professionalism. Also ensure the account doesn’t reveal unhelpful personal information or unprofessional photographs. Family pictures are fine if the agreed format is clearly using a personal medium e.g WhatsApp but again caution is advised.

4. Do a trial run

Practice in advance and perhaps a trial run with a friend. There are also great practice interview tools available on line and you can record and then review how you come across.

5. Rehearse screen sharing

Not everyone is familiar with this but it’s entirely possible you might wish to share documents or other information to go through. Ensure you know how to do so and, in particular, that the correct versions of the right documents (CV for example) are available and obvious when you click on “Share Screen”, rather than anything confidential or personal.

General preparation

6. Questions and answers

Consider your answers to likely interview questions and how to show your suitability for the consultancy role. Also have a few questions of your own, although nothing which could indicate a lack of preparation! Clear interest and enthusiasm is very important and are demonstrated by prep and great questions.

Remember the other person will see everything around you, so keep distractions and clutter to a minimum and keep it professional. A plain background is best. Where possible use the preview screen option to check what the scene looks like. Don’t look down into the camera: it’s a very unflattering angle and for the other person peering up your nostrils and past your head to the ceiling or light fixture isn’t great. They will be unimpressed by a cameo appearance by the dog (or anyone else for that matter) or a pile of dirty laundry in the background. A glass of water in front of you might be wise, but a chipped Superman mug less so. Ensure you are in a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.

Be very careful with lighting: don’t sit with your back to a window. Good lighting is very important: you need to be seen (literally “in a good light”!) and you need to look good.

8. Double check arrangements

With video especially useful for long distance and cross border interviewing check time zones. People often state “GMT” when they actually mean British Summer Time (BST) so best to check. Also don’t be late! Best to arrive one or two minutes early, not least to allow time for sorting out last minute technology glitches, but probably not 5-10 minutes early. Ensure you have allocated enough time: while video interviews are often shorter and you might have in mind a quick chat you could find it taking a lot longer so if in doubt agree the time window clearly beforehand.

During the interview

9. Dress to impress

Although you may be at home, it’s not an excuse to remain in your pyjamas. Dress as you would in a face-to-face interview unless agreed otherwise. Including your bottom half…. Check it works on screen as some colours and patterns render badly and can be distracting.

10. Be conscious of body language

Take care with posture and body language (e.g. avoid arms folded across chest): this is easy to get wrong on video calls. Remember to act exactly as you would if you were sitting in the same room as the interviewer or candidate.

Also don’t rock in your seat or lean forwards when you speak: easily done but not a good look with a wide-angle lens.

11. Know where to look

Maintaining eye-contact is more difficult over video but look into the camera, not just at the screen. It is one of the key adjustments that are required for this medium and makes a huge difference to engagement. There is a particular problem with some Apple kit which has the camera on the side rather than above the screen which makes it look as if you’re very distracted by something off to one side!

12. Be concise

Avoid lengthy answers, as it can be more difficult in a video interview for the interviewer to politely interject if you’re drifting off the question. Keep to the point. Similarly, beware of over-explaining why you left your last job or want to move: keep it brief unless the interviewer wants a deep delve.

13. Consider a cheat sheet

Keep in mind the point above regarding distractions, but remember that unlike a face-to-face interview, a video interview offers more opportunity to use notes, your CV, the job spec or other prompts if you feel they are helpful. These could be printed off or on screen. Make sure however not to give the impression of reading from a script. Reading from a CV is a bad idea in all interview formats and is more obvious than you think in video interview. Don’t use the keyboard: you might think it is sensible to take notes, but the other person might think you are replying to emails.

Etiquette after the interview

A video meeting invitation may include the interviewer’s email address. While not essential, it is generally considered a good idea to thank them for their time and make clear your continued interest, in a warm message. Proper grammar, no typos! This applies whether the meeting was a result of direct contact or via an agency. Don’t expect a reply and don’t be concerned by a lack of response.

By following these handy tips, you can ensure you are well-prepared for your video interview, hopefully settling those nerves, and increase your chances of finding the perfect candidate or being offered the management consultancy job of your dreams!

When writing your CV it is important to dedicate time to ensure it portrays your qualities in the best possible light. Your CV could be the first point of contact with a prospective employer and so it needs to convince the reader that you are the best candidate for the position, and that you have what it takes to be successful within the role you are applying for.
Please find below a few points to consider when writing your CV:

• Your CV should be clear and easy to read, so avoid using decorative fonts/styles etc.
• Ensure you provide full details of your education and professional qualifications including dates, grades and subjects.
• List all the software and IT systems you have had exposure to. Recent and relevant systems' experience is very important in today's market.
• Highlight any languages that you speak and to what level i.e. fluent or intermediate.
• Be concise when detailing your experience, but be sure to highlight all your key responsibilities. For example, if you work in Telesales then include: how many calls you make per day if you work to set targets then give monthly/annual figures, etc.
• Do not be afraid to sell your skills and experience and highlight any achievements in your career. These achievements will ensure you stand out against other candidates.
• Ensure you clearly explain any gaps in your employment.
• Be truthful with dates, facts and figures as these will be checked by employers and recruitment consultants alike.
• Ensure you check the spelling and grammar on your CV.
• Tailor your CV to each role you apply for as some skills and experience may not be relevant for certain positions.
• Ensure you have details of at least two referees who can provide you with good employment references. If this is your first role, use University/College lecturers. Potential employers will always check these references during the interview process.

50 Most Common Interview Questions & How to Answer them…

You never know exactly what an interviewer will ask you, but that doesn't mean you can't research and prepare your answers, ready for whatever they throw at you. A knowledgeable answer to a common interview question can make all the difference and get you into the next round.

What are the Most Common Interview Questions?

Here are the types of common interview questions that we'll cover:

Make links below clickable so they take you to the relevant section below, each sub section has been bolded

1.Basic Interview Questions

2.Background & Experience Questions

3.Getting Started Questions

4.Strengths and Weaknesses Questions

5.Career Development Questions

6.Company Fit Questions

7.Behavioural Questions

8.Company-related Questions

9.Hobbies and Interests Questions

10.Leadership Questions

Basic Interview Questions

Strengths and weaknesses in a job interview

1. Why do you want to leave your current company?

Try not to be too negative here. Instead focus on the future - you may want new challenges, a new location or new promotion opportunities, for example.

Related: How to Explain Your Reasons for Leaving a Job

2. Why are you looking for a new job?

This doesn't need to be negative. Focus on positive reasons for changing job - the desire to face new challenges or a better fit of company culture.

3. How did you hear about this position?

Be honest and positive. Did you have to hunt to find the vacancy? Did you choose the company specifically? If you found it in a general search, what made you choose this opportunity over the others?

4. Why should we hire you?

This is a very broad question so avoid the obvious like basic skills, and think of something you can offer that other candidates cannot - uncommon transferable skills or extremely high passion for a project, for example.

5. What can you offer us that someone else can not?

This can be difficult but it's so important to have an answer ready. Try to think of experiences and transferable skills you have gained in an unusual or unique way. Steer clear of generic answers like passion and enthusiasm - these should be taken as given anyway.

6. How do you handle pressure?

Pressure is a challenge by definition, so it's fine not to shrug this one off completely. Instead, talk about a past experience under pressure and how you dealt with the psychological effects while getting the job done efficiently.

7. What are your salary requirements?

Don't say what you currently earn. Instead, suggest a fair salary and benefits package. You can research salaries on Glassdoor before the interview to give you some pointers.

8. What questions haven't I asked you?

This is your chance to bring up any stock answers you haven't been able to use. Choose carefully and deliver a prepared question and answer that you know portray you in a really good light - it could be any of these 50 most common interview questions, or something original.

9. What questions do you have for me?

You know you will be asked this, so have something prepared. You could ask about the company culture, what it takes to perform well in the job, or ask about a specific campaign or objective you know the company is working on. Be interested and engaged, and leave the interviewer with a positive impression of how much you want the job.

Background & Experience Interview Questions

Example CV with laptop

10. Discuss your CV.

Pick out the strongest positives or explain any unusual attributes, for example if you have changed job a lot of times in recent years.

11. Discuss your educational background.

Talk about your qualifications and other skills in the context of the role you are applying for. The point is not what certificates you have, but how the knowledge you hold prepares you to excel in the job you want.

12. Describe yourself.

This is not a request for your entire life story. Instead, choose 2-3 professional attributes you want to describe in detail, and keep it concise and relevant.

13. Why was there a gap in your employment between [insert date] and [insert date]?

You might feel awkward answering this one, depending on the reason, but try to set that aside. Employers have a right to know why you took a career break and will often be more understanding about it than you expect.

Getting Started Interview Questions

New Colleague

14. What would you look to accomplish in the first 30 days/60 days/90 days on the job?

Have a 30/60/90-day plan ready. Remember this effectively adds up to three 30-day plans, so set some long-term goals but also some shorter targets for month one, two and three.

15. Are you willing to relocate?

Be careful with this question. It's possible the company might ask you to relocate to a different branch office in the future - so if that's a dealbreaker for you, say so now.

16. Are you willing to travel?

This is little more than a yes/no answer, and maybe aspects like distance, whether you can be away overnight, international travel and so on. Be honest - you don't want to end up in a job where your expectations are severely mismatched.

17. What's your availability?

This is a basic admin question and there's no point trying to game it. If you need to give notice at your current job, be honest about your earliest available start date. Similarly if you can't work evenings, weekends or holidays, say so, or you could end up in a job where you can't meet the minimum expectations.

Strengths and Weaknesses Questions

Woman ready for her interview after reviewing common interview questions.

18. What are your strengths?

This is a common question and a great opportunity to give several clear and concise personal and professional strengths. Be specific, avoid cliches and generic answers, and make them count - three good strengths are better than five mediocre ones.

19. What are your weaknesses?

Don't ignore the value in this question. Employers want workers who are self-aware and willing to improve, so identify genuine weaknesses that are not insurmountable, and explain what you are already doing to overcome them.

20. What was your biggest failure?

Don't be negative here. Be honest, but focus on how you reacted and recovered, and long-term lessons you learned as a result.

21. What are three things your former manager would like you to improve on?

It's common to prepare one 'weakness' answer, but be ready with several just in case. Make sure they are all things you can improve on (and hopefully already are doing).

22. If I called your boss right now and asked them what is an area that you could improve on, what would they say?

It's OK to have areas for improvement - the important thing here is to be self-aware and actively working to get better. Obviously, avoid choosing anything that would be really detrimental to the job you're applying for.

23. What were your bosses' strengths/weaknesses?

This shows you have learned from your previous managers, for better or for worse. Think of something balanced - perhaps your past bosses did not communicate enough, or spent too much time on talk and not enough on action, and you have learned to communicate effectively and efficiently as a result.

Career Development Questions

Top 10 Toughest Interview Questions 

24. Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?

It's OK to be ambitious with this one, as long as it's realistic. For example, in an entry-level interview, you might see yourself leading a small to medium-sized team in five years' time. For management roles, you might aim to be a department head in ten years.

25. What is your dream job?

This should be relevant to the position you are applying for, but it doesn't have to be the exact role. Instead, think about your future career growth and how your prospective employer could help you to reach that dream job someday.

26. What are your career goals?

It's good to have goals, so make sure you have an answer for this question. Equally, try to avoid implying that your next career goal is to work for a different company or that you expect rapid promotion - be more general about your desire to gain experience and learn from your managers.

27. Who's your mentor?

This is another question where the one-word answer is not the point. You can choose anyone from family, friends, colleagues, even celebrities - just have a good explanation for how they inspire you to work well and be better.

Company Fit Questions

Tell us why we should hire you?

28. What motivates you?

An honest answer is good here, but try to avoid just saying money. If you can think of something relevant to the role, that's great - for example, you might say you like a fast-paced environment and innovation if you are applying to work with a start-up company.

29. What gets you up in the morning?

Resist the obvious double espresso line here. Instead, take the opportunity to express yourself as an engaged and enthusiastic employee. Nobody leaps out of bed every day without fail, but genuine excitement for the job can keep you going through times both good and bad.

30. Would you work holidays/weekends?

Be honest here. Some jobs will expect you to work weekends and holidays, whereas in other roles this would be unusual. If you're unavailable due to other commitments, do say so.

31. Would you work 40+ hours a week?

It's not enough to simply say 'yes' to this question. Be honest about your availability or willingness to work frequent overtime, and be positive about your ability to get the job done on schedule.

32. What are your co-worker pet peeves?

Steer clear of minor annoyances and think of poor discipline from co-workers that makes it hard to get the job done - lateness, unexplained absence and a lack of effort all work well as answers here.

33. What makes you uncomfortable?

It goes without saying that you should avoid naming skills specific to the role you are interviewing for. Instead, be more general and mention something that you know you can overcome with experience.

34. What do you like the most and least about working in this industry?

This is not an invitation to rant. Give a balanced answer including both positives and negatives. Interviewers are looking for authenticity and experience, both good and bad.

Behavioural Questions

Recruitment team on a job interview with a candidate.

35. Tell me about an accomplishment you are most proud of.

Don't waste this question - it's a chance to be positive about your past achievements, ideally by choosing something relevant to the role you are applying for today.

36. Tell me about a time you made a mistake.

Mistakes and failures are a chance to turn a negative into a positive, so focus on how you reacted to an error and made the effort to put things right.

37. Tell me how you handled a difficult situation.

Give a complete answer with a positive outcome. The STAR method is a great way to approach this kind of question, and well worth learning as a general interview technique.

38. Give a time when you went above and beyond the requirements for a project.

This is a good chance to be positive about yourself. Try to keep it within reasonable expectations - for example, a time when you took on more delegated duties than normal and handled them well.

39. Tell me about a time when you disagreed with your boss.

A difference of opinion does not mean one person was right and the other was wrong - it could be more nuanced than that. Try to avoid sliding into a rant here, but give a constructive answer and an example of how you resolved the situation for the better.

40. How would you deal with an angry or irate customer?

Ideally, you will have past experience of this. If not, focus on clear communications, rapid resolution and escalating the issue if necessary - and don't just give the customer whatever they want.

Company-related Questions

Businesswomen are meeting and interviewing in the company office

41. Why are you interested in working for [insert company name here]?

Try to think like an employer, not an employee. Align your interests with those of the company and any goals you know they are working towards - don't just say you heard the money is good or the workload is light!

42. What is the name of our CEO?

This is a simple question, so be ready with the correct answer. The interviewer just wants to know you've done your research - so don't let them down!

43. Who are our competitors?

This is a basic research question. Always know the direct rivals of any company you apply to work with and be ready to say why you have chosen this opportunity and not a vacancy with a competitor.

Hobbies and Interests Questions

Web designer developing responsive website layout

44. What are your hobbies?

Choose something positive and relatable, such as sports, cooking, walking in nature etc. Charity work is admirable too, if you volunteer any of your time for good causes.

45. What was the last book you read for fun?

You don't have to be literally honest here. Think of something relevant to the role or that the interviewer is likely to have heard of, and make sure you know it well in case they have read it too and ask you anything specific.

46. What is your favourite website?

The real question here is why - do you like to stay informed, or stay connected with others? Remember social networks are websites too, so can be a useful answer for communications, media and marketing roles.

Leadership Questions

Presenting to New Employees

47. What would your direct reports say about you?

If you've had employees directly under your management, this is your chance to give an example of when you did well, or when you learned and improved from their feedback.

48. Are you a leader or a follower?

Most people are a combination of both, and that's useful for companies, who might want you to follow instructions well when necessary, but also be ready to take the initiative or push for promotion.

49. What are some of your leadership experiences?

You don't need management experience to have leadership experience. For entry-level roles, think of an example of when you worked in a team but took on a leadership role, to show you are not always the quiet one.

Related

Common Leadership Interview Questions & How To Answer

50. How would you fire someone?

Go beyond basic company policy like "do it in private". A broad answer is good here, including any earlier steps you might take to avoid firing the person at all, followed by how you would handle it if there was no alternative.