In-house interview preparation: An insider's guide
Interviews can be challenging, but preparation is the key to confidence.
If you know enough about the business you’re interviewing for, and of course your own CV and skillset, then interview should feel exhilarating rather than debilitating! It’s like anything in life; practice makes perfect but with a few tips you can give the very best account of yourself.
Before the interview: What do you need to know?
Once your interview is confirmed, there are several important areas to understand before you begin preparing.
Teams v in-person: Teams is convenient, but it can be more challenging to build rapport. Initial introductions are a good time to show your personality in a professional way. Think about your background and ensure there is no excess noise. Interviewers need to see your personality in an appropriate way. Look for commonality to build rapport.
Who are you meeting (background, personalities, interview techniques)? Knowing the interviewers’ personalities can give you a steer on what to expect. Non-legal interviewers are likely to focus on your approach and how you work with the business. Some interviewers give more reinforcement than others during the process, can you get a sense for this from your recruiter or HR?
How many stages: Plan ahead, especially around holiday time. Remember most interviewers are senior and time poor and may need additional flexibility from you.
Timeframes: Can you get a sense of urgency? How will that sit with other opportunities you’re considering? It’s better to deal with this early.
Outside of the role profile, what are the key things they are looking for: A recruiter can give you this information. Otherwise, the role profile and careers pages are also useful to give a sense of required skills, company values and language.
How should you prepare?
Preparation should focus on understanding the business, the role and the people involved.
Review the company website
Read the website thoroughly and explore links which may give greater context.
Understand what the business does and what has happened recently by using the news tab on your search.
Take note of recent changes in structure, mergers or new products.
Analyse the role profile
This is your best indicator of the evidence of experience your interviewer(s) will be looking for.
Prepare examples for each requirement, ideally more than one where possible.
Not providing evidence (or not providing enough) is the most common reason for negative feedback.
Research the company structure
Companies House can provide useful information about structure and financial performance.
It can also help identify recent investments or changes which may impact results.
Apply the three-chair rule
Consider:
What do they want from the meeting?
What do you need?
What would an objective observer consider important for both sides to share?
Understanding your audience
Different interviewers are likely to focus on different areas.
Legal interviewers
Expect technical questions regarding your approach as a lawyer.
Think about how to show the best version of yourself through tangible examples.
Consider what you are most proud of professionally.
Business stakeholders
Stakeholders often want to understand how you will work with the business.
It can be useful to establish risk appetite from your recruiter or through initial meetings.
Problem-solving, positivity and creativity are important.
Senior leaders may challenge your answers, so be prepared to expand on them.
HR professionals
HR is likely to focus on your career moves, motivations and reasons for wanting the role.
Your interest in the company needs to be well researched.
Getting the tone right
Mirror the interviewer
Take your cue from those in front of you.
Match their level of formality where appropriate.
Be aware of body language and when to stop or expand further.
Competency, scenario and conversational interviews
Competency-style answers can ensure you make the strongest impact.
Discussing skills without evidence is much less powerful.
Where possible, structure examples using STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
Results are more convincing when linked to specific outcomes such as cost savings, process improvements, project success or positive feedback.
Choosing the right examples
Think about moments where you have been most proud and made the biggest impact.
Then work backwards to identify the competencies and behaviours they demonstrate.
You cannot predict every question, but you can prepare strong examples.
If you don't know the answer
Do not pretend that you do.
Acknowledge the gap.
Share an example of a time when you overcame a similar challenge and took responsibility for developing yourself.
Asking effective questions
It is important to prepare several thoughtful questions. Consider questions around:
Workflow management
Company culture
Interviewer background and experience
Be aware of body language and remain engaged without unnecessarily extending the interview.
Ending the interview well
After asking your questions:
Reaffirm your interest in the role if you believe it is a strong opportunity.
Express your interest succinctly and professionally.
Ask about next steps and timelines if appropriate.
Thank the interviewers for their time.
Over to you…
Ultimately, strong interview performance comes down to preparation. Understanding the business, knowing your own experience inside out and communicating it with confidence will help you make the best possible impression. By combining research, thoughtful examples and genuine engagement, you can approach interviews with confidence and maximise your chances of success.