You've applied to an online job offer and you've been selected. You've been approached by our HR team, a board member or an operational person about this recruitment opportunity. You're keen to go further and you're going to meet several members of the Spaycial team, our Spaycialists. To be successful, it's important to prepare methodically.
Do you know our recipe for becoming a star during your interviews?
STAR(R) method, instructions for use
Why use the "STAR(R)" method? To help you prepare for your interviews, to make each exchange as interesting as possible, to make the most of your experience and to set you apart from other candidates. We didn't invent it: it's a skills assessment methodology that you will come across more and more often in tech companies.
And it works! Whether you are a React JS, Node.js or Back-end Developer, Software Architect, DevOps, QA Automation Engineer, Machine Learning & Data Scientist, Tableau Specialist, SAAS Sales Executive, Sales Development Representative, SAAS Onboarding Success Manager or even Head of CSM.
"Beyond the wordplay, the interview structured in this way will increase the impact of your exchanges with one of our teammates that you meet during the interview by 50%," explains Arnaud Gien-Pawlicki, Head of Talent at Transaction Connect. For our part, we have adopted the STAR(R) method because it has helped us increase the efficiency of our recruitment interviews by 16% with a more precise and factual analysis of the candidates' skills.
In concrete terms, how do you prepare?
The STAR(R) method consists of structuring your qualities and skills through your professional experience and achievements. It will allow each interviewer to assess your behaviour and attitudes in different work situations.
"Interviews often take place during or at the end of your working day with a full agenda," continues Arnaud Gien-Pawlicki. Whether you are a candidate or a recruiter, the risks of straying from the subject or missing out on an important skill are thus reduced, and unconscious biases neutralised.
And as you are short of time and are approached by many employers, this will make your interview much more meaningful, interesting and will provide you with answers to the questions you ask yourself when you consider growing companies! Arnaud Gien-Pawlicki goes even further:
"With the STAR(R) method, a recruiter - HR or operational - will not be able to hide behind ready-made formulas, you will see if the subjects are mastered, if the need is clear and you will be able to evaluate objectively if you can blossom or not in your future employer before taking a decision"
Why STAR(R)?
The STAR(R) approach is so called because it is structured around 5 pillars:
S for Situation: Describe a professional situation in which you have already found yourself to demonstrate that you have been confronted with such and such a context, that you possess such and such a quality and that you have developed such and such a skill.
T for Task: Talk about your role and responsibilities in the situation you have described. Don't forget to clearly define your tasks and objectives here.
A for Action: Then go into more detail about the actions or measures you took to achieve a goal or solve a problem.
R for Result: Finally, you can present the results you have achieved by making a balance sheet with figures.
(R) for Reflection: As a bonus, don't forget to show how you learnt from the concrete situations you encountered for the future. Failure situations are very interesting because they are sources of learning. And don't forget: in tech companies in particular, dealing with failure and the unexpected is part of everyday life.
It's up to you now! 😄