It's not your father's job market anymore: interviewing is more intense and rigorous than ever before

Black Enterprise, July, 1995 by Juliette Fairley

Long gone are the days of interview questions like, Where do you plan to be in five years? and What do you enjoy most about your job?

Today, most large, and even some midsize firms, are spending big bucks revamping their interviewing and selection process. Snagging employees who fit the corporate culture and reducing employee turnover are the desired ends. Advanced and sophisticated screening methods are the means.

When Flora St. Ange walked out of a recent job interview, she was zapped. "I took a personality test of 180 questions and met with four interviewers," says the 29-year-old banker, who interviewed for an internal auditing job with a New York manufacturing firm. "It was a grueling three-and-a-half hours, and they asked me questions I wasn't expecting."

Like St. Ange, more candidates are running head-on into a battery of open-ended questions such as, What steps did you take to prepare your company for its changing needs? Written exams and pointed problem-solving scenarios at job interviews have also become the norm.

By evaluating past on-the-job behavior and performance, companies try to determine how you will act in the future, says Nancy Hrynkiw (pronounced "rin-cue"), spokesperson for DDI/Development Dimensions International, a Bridgeville, Pa.-based firm that designs interview-based selection programs.

"Instead of being asked, What did you do at your last job?" says Hrynkiw, "You may be asked, How did you solve a certain problem at your last job?" Since 1992, DDI's sales in this area have doubled--proving the popularity of such programs. Experts say that pre-employment testing has shown a 25% increase over the past four years, particularly in the service and manufacturing industries.

Questions stumping job candidates include: Tell me about a time when you didn't want to delegate an assignment, What potential problems do you see for this company? and Why is your company better for having you?

"There is no real right or wrong answer," says Allen McFarlane, assistant director in the office of career services at New York University. "And it's not just for a select category of jobs, but for everything from internships to senior management positions," he says. Be truthful, direct and consistent with your answers. The methods for evaluating the results vary immensely, depending on the company and the job.

When Allison Katz, employment manager at the American Stock Exchange in New York, screens candidates, she measures abilities, behavior, and corporate fit as well as skills. "Use the opportunity to sell yourself," she advises. "The answers are not measured by content, but by the logic of your thought process."

AT&T developed its own screening techniques that include general verbal and math skills testing, and role-playing for those seeking sales jobs. "We're looking for people who are reflective, team-oriented and inventive, says Burke Stinson, AT&T's district manager of media relations. "Ten years ago, we were content with people who were methodical and seeking stability. Today, we want someone with an open mind, who doesn't have their career neatly plotted out."

Nonetheless, these new interviewing processes still don't outweigh two very important factors of the job search that should never slip you up--your resume and your presentation. If those aren't up to par, don't worry about the interview, because it won't happen.