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Covid-19: not only a terrible disease, but also a challenge for people who are now facing lay offs or unemployment. Make this a new opportunity and not a challenge. Here's what you need to know in order to ace a job interview in Germany.
Use this time to reset and refresh your mind and work on your professional goals. Take a short break to see what you really expect from your career, what kind of corporate culture you are searching for, and set goals how to get there. This article shall inspire you to be your best self in a job interview in Germany.
In Germany, an exhaustive recruitment process consisting of several personal job interviews is very common. It is usually the last steps before principal decision making in an application process, where hiring managers, HR and potential further stakeholders take their time to get to know the candidates one by one.
There will most likely be at least two rounds of interviews, whereas the candidate pool narrows down from e.g. initially 4-8 candidates to 1-3 in the final round. Especially in privately-, and family owned companies there are most often also cultural match meetings, where a broader range of Executives or even peers make sure that the future colleague is fitting to the team, the company culture and values. This may sometimes frustrate a candidate that is used to a more standardized interview process.
Before issuing an offer to the selected candidate, a German employer wants to conduct reference checks by calling former superiors, peers and managed people – a typical 360-degree analysis. Personality testing depends on the employer but is in fact more common in the Nordic countries compared to Germany, which becomes also increasingly relevant especially in Corporates.
Even if a process is exhausting and one has to spend a lot of time, energy and efforts to get to the endgame, remember to make the most of it. Take your time and appreciate learning to know your possible future employer, meeting the people in the team, as well as getting detailed information on the scope of duties, challenges and opportunities.
This also gives exposure and decision-making power to the selected candidates and ensures loyalty from both the hired candidate as well as the company in case selected. Furthermore, one should never underestimate the power of network and a process like this shall always be seen as a chance to build relevant and sustainable business relations for future reference.
The interview itself normally is a semi structured, partly competency-based discussion, starting with an introduction by all parties, followed by the candidate’s background-, key experiences-, and key skills discussion.
After the interview, there will often be a dialogue between all parties, which in the best case ends up in an open, free-flowing discussion about the job, company as well as the candidate’s experiences, personality and skills matching. In the second round of interviews, there is often a small analytical and presentation task or alternatively a small business case to present in order to learn to know even better how the potential candidate works in a simulated working situation.
If a headhunter is involved in the process, it means you have a chance to objectively reflect how the meeting went from the perspective of an external observer. This allows you to also discuss the company feedback, to check if it matches yours as well as prepare for the next interview. It helps you in the decision-making process and also gives you a reference point to gain transparency, a timeline and continuous feedback in the process. It is as good as you make it, and it always takes two to tango.
In Executive Search a rule of thumb is often that if you get well along with the headhunter, you will also have a potentially matching opportunity. Reason is that companies are more and more becoming value-driven and also selecting their headhunter based on matching values and their belief in that the specific headhunter can bear their employer brand, strategy, values and mission statement to the candidate market in the best possible way.
Feel free to give your opinion on improvements, but make sure to show appreciation in their way of working. Ask questions, as this automatically points out your genuine interest and motivation towards the company and the job. Bring your CV and cover letter just in case, as well as a notebook to make notes and write down ideas you get during the conversation as well as to already prepare for the potential second round of interviews.
There are still companies in Germany that expect you to come in black shoes, business suit, white shirt and tie. Do your research by for example asking the headhunter or talk to people you might know from the company or its surroundings.
Instead, share the positive experiences you had and what you learned from it and also in a constructive manner why you might not have fit the culture or role you left or had to leave from.
Some studies indicate that interviewers make up their minds about candidates in the first five minutes of the job interview – and then spend the rest of the interview looking for things to confirm that decision. Come in with energy and enthusiasm, be confident and give your best (authentic) shot.
These are the most important things to keep in mind when preparing for a job interview in Germany. Viel Erfolg!
Use this time to reset and refresh your mind and work on your professional goals. Take a short break to see what you really expect from your career, what kind of corporate culture you are searching for, and set goals how to get there. This article shall inspire you to be your best self in a job interview in Germany.
The Interview Process
In Germany, an exhaustive recruitment process consisting of several personal job interviews is very common. It is usually the last steps before principal decision making in an application process, where hiring managers, HR and potential further stakeholders take their time to get to know the candidates one by one.
There will most likely be at least two rounds of interviews, whereas the candidate pool narrows down from e.g. initially 4-8 candidates to 1-3 in the final round. Especially in privately-, and family owned companies there are most often also cultural match meetings, where a broader range of Executives or even peers make sure that the future colleague is fitting to the team, the company culture and values. This may sometimes frustrate a candidate that is used to a more standardized interview process.
Before issuing an offer to the selected candidate, a German employer wants to conduct reference checks by calling former superiors, peers and managed people – a typical 360-degree analysis. Personality testing depends on the employer but is in fact more common in the Nordic countries compared to Germany, which becomes also increasingly relevant especially in Corporates.
Even if a process is exhausting and one has to spend a lot of time, energy and efforts to get to the endgame, remember to make the most of it. Take your time and appreciate learning to know your possible future employer, meeting the people in the team, as well as getting detailed information on the scope of duties, challenges and opportunities.
This also gives exposure and decision-making power to the selected candidates and ensures loyalty from both the hired candidate as well as the company in case selected. Furthermore, one should never underestimate the power of network and a process like this shall always be seen as a chance to build relevant and sustainable business relations for future reference.
The interview itself normally is a semi structured, partly competency-based discussion, starting with an introduction by all parties, followed by the candidate’s background-, key experiences-, and key skills discussion.
After the interview, there will often be a dialogue between all parties, which in the best case ends up in an open, free-flowing discussion about the job, company as well as the candidate’s experiences, personality and skills matching. In the second round of interviews, there is often a small analytical and presentation task or alternatively a small business case to present in order to learn to know even better how the potential candidate works in a simulated working situation.
Maximize Headhunter Impact
If a headhunter is involved in the process, it means you have a chance to objectively reflect how the meeting went from the perspective of an external observer. This allows you to also discuss the company feedback, to check if it matches yours as well as prepare for the next interview. It helps you in the decision-making process and also gives you a reference point to gain transparency, a timeline and continuous feedback in the process. It is as good as you make it, and it always takes two to tango.
In Executive Search a rule of thumb is often that if you get well along with the headhunter, you will also have a potentially matching opportunity. Reason is that companies are more and more becoming value-driven and also selecting their headhunter based on matching values and their belief in that the specific headhunter can bear their employer brand, strategy, values and mission statement to the candidate market in the best possible way.
Interview Preparations
Be Prepared
Read the company homepage, the history and think of the most interesting facts you can bear in mind and prepare questions to ask. Also, read company news, do market research and be critical. Think about a creative idea and also be brave enough to criticize the company, but of course in a constructive manner and with a positive attitude.Feel free to give your opinion on improvements, but make sure to show appreciation in their way of working. Ask questions, as this automatically points out your genuine interest and motivation towards the company and the job. Bring your CV and cover letter just in case, as well as a notebook to make notes and write down ideas you get during the conversation as well as to already prepare for the potential second round of interviews.
Show Personality
A job interview in Germany doesn't have to be dry and boring. In fact, they shouldn't be. It‘s important to act professionally, of course, but it's also important to show your personality and be authentic.Dress For Success
What to wear will vary depending on the type of job and company you're interviewing with. You always want to dress to make the best impression, but to do so, you need to fit in and feel comfortable. A tie is not a must anymore, but never underestimate the impact of a first impression.There are still companies in Germany that expect you to come in black shoes, business suit, white shirt and tie. Do your research by for example asking the headhunter or talk to people you might know from the company or its surroundings.
Be Punctual
Make sure to be 10 minutes earlier at your appointment. Punctuality is very polite in Germany - you are not wasting their time but appreciating it.Avoid Being Negative
When answering to questions, don’t put focus on your negative experiences. For example, if the company asks why you left your most recent employer, don’t share in detail what you disliked about your previous job or blurt out how much you disliked your superior or the company culture.Instead, share the positive experiences you had and what you learned from it and also in a constructive manner why you might not have fit the culture or role you left or had to leave from.
Avoid raising the compensations topic
- never start discussing the cash compensation on your initiative. It is not odd to have that conversation in the very end, when all parties have agreed it is a match. Obviously, there is some basis of compensation when applying. If you are dealing with a headhunter, he/she is keeping their client well informed about your key experience, skills and also compensation level-, and expectations.Some studies indicate that interviewers make up their minds about candidates in the first five minutes of the job interview – and then spend the rest of the interview looking for things to confirm that decision. Come in with energy and enthusiasm, be confident and give your best (authentic) shot.
These are the most important things to keep in mind when preparing for a job interview in Germany. Viel Erfolg!