Adriane Schwager has hired hundreds of people and conducted thousands of interviews in her 20 years of experience as a recruiter. Ms Schwager, the CEO and co-founder of GrowthAssistant, a hiring platform shared with CNBC Make It that her most important piece of advice applies to people at any experience level- ‘Show up prepared’.
She said that candidates’ level of preparedness has declined in the last five years or so. “I’m shocked at how many times people don’t do their homework,” Schwager tells CNBC Make It. “Here’s something very basic that I’m seeing candidates missing right now, which is [understanding]: What does the company that you’re interviewing for do?”
Ms. Schwager mentioned that she used to give this advice to college students seeking their first jobs, but lately, she’s noticed the same issue at senior levels, which she finds interesting.
She suspects this occurs more frequently with candidates who come through third-party recruitment agencies. “Either they’re not reviewing the prep materials, or perhaps they weren’t actively seeking the role,” she explains. However, by the time an interview takes place, she recommends doing some research to show genuine interest in the opportunity; otherwise, it can waste everyone’s time.
Preparing for an interview doesn’t need to be time-consuming. Schwager appreciates when candidates mention something from their LinkedIn, X profile, or other business information at the start of an interview.
“That immediately signals to me that the candidate is engaged and sets a positive tone for the conversation,” she notes.
To go the extra mile, candidates might also reach out to any mutual connections they have with the interviewer to gather insights on their work style or management approach.
One of her recent leadership hires stood out by listening to podcast interviews she had participated in beforehand.
Lastly, Schwager advises that for some companies, it can be effective to reach out directly to the top executive to express interest in a role. Some of her most enthusiastic hires have been individuals who contacted her directly via social media to express interest in joining her company.
“They know exactly why they’re applying and are always fully engaged,” she adds.
