3 good reasons to always have a second interview (if it’s offered)

Interviewing is like dating, sometimes you shouldn’t make an initial judgement and meet up a few more times. Getting real insight is always more important than going on gut feeling. Have you watched the Tinder Swindler yet?

Let’s set the scene. Your recruiter briefed you on a role that you loved the sound of. You’ve spent time doing your research, maybe even a bit of LinkedIn and insta stalking. And, you’ve got butterflies ahead of your first meet up. (International team trip away each year? This workplace is hot).

You’re 10 minutes into the meeting and you’ve already got the gut feeling this isn’t going to be a match. The interviewer is lovely, but you just can’t put your finger on what’s wrong. Their campaigns are nice but not exciting, training & development sounds amazing but not inspiring and you’ve got that sinking feeling you need to sit through another 50 minutes when you’ve already made your mind up.

Eeeeek!

However, not all is lost. Each year we manage over 300 interviews and are in constant dialogue with PR job seekers and hiring managers. We find that in at least 60% of interviews, both parties make assumptions about the other, key areas of interest haven’t been drilled into, and more information is required.

That’s why it’s important to always go for that 2^nd stage interview if your gut feeling is saying you are unsure (rather than this is an absolute no).

Here are some reasons why:

• Hiring managers don’t interview daily. This means they often lack the structure to their interviews, run them on a whim and aren’t prepared to give you the insight you need.

• Job seekers don’t ask enough questions or dig deeper when they don’t have all the details. This means they leave the interview not really knowing if the agency drives strategic campaigns, how they invest in your career development and if that team trip away is actually fun.

• Most recruiters don’t manage the interview process properly. This means both job seekers and hiring managers aren’t prepared to discuss the most relevant points in detail. At Latte, we make sure job seekers go in ready to ask layered questions and that the hiring manager is prepared for these. And vice versa.

For example, you might have walked out of an interview with the feeling that their campaigns are purely focused on media relations or have no strategic element. However, the hiring manager just gave you a top-line information and in fact, they are running the exact type of campaigns you want to be working on.

By going to a 2^nd stage, you can take all of your 1^st stage interview concerns and drill down into them, asking questions that allow you to make a judgement on an opportunity with real insight, not just gut feeling.

This also works in reverse. Sometimes, you might be wooed by an PR agency’s client list and employer brand. On Instagram it looks like they have a lot of fun as a team and the interview is charismatic. However, because you didn’t drill down and really get the facts, you accept the job offer, start in the role and find out everything is surface level. There’s no depth to the employer.

Next time you’re out for an interview, go in more prepared, dig deeper and give them a second chance. Prior to heading into the 2^nd stage interview, provide some feedback about what you’d like more insight on.

Written by Dean Connelly, Recruitment Director and Founder of Latte Recruitment. For business enquiries or hiring advice, please contact via email [email protected]

About Latte

Latte is a specialist PR and social media recruitment agency. We offer career and interview advice alongside insight on the kick ass job opportunities. Upfront advice and no BS all in one spot. Email your CV and what you are looking for to [email protected] . We’ll add you into our talent pool and get in touch when a match comes up.