A few weeks ago, I had a great candidate who was not successful in his final interview because of an informal meeting.

Yoshi* had already breezed through four interviews. He truly stood out throughout the process and the company was very impressed. We were already discussing his compensation package and the start date. The only step left was an informal meeting with the CEO. The purpose of the meeting was for the CEO to introduce himself and welcome Yoshi to the company. The meeting was very informal, they discussed Yoshi’s life experience, hobbies, education and personal motivations; questions that weren’t challenging or technical. Surprisingly the following day, I received an email from the company’s HR department rejecting Yoshi’s application. The CEO did not believe Yoshi had a strong motivation to join their organisation.

In recruitment, there is no such thing as an informal meeting. Regardless of the interview set up, you are still expected to behave professionally and to express your passion and enthusiasm for the role. In these type of ‘informal’ meetings, interviewers still want you to demonstrate your personality, commitment and fit with the organisation. During one of these more casual meetings, you can be less formal, but always keep in mind that all your answers and behaviours will be analysed. Any informal meeting in recruitment is comparable to a first meeting with your in-laws. Firstly by introducing yourself, even though they already heard everything about you from your recruiter (your partner) and asking you questions they already know the answers to.

When they ask you questions about your life, they expect you to tell them that meeting your partner was the best choice you have ever made. Your partner is perfect, and you cannot wait to commit forever. You will work hard and protect your partner from whatever may happen in the future.

They do not expect the truth about your personal life, how bad the previous relationship was, or how lucky you were to get out of it. The only goal of this meeting is for them to feel confident that you will be the best candidate. They want your commitment. It is similar in recruitment, during an informal meeting your interviewer expects you to be committed and wants to ensure that they have made the right choice.

The keys words here are confidence and commitment. So keep in mind, whatever the setting or whoever the interviewer may be, no interview is truly informal, so don’t let your guard down!

*Not his real name.

informal interview, informal meeting, Interview advice, job interviews, recruitment process, カジュアル面接