It’s enough to make the palms clammy: Interviews are high stakes for both the interviewee and the interviewer. A Zirtual report on job interview statistics and trends for 2023 found that 83% of candidates stated that a negative interview experience could change their initial positive perception about a company or role. On the other hand, 87% of candidates felt that a positive interview could change their opinion of a position or company. Jeff Smith, a human resources leader, understands the importance of putting an interviewee at ease during what many feel is a high-pressure situation.
Hiring the right fit for the job is essential to any successful business. The interview is an opportunity to identify the candidate who brings the correct combination of skills, attitude, and experience to the position. Smith advised that an excellent way to break the ice with an interviewee is to take a light-hearted approach and discuss some interesting things you are working on or the happenings of your business day.
A former global head of human resources at BlackRock, Jeff Smith takes 10 to 15 minutes to talk to potential candidates about things unrelated to the role. It makes sense to lead with some information about himself to give the interviewee time to relax.
“I always point out that this is a conversation, and we are looking for fit in both directions,” states Smith. “In other words, I care as much that the candidate is evaluating me and my team and organization as we are evaluating them. For it to be effective, it needs to work both ways.”
Jeff Smith’s Top Tips for Creating a Comfortable Interview for All Involved
Jeff Smith, HR professional, has experience supporting and advising businesses and the board of directors on all aspects of investments in people and culture. He also oversees the management of organizational change. He has years of experience with executive succession planning and HR operations, including managing recruiting compensation, employee benefits, policies and management, leadership, and professional management development.
Since an interview is a good indication of how well a candidate will perform in a job, these are valuable insights Smith has accrued throughout his career.
— Find Balance: Smith never starts an interview with an interrogation. He takes time to discuss the company and the role before asking the candidate any questions. He’s suggested talking in a balanced way that shows there are aspects of the business that could be better or are in need of change.
— Listen Intently: Smith puts potential hires at ease by paying attention to what they say. The best interviewers and interviewees are excellent listeners because listening enables job candidates to build rapport with the person conducting the interview. He encourages human resources and hiring managers to show a genuine interest in every candidate they interview and compliment them on their experiences as much as possible. A give-and-take approach is more effective than asking generic questions and giving canned answers.
— Be Authentic: Jeff Smith is a big believer in being yourself and not overthinking all aspects of the interview process. He stresses that “An interview should not be a performance.” The whole point is for both parties — the interviewer and the interviewee — to assess if they’d be a good fit for the role or company. The human resources expert notes it’s “better for the long term.”
— Stay Focused, Yet Flexible: In HR exec Jeff Smith’s experience, the best interviews are when he’s conversational yet has a set of five or six things, such as past experiences and competencies, that he’s trying to assess. His goal is to create a flow and comfort. “I want people to feel comfortable,” he says. “I’m not trying to trick anyone.”
Industry Insights From BlackRock’s Former Global Head of HR
“The HR job, done well, is one of the hardest jobs there is,” says Smith. “There’s an incredible amount of balancing that has to be done — protecting the firm from cultural risks to driving the strategic talent agenda to standing up and being courageous about pushing people to make difficult talent decisions,” he stated in an interview with Exco Leadership, a global executive coaching firm.
As a leader in the human resources sector, Smith maintains that people can learn a role if you bring in individuals with the right skills and personality that fits with the company’s culture. “I think it is much easier to have those things and learn industry than to have industry and change your skills or personality to fit the [company] culture.”
He advises focusing on a job seeker’s adaptability and ability to learn. Of course, candidates should have some level of experience in the domain you’re hiring them for, but Smith doesn’t focus on their industry interpersonal skills. He’s a proponent of asking people to tell their stories and open up a lot more about who they are. He told Exco Leadership, “If you understand the people you’re working with, you’re going to appreciate diversity more. And that’s not just measurable diversities, but all diversities.”
He added, “But you have to approach this job with patience, even though by nature I’m not a patient person. I think I exhibit patience. If you try to push things at the wrong time, when the environment around you isn’t going to accept it, it’s not going to be as effective as picking the right moment. I try to be thoughtful about what we are trying to do and the pace at which we’re trying to do it, even though I may feel deeply impatient at times.”
Jeff Smith is a 1992 graduate of the University of Connecticut, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. In 1997, he graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute with a Ph.D. in industrial organizational psychology.
“I think being ‘psychologically minded’ is very helpful in terms of thinking through interpersonal dynamics and not just focusing on the business issue at hand but on the people who are dealing with the issue,” explained Smith. “I always found it most helpful in building strong relationships and also in building teams. One of my favorite things about working in companies is the teams and people you get to work with.” That wouldn’t be possible if he didn’t hire the right people for the job.
