Final Round Interview Questions and How to Tackle them

The labour market has seen one of its greatest changes in decades, with job vacancies now at an all-time high. According to the Office for National Statistics, between July and September 2022, there were 1.21 million vacancies. From July to September 2022 vacancies were 450,000 (56.6%) above the January to March 2020 pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) level, and nearly 117,000 (10.3%) above the level of a year ago.

While the job market continues to recover from the effects of the coronavirus epidemic, employee loyalty is at a record low, leading to greater staff turnover and talent shortages in many critical job disciplines. As seen across the electronics and high-tech sectors, employees are often being drawn to higher-paying positions. Some sectors are losing staff because of lower salaries and benefits, so they will continue to face increasing pressure to fill vacant positions.

On the other hand, candidates have the luxury to ascertain that the offered role, whether a new or a replacement position, is up to their expectations and they can afford to be choosy, with the average job-seeker fielding more than two offers, according to recruitment trends.

At the final interview stage, many candidates are now taking the opportunity to screen the potential employer. This allows them to gain the best understanding of precisely what is required by, and offered from, the position. And for a candidate in the potential position of being offered a choice of jobs, they will generally accept the most equitable one, not only from a financial position, and/or travel but also from a work-life balance.

However, an interviewer should keep in mind that there are also candidates who will ask questions for the sake of asking them, not wishing to be seen as having a lack of interest in the position or company by not asking them.

In either situation, the employer should be honest. While you may not want to employ an unsuitable candidate, you wouldn’t want to employ someone who finds the job is not suited to them and then leaves rapidly, resulting in wasted time and resources.

Since employers are now competing for candidates; and candidates are less likely to be competing for jobs, here are some questions they may come across.

Likely questions from potential employees at interview stage

“Are there any concerns you have about recommending me for the job?”

If there are some experience or skill deficiencies, an interviewer could explain them in terms of the job description and core competencies. This will be a great test as to how the candidate reacts to feedback, and should the interviewer feel that the candidate has potential, they can also tease out how willing the individual will be to adapt and learn. How this part of the conversation goes could go a great way in helping both parties decide if they are the right fit for each other.

“Have business goals been achieved this financial year?”

A potential employee will want to understand how successful the organisation is, especially as business performance may affect future salary and benefits, and if applicable, their commission-earning. While it has always been one of the reasons people come to work, salaries are now playing a more vital role than ever. Today's candidates need to know the salary and benefits prospects, what is required of them, and the goal of the organisation with not only clarity but honesty.

“What keeps you working here?”

If the position is providing solely a salary and nothing else at the end of each month, new employees are likely to leave, regardless of whether they have another job lined up or not. They also want the reassurance of the organisational culture and their fit. If there are multiple interviewers on the panel, the candidate should be allowed to ask them the same question. This is very reassuring for a candidate, especially if you’re interested in offering a job to the individual.

“What continuous improvement measures do you have in place for the business and the benefits package?”

This is a broad question, and one that is often asked, but one that provides a positive insight for the candidate. The best way to answer this is by telling them about the benefits available, not just monetary or holiday – for example, training, health, sports, flexible working practices, work-life balance initiatives, mental health benefits, etc. The interviewer could even consider detailing a challenge the business faced and how the team overcame it.

“What is your style of management (How does my manager manage, if at grandparent interview)?”

It is only natural for candidates to want to know who they will ultimately be reporting to. Do they lead well? Do they allow their team members to get on with the job? Are they 100% responsible for their actions? Do they expect team members to do things they wouldn’t (unless out of their area of expertise where a team member has that precise experience) themselves? Unsatisfactory management is recognised as a large factor in employees leaving.

This may include providing information from ‘Insights Discovery’ training - what colour energies is an individual manager (red, blue, yellow, green), and what that means for their style of management.

For example, successful Engineering Managers typically require skills in product strategy, architecture, project management, and engineering disciplines and most technical recruitment candidates appreciate the value of an effective manager who consistently delivers on-time project completion.

Letting technology help

Before the interview, it is vital to identify the best potential candidates. There should ideally be some technology at the company’s disposal that goes beyond a spreadsheet to track candidates. One way to be ahead is to identify quality candidates by using employee referral tools. This can sometimes be the most cost-efficient resource since existing employees would rarely recommend anyone very obviously unsuitable for the role. Other resources could include analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and automated tracking to mention but a few.

Redline can also assist employers in developing a thorough interview process via competency techniques. Being prepared often separates a business from finding the right engineering and technical job candidates for the organisation.

Redline Group achieved a 4.8 out of 5.0 rating (96% positive) for Google Reviews and hundreds of Case Studies confirm it’s not only WHAT we do, but HOW we do it that clients and candidates appreciate. Redline Group’s mission is to enable high-technology companies to build world-class teams through knowledge-led recruitment. For more information, contact us on 01582 450054 or email info@RedlineGroup.com.