Secret to Interview Success: Show You Want It

Play hard to get and you won't get the job

It’s the start of another year, which means many people have made resolutions to improve their lives. On the top 10 list is looking for a new job.

January is the biggest month for hiring, as individuals tend to put off important decisions during the holiday months, and there is a pent-up desire for change. Companies, too, get extra-active this month as many have a new annual budget (and new goals to hit), plus they need to fill the slots that those resolutionists have abandoned.

Most people rarely interview, so we tend to swing and miss when we return to the job search. But getting a few key things right can improve your hit rate when ready. In seeing hundreds of people interview with our clients at Hearty, there’s one key difference many forget—or never heard: Show You Want The Job.

How I Screwed Up

I learned this lesson the hard way as a senior in college. We didn’t have the kinds of career center resources that schools have now, but we did get many large companies recruited on campus. I had strong business internships and an OK GPA, so I got a decent number of early interviews—mostly in banking and consulting. I did well on some and less well on others.

Eventually, I was invited to fly to New York City for a “Final Round” interview with a company at the top of my wish list. From what I heard, this was a chance for the company to impress me and get me to sign, like some kind of star college football recruit. Sure enough, they took us to a fancy dinner and were much nicer than those earlier interviews. I wore my suit, answered their questions, and shared the options I was considering. They smiled, said goodbye, put me back in a taxi to the airport, and sent a rejection letter a few days later. WTF?

The WTFs continued as this happened three more times. My frequent flyer miles were growing, but I wasn’t any closer to actual employment.

Eventually, I wandered over to a friend’s dorm room to ask for advice. He was something like 6-for-6 on offers after fly-in trips—I could tell because he posted the offer letters on his door for all of us to admire. He had a resume, GPA, and classes similar to mine, so he had to be doing something different. He told me his secret of success:

“Go into the interview telling them this is your dream job and you’d take it in a heartbeat. They won’t make you sign immediately; you can decide later if you want that job or one of the others.”

I was doubtful but desperate to try anything. A few weeks later, I was invited to another fly-in interview with a mid-market regional bank in Orlando, Florida. It was not my dream job, but I needed something, and earnestly deployed my friend’s advice.

Thankfully, I got the offer. And I got an education on how employers think at the end of the recruiting process. They want to see that you really want the job, that you’ve got the eye of the tiger, and have done your homework. They want to feel like their company is special and can’t stand it when someone at the end of the process is playing hard to get.

A Story about Jack and Diane

Flash forward a few decades, and I got to work through the same lesson with a few of the job candidates we worked with at Hearty recently. Let’s call them “Jack” and “Diane.”

Diane went through something like ten interview steps over four weeks with a startup that was filling a new leadership role. That’s more interviews than usual, but they wanted to be careful and give several teammates a chance to weigh in. As the weeks wore on, I could sense both sides were growing weary and/or wary.

I got on the phone with Diane to get her perspective. She told me that she was still really interested in the job. In fact, over the weekend, she had written a 5-page document on what she would do in the first 30/60/90 days. I asked: “Have you shared this with the CEO you interviewed with?” She had not—and I strongly encouraged her to email it to him ASAP.

I learned later from my client that he was very impressed when he saw her initiative and plan. It spurred him to share it with his executive team, who agreed it was time to get her an offer. She signed shortly after and is doing extremely well.

I had a similar conversation with a candidate we’ll call Jack. He, too, was in the final stages of a leadership opportunity at a promising startup, eager to fill a key role. He moved quickly through the process and was well-liked but hit a wall with one of the company decision-makers who doubted some of his skills.

Once again, I got on the phone with Jack to discuss the situation. There was little doubt that he had the skills, but it wasn’t me he had to convince. I suggested that Jack spend the weekend working on a project or taking an online test to prove his ability. Again, the initiative alone could break the logjam, and a few hours on the weekend is nothing compared to the investment in interviewing to date—not to mention the chance to work in a life-changing role.

Alas, Jack decided not to put in the effort, and he didn’t get the offer.

(Side point: Please, please, please connect with your interviewers on LinkedIn and send them a thank you note via email or DM at minimum. These five seconds of effort show you care, and I’ve seen too many people not get to the next round because they didn’t send a note—even people I’ve sent this post to before their interviews. I’m not joking! It’s such a simple, expected thing that not doing it is offensive at this point.)

Hiring Managers Should Test for “Want It”

While it sucks to learn this lesson the hard way as a job candidate, using “Do they really want it?” as a final test can be very effective for hiring managers. There are a few reasons: First, forcing yourself to ask that question resets your mind so that you’re being a tough grader rather than looking to fill the role quickly. In hiring, the default answer is always “do not hire,” and you’re looking for convincing reasons to say “yes”.

Second, you must defend your company from hires that won’t have the eye of the tiger, which is especially critical when you’re an early-stage startup. If the rest of your team has this, you will weaken the company culture by bringing in someone simply resting on their resume and reputation.

I believe you should be direct about this with candidates, too. When I hire for my startups, I’m typically the last interviewer before making a decision on an offer. During that discussion, I ask what other companies the candidate is considering. Their answer is usually the best predictor of whether they will take the job. For example, when I hear, “Well, I’m looking at this but also (insert boring job at a traditional company),” I know they probably aren’t a fit for us and are unworthy of an offer.

But I get excited when they answer, “I need a change and am also looking at (big, boring), BUT I really WANT this job because…” Being smart enough to think about what the other side wants to hear at a critical time is worth much trust and an offer.

Bob Gilbreath is a 2x-exit entrepreneur and co-founder of Hearty, a curated matchmaking service that combines top software developers with early-stage, venture-backed startups.