Get to grips with Recruitment in English!

OK, so you saw a job advertisement you liked. You applied and have been selected for an interview, but the job ad says “recruitment in English”! What happens next?

The first interview could either be with someone from Human Resources or with a supervisor from the department that is recruiting. Supposing this job interview is with HR, the conversation will probably dwell more on general questions: your skills, your experience, why you want the job…

If the first interview is with HR, the second could well be with someone in whose department or team you will be working. Now is the time to talk more about the job itself: what it involves; the challenges; practical and down-to-earth aspects.

Will there be a third interview? A group assessment? A task to do? That depends on the job, and the company! One thing is for sure, there will be questions…

In this section, you will discover some questions that the recruiter can ask and, secondly, some questions the applicant can ask the interviewer during a job interview in English.

Firstly, here are some common questions recruiters ask:

1. Can you introduce yourself for me, please?
2. Why should we hire you?
3. Why do you want to work here?
4. Why are you leaving your current job?
5. What are your strengths?
6. What is your biggest weakness?
7. Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years’ time?
8. Do you prefer working by yourself or in a team?
9. In your opinion, what makes a good leader?
10. What motivates you at work?

Many of these questions give the applicant the chance to explain in a job interview what makes him or her the best person for the job in terms of skills, knowledge, character, and experience. Asking about the candidate’s goals enables the recruiter to find out whether they are in line with the company’s objective or whether the applicant will want to leave after a few months for a new challenge elsewhere

Here are some questions interviewees can ask :

1. What exactly do you expect from a person in this position in addition to what is in the advertisement?
2. Why are you looking to hire at the moment? Has the position just been created?
3. For you, what is the most challenging part of this job?
4. What are the biggest challenges that your department is currently facing?
5. How do you envisage the job changing over the coming three or four years?
6. How would you measure the success of someone in this position?
7. Could you tell me more about the company’s values?
8. Why do people like working here, would you say?
9. Where do you see the company in 5 to 10 years’ time?
10. What are the next steps in the recruitment process?

Questions like these show that you are interested in more than just the salary and the fringe benefits. They show an interest in why the company is recruiting, the challenges the company is facing, the firm’s values and future. Of course, there will also be job-specific questions, about reporting and operational matters, for example. Such questions will help you as the candidate understands more about the job itself than was indicated in the job offer.

Let’s take a minute to look at some example answers for three of the most common interview questions.

Question: “Tell me about yourself.”

Example answer: “As an Production Assistant, I’ve been working across a number of European film productions over the last four years, developing my skills in project management and budgeting. When I’m not working I love travelling and watching movies, even writing reviews for my personal blog when I have the time.”

Question: “Why do you want this job?”

Example answer: “Designing is my passion. I’ve been living and breathing graphic design since I can remember, and I know that this role with your company will enable me to unlock my full potential.”

Question: “What are your salary expectations?”

Example answer: “I’m looking for a salary that meets or exceeds my current remuneration, which is at €50,000 per year minus bonuses. For a job with this level of responsibility, I would expect an increase, or at the very least a clear sense of salary evolution in the next 2-3 years.”

Once your application has been accepted and you’ve been offered an interview, the real preparation begins. As a candidate, it’s very important to prepare for the interview in detail, and to prepare for each interview separately. Your preparation should be tailored to each company and each job role. Of course, the more interviews you do, the more you will become comfortable and establish general responses and phrases that work for you. 

To ensure you’re ready for interview day, we recommend checking off the following stages in preparation:

• Re-read the job description and become familiar with it in all its detail. You should be able to talk about any aspect of the role comfortably (responsibilities, contract, compensation)
• Dig into the company’s history and recent news to show that you’re interested in working for them (this could include the size of the company, a recent acquisition, or a news story)
• Plan some questions to ask at the end of the interview
• Plan your answers to questions such as “Tell me about yourself” and “What are you salary expectations?”
• Decide what you will wear 
• Make sure you know exactly how to get to the interview and who you should report to

If you’re heading into a job hunt and you know that English will be crucial to landing the dream role, we suggest kicking off your project to brush up on your English as soon as possible. After all, languages are not a last-minute kind of skill. Here are our top tips:

Expand your vocabulary

Identify the likely topics of conversation in the interview and target them for building your existing vocabulary with synonyms and expressions. For example, prepare the terms you will need to describe the construction industry, or to speak about sales strategy.

Refresh your grammar

Even if you feel comfortable with English grammar, it’s time well spent brushing up on tricky subjects to make sure you avoid any simple errors on interview day. With a platform like GlobalExam, you can incorporate grammar revision into any of our study methods.

Immerse yourself

Surrounding yourself with English is an excellent strategy for becoming more comfortable with the language.Here are a few simple strategies that will have English soaking into your brain when you least expect it:

•  Watch your favorite movies and TV series in English
• Put an English radio station on in the background
• Watch or read the news from an English-language source
• Download a language language app to kill spare moments with English learning

Find out more and learn top 10 tips to stay motivated when learning English online.

At GlobalExam, we’ve recently added virtual lessons to our e-learning platform to enrich your learning. Now you can take your learning to the next level with guidance from our TESOL-qualified English teachers, either in an individual session or as part of a group. Our teachers are all native speakers with experience in Business so that your time will be well spent. Still not convinced? Here are some of the other benefits of our virtual lessons:

• Oral comprehension and expression practice
• Practical learning
• Close guidance from experienced teachers
• Detailed correction and feedback there and then
• Virtual lessons available on multiple formats
• Digital learning with shared whiteboard and file sharing capabilities

If independent learning on an e-learning platform with no guidance feels daunting, we totally understand. That’s why we’ve integrated virtual lessons into our platform, as a way of enhancing our existing methodology and extending it to include oral learning and teacher guidance and feedback. Touching base with a qualified teacher throughout your learning will also help to stay on top of your objectives and timeline.

How to decide between individual and group lessons? Group lessons look at predetermined topics, such as making a phone call, giving a presentation, and participating in meetings, whereas solo lessons give you total flexibility over the content of your lesson. Other advantages of individual lessons include schedule flexibility and one-on-one tutoring.

English has become increasingly common when doing business internationally, whatever the sector. It is therefore crucial to be at the very least comfortable in English.

At GlobalExam, we have created a brand-new business programme: Business.

So, what is it exactly?

To start off with, a level free test at the start of the programme enables the course to be adapted to your own level as well as your needs. This online platform itself will provide you with the skills you need to work comfortably in English and boost your career.

The Business learning paths cover hundreds of real aspects of professional life, including Human Resources and recruitment. These learning paths are personalised according to your own needs and so are relevant to your career, whatever your job, wherever you work.

Other elements include:

• Help writing your CV
• Scripted paths
• Certifications
• And much more besides

General Skills

• How to negotiate in English?
• How to write an email in English?
• Project management in English
• Mastering English for travelling on business
• Managing interculturality in English
• How to answer the phone in English?
• Conducting a meeting
• Greeting a business client in English

Job Skills

You can also choose a specific job to learn the vocabulary that will be mostly used:

• English marketing course with GlobalExam
• English course for communication
• English course for Human resources
• Business course for sales
• English for purchasing
• English course for management
• English for customer service