So you’ve been invited to attend a second interview, congratulations and well done! This means you’ve been chosen for the final stages of the employer’s recruitment process. A second interview is a great sign. The company has seen something they like in you. They see you as a strong contender and a potential match for the job and company culture. The next step is preparing for your upcoming second interview.
How to Reply to a Second Interview Invitation
Usually, an invitation for a second interview will be sent via email or you’ll receive a phone call. If the call comes from your Recruitment Agency, you’ll likely feel much more comfortable asking questions to better prepare. If the call comes from the employer, best advice is to accept the appointment. Then ask if you could get in touch with the caller in case you want to ask a couple of questions in preparation for the interview. Follow up with an email confirming the details of the second interview. You can also ask for any additional information if need be.
Ahead of sending your reply to the emailed invitation, check the details provided and make sure you have all the information you need. For example, will the interview be in-person or virtual? How much time should you provide for, who will be interviewing you and what style of interview can you expect? Anything you’re unsure of needs to be politely included as a question when you reply.
Always reply quickly, within 24 hours, and be direct and professional in your tone. When writing your reply, the first thing to do is to thank the person who has contacted you and confirm your interest. If they have proposed interview times then confirm your availability for a specific time. If you can’t make their times, then carefully propose multiple alternative times and/or dates. Include any questions you have and thank them for their time then sign off. Ahead of sending it, double-check your reply and ideally have someone else read through it.
What to Expect in a Second Interview?
There are a few things that you can expect in a second interview. The first is that it’s likely to be longer than your first interview. One of the reasons they’ve asked you back is because they want to scrutinise the best candidates from multiple perspectives. This means that you’re likely to be interviewed by more than one person from a range of positions. For example, HR, directors or higher managers and potential team members.
How to Prepare for a Second Interview
Once you’ve made the second round of interviews, those interviewing you can already picture you in the role. This is good news! It means that what you need to do is showcase your capabilities and convey why they could count on you to deliver in the role. However, the interview process at this stage could feel more intense. They’re likely to want to put you under pressure to gauge your responses and see how you cope. To prepare for this, you need to:
- Understand the business and how your prospective job fits into it.
- Convey why your skills are a good fit for the position and how you may be able to add value.
- Show how you match the company’s culture, and possibly how your values and the company’s values are aligned.
Even more so than in your first interview, it’s important to relate questions asked in a second interview to your experience and expertise. Questions will tend to be more in-depth to dissect if your CV-claimed expertise matches your in-person knowledge and proficiency.
Types of Interview Questions
There are various types of interview questions, such as questions that tell someone about your personality. They usually prefaced with “Tell us about yourself” or “How would your colleagues describe you?” Then there are questions that delve into your skill set and accomplishments. These often lead to interviewers asking about strengths and weaknesses. Your CV lists your qualifications. Therefore, rather than ask about certifications, interview questions will focus on experiences where you’ve demonstrated your know-how and ascertaining if you understand the industry. In second interviews, there is usually a stronger focus on behavioural and situation-type questions.
Behavioural vs Situational Interview Questions
The primary difference between these two types of interview questions is that behavioural questions ask about experienced situations whereas situational ones are hypothetical.
What are Behavioural Interview Questions:
These are asked to assist the interviewer in better understanding your problem-solving skills and how you work under pressure. Ahead of the interview, think of past scenarios, what you did, what you’d do differently and the lessons you learnt. Pick examples that you didn’t use in your first interview.
Types of Behavioural Interview Questions
- Technical questions that relate to your specific training.
- Workplace skill questions that highlight your approach to getting work done.
- Interpersonal questions showcase your interaction with co-workers.
Often the underlying purpose of behavioural questions is to determine how well you will fit into the existing team.
How to Answer Behavioural Interview Questions
The STAR interview approach can be used to tackle behavioural interview questions. It’s something you can practice ahead of time.
STAR Interview Method
- Situation: Describe the context of your example.
- Task: What role do you have and what is your goal?
- Action: Explain what you did – specifically unpack the steps you took to solve the challenge. Focus on what you did rather than using a generalised “our team” rhetoric.
- Result: What happened? Summarise the consequences of your actions and how they translated into successes. When applicable, mention figures and stats to qualify your answer.
What are Situational Questions:
These test your on-the-spot thinking as well as your level of experience. They do this by translating your theoretical understanding into a practical contribution within the company’s context. Situational questions are hypothesis-based to deter you from answering with a scripted response. Their purpose is to see how you’d use your existing experience to approach and handle a new situation. They also highlight if you’re able to think on the spot and therefore if you can make good choices under pressure.
How to Answer Situational Interview Questions
Your proposed solutions to situational interview questions should be worded in a way that makes your ideas both tangible and actionable. This means thinking about what the interviewer is asking within the scenario posed. For example, is the question around conflict resolution, communication, time management, leadership, or teamwork? Don’t be afraid to ask for a repeat of the question if you need time to verify. However, you only get one or two opportunities for this in the entire process so listen carefully. You can then employ the STAR method to answer situational interview questions. If you do then instead of saying what you did talk along the lines of what you would do.
What are Good Second Interview Questions
A common way to end a second interview is to ask if there is anything you’d like to discuss from your first interview. It’s a variation of the question Is there anything you’d like to ask about this job or company? Therefore, it allows you to find out more information about the role and specific details. Think back on your interview, what you were asked and how you answered it. During the interview process (or afterwards) what did you learn about the role and company?
7 Second Interview Questions to Ask an Employer
Best practice is to relate these to the level of responsibility associated with the position you have applied for. Below is a selection of practice questions from which to choose.
- In your view, what are the key challenges to the long-term sustainability of the company?
- Can you share some recent successes that the company is particularly proud of?
- How does this role contribute to the company’s overall strategic goals, and how is success measured?
- Are there any specific challenges in this role where my skills and experience could be especially valuable?
- Will the responsibilities of this role mirror those of the previous incumbent, or are there new expectations?
- What opportunities for professional growth and development does the company offer for someone in this position?
- Could you tell me more about the work patterns for this role, such as opportunities for flexible or hybrid work arrangements?
Find the Right Talent
Finding the right fit for a job can be challenging. Working with the experts at Key Recruitment Agency can make finding the right talent for your vacancy easier. Start a successful job search, Get in Touch with us today.