As unemployment in the UK climbs to its highest level in five years and jobseekers face increasing competition, experts are warning that strategic interview preparation is becoming more important than ever before. With the latest government data showing unemployment sitting at 5.2% and around 726,000 vacancies across the UK, Owen Morgan, Managing Director at outplacement and HR specialist INTOO UK & Ireland is urging candidates to rethink how they approach the interview process to give themselves the best possible chance of success.
According to Owen, many candidates struggle simply because they are not used to talking about their own skills and achievements.
“People often ‘fall into’ roles over the course of their careers. Chances are there’s very few people who, in their early teenage years, set out wanting to become an accountant or project manager, for example. As a result, people can get out of the habit of reflecting on their strengths and articulating what they actually bring to a role,” said Owen.
To help candidates better prepare for interviews, INTOO – which is headquartered in Chesterfield in the Midlands – encourages the use of tools such as the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action and Result, skills audits and values analysis. Each of these tools allows applicants to clearly explain the context of their work, the actions they took and the outcomes they achieved.
The framework is designed to help candidates think more critically about their experiences and communicate their skills more effectively during interviews and is known as a ‘golden’ tip when strategically preparing for the unknown questions in a formal interview setting.
As part of its outplacement services, INTOO also offers interview preparation and simulator sessions, giving candidates the opportunity to practise answering questions and refine how they present their experience.
“If someone has been in the same role for many years, or is perhaps returning to work after a period of long-term illness, the interview process can feel unfamiliar, and that can range from what to bring with you or prepare to the questions you want to ask,” Owen said. “Practising interviews helps people get back into a rhythm. Some go really well, some are less than ideal, but that experience is vital.”
Owen also noted that employers are increasingly looking for candidates who demonstrate strong soft skills alongside technical ability.
“Adaptability, creativity, innovative thinking and resilience remain incredibly important qualities for employers,” he said. “They show that a candidate can navigate change and continue to grow within a role.”
At the same time, a growing understanding of artificial intelligence is becoming a valuable asset for jobseekers. Employers are no longer looking for people who can use AI tools to generate text, but those who understand how the technology can be applied more broadly from analysing data trends to producing charts and generating insights that support decision-making.
Owen explains that one of the biggest challenges in interviews is helping candidates break down their experience into clear examples that demonstrate their capabilities.
“Part of what we offer in our interview preparation and simulators is effectively disassembling a candidate’s career to understand the skills behind what they’ve done,” he said. “People learn by doing, they don’t always stop to think critically about the actions they took and the results they achieved. That’s human nature. When you’re leading a presentation, you’re not stood up there thinking ‘I’m currently showing effective leadership’, you’re just focused on the task at hand and doing it to the best of your ability.
“If candidates don’t reflect on what got them to that point, it can be hard to pinpoint the skills they’ve acquired and used over the years.”
Aside from thinking critically about one’s skills, Owen says that honesty and self-reflection are key traits employers are looking for when asking questions regarding greatest weaknesses, and looking to candidates for examples when they’ve faced adversity or made mistakes and what they’ve learned from them.
“Never give stock answers – ‘I work too hard’, things of that nature. It’s disingenuous. When employers ask candidates to name their biggest weakness or times they’ve made mistakes, it’s never to catch somebody out. They’re doing it to see if the candidate is reflective of their own shortcomings, knows where they need support, and is teachable.
“Nobody is perfect, but if candidates can display they’re aware of their weaknesses as well as their strengths it shows great self-awareness and vital ‘soft’ skills which are a core requirement in the modern workplace. And businesses can also plan whatever support a successful candidate may need around those answers.”
Finally, Owen recommends asking for feedback during any interview process in which you’re not being considered for the job or the next round of interviews.
“Employers don’t always offer it automatically, but asking for feedback can be incredibly valuable,” Owen said. “Even small insights can help candidates improve and approach their next interview with more confidence.”
Part of Gi Group Holding, one the world’s largest and fastest growing HR and recruitment providers, INTOO helps people move forward confidently after redundancy or dismissal, with tailored support and expert guidance.
