Tips for Multi-Person Interviews | Business

The first step? Try to reduce stress, says Edward Sullivan, CEO of Velocity Coaching and co-author of “Leading With Heart: Five Conversations That Unlock Creativity, Purpose and Results.”

“While many people think of interviews as exams to cram for, we like to think of them more like dates where you need to be your best,” says Sullivan. “We suggest focusing your interview preparation on getting a good night’s sleep, remembering to exercise in the morning to get some feel-good hormones into your bloodstream, and slowing down your breathing throughout the day to reduce residual anxiety.” Feeling rested, engaged and calm will do a lot more for you than memorizing more statistics about a company’s financials.”

Reducing stress is a good start, but the reality is that you need to prepare beyond these personal tasks. James Popovics, a career coach at General Assembly—an education company that trains students for jobs in technology and business—says to remember what made the first interview successful and suggests asking three questions:

• 1. Did you ask specific everyday questions or keep the conversation high?
• 2. Did you adjust your talking points based on who was interviewing you?
• 3. Is there anything you wish you had asked about company culture, work-life balance, or growth opportunities?

“If you cover topics that everyone can relate to, you’re likely to get more people to respond, keeping the conversation dynamic,” Popovich says.

Another important step is to search LinkedIn to find the people who will interview you if you know who they will be in advance, Popovics advises.

“Pay attention to how long people have been with the company, whether they work on your future team or a team you’ll collaborate with a lot, and whether they have the same goals or managers (as you will),” suggests Popovics. “This can help you understand communication and management styles and whether your personality and approach will be well received.”

While you may worry that the interviewing team will have the upper hand because you’ll be outnumbered, Popovics says there are ways you can shape how the conversation goes.

“Come prepared with the right questions, do your fair share of research, and enter the conversation with an understanding of what you want from your next role,” emphasizes Popovich. “Remember, you’re interviewing them just as much as they’re interviewing you.”

Kathleen Furore is a writer and editor from Chicago. You can email her with your career questions at kfurore@yahoo.com.