The Power of Preparation: Consultant Stories Part 1

Preparation for an interview is the number one thing you can do to increase your chances of success. As a SaaS and FinTech recruitment firm, we’ve got many examples of how preparation increases your chances of success.

Here are some stories from the Oakstone team about how preparation is key.

“I had a scenario recently where a candidate was coming to meet the Hiring Manager for a 2nd stage discussion (1st F2F following a positive video call). He didn’t bring questions, didn’t bring a notepad, and didn’t take any notes.

When we shared the feedback, he accepted it verbally; however, they then decided to withdraw from the process because he thought it would be a micro-management culture (based on the comment about taking notes).  I know some people can absorb and retain information in different ways. However, a lack of attentive engagement sends a questionable message to the hiring manager.”

Tristan Heywood, Divisional Director

“I recently had two candidates who were both an excellent fit for the role I was working on with a leading SaaS company.  One of the candidates didn’t make any time to take a prep call with me, didn’t create a plan, and, unsurprisingly, didn’t impress the hiring manager.

The other candidate was in dialogue with me on the run-up to their interview.  We discussed how to prepare and how they would do a 30-60-90-day plan, which they hadn’t been asked to do.  They wanted to present their plan to impress the hiring manager and use it to think of questions to ask during the interview and to establish whether the opportunity was the right one for them.  They also emailed a follow-up message after the interview and shared their presentation.

The second candidate subsequently nailed the interview and was offered the role.

My advice is that no matter how qualified you are for the role, your attitude and willingness to prepare for an interview can ultimately make or break your chances at being successful.”

Andy Strong, Divisional Director

“This takes me back to a number of my school reports… “Stephen has great potential if he would only put the time & effort in”. Needless to say, at the time I wasn’t inspired by education and had interests outside of school that captured my attention to a far greater degree. It’s one of my few regrets.

Why do I mention this? There are very few lucky/gifted people who can put in minimum effort in and create maximum output. I’m certainly not one of them. If you fail to prepare then prepare to fail. On the whole, those who go above and beyond, putting maximum effort into a recruitment process, will consistently get hired ahead of those who don’t apply themselves. After all, it’s usually a direct reflection of their future work.

With this in mind, it’s a very useful ‘qualifier’ for any hiring manager to gauge the level of interest a prospective employee has in your business. A recruitment process is when you should see people at their absolute best, wanting to give you a snapshot of the huge potential they offer your organisation. No one should be able to get away with a lack of effort. It’s a direct indicator that they are just not inspired by the prospect of joining your company. Hire those who go above and beyond!”

Steve Farr, Divisional Director

“I recently had a great candidate I put forward for a role in a growing SaaS company; however, when they got to the first interview, they struggled to relay their numbers relating to sales performance, including their average deal size and targets. Once I had gotten the feedback from the hiring manager, I fed the information back to the candidates, and they already knew their mistake of not knowing their information well enough. The hiring manager agreed to meet with the candidate a second time, and the same issue happened again.

My advice is to know the information you know will be asked. Write it down, take a notepad to the interview and refer back to it if necessary. It’s better to have the information on hand than to stumble and not know the information at all.”

Ben Whaley, Recruitment Consultant.

“I worked on a role with a small company a couple of years ago that was quite niche, and the pool of candidates was quite small. I had one candidate in particular who, from the get go was bought into the long-term potential and overall opportunity there, and as a result, made sure he was thoroughly prepped even ahead of the first call. He asked for multiple calls with me to make sure he had all the detail he needed, and towards the latter stage of the process, he sent me examples of collateral he’d prepared for his final meetings, where he had clearly done a considerable amount of research and prep. This resulted in him being the stand-out candidate from the get-go, and he was fast-tracked through the process, eventually receiving an offer which increased his current OTE by an additional £40k. He thanked me again six months into the new role describing it as the “best place he’s ever worked” – he saw the potential of the opportunity from our initial call and, as a result, made sure he did everything in his power to be the chosen candidate. Almost three years later, he is still there and one of the top performers globally.”

Alice Garry, Managing Consultant.

“I had a candidate that went above and beyond for his preparation for all three interviews with one of my clients for a Market data hire they were looking to make. Prior to his final stage interview, he was revising Python, C++, Multithreading, and low latency whilst reviewing their previous new articles to make sure he was up to date with how everything was going with the company. He completed the final stage and was told he would receive an offer from them, which he was ecstatic about. Unfortunately, due to financial strain, they had to immediately put a hold on all hiring, which caused the candidate to lose this offer. Although it’s not the result we wanted, I know the work ethic of this candidate first-hand and wouldn’t hesitate to put him forward for another role when the right one comes along. The lesson here is to always give 100%. You may not get the immediate outcome you wanted; however, the work will most likely pay off in the long run.”

Jake Pitney, Recruitment Consultant

“I had an amazing candidate for one of my fintech clients based in London. The role was a Technical Team Lead position. I told my candidate to prepare for a technical test/ exercise; however, in his eyes, the interview wasn’t going to involve it. Subsequently, he didn’t get the role due to his lack of preparation, and he was frustrated and disappointed he didn’t get the role. The hiring manager was also disappointed as the candidate was perfect ‘on paper’. The main lesson here is to always be prepared, even when you think you don’t need to. You could risk ruining your reputation and future opportunities.”

Luke Garman, Senior Consultant

“I had found an excellent candidate for a HR director role for a well-known media company who excelled in the first interview. For the second interview she took the time to prepare a 30-60-90-day plan for her meeting with the CEO. She reported that this made her feel more confident going into the meeting and gave her some content to steer the relatively informal conversation. It also ensured she covered all the relevant points and topics she wanted to, aligning herself with the opportunity. The outcome was she proceeded in the process and was hired. I think preparation is key and the more you align yourself with the role the more likely you are to be successful.”

Tom Richardson, Managing Consultant

““I recently worked with a candidate who had experienced a reduction in workforce at her previous company and was actively looking with no joy for a new position.  I had an opportunity as a Strategic Account Executive that was seemingly a great alignment. She was excited and I organised a prep call and a pre interview check in 2 hours before the first interview. She confirmed she felt prepared and had taken time to go through the information that I gave her.

When the interview with the hiring manager came around she was late and did not switch on her camera.

The hiring managers feedback was that he liked her but could not progress her as the first impression was awful.

I am hoping she learns from this, as lack of preparation not only harms your current opportunities, but also harms your reputation which can be detrimental in such a small industry like SaaS.”"

Arran Campbell, Managing Consultant

“I recently contacted a strong-performing, extremely experienced salesperson for a role. He was one of the only salespeople in Germany for the company he was working for and had the same domain experience for 8+ years. I put him forward for an interview with a well-known SaaS client offering a great regional opportunity.

Unfortunately, the candidate believed he could walk into the role without any preparation for the interview. He failed to research the new product and the hiring manager’s background. When I tried to prep him, I felt he wasn’t listening and taking little on board.

The hiring manager’s feedback after the interview was that it felt lazy, and subsequently, the candidate was not invited to proceed.

Candidates should learn that recruiters often have long-standing relationships with the hiring managers, and even if the candidate has the right experience on paper, there are often other things that hiring managers are looking for. Listen and trust your recruiter’s advice as they want you to succeed.”

Ollie Hill, Senior Consultant