An informational interview is an informative meeting held with someone about a specific position, company, or field you have an interest in and want to learn more about. It should be a safe environment where you are free to ask questions and gain insightful feedback. It is not considered a job interview and typically shouldn’t last longer than thirty minutes at most. It’s not a traditional job interview wherein your objective is to be hired for a specific job.
- “Can you tell me a little more about why you reached out to me?”
- “What changes do you see in the company over the next year?”
- “What do you like about your job?”
- “What do you like about working for the company?”
- “What are some challenges the company is currently dealing with?”
Informal Job Interview | How To Prepare For The Informal Interview ?
What is an informal interview?
Informal interviews are interviews that take place outside the office in a casual setting, such as over lunch or coffee. Informal interviews are not structured like a traditional interview, although they typically have the same goal: to determine if a candidate would be a good fit for a company. Informal interviews are also sometimes used to assess whether a candidate is interested in joining a company.
When should I opt for the meet and greet format?
Meet and greet works effectively when a potential employee is likely to work with several key personnel in doing their job. In such a scenario, the meet and greet style interview becomes an effective means of getting the candidate acquainted with the position.
The process of organizing and conducting an effective meet and greet interview requires a considerable amount of thought and preparation. Therefore, you may reserve the meet and greet idea—as a later or even a final step—for a candidate who seems most likely to meet the requirements to be hired for the position after the preliminary selection steps.
In other meet and greet formats, some firms prefer the informal “atmosphere” of candidate meet and greet interviews, even for the initial stages of the candidate evaluation process. An informal meet and greet can be organized collectively for all the candidates.
They are encouraged to discuss both professional and general subjects while mingling and interacting with key team members. The informal setting allows the candidates to be relaxed.
As a result, the hiring team can evaluate the candidate better to judge the candidate’s professional competence and attitudinal suitability for the position.
How to prepare for an informal interview
After a meet and greet interview, a candidate’s suitability for the position depends a lot on the preparation you put in to pose smart meet and greet interview questions.
For example, a candidate’s answer to the question “What would you have done differently in your current company to increase revenue or profit?” will give you a sense of whether the interviewee can comprehend the big picture.
Or an answer to the question “Describe an instance when your reportee disagreed with your instructions, and how did you handle the situation?” will help you assess the candidate’s conflict resolution skills. After all, in addition to professional ability, in any job, emotional intelligence is also essential.
Keep some additional professional meet and greet questions handy to assess the candidate’s ability to work in and with a team, handle deadlines and stress at work, leadership skills, motivations, and ambitions.
How long should a meet and greet last?
There are no formally or informally agreed meet and greet rules regarding its duration, but spending too little time means you do not pick up on candidate skills. On the other hand, if you spend too long, you will experience a diminishing return on your time.
The duration of the meet and greet will depend on:
- The seniority of the position.
- The industry that your firm is in (some industries require an actual demonstration of skills by the candidate).
- The effort you put in structuring the process and preparing a framework of relevant questions.
- The time that the interview team has allotted.
As opposed to a formal one-on-one interview that typically lasts 45 minutes to an hour, considering the intrinsically relaxed setting of a meet and greet interview, it would make sense to dedicate some additional time to allow the conversation to develop.
Why Are Meet-and-Greets Important?
The meet-and-greet allows a candidate to become more familiar with the role they would fill and allows your team to become more comfortable with a candidate than is easily accomplished in traditional interviews. Here are a few of its strengths.
- Informal. While a formal job interview can be conversational and people can genuinely communicate during an interview, it is different from a meet-and-greet. In an interview, the interviewer asks questions and the candidate provides answers. Candidates may be trying to provide the answer they think the interviewer wants, and they may be trying to be on their best behavior. The informal atmosphere of a meet-and-greet allows you to potentially uncover something new about your candidate.
- Meet key people. A panel interview of ten people asking one candidate questions can be very intimidating. Introducing a candidate to those same ten people with the intent of having a casual conversation is a lot less intimidating, but still accomplishes the goal of allowing your candidate to meet all of the people you would like them to meet.
- Genuine. No matter how good your recruiters and hiring managers are at getting people to feel comfortable in an interview, there is still the shared understanding that it is an interview, and that predisposes people to act differently. When people are acting differently, you have a limited ability to get to know them at the level necessary to consistently make good hires. A meet-and-greet is not a job interview and increases your ability to see a more genuine version of the person.
How to Prepare for a Meet and Greet
Step 1: Align Schedules
To the best of your ability, align the schedules of the key people you want your candidate to meet.
Step 2: Set Expectations
The clearer you are in setting expectations, the more likely you will be to set this up in a way that allows the people in your organization and your candidate to get to know each other organically.
When setting expectations, you set the tone for the meeting. Define how formal or informal the meet-and-greet will be, its length, and its location. Will everyone meet in a conference room? Will the meet-and-greet be a tour of the facility or office, or occur over lunch? Will the meet-and-greet be onsite or will it be offsite at a restaurant or other social venue? The tone and structure you set will in part be determined by the role you are setting the meet-and-greet for.
Step 3: Roll Out the Red Carpet
A meet-and-greet does not have to be expensive, but you want to put the effort in to show that you are invested in this candidate and value their time. Even simple things can make a huge impact and make a candidate feel that you have rolled out the red carpet for them.
Here are a few ideas to make your candidates feel valued during your meet-and-greet:
- Give them a handwritten thank-you note.
- Make sure the people meeting with your candidate know their name and basic information ahead of time.
- Give your candidate a gift card to get coffee or gas.
- Offer them a water bottle.
- Give the candidate a gift bag or company swag.
- Make sure to provide the candidate with proper information on office directions and parking.
What after the meet and greet?
After the meet and greets, it is always good to follow up with every candidate, whether offering them the job or rejecting them.
For the unsuccessful candidates—thank them, ask if they want feedback, be honest and constructive, and, most importantly, be respectful. With the successful candidate(s), follow up and close the loop with the required paperwork.
Top 25 questions for a meet and greet interview
- 1. What parts of your occupation are the most rewarding?
- 2. What made you choose the specific company youre currently working for?
- 3. What specific professional certifications are important to have in your occupation?
- 4. What types of training or professional development opportunities are you currently undertaking or considering?
- 5. What is the office culture like at your workplace? How would you define the dress code?
- 6. Does your job allow you to live the lifestyle you want with regard to work/life balance, vacations, and salary?
- 7. What is the number one piece of advice youd give a professional starting out on a similar path?
- 8. What kind of traits do you think someone needs to excel in a similar role?
- 9. What entry-level jobs should someone pursue if they were looking to follow a similar career trajectory?
- 10. What is the best educational background to have for a position like yours?
- 11. What professional organizations do you recommend becoming involved with?
- 12. Is your industry growing? What is the employment trajectory for the field as a whole?
- 13. Does your company or industry provide flexibility?
- 14. What types of professional advancement opportunities exist in a role like yours?
- 15. What former jobs of yours helped prepare you the most for your current position? Why?
- 16. What parts of the industry are the most intriguing to you?
- 17. How is your workday typically divided percentage-wise?
- 18. How long does someone generally stay in your current role?
- 19. Does your company and role require mostly in-office or remote work? Do they allow a hybrid work schedule?
- 20. What types of professional benefits does a role or company like yours typically offer?
- 21. What books, resources, or professional journals do you recommend to someone starting her career?
- 22. How do your personality traits fit with your current position?
- 23. If you could go back to the beginning of your career path, what, if anything, would you change?
- 24. What educational majors are the most relevant to your career? Is graduate school generally needed? Do you recommend a specific type of internship experience?
- 25. What are other roles are relevant to professionals in your field?
- 26. What are the typical salary ranges for this occupation from entry-level to senior-level?
FAQ
How do I prepare for a meet and greet interview?
- Give them a handwritten thank-you note.
- Make sure the people meeting with your candidate know their name and basic information ahead of time.
- Give your candidate a gift card to get coffee or gas.
- Offer them a water bottle.
What questions should I ask at a meet and greet?
- What is the most important thing we need to discuss today?
- What are your most significant accomplishments since we last met?
- What are the most important things you will focus on before we meet next?
- What obstacles are you encountering right now?
How do I prepare for a virtual meet and greet interview?
- Prepare in advance. …
- Show up on time. …
- Dress for success, even remotely. …
- Think about your background. …
- Make “eye contact” with the camera. …
- Stay focused and visibly engaged. …
- Don’t rely on a cheat sheet, but be prepared. …
- Remember to stay responsive after you wave goodbye.
What does meet and greet mean after an interview?
