British Council-A job interview

Transcript of the podcast

.Interviewer: Hello, Maria. Thanks for coming in for the interview

.Maria: It’s my pleasure. Thanks for inviting me

Interviewer: Well, as you know, the company has been expanding and we have an opening in our HR department. We’re creating a new role for someone to lead our training and development within the company

Maria: Yes, I very much think that my skills and experience are a good fit for what you’re looking for

Interviewer: That sounds great. So, your CV looks strong, though it would be good if you could give us an overview, in your own words, of what you’ve been doing over the past four years or so

Maria: Well, in my first job, four years ago, I was working for a small HR services provider which offered HR services, including L&D, to corporate clients

?Interviewer: OK, so it was only B2B

.Maria: Yes, we only offered services to other companies, not B2C

.Interviewer: Right, and it says here you then left that company about three years ago

Maria: Yes, that’s right. I was looking for a little more stability and also to be part of a larger organisation. So I joined a company with around one hundred staff and a small HR team. As there are only a few of us, we each deal with a range of HR topics. In addition to payroll, one of the areas I was responsible for was learning and development

?Interviewer: I see. And, so why do you want to change jobs now

Maria: Well, I very much like the L&D side of my role and I’ve always had particularly good feedback for my work in this area. I believe I excel in that field. So, I’m looking to specialise, and as your company has around 2,000 people, right

.Interviewer: Yes, that’s right

Maria: Well, an organisation of this size would give me the scope to specialise in L&D. I’m also a big follower of your brand and feel fully aligned with your image and values

.Interviewer: Well, that all sounds good. And I can see you have an L&D qualification

Maria: Yes, I got a diploma two years ago. I am also currently working on a further diploma in psychology, with a specific focus on learning and performance management

Interviewer: Very good. Well, it looks like you have the qualifications and experience we’re looking for. What do you think will be the main challenges of coming to a much larger company

Maria: I can see that it might be perceived as a weakness to not have experience in an organisation of this size, though I see that it could also be a benefit. I won’t be bringing too many preconceived and possibly inflexible ideas with me to the role

.Interviewer: Yes, that would be a good thing

Maria: Also, I’m used to taking a very personal approach to employee development. I realise that such an approach with 2,000 staff members will have to happen in a different way, but I bring many ideas with me that can be replicated on a larger scale

?Interviewer: I see what you mean. Right, so, do you have any questions for me

Maria: Um, I think we’ve covered many of the areas I had wanted to address. I have two quick questions though

.Interviewer: Go on

?Maria: Who would I mostly work with on a daily basis

Interviewer: Well, there’s the HR manager who you would report to. And then the HR team, which currently has six people in it. There’s usually an intern or two who you can get some support from also

Maria: OK. Thanks. That’s all really clear. And my other question is how performance in this role will be measured. What does success look like

Interviewer: That’s a good question. As you know, we have a performance management system in place, and from that we have identified some learning and development needs within the organisation. But we haven’t devised a strategy. Your role would be to devise and then successfully implement this strategy

.Maria: Thank you. That sounds interesting

Interviewer: Great. So, thanks again for coming in today. We’ll be discussing all candidates next week and then I’ll get back to you by the end of next week to let you know the outcome

Maria: Thank you for your time. I’d welcome the opportunity to continue discussing this role with you

:Exercises

.Complete the sentences

Replicated / Good fit / Personal / Stability / Report / Aligned / Responsible / Measured

.N1. Maria feels her skills and experience are a ……………. for the company

. ………… N2. Maria changed jobs because she was looking for more

.N3. She was …………… for learning and development

.N4. She feels …………….. with the company’s brand and values

.N5. She’s used to taking a …………… approach to L&D

.N6. Her ideas can be ………… on a larger scale

.N7. She would …………. to the HR manager

.N8. Performance will be ……………. in different ways

:Answers

N1. Good fit N2. Stability N3. Responsible N4. Aligned N5. Personal N6. Replicated N7. Report N8. Measured