When I joined Viridian, I found the recruitment process to be quite different to what I’d experienced before. My initial interview was more of an informal chat than a structured interview, which was refreshing.
Some organisations put you through several stages of formal assessment, which is completely fine if that’s what the role calls for. But Viridian’s approach had a modern approach – particularly for me coming from a government organisation, where things are not as agile and can take a bit longer. I got a sense that this was a more progressive and modern organisation, which was a great fit for me.
There was a friendly element to my interview which made me feel at ease. From the outset, I felt really comfortable with what Viridian was about. For example, the questions were different. The most memorable one was that I was asked what the top three things my best friend would say about me.
Viridian was more interested in my interpersonal skills rather than technical skills. They wanted to know who I was, what skills I had and what things I needed and wanted to work on. Rather than seeing weaknesses, they looked at how I might grow into the role – Viridian considered how they could develop me for the future. At the end of the day, systems, processes and technology all change, so you’re not going to have the same skill set throughout your career and their interview questions acknowledged this.
What you should do before your interview at Viridian
In order to prepare for a role at Viridian I would recommend that you demonstrate an ability to communicate. At the end of the day, we want to see that you’re human – that you have self-awareness and can express an understanding of what your skills and limitations are. It’s important to hone your relationship-building skills so that it’s clear how you might seek out new information even if you don’t know the answers immediately.
If you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s better to acknowledge that and to demonstrate how you would go about finding the answer or solving a problem. Even if you don’t have a particular capability, we want to see that you can communicate a pathway to attaining it.
Another thing that’s good to do is to introduce yourself when you walk into the interview. Of course, I have a lot of empathy for someone being interviewed because they’re nervous – but my one hot tip for interviews is to introduce yourself to the person who could be your potential manager. This will make you stand out and will give you a confidence boost.
Finally – relax and be yourself. The warm environment and ethos at Viridian will be evident from the interview onwards. In my experience there was a very relatable and human element right through my onboarding and into the culture I’m working in today, which has been very refreshing. Good luck! Hopefully we’ll see you here soon.
Victoria McCosker is an HR Business Partner at Viridian Advisory
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