Getting interview ready

Congratulations! Your job application has caught our eye and we’ve invited you in for an interview.

This means you have been shortlisted out of the applications we received, and we’d love to meet you. We want to know more about you, as well as giving you the chance to get to know us and see where we spend our working hours!

Before the interview

You may have had a screening call with our recruitment team prior to this point but they will have been in touch regarding arranging an interview time and date. This contact will be at your side throughout the process. They’ll be our eyes and ears but also your support with any questions along the way.

It is important to ask if any special arrangements can be made to make the interview process easier for you. While we consider this at every stage as standard, don’t be afraid to ask.

By this stage you will also have confirmation on any tasks or preparation we need to prior to the interview, or that we expect you to bring on the day. You’ll also have been given plenty of time to prepare this.

This supportive work won’t apply in every case. But if you have been asked, it will help us assess competency, technical knowledge or otherwise help to define role suitability. This could include compiling examples of previous work, preparing a presentation on a given topic, or for more technical roles, a bespoke project.

Even if we haven’t requested it; if you have a portfolio, concept or proof of previous work you feel will be relevant, we’d love to see it, and this always helps our considerations.

You’ll be given a time, date, and location (or teams link), plus a contact if you have any questions in the meantime. You’ll also know who will be interviewing you on the day.

If something changes and you can no longer make the appointment, just let us know.

The day of the interview

Whether online or in person, please arrive early for your interview. You will be asked to wait in our lobby (digital or physical) and, if in person, will be offered a drink. When your interview slot arrives, you will be invited up to one of our offices or admitted into the call.

If in person, you’ll be able to have a good look at our offices, get a sense of the office atmosphere, and see where the role will be based.

Dress appropriately for the interview and for the role you are applying for. We’re a smart casual office (besides dress down Fridays, when the fabulous print shirts come out), but we would expect applicants to present themselves professionally at their interview.

Our formal interviews follow the same process:

  • We’ll introduce ourselves and tell you about the business and the team
  • You'll be asked to introduce yourself and run us through your application
  • We’ll follow up with any additional questions that we have on your professional experience
  • You'll be asked to run you through your task, if applicable, and we’ll ask questions where necessary.
  • The interview will conclude with a series of competency based questions which we score based on the core behaviours we will outline to you
  • You’ll have the chance to ask any questions

On the rare occasion that a second interview is required, this is likely to take the form of an informal chat. Either online, over the phone or in person, this second round of interviews may be necessary for more senior or technical roles.

After the interview

At the time of your interview, we will have confirmed the hiring period and outlined when we expect to have completed all interviews. We will also confirm when you should expect to receive a decision from us.

If these timelines change for any reason – if an interview has to be rearranged, for example – we will contact you to realign expectations.

Our recruitment team or the hiring manager will contact all unsuccessful applicants and will confirm the reasons for that decision.

If you are successful, we will call you with a job offer!

Once accepted, a formal job offer will be sent to you in the post along with other requests for paperwork and your start date. We’ll also contact the references you’ve provided.

Depending on the length of your notice period, you’ll receive an introductory questionnaire from your new Line Manager. Filled with informal questions (like your favourite afternoon snack, or your current Netflix binge), this gets circulated among the Carparison team before you arrive. It’s a great introduction and breaks the ice over those first cups of tea in the kitchen!

And all that’s left is for you to start your new job with us!