Job interviews aren’t just about employers sizing you up—you should be evaluating them too.
While job seekers often feel the pressure to make a great first impression, it’s just as important for employers to do the same. After all, an interview isn’t just about proving you’re the right fit for the role—it’s also your opportunity to assess whether the company aligns with your values, goals, and expectations.
As WORK180’s Chief of Staff, Stacey Quilton, puts it:
“One thing to remember is that an interview is a two-way process. As much as an employer is assessing your suitability for the role and organization as a whole, an interview should also be about you considering how well they fit with what you’re looking for in the next phase of your career.”
So, what should you be looking for? How can you tell if an employer is genuinely invested in making a great impression on you?
We asked talent, recruitment, and hiring experts from WORK180 Endorsed Employers to share the key signals that show a company is truly worth your time—and will impress you just as much as they hope to be impressed by you.
1. The hiring team is personable (not robots!).
A reverse uno; as much as it’s great for you to be yourself at the interview, you also want to meet people who are personable and create a welcoming environment (whether online or in-person). Jenn Kelly, Talent Acquisition Team Leader at Stantec, explains:
“I follow my own advice and keep the interview process genuine. I always strive to put candidates at ease, reminding them that the interview is not designed to make them nervous or put them on the spot. It’s simply a discussion—a chance for us to understand their skillset and get to know them, but also a chance for them to get to know us. By ensuring our genuine interactions reflect our company culture, we strive to give candidates a true sense of what it’s like to work for us.”
Emma Jones, Talent Acquisition Advisor with Powercor, believes in seeing things from the candidate’s perspective to help create that positive impression at every step:
“I like to put myself in a candidate’s shoes when I think about a role and as we step through each stage. What would I like to know, and how often would I like to be informed? Our candidates and welcoming of diverse talent to our organization make us who we are and keep our business moving from strength to strength. Making sure we showcase our best selves and always have the candidate experience at the top of mind is critical.”
2. A consistent process, with appropriate touch points and clear timeframes.
A clear, consistent, and well-communicated recruitment process is a clear message that a company respects you and your time – and is generally a good sign of how things are run across the board. Sara Kean, Talent and Sourcing Specialist at TasNetworks, advises:
“Our Talent & Early Careers team consistently focuses on the candidate experience, following set procedures during our recruitment and onboarding process and providing a high level of service to both the candidate and the business leader. We contact the candidates when they first apply for a role (automated) and closely manage our recruitment process times to ensure regular contact during this time. We respond efficiently to inquiries and offer all candidates an external platform (The Candidate Coach) to prepare for interviews or future job applications.”
Fiona Rajandran, Talent Acquisition Partner at Aesop, adds that timeliness is definitely a priority for her when it comes to creating positive first impressions with potential candidates:
“Candidates often appreciate timely follow-ups at every stage; hence, setting a clear and consistent communication approach from the first contact is important. It is beneficial to personalize the interactions to ensure candidates feel valued, even when they don’t progress further.”
3. An understanding that everyone has different needs; one size does not fit all.
Different people shine in other ways – and having the right options to help us put our best foot forward clearly indicates that a company understands this. Francesca Barnett, Early Careers Talent Manager at Pitcher Partners Melbourne, speaks to the role of reasonable adjustments in their recruitment process:
“We offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to help ensure applicants are able to perform their best. This year, we plan to host a Pitcher Partners Preview, helping to de-mystify the recruitment process and highlight what to expect as an intern or graduate.”
Hollie Divers, Talent Acquisition Lead at WaterNSW, adds that creating a positive experience includes removing the inflexibility around when they can attend and a commitment to removing bias from the outset:
“A positive interview experience includes flexible scheduling to fit around you, trained interviewers, job-relevant questions, and two-way dialogue. Inclusive language is used throughout the hiring process, alongside a fair evaluation, ensuring the hiring process is free from bias. We also use structured interviews, standardized evaluation criteria, and a gender-balanced interview panel.”
For Bree White, ANZ Early Careers Recruitment Lead and ANZ I&D Recruitment Lead at Accenture, creating an inclusive experience for all candidates is about the complete journey from start to end:
“At Accenture, we prioritize creating a positive candidate journey by implementing several key steps. We start with inclusive job descriptions to attract a diverse pool of candidates and ensure an engaging, transparent recruitment process with prompt feedback. Diverse interview panels reflect our commitment to fairness and inclusion. Our recruiters are trained to mitigate unconscious bias, ensuring equitable evaluations. We continuously improve the candidate experience through feedback mechanisms and partnerships with organizations like WORK180.”
4. Respect is non-negotiable, regardless of the outcome of your interview.
In a competitive job market, it’s too easy to feel like another number in the process. The best employers know that even if you aren’t successful on this occasion, how they treat you makes or breaks how you’ll perceive future opportunities (and discuss them with your friends and future colleagues). Olimpia Newlove, Talent Acquisition Consultant NSW & ACT with Multiplex, explains:
“During our conversations, we want to get to know the real you, including experience, goals for your future, and what motivates you to do your best. We strive to be open and honest by offering constructive feedback and sharing outcomes following interviews and conversations. Our team is always available to respond to inquiries and welcome ongoing discussions. We aim to create a positive and engaging experience for every candidate, regardless of the final decision.”
For Rachel Cowell, Head of Recruitment at Softcat, managing expectations is a significant part of this:
“Managing expectations, whether we have an update or not, is important to ensure the candidate feels engaged and valued. With candidates having several opportunities presented to them, we want to stand out and want to be remembered. The best way to do that is to ensure they are kept close and informed at each step of their recruitment journey and have a positive experience with each person they meet.”
5. The importance of first impressions doesn’t end once you accept the job.
A good company knows that your acceptance of the role is only one step on the journey to ensuring you have a positive experience. First impressions from the employer side include communication about your start date and onboarding experience. Daniel Newman, Talent Acquisition Manager with Alstom ANZ, echoes this:
“A hiring process is a two-way street; as much as we see if you are a fit for us, as the candidate, you are doing the same to us as your potential employer! We prioritize communication between our Talent Acquisition Team, new employees joining the organization, and their new Hiring Managers, including making sure the new employee knows exactly where they need to be, meeting for a coffee prior, and generally making the new employee feel welcome!”
Michelle Smith, Talent Attraction & Engagement Manager at AWE, agrees, adding that a great first impression goes hand in hand with always seeking to improve the hiring experience:
“We strive for continuous improvement across AWE and within Talent Acquisition. This is led by reviewing our processes through a candidate lens. We’ve also implemented several improvements to our technology to improve access to relevant information for candidates and streamline our onboarding processes, improving the candidate experience.”
WORK180: Helping you take the interview pressure off
Even with all the top-notch interview advice in the world, interviews can still feel a bit like a pressure cooker. Despite our best efforts (and research), sometimes finding all the information you need to help you make the right decision for your career is challenging.
WORK180 helps to eliminate some of the biggest questions many have about their next employers. Our Endorsed Employer profiles provide current, in-depth information about parental leave, flexible working, career development and progression, gender pay gaps, leadership representation, and more.
Click through the links above to begin exploring our featured Endorsed Employers, and don’t forget to give them a ‘Follow’ to stay in the know on their latest job opportunities.
Good luck with your next interview!
