Are you one of those fresh graduates who are torn between the promise of a startup and the security of an established company? You are not alone. Currently, almost 50% of millennials work for a startup, and the other 50% work for big corporate behemoths. Both are very different. Your choice of company can impact all aspects of your career prospects – even how you approach job search and interviews. When people try to switch from working for corporations to startups (and vice versa), they often fail to get the job because they don’t recognize the difference between interviewing for either one.
With this, how should you approach interviewing for a startup or an established company? In this article, we’ll discuss the difference between the two and how you should prepare appropriately when you are going for an interview at a startup or corporate role.
Who Conducts the Interview
Established companies often have fully-fledged HR departments. Consequently, the interviews to fill any available positions are likely to be conducted by experienced HR professionals from that specialty. There are even other companies that may hire third-party recruiters to conduct the interviews on their behalf. You often go through layers upon layers of interviews – from the HR associate who does your initial interview up until the actual manager who you can potentially work for in the future. For instance, Mckinsey, a top consulting company, has a very stringent interview process that involves the HR manager, associate partners, senior partners and even managing directors.
On the other hand, startups, especially the smaller ones, may not have a functional HR department at all. Job seekers are likely to be interviewed by someone high up in the hierarchy of the company, such as the CEO or company president. The opinion formed by that interviewer is likely to play a big role in the hiring decisions. Startups are also unlikely to have an interview panel of many individuals since most employees will be hard at work keeping the company functional and moving. For example, start-up online retailer Boxed’s founder Chieh Huang would still personally interview positions for every job candidate himself even as the company brings in $100 million per year in revenue. Like established companies, there are some startups that hire outside recruiters to interview prospects for them.
Areas of Focus During the Interviews
Established companies usually pay attention to the applicant’s technical skills and competence level. These companies want specialists who can perfectly fit into the available position. The interviewers will therefore take a keen interest in your experience, training, and how your past roles have prepared you to fit into a company of their size. Some attention will then be placed upon how well you will fit into the company culture, but this comes after your technical competence has been assessed. For example, Procter & Gamble, one of the largest multinational consumer goods companies in the world, prioritizes a candidate’s skillset and competence among all other aspects when it comes to their interviews.
Startups pay more attention to your ability to fit into the company culture because the small size of the company demands that the new hire should be able to work well with the existing employees. For example, the interviewer will want to probe you for your motivations in deciding to work there. Hence, you’ll be judged on your level of passion to invest your all in achieving the company’s vision. Startups also require that people perform their different roles without the normal supervision that is usually present in established companies. Self-starters are therefore prized in startups as opposed to individuals who thrive in highly-structured environments.
The Duration of Interviews
For large established firms, it’s common for job applicants to be subjected to several phases of interviews before a job offer is made. They take applicants through those numerous interviews because they can afford to be meticulous about who they hire. They also have highly defined roles, so it takes time for them to find the best fit. In fact, established companies take an average of 20 to 26 days to interview and screen applicants.
This is very different from startups who have the quickest interview-to-hire process at around 15 days. Startups usually conduct shorter interview processes since people high up in the company make the hiring decisions. Additionally, startups are usually shorthanded, so a swift interview process helps them to get extra hands on deck quickly.
Interviewee Participation
Job interviews at established companies usually turn an interviewee into a passive participant. You can simply respond to the structured questions asked by the panel of interviewers and wait for a cue to ask any questions that you may have towards the end of the interview.
Interviews at startups are usually less structured versus corporations. The interviewer may ask some questions and then give you a chance to steer the interaction about how you can contribute to the startup. You will therefore be more active during the interview at a startup.
Degree of Formality
Established companies tend to be very formal since they are conducted by seasoned professionals who wish to assess all applicants based on the same criteria within the shortest time possible. The process can therefore seem very mechanical and straight-forward. Your conduct is also expected to be formal as well from the way you dress to the kind of language you use.
Startups are more casual and less stringent. The structure of the interview isn’t controlled and that allows the interviewee to play a bigger role in controlling the direction of the proceedings. The language can also be informal to the extent that the interviewer will try to decide whether you can be a good person to have a drink with after the workday has ended (the so-called “beer test”). You may also be better off dressing less formally for the interview.
One example of this distinction can be seen in Google itself. In the early days of Google as a startup, the first employees like Marissa Mayer were interviewed by founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page on their office ping-pong table. Later, as Google evolved into a technology powerhouse, interviews became more formal and legendary for their intensity.
Takeaway
While the differences above aren’t cast in stone, they broadly explore how those two organizations differ in their approach when interviewing potential candidates. Ultimately, your prospects of getting hired lies at being aware of these key differences. Do your homework and learn everything you can about the specific company that you have been invited to interview for. That preparation will guide you about the different aspects of the interview, such as what to wear and the kind of questions you should expect. It may also be helpful to talk to a recruiter or HR expert for customized guidance so that you increase your chances of making the right impression as you switch to a startup from an established company.
