Working in an international company has many advantages: voluntary medical insurance, life insurance, corporate training, career opportunities, foreign language training and overseas business trips. Also, this option should be considered by those who dream of leaving to live abroad: transferring within the framework of one company is easier than looking for a job in a foreign country from scratch. What stages do you need to go through to get into the team of an international corporation?
1. Job search
First, look at the open positions on the company's website. Usually, free positions are displayed there, not only within a country or region, but also around the world.
Secondly, the websites of some companies have a "Send resume" function. If at the moment there is no suitable vacancy, but you are sure that the company will be useful, just send your resume. When interesting offers appear, you will be contacted.
The third option is vacancies on job search sites, for example, hh.ru. It is important to keep in mind that certain vacancies can be published on third-party sites, but not on the company's site, and vice versa. If the company really interests you, it's worth checking out all the resources.
Also, you can not neglect vacancies from recruitment agencies, especially if you do not live in the capital. In many regions of Russia there are representative offices of international companies, but not all of them have local HR departments. In this case, the branches carry out the initial selection with the help of recruiting agencies. Usually, in the job descriptions, the name of the company is not indicated, but only its field of activity is noted (for example, "an international company in the FMCG sector").
2. Interview with a recruiting agency
As a rule, an interview with a representative of a recruiting agency takes place in a calm and friendly atmosphere. The agency is interested in the best way to fill the existing vacancy, as well as to create a positive impression of the employer in the applicant.
A recruiting specialist will ask you about education and work experience, and will also ask you a few questions to identify personal qualities. If the interview is successful, you will be invited to the next stage.
Typically, a recruiting agency supports applicants in the process of going through all the selection stages, gives feedback on each interview, and also helps with useful information and advice.
3. SHL test
Many international companies use this tool in the initial stages of selection. Usually the test consists of two parts: numeric and text. You can pass it at the company's office, or remotely.
To prepare for the test, you need to find similar tasks on the Internet and practice. Staffing agency representatives can also help and provide you with several options for similar tests.
It is important to pay attention to the test conditions. Wrong answers do not always reduce the overall score. If you do not have time to think or calculate, you can choose an option at random. If the test conditions imply penalties for each incorrect answer, you should not do this - it is better to just skip the task.
The main stress factor during the test is time. You need to think very quickly and not get stuck on tasks that cannot be solved.
4. Interview with the HR specialist of the company
In an interview with a HR representative, you will be asked to share your experience, accomplishments, and future plans. In addition, you will be sure to be checked for compliance with the corporate culture.
In many foreign companies, openness, friendliness, the ability to find common language with other people and work in a team are welcomed, as well as the ability to set ambitious goals and achieve them is highly valued.
Moreover, simply saying, “Yes, I am result-oriented,” will not be enough. Most likely, you will be asked to give examples of real life situations when you faced difficulties, and tell how you overcame them.
There are no correct answers to these questions. Each company has adopted a certain style of leadership and communication between employees. For an employer, compliance with these criteria is as important as professional achievements. Don't pretend to be who you are not - in the first place, you yourself are not interested in getting into the wrong work environment.
5. Interview with the line manager
If your future manager is an expat, and the job involves active communication in a foreign language, your level will definitely be checked. As a minimum, they will ask a few questions in English, as a maximum, they will conduct the entire interview in it. By the way, many foreign leaders are fluent in Russian, so be careful when speaking in your native language.
Also, the manager can ask you a difficult task - for example, to calculate how many gas stations there are in Moscow. Employers argue that, first of all, it is important to show the logic of solving the problem, but none of the numbers can be taken from the ceiling. Whatever number you name, you need to explain why you think that way. In addition, the ability to think quickly "under pressure" is very useful, as well as the skill of counting in the head - counting in a column or using a calculator, as a rule, is prohibited.
6. Evaluation Center
The assessment center invites candidates who have successfully passed all the previous stages of selection and have a real chance of getting the desired position.
The assessment center can involve both individual tasks (for example, making a presentation on a pre-announced topic and answering questions from opponents), and group work on solving a problem.
It seems to many that the most important thing in such tests is to stand out from the crowd and draw attention to yourself. In fact, the main purpose of the assignments is to see how you actually work in a team (you never know what you said during the interview). Moreover, you may even be asked to play a specific role.
Remember that in such tasks it is important to show not only your leadership qualities and ability to take initiative, but also the ability to adapt to different conditions and effectively interact with other team members.
7. Final interview
The final stage in a long selection chain will be an interview with the head of your department, either with a matrix manager (functional leader), or (for example, if you are applying for a small regional branch) - with a branch director.
Some candidates think that the most important thing is to pass the assessment center. Indeed, the selection center is one of the most stressful stages, but passing it successfully does not guarantee employment. There are times when the head conducting the final interviews rejects all submitted candidates.
If this happened to you, do not despair. The experience gained will definitely come in handy in future employment. Now you better understand how to present yourself, what personal and professional aspects are worth working on, and in general - how the employer thinks. A little bit of luck and your dream job will be yours!
