Five Steps to Land an Interview | Manpower Jobs


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Get past the technology and make the human connection

5 steps to landing an interview

Our latest research report, Siri, Find Me a Job, indicates companies are investing more in new technology tools to help them source, screen and engage with candidates. While this investment is good at making you aware of job opportunities and streamlining the application process, the report also reflects the strong preference of candidates to experience some human connection as well in order to feel engaged and valued.  

Knowing the importance of the human interaction, which typically occurs at the point of an in-person interview, what can you do to make sure you use the technology to your advantage and more quickly move to the next step of an in-person interview?

  1. Identify the companies you most want to work for and follow them on social media. This will help you understand more about the company, the culture, the people that work there and what they value. Think of this as a first step in building a relationship with the company.
  2. Apply to only the jobs that most closely match your skills and qualifications where you are interested in working. Although the HR technology makes is super easy to apply to multiple jobs in a short amount of time, it is important that you are selective and intentional about your job application. Remember quality over quantity and submit a targeted cover letter, resume and/or application for the job you want based on the research you have done and the relationship you started building in step one.
  3. Apply through websites that have less traffic than the major job boards. Focus on applying through companies’ careers web pages, LinkedIn or even Glassdoor. Make connections with hiring managers or HR recruiters through your social media channels. When asking to connect, express why you are interested in the company and ask what you can do to earn an interview.
  4. Makes sure your resume highlights at the top a two- to three-word summary of your skills. Examples could be “Multi-Lingual Customer Services Representative,” “Senior Executive Assistant” or “Safety-First Fork Lift Driver” as this enables recruiters to quickly identify what you can do.
  5. Match your skills and tasks with keywords and phrases used in the job description and position those close to the top in a key skills section. This helps the HR technology systems match you to the job. If there is no match, your resume will not likely make it to the top of the qualified list.

As companies work to balance the advantages of the latest HR technology with the human interaction desired by job seekers, it’s important for you to adapt to the changing technology application requirements and to be prepared for the in-person interactions. Do your research, make your connections, and customize your resume, application and cover letter to work with the technology to then optimize your in-person meeting.

For insights on employers’ adoption of high-touch and high-tech techniques for attracting candidates, review our latest candidate preferences research.

Explore job opportunities with Manpower by entering your search information at the top of this page. In addition to jobs, Manpower offers MyPath, a collection of skills training, education programs, self-assessments and career guidance to help associates continually prepare for the next step in their careers.

Five Steps to Land an Interview | Manpower Jobs


By using this website, you consent to the real-time collection, storage, use and sharing of information on your device or provided by you (such as mouse movements and clicks) by ManpowerGroup Inc. and/or its third-party providers.


By subscribing, you consent to receive SMS or MMS messages from ManpowerGroup. To opt out of our text messaging program, send the word STOP to 414-285-3185 at any time. If you receive a text message, you will have the opportunity to opt out. View our Privacy policy and Terms and Conditions. Message and Data rates may apply. Message frequency varies.

Get past the technology and make the human connection

5 steps to landing an interview

Our latest research report, Siri, Find Me a Job, indicates companies are investing more in new technology tools to help them source, screen and engage with candidates. While this investment is good at making you aware of job opportunities and streamlining the application process, the report also reflects the strong preference of candidates to experience some human connection as well in order to feel engaged and valued.  

Knowing the importance of the human interaction, which typically occurs at the point of an in-person interview, what can you do to make sure you use the technology to your advantage and more quickly move to the next step of an in-person interview?

  1. Identify the companies you most want to work for and follow them on social media. This will help you understand more about the company, the culture, the people that work there and what they value. Think of this as a first step in building a relationship with the company.
  2. Apply to only the jobs that most closely match your skills and qualifications where you are interested in working. Although the HR technology makes is super easy to apply to multiple jobs in a short amount of time, it is important that you are selective and intentional about your job application. Remember quality over quantity and submit a targeted cover letter, resume and/or application for the job you want based on the research you have done and the relationship you started building in step one.
  3. Apply through websites that have less traffic than the major job boards. Focus on applying through companies’ careers web pages, LinkedIn or even Glassdoor. Make connections with hiring managers or HR recruiters through your social media channels. When asking to connect, express why you are interested in the company and ask what you can do to earn an interview.
  4. Makes sure your resume highlights at the top a two- to three-word summary of your skills. Examples could be “Multi-Lingual Customer Services Representative,” “Senior Executive Assistant” or “Safety-First Fork Lift Driver” as this enables recruiters to quickly identify what you can do.
  5. Match your skills and tasks with keywords and phrases used in the job description and position those close to the top in a key skills section. This helps the HR technology systems match you to the job. If there is no match, your resume will not likely make it to the top of the qualified list.

As companies work to balance the advantages of the latest HR technology with the human interaction desired by job seekers, it’s important for you to adapt to the changing technology application requirements and to be prepared for the in-person interactions. Do your research, make your connections, and customize your resume, application and cover letter to work with the technology to then optimize your in-person meeting.

For insights on employers’ adoption of high-touch and high-tech techniques for attracting candidates, review our latest candidate preferences research.

Explore job opportunities with Manpower by entering your search information at the top of this page. In addition to jobs, Manpower offers MyPath, a collection of skills training, education programs, self-assessments and career guidance to help associates continually prepare for the next step in their careers.