How to Successfully Interview With Small Businesses

Interviewing with a small business is a different ballgame than interviewing with a large company. The people whom you interview with have different concerns and motivators than, let's say a HR representative who works for a large company with multiple divisions. While both are honest livings, they deserve a different approach from the people who wish to be successful in their interviews with small businesses.

Understanding the Owners of the Company:

To give you an idea as to the stress that business owners are under, my operating and living costs total roughly $1,000 a day. I have no guaranteed paycheck. This is the just the tip of the iceberg that is the stress that any small business executive deals with.

Background Flexibility

When it comes to recruiting, small business owners typically want the job over and done with. Since they have so much on their mind and on their plate, small business owners are usually willing to be more flexible on your background if you are reliable, outgoing and perceive to truly care about their company. Also, small business owners typically do not have the budget, time nor patience to recruit the position you're going for again. Therefore, think "longevity" when answering questions.

Entrepreneurial

While all companies naturally pitch the term "entrepreneurial" upon recruiting candidates, these people define the term and, thus have certain, typically universal traits and beliefs.

Here are just a few of those:

1) Small business owners usually want someone whom they don't have to train for months (think "quick learner" and "autonomous") as they are responsible for so many aspects of the business and don't have the time, money nor patience to do so even if they wanted to.

2) Know that management is usually very hard for entrepreneurs for these, among other reasons:

a) Starting a business which means stepping out of the "norm" is quite the polar opposite from being a "team player."

b) If they liked the job and life of someone who works for a company instead of owning it, they would happily be doing so.

c) They typically are uncomfortable being in bureaucratic environments and try as hard as possible to have their firm not be.


Ken Sundheim runs KAS Placement, an executive staffing firm that Ken started in 2005.

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Ken's articles have appeared in, among many others Forbes, NYTimes, USA Today and more.

KAS Placement is an executive recruitment agency.