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Qingu's avatar

"Taking the conversation to the next level" after a job interview: what does this mean?

Asked by Qingu (21185points) September 25th, 2010
11 responses
“Great Question” (4points)

Someone I know who is slightly neurotic just had a good job interview, and the employer told her they’d like to “take the conversation to the next level.” They want her to come in on Monday (which would entail her taking off a day from her current job.)

How would you read the tea leaves on this? Does this basically mean she’s hired? What should she expect?

The company is relatively small (~40 people) and she’s already had one phone interview and one very long and successful in person interview.

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Answers

BarnacleBill's avatar

It would mean that she is a serious candidate for the position. I would not say that she’s basically hired, but it does mean that the person who interviewed her saw something that they really liked and wants someone higher up to validate the selection.

She could still blow it, so she needs to be on her toes.

Pied_Pfeffer's avatar

It means that she is in the running, but the race isn’t over.

I’ve always conducted a 3rd interview. The first is done over the phone, the second in person, and the third is to meet others that they might be working with. Getting other people’s perspectives on a candidate is vitally important versus basing it solely on my own. It is a lot cheaper to wait for the right candidate to come along than try to get rid of the first one hired because they have a pulse.

john65pennington's avatar

As a police applicant, i had three oral interviews before they even considered hiring me as a police applicant. this is just a process that some employers use. being asked to come to the next level is a very good sign that they are interested in you. also, the next could make or break your chances of the position you are seeking. i would say the odds are in your favor.

marinelife's avatar

No, this is a second interview.

Hawaii_Jake's avatar

She’s not hired yet, but they are looking at her very seriously. Wish her good luck.

Here are a few interview questions for her to consider asking them:
Discovering Needs
What are your organization’s goals?
How does this position we are discussing fit into the goals?
What do you expect the successful candidate to accomplish over the next 12–18 months?
What is the biggest challenge the person will face?
What skills are necessary to perform effectively in this position?
What about my resume or background attracted your attention?

Finding Out About The Company
Why is this position open?
Is it newly created due to growth of the company?
What resources (budget, manpower, etc.) and authority go with the position?
Whose support is required to achieve the goals of this position?
To whom does this position report?
How will successful performance be evaluated?
What positions might the candidate move on to, based on successful performance?
Is/was a current employee considered for this position?

iamthemob's avatar

Yeah – you can get into a lot of legal problems by screwing up the hire. So, the interviewer was vague because your friend isn’t hired. When hired, it’s clear.

CyanoticWasp's avatar

The guy doesn’t have a casting couch in his office does he? And no interior windows? She may have good reason to be curious, at least. (Don’t recommend that she wear sexy underwear, or you’ll have her going all weekend.)

But it’s a sign that they have a serious interest, as others have said, and they want to deepen the interview process. It could include a 360° interview with others in the office (a process that I wish our company would have used when we were hiring several years ago—we ended up hiring four stiffs in a row because they were interviewed by only one person, who was swayed by written references that meant essentially nothing, and fell for glibness), and it could even include a tour of the plant, for example, if it’s a manufacturing or processing facility.

It would not have been the least bit out of line for her to ask, “What do you mean by ‘the next level’?” after setting the date. It’s a bit late for that now, of course.

Good luck to her getting the job.

bobloblaw's avatar

2nd interview is good, but, like the others have said, it isn’t over yet. It’s likely that the 2nd interview will have some sort of higher-level manager involved. Say… probably a level 60 manager w/a high intuition stat.

Ron_C's avatar

I had several interviews and a test for my previous job. I think the final interview was to see how much beer I could drink before I made a fool out of myself.

mattbrowne's avatar

A second interview is standard in many companies. Good companies, especially when it’s about hiring top talent / key resources, do this not only to be reasonably sure to hire the right person for the job, but also to give the person the chance to be reasonably sure to join the right company. It really goes both ways and makes a huge difference when it comes to commitment and loyalty.

Eclipse's avatar

“So now that I have the job, can I have your number?”

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