Interviewing to keep your job

We all know it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, but can there be anything harsher than being told that you’ll have to re-interview if you want to keep your current job?

Sometimes this insult is added to the injury of a disruptive merger or acquisition process. In those cases, it’s still demoralizing, but at least there’s a logic: If two companies are coming together, they probably don’t need two of every worker. Conducting interviews has the benefit of being more transparent than having the new team chosen from behind closed doors.

Unfortunately, mergers aren’t the only circumstances in which workers might be asked to justify their ongoing employment. New managers may be intent on re-creating their work group, even if that means firing someone and hiring fresh. The process, again, frequently involves interviewing to defend your position.

If this happens to you, the first decision is straightforward: comply or don’t comply? Understand that this could be rephrased as, try to stay, or plan to leave? That’s because not complying is pretty much the same as saying you don’t want the job anymore.

If that’s the case, don’t stomp out the door in a huff. Instead, consider how you want to leave: with severance? As a laid-off worker who’s eligible for unemployment? To a different role in the company, perhaps in a different department? As a ramp-down process where you train your replacement? Or (still an option) in a huff ?

Assuming you’d choose something other than the hasty departure, you’ll need a clear head in order to create your plan. If others from the old regime are still on site, you might want to ask their advice or assistance. Perhaps you’ll want to connect with colleagues in other divisions to test the waters for a transfer.

Or, your next move might simply involve a frank conversation with the new boss in which you outline your preference for leaving and how you’d like to do it. This option can feel scary but it has the advantage of being direct. If it turns out the new boss was hoping you’d stay, you’ll likely find out during this conversation. And if the goal was actually to move you along, you might end up unlocking a better exit than was being planned for you.

So that’s how you might handle the decision to leave, but what if you want to stay? How do you go about interviewing for a job you already have?

As it turns out, pretty much the same way you’d interview for a job you don’t already have. The secret is to take nothing for granted, just as you would take nothing for granted if you were outside the company, competing with other candidates for a brand new job. The following tips will help you organize your approach.

1. Identify why you want the job. If all your answers are centered on your own goals, you’ll need to dig deeper for reasons that also benefit the new manager. For example, “I enjoy being a go-to person who can solve problems before they hit the manager’s desk.”

2. List your top strengths for the job. This may be counter-intuitive, but don’t include “Six years direct experience” or anything of that nature. Years of experience is more of a fact than a strength. That said, you probably have institutional knowledge that lets you resolve some issues very quickly, or perhaps your relationships with vendors consistently results in discounts for the department. Those are valid, measurable outcomes from your six years on the job.

3. Be honest about your weak points. Have you fallen behind in your computer training? Do you struggle with paperwork? You could expect the boss to ask about these issues – particularly if they appear in past evaluations – so you’ll want to be ready with potential solutions.

4. Bring documentation. Perhaps you have kudos letters from clients, or a spreadsheet listing your concurrent projects – it’s better to bring these items than to wish you had. Don’t make the error of assuming the boss already knows what you do. In that light, an updated resume is also a good leave-behind.

5. Be clear about wanting the job. This is a basic tip for any interview situation, but one you could mistakenly ignore if you assume the process speaks for itself. Just participating in the interview doesn’t send the clear signal that you want to stay; clear signals only happen when you say things clearly.

As a final tip, remember that this is between you and the boss, so don’t try to elevate yourself by speaking ill of any co-workers. In the end, a job you retain by this method won’t turn out to be a job worth keeping.