Karolina Lind, Charlotte Hedlund, Tobias Porserud

THS Armada interviews more than 500 candidates each year to find the right candidates for each position. Questions regarding teamwork, our organizational values and how your dream team looks like, are just a few examples of things that you can expect at an interview. We have talked to Talent Eye, the company behind our methods and knowledge in interview technique.

2011 marked the first year that the project team of THS Armada received a comprehensive education in recruitment and interviewing methods. As the largest student driven organization in Scandinavia, with over 260 engaged students, we spend a significant amount of time on finding the right candidates. Talent Eye has provided us with more than just the tools we need to improve the organization each year, they have also increased the engagement and improved our social sustainability.

The same year, Tobias Porserud graduated from KTH and felt that there was a disconnect between students and the industry. He decided to change that. Tobias is a co-founder and the CEO of Talent Eye, a recruitment company focused on building connections between gifted students and companies. This is accomplished through customized internships and trainee programs.

- An interview is a chance for honest dialogue - not interrogation, says Tobias. To sit in a room feeling that you are being cross-examined, makes the interview uncomfortable and it is unlikely that you will present the best version of yourself. As a recruiter, you should view an interview as a conversation. Nevertheless, it's essential to have a thoughtful structure to the interview and to base the questions on specific goals of your organization.

- All candidates who've applied for THS Armada are offered an interview. There is no pre-selection for the interview part. Once all the interviews are done, we have selection meetings with all teams of the organization, where we go through all the applicants. Two years ago, we placed a lot of emphasis on your personal characteristics with generalized examples. This year, we focus more on how the candidate could work in teams through situation-based questions. We base our decision on their personal traits and engagement rather than previous experience, says Charlotte Hedlund, Head of Human Resources at THS Armada.

Talent Eye focuses heavily on personal values and finding the student's sweet spots - what environment they prefer and consequently perform their very best. Everything to ensure the perfect match between the student and the employee.

- We concentrate on the students at an individual level and try to get to know them and their values. Research has proven, that if an individual's values corresponds to that of the organization - one can expect better performance and engagement. That is what we strive for, says Tobias.

- In the interview it became apparent that THS Armada is committed to their organizational values. I was asked questions such as "these are our core values, how do you think Armada can further improve them?". In comparison to last year, the interview was more of a discussion regarding values, says Karolina Lind, Lounge Host for this year's career fair and earlier Lounge Host, 2016 and Event Host, 2015.

Talent Eye is an essential part of THS Armada's development towards a more inclusive, energized and professional organization. Sharing their knowledge and practical tools through workshops has not only enhanced engagement within the project, but more importantly contributed to our social sustainability. In November, more than 170 companies and 12,000 students will experience the result of our efforts.