Interviewing with us

As you may have already sensed, we don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach at Informa, and the same is true of interviewing with us.

The format and number of interviews you’ll have will be different depending on the job, location and level. Your Informa Talent Acquisition Partner will tell you what to expect for the role you’ve applied for.

In all cases, our aim is to give everyone the chance to be at their best. We want to make sure you have a positive experience and that the interview process is straight-forward and transparent.

It’s also important to us that the interview is a two-way conversation, so that you can decide whether Informa and the position matches your ambitions, and we can understand if you have the mix of experience, capabilities and potential we’re looking for.

• When you interview with Informa, we will always provide feedback, whatever the outcome.
• If you need any adjustments to be able to interview at your best, just let us know and we will do our best to accommodate.

• We typically ask what are called behavioural or competency questions. This gives you a chance to share examples of what you have done that relate to what we’re looking for, so we can better understand you and how you work.
• The questions will be based on what’s needed in the role, so when you’re preparing, look at the job advert or description for an idea of what we will ask about. This might include asking for examples of times when you have solved problems, overcome challenges, communicated effectively, collaborated with others to achieve a goal, brought new ideas or thinking to a situation, displayed analytical skills or adapted to changing conditions.
• Some of the best answers to these questions use what’s called a STAR approach, where you describe the Situation you faced, the Task you identified or were given, the Actions you took and the Result. Of course, we’re most interested in what you did or contributed, even if it was part of a team, so making your answer as specific as possible will help.

For information or a refresher on behavioural or competency-based interviews, we recommend checking out LinkedIn Learning for plenty of free resources.

For some roles, you’ll be asked to complete an exercise in advance and talk about it or present it during the interview. That might be giving a presentation on a topic, undertaking research or analysis or creating content.

It’s one way we can better understand you, and one way you can show us the best of your thinking, ideas and approach.

We want to make sure everyone has a chance to shine, so if anything isn’t clear about the exercise or task or if you have any questions about it, just ask your Informa Talent Acquisition Partner.

If you are preparing materials, sometimes you’ll be asked to send it in advance so we have time to review it. If you are interviewing online, you may be asked to screen share or send a copy of the materials so your interviewer can display it on screen.

Whether it’s your first job interview or the 50th of your career, here’s a short checklist to help get ready for the interview.

Make sure you feel professional but comfortable.

Consider reading this guide, researching the part of Informa or team you’re joining, reminding yourself of the job advert or description and looking up your interviewer to understand more about them (this can also help you feel more comfortable).

We like getting questions and it’s part of our job to answer them for you. Feel free to prepare questions about the company, the role, the team or your interviewer based on your research so far.

Remind yourself of your CV or what you submitted when you applied for the role and check out the earlier guidance on the interview questions we often ask. And don’t worry if you haven’t got experience of 100% of the activities listed in the job advert. It is fine to talk about some areas you want to develop further, learn about or grow into.

If you’re nervous before an interview, that’s normal! We want to see you at your best and will try to make you feel as comfortable as possible. If you miss a question, just ask us to repeat it, or if you aren’t sure what you are being asked, feel free to check if you’ve understood the point or question. Talking can be thirsty work, so you may want to have some water at hand or ask us for some if interviewing in person. And feel free to bring notes to the conversation if it helps you remember questions to ask or key points.

• If you’re interviewing with us virtually, we hold video, camera-on interviews using Microsoft Teams. You don’t need a Teams account or licence – you’ll just be sent a calendar invite with a weblink to join.
• However, if you haven’t used Teams before and want to see how it works before the interview, Microsoft offers a free version that you can sign up for and test in advance. When you join a Teams interview, there is usually a preview page which allows you to check your sound and camera position before entering the meeting.
• Technical issues can happen to anyone. If you are using a laptop or tablet and have a backup device – like a smartphone – it can be useful to have it close by in case you need to switch and re-enter the meeting. You can also use it to message your Informa Talent Acquisition Partner if something technical goes wrong.

Find a quiet place with good lighting so you can be clearly seen. You can join using any device but a laptop or tablet is often better than a smartphone. Silence any notifications on your device so you won’t be interrupted. Make sure you have enough battery or are plugged in for the length of the interview.

• If you’re interviewing in person, your Informa Talent Acquisition Partner will confirm the address.
• Travel delays can happen to anyone. When planning your route to our office, it’s always best to aim to arrive 10 minutes early to allow for any delays and for signing in. If you are running late let us know as soon as you can.
• Often, we’ll shake hands. And hopefully all of the time, we’ll smile! If you prefer not to shake hands, just let us know at the time or in advance.

Your Informa Talent Acquisition Partner can tell you where you are in the interview process and keep you updated on next steps.

If we offer you a job and you accept, we’ll put all the information in writing (usually an email) to confirm important details such as start date, work location and salary.

After that, in most countries, you’ll be contacted by our Informa team. They’re here to welcome you into Informa and make sure you are set up for day one. Once you join, they’ll be in contact to check you have everything you need.

Thank you for considering Informa for the next step in your career.

We wish you the best of luck and look forward to meeting you!