How to prepare for an interview presentation

The interview presentation is becoming more common in the hiring process. It gives employers a better overview of your general aptitude and provides you with an opportunity to showcase your skills, knowledge, and experience. But how should you prepare for an interview presentation? What should you include? What if it goes wrong?

3 mins read
Interview Presentations

almost 3 years ago

​​Particularly for executive level positions, a presentation stage can be an integral part of the short-listing process.

Many employers opt for a presentation interview as it gives a better overview of your general aptitude when compared to (or combined with) a traditional question and answer interview. The presentation is your opportunity to showcase your knowledge, experience and communication skills as well as your general organisation and diligence.

Here are our tips on how you can ensure you deliver the best interview presentation possible.

Preparing your presentation for an interview

  • Keep each slide short and significant, aiming for no more than 10 slides. This ensures the information you deliver is memorable and will help you to stand out from other interviewees

  • Use a range of formats to help illustrate your points. Include graphs, statistics, diagrams, video clips, and images to help break up large volumes of text and maintain the attention of the interviewers

  • Include quotes from industry leaders and/or research pieces. This helps give your points authority and demonstrate your commercial awareness

  • Incorporate company colours or fonts in the design of your presentation. This will show you’ve done your research and highlight your brand awareness

  • Check spelling and grammar thoroughly – small mistakes can really undermine the content of your presentation

Presenting tips

  • Present confidently and enthusiastically. Remember to speak clearly, make eye contact and use open body language

  • Practice, practice, practice. Ensure you are well rehearsed so that you are familiar with the structure and are able to deliver your presentation smoothly

  • Arrive early to give yourself time to set up the presentation and settle any nerves

  • Get comfortable with PowerPoint and presentation equipment. Make sure you know how to work the projector, visual screens or remote control before you begin to avoid any awkward stumbles or pauses

  • Have access to multiple sources of your presentation. Email the file to yourself and the recruiter, bring a copy on a USB stick and bring printed handouts. This way you are covered if anything goes wrong with the file you’re intending to use

  • Stay within the allocated time. If you have not been given a guidance on length, aim for the 10 minute mark. Time your presentation when you are practising to make sure it will fit within your allowed time slot. If you need to reduce the content of your presentation, cut out the least relevant or weakest points

  • Be prepared to adapt. You may have practiced your presentation in a certain way, but the interviewer might not respond accordingly. Be prepared to be stopped for questions or further discussion unexpectedly

10 minute interview presentation template

Below is an example for the structure of your interview presentation. Use this as a baseline and adapt or reorder where appropriate based on the task you have been set by the interviewer.

Slide 1:Introduction – Reiterate the objectives you have been set and lay out the structure of your presentation so that the interviewers know what to expect

Slide 2:About you – Detail your professional experience, skills and working style

Slide 3:Company history – Give a brief summary of the company history, any milestones or awards

Slides 4-7:Answering the brief – Give your responses to questions you’ve been asked to answer, the benefits and limitations of your suggestions

Slide 8:Question and answers – Include a slide titled ‘questions and answers’ as a cue to pause for interaction

Slide 9:Conclusion – Sum up the key points you have made, reach a decision and explain your reasoning

Slide 10:Personal achievements – End the interview on a high with a brief slide on achievements that show you will succeed in the role

Taking these steps should help you to succeed in your presentation interview.

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Download our 2024 Malta salary guide to explore the latest salary and benefits across six sectors for businesses and professionals in the country. Our comprehensive guide delivers key wage information and recruitment trends.

Reed’s 2024 Malta salary guide gives you an extensive view of salaries, on a wide variety of roles, from entry-level to senior positions, across six sectors: accountancy & finance, business support, financial services, human resources, sales & marketing, and technology.

Based on salaries you can expect today, use this guide to benchmark the pay you offer your employees as well as compare your own salary to the market rate.

Our country expert provides an overview of the market, with Reed’s practice experts delving into the subindustry job landscapes, so you can keep up to date with the latest industry trends and developments and better prepare for the year ahead.

To further inform our salary guide, we surveyed a portion of Maltese workers at the end of 2023. You can read the full highlights in the ‘Our survey says’ section of the guide.

Some key findings from our research include:

  • 62% of people are currently looking for, or considering looking for, a new job.

  • Of these, 40% say this is either due to their salary or benefits package not being sufficient.

  • Just over a quarter (27%) of professionals feel unhappy with their current salary.

  • The most desired benefits are an annual salary increment (60%), health insurance (56%), flexi time (56%), and a performance bonus (55%).

"As Malta maintains its position as a thriving hub in the Mediterranean, its labour market reflects a dynamic landscape shaped by both local and global trends. By embracing innovation, investing in skills development, and prioritising fair and competitive compensation packages, Malta can continue to flourish as a vibrant centre of talent and opportunity.

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Want to know what you could, or should, be earning in 2024? See how salaries compare in your sector this year, and gain insight into the jobs market and the key skills employers are looking for.

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Redundancy letter templates & examples
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Redundancy letter templates & examples

​Making redundancies is never a pleasant experience, but it’s sometimes unavoidable and employers need to ensure they navigate the process with sensitivity and professionalism, and adhere to the law, or they may face employment tribunals and unfair dismissal claims.

A redundancy letter is a written communication from an employer to an employee that informs them of their job loss due to a reduction in the workforce. To help employers manage this process and ensure they provide employees with clear and concise information, we have compiled a selection of adaptable redundancy letter templates for the various stages of the redundancy procedure.

When would you need to write a redundancy letter?

Employers may have to write redundancy letters in the following circumstances: 

Economic downturns

During a time of economic decline or recession, businesses may experience a reduction in revenue, leading to reduced demand for their products or services. In such circumstances, businesses may look to reduce their workforce to cut costs. 

Restructuring

Companies may need to restructure their operations, departments, or teams due to changes in the market, mergers and acquisitions, or changes in leadership, which could lead to redundancies. 

Technological advancements

With advancements in technology, businesses may require less manual labour, leading to a reduction in the workforce. Employers may have to make employees redundant where their jobs have been automated or outsourced. 

What is the difference between voluntary and compulsory redundancy?

Voluntary redundancy is when an employer offers an employee the option to leave their job in exchange for a financial package, which could include a lump sum payment, extended notice period, and other benefits. Employees who accept voluntary redundancy do so voluntarily, and their decision is not influenced by their employer.

In contrast, compulsory redundancy is when an employer selects an employee to leave their job due to a reduction in the workforce, restructuring, or other reasons. Employees who are made redundant involuntarily do not have a choice in the matter and may be entitled to statutory redundancy pay and other benefits.

What are the stages of a redundancy process? 

The redundancy process can be broken down into stages and logical steps that employers can follow. The stages are: preparation, selection, individual consultations, notice of redundancy, appeals (if applicable), and termination.

Stage one: Preparation

During the preparation stage, you will assess whether redundancy is the only option and is completely necessary before beginning the process. If you are concerned with your employee’s performance or behaviour, then you should go down the disciplinary route instead.

Redundancy is a type of dismissal where the employee’s job is no longer required. Ensure that you have covered all alternative options and if you have concluded that redundancy is essential, establish a time frame and prepare the relevant documentation.

Stage two: Selection

At this stage, you will be selecting the people who are under consideration for redundancy. You’ll need to determine the criteria for selecting those employees which should be objective and fair across the workforce.

Additionally, now is the time to inform employees of the upcoming redundancies. This should also include those who are not under consideration. You should explain that there is the risk of redundancy, the reason why it’s necessary, roughly how many redundancies you're considering, and what will happen next.

Stage three: Individual consultations

The consultations stage is a hugely important part of the redundancy process, and it’s essential that employers look at this as an open discussion with the employee, rather than using this time to just inform them of their potential redundancy.

You should explain why they have been selected and discuss alternative employment in the company. Employees will have the chance to make suggestions as to how the business can retain them and these suggestions should be considered fairly, or the employer may face unfair dismissal claims.

Note: there are legal time frames regarding consultations, so make sure you adhere to these.

Stage four: Notice of redundancy

Once you have finished consulting with everyone and made your decision, you should meet with each at-risk employee to discuss the outcome. Ideally, do this face to face, but if this is not possible, organise a phone call.

Those who have been selected for redundancy should also receive confirmation in writing, by letter or email. We have included a redundancy notice letter template for your ease.

Stage five: Appeals

If an employee feels they have been unfairly chosen for redundancy or if they think there were discriminatory issues in the process, it is essential to offer them the opportunity to appeal within a reasonable time frame after they have received their redundancy notice. This could be, for instance, five days. The employee should submit their reasons for appeal in writing. Once you receive an appeal, you should arrange a meeting with the employee as soon as possible.

If it becomes clear that the employee was selected unfairly but you still need to make the role redundant, you must manage the situation with great care. This could mean ending the employment of another employee who was informed their job was secure. It is important to communicate clearly and openly with your staff, rectify any issues with the process, and ensure a fair selection procedure is carried out. If serious problems are identified, you may need to repeat the entire redundancy process.

If you decide to reject the appeal, the employee's redundancy dismissal, notice, and pay will continue as before.

Stage six: Termination

This is the final stage of the redundancy process where the employment contract is terminated. During this stage, you should be supportive and give your employee reasonable time to find another job while they work their notice period.

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The redundancy letter to the employee should clearly state the reasons for the employment termination and the terms of their departure. Here are some key pieces of information that should be included in a redundancy letter:

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  • Selection criteria: Employers should explain the selection criteria used to determine which employees are being made redundant. This could include factors such as length of service, skills and qualifications, and job performance.

  • Notice period: Employers should provide details of the employee's notice period, including the start and end dates, as well as any entitlements to pay in lieu of notice.

  • Redundancy pay: The letter should provide information on the employee's entitlement to statutory redundancy pay, as well as any additional redundancy pay provided by the employer.

  • Benefits: Employers should explain what happens to the employee's benefits, such as healthcare, pension, and life insurance, after they leave.

  • Support: Employers should offer support to the employee during this difficult time, including assistance with finding new employment opportunities and access to training programmes.

To help you navigate this challenging process, we have put together a selection of redundancy letter templates that can be used at various stages throughout the process. These include:

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