I've had a few candidates at second stage recently - which is fantastic as a second stage will hopefully lead to a job offer. Hopefully, but not always! Anecdotally the market is shifting a little at the moment. Over the last 2 years, I think I've seen a very candidate driven market where a client who has briefed me on a role, will find very few people to choose between - the market has been moving so quickly that if you stop to deliberate for too long (client or candidate), the role - or the candidate will have gone somewhere/to someone else. First and second stage interviews have been super quick and perhaps not as intensive as pre pandemic.
We're currently seeing lots of job vacancies - which is also fantastic as economically it looks like quite a gloomy forecast for the next few months. But there do seem to be more candidates available for roles which means that if you are at second stage for an interview, it's likely that you will have some competition. In this situation (and actually, I do recommend to clients that they always do...) you'll be asked back for a second stage interview and often to be asked to respond to a brief or to deliver a presentation.
A second interview is always a good idea - a sanity check to ensure that the role really is right for both parties. A second interview with a brief is also a good idea. A client will have the opportunity to see how a potential employee thinks, how they approach a problem/challenge/situation, how well they present etc. All of this is especially important in client services or project management roles where an employer is trying to assess if an individual has covered all the bases successfully and will therefore be successful in their new role and a great hire. After all, hiring new staff is a big investment on behalf of the employer. It takes time and it costs money. Obviously they'll be hoping for a return on that investment in the form of client development and successful delivery of projects.
A prospective employer will also therefore anticipate that a potential employee is also willing to invest some time into their job application. Initially in the form of a good CV, a strong first interview and finally in preparing a brief response for their second interview.
Recently I've had a few disgruntled candidates who have questioned having to respond to a brief or to present at second stage interview. I should add that 80% of these candidates are the ones who didn't get the job! And I do understand. We're all busy enough in our day jobs - in fact, most commonly, the individuals are looking for a new job because they want a better work life balance. We're all busy in our personal lives. Another candidate complained that they didn't think preparing for a second stage interview was how they wanted to spend their Bank Holiday. I get that too! However, as we are now seeing more candidates on the market and there is more competition in succeeding at interview, it's important to understand that if you don't commit the time and energy to that brief, someone else will. And it's likely that the someone else will get the job. It's a gamble - you do your best and a prospective client will be comparing your best with someone else's best - there may not be much in it, it could be a difficult decision, however, if you don't do your best by allocating a decent amount of time to doing the brief properly, then it's not so much a gamble, you're just not as likely to get the job.
We're fortunate that the interview process is a bit easier than pre-Covid. The majority of first interviews are still being done remotely and probably 50% of second interviews too. So we don't need to make excuses for doctors, dentists and funerals. I think a lot of employers also feel that if a candidate truly wants the job, how they prepare for that second stage interview says a lot about them - how committed they'll be to the job, how well they prepare for meetings, how well they construct presentations etc.
Typically second stage requirements can vary from 'take us through your first 100 days in the job' through to 'talk us through your most challenging client project' or an actual creative brief where they're looking for your ideas and approach to a real life client situation. I do sometimes hear a bit of dissent when a candidate is concerned that the client may try to use their ideas but not give them the job but in all my years in recruitment I've no real evidence of this - and again, if you want the job, you'll come up with your best ideas and hopefully that will nail the job for you.
Finally, do read and re-read any brief that you're given for second stage. If a client says 10 slides maximum or 10 minutes maximum - make sure you adhere to this. It's another part of the test. Did you read the brief, absorb it, can you stick to the brief, be concise. Even if what you are saying is absolutely fantastic, if it is presented badly, or is death by powerpoint or takes you an hour when they wanted 5 minutes...it's likely you won't get the job.