Career Development/Interview Questions

RECRUITMENT/SELECTION INTERVIEW QUESTION GLOSSARY

aka "Behavioural Interviews"

TASK ACHIEVEMENT

ADAPTABILITY/FLEXIBILITY

1. Describe a situation where you had to develop a unique solution to meet organizational awareness.
2. Provide me with an example of where you had to switch tracks in the middle of an assignment. How did you feel?
3. Tell me about a time when a process that you completed regularly was changed. How did you feel about the changes?
4. Some situations are tough to handle particularly those were there is adversity, conflict or a problem that defies solution. Would you share with me such a situation where you decided to back away, change direction or give up the battle?
5. Occasionally it is necessary to develop new plans when situations change. Tell me about an instance when you had to alter your original plans because something came up suddenly. Why was the original plan no longer satisfactory? How well did you new plan work?

DETAIL ORIENTATION

1. Describe the things you do to control errors in your work. Tell me about the last time these methods helped you.
2. We have all had occasion when we were working on something and overlooked a small detail. Give me an example of when this happened to you. What caused it to happen? What was the result?
3. Describe a responsibility you have had that requires a high attention to detail.
4. Tell me about a time when you were systematic in identifying a potential problem at work. What was the potential problem? What would the consequences have been if you hadn’t identified it? What analytical techniques did you use?
5. Could you give me an example of a time when you used tools such as survey data, library research or statistics as important contributions to the definition of a specific problem.

GOAL ORIENTATION

1. Do you consider yourself a persistent person? Tell me about a situation you’ve faced in that past that demonstrates your tenacity in sticking with a goal through “thick and thin”. What obstacles did you encounter? How did you handle them? What was the eventual outcome?
2. Tell me about a particular goal you have had and the steps you took to achieve it.
3. Tell me about a time when you noticed a lack of results from procedures that normally gave you great results. What action did you take?
4. What are your goals for personal development? What steps have you taken to accomplish these goals?
5. Will you do anything to get the job done?

INITIATIVE

1. Occasionally there are times at work that are not very busy. Give me your best example of a time when you took advantage of a slower period to take on some additional work that was valuable to your organization. What were you able to accomplish? What feedback did you receive?
2. It is often important to figure out and implement improvements to operations or procedures. Can you recall a time when you suggested a change in a procedure or some other aspect of your job that achieved a better result?
3. We all have days when we are less motivated to work than usual. Please describe a time when you found it most difficult to persist at completing a task or use your time productively. What were you working on at the time? What steps did you take to work steadily? What was the outcome? In the past six months, how often has a similar situation occurred?
4. Sometimes we leave improvements for others to initiate because we are too busy. Tell me about a time you decided to leave an improvement up to others and this caused problems for you. What was it and what problems were created? What did you learn from the situation?
5. Tell me about a project where you had to work to your limit to get the job done.
6. How much autonomy do you have in your current role? What do you need to show your best performance?
7. Give me an example of when you demonstrated your ability to be proactive and foresee future problems.
8. Describe a time when you volunteered to take on something new so that you could learn from it?

ORGANIZATIONAL ABILITIES

1. Tell me about a time when you had to meet a strict deadline or time demand.
2. Describe a situation where you had to follow up a number of times to receive the information you requested in order to do your job.
3. Could you give me an example of a time in which you were effective in doing away with the constant emergencies and surprises in your work. How did your planning help you deal with the unexpected?
4. Organization and scheduling of people and tasks is a necessary function in creating a productive working environment. Could you please describe a case that illustrates your organization and scheduling ability?
5. Although we try to do everything necessary to meet a deadline or handle a peak period it is not always possible. Describe the time you found it the most difficult to finish a project on time or manage a period of high demand. What did you do to handle the situation? What caused you not to meet the deadline? What was the outcome? What did you learn from this experience? Have you had a chance to use what you learned?
6. Tell me about a project where you took complex information from multiple sources, were able to make sense of it all and translate it into clear, concise, usable information.
7. Tell me about a time when you were successful in explaining a difficult concept to someone. What was the concept? How did you make it understandable? How did you know you had got your ideas across?

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

1. What responsibility have you taken in the past 24 months to develop your own knowledge and skills?
2. How have you kept informed of competitive trends in order to identify opportunities? What resources do you/would you use?
3. What are your goals for personal development? What steps have you taken to accomplish these goals?
4. Describe a time when you volunteered to take on something new so that you could learn from it.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

1. In your career to date, tell me about the project you are most proud you accomplished.
2. Tell me about a time when a project did not work out the way you would have liked – what happened and what did you learn from it?
3. Tell me about a project where you had to take the lead and use your coordinating/influencing skills.
4. Describe a time when your facilitation skills were critical in achieving success on the job.
5. How do you organize and plan a major project? Give me an example of a recent one.
6. Give me an example of a time management skill you have learned and applied at work. What did you do and what was the result?
7. Describe the largest scale project you have managed. What was the scope, objective, budget, timeline and end result. Did you use any technology tools?
8. Could you describe a part of your current role, or perhaps a project for which you were responsible, that involved long-term planning? How did you develop and roll out the plan and what measures did you use to determine its success?
9. Give me an example of a project that was not going according to plan. How did you bring it back on track? If you had a chance to start the project again what would you do differently?
10. Give me an example of when you had to take a leadership role on a project. How did you get others on to your side?
11. How often in the past six months have you missed or had to revise a deadline?

TIME MANAGEMENT

1. You’ve just got back from half day meeting. You have 15 Emails and 10 phone messages, not to mention the stack of mail that has just been delivered. How would you go about prioritizing your work?
2. Give me an example of a time management skill you have learned and applied at work. What did you do and what was the result?
3. Tell me how you have organized your work previously to maximize your personal productivity.
4. Tell me a strong time management skill that really works for you. What is an indicator to you that it is effective?
5. How often in the past six months have you missed or had to revise a deadline?
6. Do you consistently work much longer hours than your co-workers?
7. How often in the past six months has someone had to follow up with you more than once to receive the information they requested?

THINKING AND PROBLEM RESOLUTION

ANALYTICAL ABILITIES

1. Tell me about a project where you took complex information from multiple sources, were able to make sense of it all and translate it into clear, concise, usable information.
2. Describe a project where your analytical skills enabled you to find the right solution, not just the obvious one.
3. Give me an example of when you demonstrated your ability to be proactive and foresee future problems.
4. Tell me about a time when you had to apply criteria or methods systematically to a situation. What did you do?
5. It is important to verify your assumptions and information by having credible data as a back up. Tell me about a time when you gathered this first hand.
6. Tell me about a time when you were systematic in identifying a potential problem at work. What was the potential problem? What would the consequences have been if you hadn’t identified it? What analytical techniques do you use?
7. Solving a problem often necessitates evaluation of alternative solutions. Give me an example of a time when you actively defined several solutions to a single problem.
8. Could you give me an example of a time when you used tools such a survey data, library research or statistics as important contributions to the definition of a specific problem.
9. What sources of information have you used to monitor/uncover problems in your work area? Tell me about a situation in which you used one of these sources.
10. Describe the most difficult troubleshooting challenge you have had.
11. Tell me about a situation where you were called upon to use facts and reason to persuade others to take action.

CREATIVITY

1. Can you identify a specific time when your creativity/creative approach solved a major roadblock for you?
2. Tell me about a time when you generated a creative idea. What was it and whom did you approach with it? What was their response?
3. The ability to “think outside the box” has become important in today’s workplace. Can you describe a recent situation where you came up with an unusual solution/approach to solving a problem?
4. Describe a situation where you came up with a creative idea that was integrated into your department. What was the idea? Who did you approach with your idea? How was it implemented?
5. Define “creative” for me. Would you describe yourself this way? How does this skill enable you to add value?
6. Describe a situation where you had to develop a unique solution to meet organizational awareness.
7. Solving a problem often necessitates evaluation of alternative solutions. Give me an example of a time when you actively defined several solutions to a single problem.
8. Tell me about a time you came up with a new method or idea. How did you get it approved or implemented?

DECISION MAKING

1. Occasionally it is necessary to develop new plans when situations change. Tell me about an instance when you had to alter your original plans because something came up suddenly. Why was the original plan no longer satisfactory? How well did your new plan work?
2. Even though you may be dealing with a complex problem, it is often important to use a common sense approach in making decisions. Not all analytical solutions will seem practical. Tell me about a time when your common sense paid off for you.
3. When we get emotionally involved in a problem situation, it is often very difficult to be objective. Tell me about a time when you were proud of your ability to be objective even though you were emotional about a problem situation.
4. Describe a critical business decision you have had to make on the job, and the process you went through to come to a decision.
5. Describe a situation when your decision resulted in a profitable resolution.
6. Describe a situation when you had to make a quick decision without having all the facts. What was the outcome? What would have been the result if you had waited for all the facts?

STRATEGIC THINKING

1. Give me an example of where you had to use strategic thinking to anticipate future trends or consequences accurately.
2. Give me an example of when you used strategic thinking to get buy-in from senior management on one of your ideas.
3. Give me an example of when you demonstrated your ability to be proactive and foresee future problems.
4. How do you organize and plan a major project? Give me an example of a recent one.
5. Could you describe a part of your current role, or perhaps a project for which you were responsible that involved long-term planning? How did you develop and roll out the plan and what measures did you use to determine its success?
6. Tell me a time when your strategic thinking resulted in profits or prevented a problem?
7. Describe a critical business decision you have had to make on the job, and the process you went through to come to a decision.

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS

CHANGE MANAGEMENT

1. Not everyone is comfortable with change. Tell me about a time when you found it difficult to adapt to changing priorities and position duties.
2. Tell me about a time when you were able to positively and effectively create change.
3. Provide me with an example of where you had to switch tracks in the middle of an assignment. How did you feel?
4. Tell me about a time when a process that you completed regularly was changed. How did you feel about the change?
5. Tell me about a time when you noticed lack of results from procedures that normally gave you great results. What action did you take?
6. It is often important to figure out and implement improvements to operations and procedures. Can you recall a time when you suggested a change in a procedure or some other aspect of your job that achieved a better result?

COACHING/MANAGING/LEADING

1. Being able to change a person’s behaviour is both a skill and a responsibility as a supervisor. Can you give me an example of a situation when you were successful in this area?
2. Tell me about the last time when you had a performance issue with an employee. What was the issue? What steps did you take to turn this employee’s performance around? Were you successful?
3. Could you give me your best example of your ability to create a positive work environment?
4. Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a conflict between your employees.
5. Tell me about an experience where you used your leadership skills to motivate a group of people to achieve success.
6. Give me an example of a sensitive issue in which you’ve been involved. How did you handle it? What was the outcome? What would you do differently?
7. Instead of simply using authority to influence another individual, it is sometimes desirable to lead other people by setting a positive example for them to follow. Describe a work situation when your example served as a model for others.
8. Even though the use of authority in a leadership role is not popular, it is necessary in some situations. Give me an example of a situation when you used your authority to influence another individual.
9. Give me an example of when you had to take a leadership role on a project. How did you get others on to your side?
10. Tell me about a time when you had to develop a novice to meet the accountabilities of a role.
11. Not all direct reports are successful in their jobs. Tell me about one of the people who failed to become successful under your leadership. What was your role in their development?
12. How have you involved direct reports in determining their development needs?
13. Can you share with me an occasion where you used influence rather than power to get something accomplished?

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

1. Tell me about presentations you have made to senior level executives – do you feel comfortable making presentations/do you think you are good at it?
2. Describe a formal (or informal) presentation you made recently to a group. What could you have improved.
3. Tell me about a time when you were in a meeting with senior management and were put on the hot seat – how did you handle it?
4. Tell me about a time when it was necessary for you to communicate with different levels of your organization. How did you accomplish this?
5. Can you share with me an occasion where you used influence rather than power to get something accomplished?
6. Tell me about a situation where you were called upon to use facts and reason to persuade others to take action.
7. Tell me the most difficult time you have had interacting with someone. How did you resolve the situation?
8. Give me an example of where there were objections to your ideas. What did you do to convince others to support your point of view?
9. Tell me about a time when you needed to get an understanding of another’s situation before you could get your job done. How did you handle it and what problems did you encounter?
10. Tell me about a time you came up with a new method or idea. How did you get it approved or implemented?
11. What type of written material are you responsible for?
12. Describe the most difficult written material you’ve created. What aspect of the assignment presented the most difficulty and why?
13. Careful listening is an essential tool. Tell me about a specific time when your ability to listen helped you communicate better.
14. Describe a time when you had objections to your recommendations. How did you handle the objection? Were you able to turn the objections around?
15. Tell me about a time when you were successful in explaining a difficult concept to someone. What was the concept? How did you make it understandable? How did you know you had got your ideas across?
16. Tell me about a time when your active listening skills really paid off for you – maybe a time when other people missed the key idea in what was being said.
17. What has been your experience in giving explanation or instructions to another person?
18. Could you describe a situation when the message you were trying to communicate wasn’t getting across to the receiver? How did you handle it and what was the result?
19. When busy or preoccupied it is often difficult to listen effectively. Tell me about a misunderstanding that happened because you didn’t pay close enough attention when someone was speaking to you. What was the outcome and how did you rectify the situation? What did you learn from it?

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

1. Have you ever worked closely with someone whose work ethic was different from you own? How did you work together successfully?
2. Could you give me your best example of where you were able to successfully deal with conflict between employees? What was the conflict? What was your role in the resolution of the conflict? What techniques did you use to resolve it? How did the employees feel? How did you feel?
3. Could you give me an example of a situation where you were involved in a conflict of opinions or personalities. How was it resolved?
4. Tell me the most difficult time you have had interacting with someone. How did you resolve the situation?
5. Tell me about a time when you just could not see eye to eye with someone. How did you resolve the situation?
6. Tell me about a situation when people were making emotional decisions about your project. What happened and how did you handle it?
7. Some situations are tough to handle, particularly those where there is adversity, conflict or a problem which defies a solution. Would you share with me such a situation where you decided to back away, change direction or give up the battle?
8. Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a conflict between your employees.
9. Please tell me about a time when you were dealing with an irate or upset client. What steps did you go through? What was the result?

CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTATION

1. Could you give me an example of a situation where you went the “extra mile” for a client?
2. When the workload is heavy, we sometimes pay more attention to getting the job done than to quality customer service. Please describe the time you most regretted not paying enough attention to customer satisfaction. What was the situation? What kept you from meeting your client’s expectations? What was the outcome? What did you learn from the experience?
3. Please tell me about a time when you were dealing with an irate or upset client. What steps did you go through? What was the result?
4. Could you give me an example of a situation where you had to deal with a client under difficult circumstances? Describe the situation and what you personally did to rectify it.
5. Tell me about the time when exceeding customer expectations had the most positive impact for your organization. What were the expectations? How did you discover them? In what ways were they exceeded?
6. What skills or qualities are important for dealing effectively with internal/external customers? Give me an example of a time you displayed these skills.
7. Tell me about a time when you effectively handled an internal/external customer complaint.
8. We don’t always agree on the best way to handle internal/external customers. When was the last time your supervisor criticized the way you handled a customer? Why?

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

1. Being skillful in dealing with other people on the job is an important factor in being productive. Could you describe a time when you had to deal with a number of different personality types? How did you handle it? What was the outcome?
2. Being able to adapt personal style and political savvy to a company’s corporate culture is an important skill. What is your company’s culture like? What personal skills/traits make you successful in your organization?
3. Relating to another person goes beyond giving recognition and approval. Describe a time when you were helpful to another while simultaneously building a good relationship.
4. It is important to have strategic internal and external contacts. Could you give me an example of a situation where knowing who to talk to helped you get the most accomplished.
5. Can you share with me an occasion where you used influence rather than power to get something accomplished?

STRESS MANAGEMENT

1. How do you balance your work and personal life?
2. Tell me about a time when you were faced with stresses on the job that tested your coping skills. What was causing the stress? What methods did you use to overcome it?
3. There are often peak times are work where the load is particularly heavy. Describe an experience you’ve had working under tremendous pressure.
4. Life and work balance is a challenge we all face. How do you manage the demands of your job? What do you consider the greatest demand on you?
5. Tell me about a time when more than one person asked you to complete something unrealistic by the same deadline. How did you resolve the situation?
6. Although we may try to do everything necessary to meet a deadline or handle a peak period it is not always possible. Describe the time you found it most difficult to finish a project on time or manage a period of high demand. What did you do to handle the situation? What caused you not to meet the deadline? What was the outcome? What did you learn from the experience? Have you had a chance to use what you learned?

TEAM DYNAMICS

1. You have just heard from a third party that one of your co-workers has said something derogatory about the way you handled a particular situation. What would you do?
2. We can’t always do everything ourselves. Give me an example of when you dealt with this reality by creating a team effort.
3. Give me an example of a time when you had to organize a team quickly. How did you get their commitment?
4. Can you tell me about a time where you tried to get a group of people to cooperate and work together? Why was the team necessary? How did you encourage teamwork?
5. We often talk about managing down, whereas managing sideways or “getting things done through your peers” can, at times, be more challenging. Would you give me an example of how you have been able to motivate your co-workers in the past? What challenges did you face?
6. Have you ever worked closely with someone whose work ethic was different from your own? How did you work together successfully?
7. Describe the most successful team on which you belonged. What made it successful? What was your role? What was the goal, and how did you measure its success?
8. Building rapport can be challenging sometimes. Give me an example of a time when you were able to build rapport with someone at work, even when the odds were against you.
9. Not every team runs smoothly. Tell me about the time you found it the most difficult to work as a member of a team. What team were you part of? What did you have difficulty with? What action did you take as a result? What was the outcome? What have you learned from it? Have you had the opportunity to apply what you learned?
10. Give me an example of a time when you had to earn the trust of a group of people. How did you go about it?
11. Tell me about a time when you worked in a group with an unproductive team member. How did you handle the situation?
12. Could you give me your best example of your ability to create a positive work environment?