Questions for job interview

Approximate reading time: 8m 6s

Sample job interview questions

"Getting to know you" job interview questions

1. What is your relevant work experience to the position you are currently applying for?
2. Why is this position of interest to you?
3. How do you think your last boss would describe you?
4. What aspects of your previous job do you like best?
5. What are the aspects you dislike?
6. How do you know you did well?
7. What is your overall team management philosophy?
8. How would you describe your leadership style?
9. What are your long-term goals professionally?
10. What are the skills you need to develop to achieve your goals?

"Skills assessment" questions for job interviews

Basic

1. Which of the duties in your current position do you find difficult?
2. Which tasks and activities do you find most interesting?
3. What do you do most of the time?
4. What do you like about our proposal?
5. And what bothers you?

"Communication Skills" questions in a job interview

1. Describe to us a situation in which you had to defend your position in order to discuss an issue that you thought was important.
2. How do you make sure your interlocutor has understood you correctly? Tell us about a situation when you had to use these skills in your workplace.
3. Describe a situation where you missed important details that were communicated to you. What was the end result? How did you handle the situation?
4. Give an example of when you embarked on a project or task before first understanding the overall concept.
5. Give an example of a situation where you did not fully understand the directions for your given task. What did you do to clarify them? What was the end result?
6. Tell us about a case where you had to make a presentation to a large group.
7. Tell us about a case where you had to make a presentation but things didn't go to plan. What happened? Why was there a problem? What would you have done differently?
8. Describe for us the last written communication you had with your supervisor.
9. Tell us about a time when you chose to send a written communication instead of meeting the person face-to-face and when that decision turned out to be a mistake. How did you know it was a mistake? What did you do to deal with the situation? What did you learn?

Questions about "Personal Skills" in a job interview

1. Tell us about your relationship with a colleague with whom you worked well.
2. Describe for us the most difficult working relationship you have had? What actions did you take to improve these relationships? What was the end result?
3. Have you had a difficult relationship with a supervisor, professor, or other person? Why was it difficult for you to get along with him/her? How did you communicate with him/her successfully?
4. Tell us about a case in which you were able to build rapport with a "difficult" character. How did you achieve it? What were the final results?
5. Describe for us a case where you were able to build a profitable relationship with a client. How did you build this relationship?
6. Describe a situation in which company policy affected your performance. How did you handle the situation?

"Motivation" questions for a job interview

1. Give an example of a significant professional achievement. How did you achieve it? What were the obstacles? How did you overcome them?
2. Give an example of a standard of work that you set for yourself? What are you doing to achieve it?
3. Describe a situation in which you held on to an idea or plan despite the disapproval of others.
4. All positions are accompanied by problems and a sense of impasse. Give examples of specific working conditions or tasks that did not satisfy you.
5. How do you motivate yourself to complete a task you do not want to do?

"Initiative" questions in a job interview

1. Give an example of a situation where you went above and beyond on a project in order to exceed someone's expectations.
2. Tell us about a project you initiated. What did you do? What was the end result? Were you satisfied with the outcome?
3. Give two examples of what you have improved in your work skills in the last six months.
4. Describe a situation in which you made a suggestion for improvement in your work process. What was the end result?
5. Describe a situation in which you tried to improve an aspect of workflow and met resistance. How did you handle the situation?
6. Describe a situation in which you recognized a potential problem as an opportunity. What did you do? What was the end result? What would you have done differently?

"Stress Management" questions in a job interview

1. Give an example of a time when you faced a problem or were under stress that tested your skills in dealing with such situations.
2. Describe a project or goal that caused you frustration.
3. Describe a situation in which you were under pressure and feel you handled it well.
4. How do you know you are under stress? Who do you turn to for support in such a situation? Why and how does this person help you cope with stress?
5. Describe a situation in which you had to exercise a significant amount of self-control.
6. Describe a situation in which the stress of your personal life threatened your job. What did you do?

Questions for "Problem Solving/Analytical Skills" in a Job Interview

1. Describe a difficult problem you have tried to solve. How did you identify it? How did you try to solve it?
2. Describe a project you worked on where things did not go as planned.
3. Tell us about a situation where you had to identify the causes of a problem.
4. Describe a situation where you anticipated a potential problem and took preventative measures.
5. Tell us about a situation where your manager was not available and you had to resolve a problem. What did you do and what was the end result?
6. Give an example of when you failed to resolve a problem. What was the reason for the failure? What would you do differently next time?
7. Tell us about a situation where you used your fact gathering and analysis skills and were able to solve a problem.
8. What steps did you follow to investigate a problem?

Questions for "Decision Making" in a job interview

1. Give us an example of a difficult decision you have made. What information led you to make this decision? What were the other possible decisions? What was the final outcome?
2. Give us an example of when you used good judgment and logic to make a decision.
3. Describe for us a situation in which you had to choose between several alternatives. How did you evaluate each alternative?
4. Tell us about a situation in which you made a decision and then had to defend your decision to your colleagues.
5. Describe a situation in which you had to make a quick and accurate decision. What did you consider?
6. When have you had to make a decision without the information you needed. How did you handle the situation? Why? Were you satisfied with the outcome?
7. Give an example of a situation where you made a wrong decision and had to deal with the consequences.
8. Give us an example of a decision you made that was subsequently proved wrong. Why was it wrong? What would you have done differently?

"Teamwork" questions in a job interview

1. Tell us about a situation where you had to rely on your team to complete a project.
2. Think of an example when you worked effectively in a team. Describe how you perceived the contributions of other team members.
3. Give an example of a situation where you made a major contribution as part of a team. Why do you think this team performed well?
4. Tell us about the most challenging team you have worked with. Why was it difficult for you to work with its members? What did you do?
5. Describe for us a team experience that frustrated you. What should you have done to improve the end result?
6. Tell us about a member of your team who did not perform their duties. What did you do to try to prevent them?
7. Have you been on a team where you were the leader? How did you promote your team's performance? What were the results?

Questions for "Time Management Skills/Organizational Skills" in a job interview

1. How do you plan your weekly tasks and how does your schedule work?
2. Tell us about a project you have planned. How did you organize and time the tasks? How did you develop your action plan?
3. Tell us about a case where you had to deal with several competing priorities? How did you plan your time? What were the end results?
4. We've all had the experience of not completing a task on time. Tell us about a time when this happened to you.
5. Tell us about a situation where your assignment deadline was too short and unrealistic. How did you handle the situation?
6. Have you ever missed a deadline. What was the end result and what conclusion did you draw from the situation?
7. Tell us about a project in which you rushed to completion and it came at the expense of quality.
8. Describe a case where you had to make a difficult decision between your personal and professional life.

Questions about "Influence" in a job interview

What do you expect to accomplish in the first three months if we select you for the position?

In the lines below, we'll also share something from the kitchen when conducting a job interview: a list of warning signs in candidate behavior that should act as a red flag in a job interview.

When HR professionals interview job candidates, they typically use a checklist to help identify "warning signs" that candidates are not a good fit for the organization or position. When a candidate shows one of these warning signs during the job interview, he or she is no longer considered a potential employee. Of course, each case is separate and specific. That's why it's best to trust your common sense during meetings with job candidates or your interviewer. 

Here's a list of warning signs shared by interviewers: 

1. Can't look me in the eye (exceptions should be made for those with aspergers or other medical conditions).
2. Could not answer the most elementary questions concisely and directly, but instead provided a strange and vague "answer".
3. Did not show up to the interview on time and appears to have no legitimate excuse.
4. During the first call/interview, asked about how many vacation days or work breaks are allowed.
5. Doesn't know what the organization does and/or what the job he/she is applying for is.
6. Gloats about his/her current or last boss/employer.
7. Dramatizes when discussing current or past work experience.
8. Moves very slowly and shows very little energy.
9. Cannot share an honest and candid answer to the following interview question, "Please share the biggest mistake you have made in your job in the last three years."
10. Uses inappropriate language or is dressed inappropriately.
11. Chews gum during the interview.
12. Shows lack of courtesy, shows disrespect or confusion. For example, when accepting a glass or bottle of water at the beginning of the interview, leaves the used glass or bottle on the table instead of offering to throw it away/remove it.
13. Provides inconsistent and/or contradictory information or answers.
14. Looks at his/her cell phone, makes a phone call, or responds to someone by texting on the phone during the interview.
15. Does not ask questions about the job or the organization when given the opportunity and/or shows a general lack of curiosity about both.
16. Has weaknesses that obviously do not bode well for the job position. (e.g., an introvert who prefers to work alone, but is applying for a customer service position).
17. The person is prepared for the job interview, but does not exhibit the passion and desire to do the job for which they are applying.
18. The candidate for the position is invited to a second interview or asked to provide follow-up information but has not responded in a timely manner.

Make sure you don't make any of the above "mistakes" during the job interview or sign up for our online training "Successful Job Interview - How to Present Yourself Best" to gain confidence.

Conclusion

The list we've provided certainly doesn't cover absolutely all of the job interview questions, but it covers the most important points and gives you a guideline on how to prepare.

If you are about to go for a job interview you can prepare yourself with the training.

If you would like us to develop a simulation game to train recruiters - contact us!If you need to find and interview prospective employees and need to train your managers to be involved in recruitment, then our Interviewing Skills training will help you prepare to ask the right questions at the following link.

If you would like to simplify the way you recruit, train and assess staff, you can use some of our services - distance learning systems and e-learning production.

We also offer online courses in business and personal skills. 

If you are interested in our services or have any further questions, you can contact us on +359 2 850 53 64, e-mail: office@nitbg.com or by filling in the contact form below.