Quality Save was founded in 1974 by Bob Rudkin while working on a market stall in Walkden. Since then it has grown into a recognized brand across the Northwest, UK.
Quality Save support employees by offering a range of training and professional development opportunities, valuing loyalty as the company like to recruit from within.
For some of their supervisory roles the applicant don’t need experience as Quality Save will train up the successful applicant, indicating that the majority of interview questions while be situational interview questions.
How competitive is a Quality Save Supervisor job interview?
Interview Specifics:
Can you demonstrate the relevant knowledge and experience to pass a Quality Save Supervisor job interview?
Supervising cashiers, shelf stockers, and other employees.
Assisting the store manager with weekly finance returns.
Keeping records of employee performance.
Reporting on stock.
Implementing Quality Save processes and procedures to avoid stock damages, theft, and wastage.
Creating a welcoming environment for customers.
Supporting staff with training and development.
Managing the staff rota.
Check the average pay for a supervisor job role.
Below is a list of commonly asked job interview questions for a Quality Save supervisor role.
Each summary comes with an explanation of the interview question and an example interview answer.
It is important to tweak each interview answer template, making it relevant to the interviewee’s own skills, qualities, experience, and knowledge.
An interviewer’s perception of a job applicant, their interview identity, is made up of the interviewee’s perceived level of knowledge/experience vs their level of confidence during the recruitment process.
The first stage, when preparing for a job interview, is to recognize your own ‘interview identity’.
Job Interview Questions and Answers for a Quality Save supervisor.
Prior to the official job interview, the panel of interviewers (often 3 staff members, including a direct line manager) will make small talk to help relax the interviewee.
Including, the number of questions that will be asked, who on the interview panel will ask which questions, and how the applicant can ask for a question to be repeated.
They will go to explain the post-interview details; when each candidate will be told if they have been successful or not.
Explain why do you want to be a Quality Save supervisor?
The difference between a situation job interview, and a behavioral job interview, is the framing of the job interview questions.
In a behavioral job interview, the question asked for evidence of past behaviors. Employers using behavioral job interview questions are, in the main, looking to recruit someone with past experience.
As Quality Save recruit and train a suitable candidate, the hiring manager is likely to frame the majority of their interview questions as ‘situational’ – this means question will be framed on ‘what you might do in X situation’.
A situational interview allows an applicant take experience from one job role/sector and make it relevant to another. Also, answers can reference models and theories highlighting a level of sector knowledge.
Answers for both situational and behavioral job interviews must reference the job criteria and be self-promoting.
It is important, therefore, to be aware of the three rules for a successful job interview.
When asked, the why do you want to be a Quality Save supervisor?, answer by stating skills, experiences and and personal qualities that would make you a good supervisor.
It also good to reference any relevant customer service, retail or supervisory qualifications.
This question gives the job applicant a chance to showcase their awareness and knowledge of both the job role and the company – Quality Save.
“I applied for the role of a supervisor at Quality Save, as I have a (background/experience) in (retail, customer service, or supervisory roles). For the past (number of years) I have been working as a (job role) at (company) where I was responsible for (state relevant duties). My direct supervisory experience includes (A, B and C). I am passionate about retail and love (job duty). In addition, I have a (qualification) which taught me the theory for (job duty). I applied for the role at Quality Save as I was impress with (company fact/history/mission).”
What is your understanding of the supervisor job role?
As an organisation that is willing take train up suitable applicants (which is a great way to great start to a managerial career) the hiring manager does need to first check suitability.
One way to check if a job applicant would work be a potential Quality Save supervisor is by checking their knowledge of the supervisor job role.
Many people fail to answer the ‘understanding’ correctly.
A common way to incorrectly answer this interview question, is by just listing a few job duties.
Listing duties does show an awareness of the job role but not a full understanding of importance of certain task, or how supervisory responsibilities have an impact on the business.
To create a high-scoring answer, frame the interview answer by stating first, an overview of what a supervisor does.
Second, state a number of duties, then explain the importance of the stated duty and/or how the applicants possess the skills required to complete the supervisory task.
To better understand the job duties of a supervisor, read the job advert on Monster.
“A supervisor works closely with the store manager to communicate the mission and vision of the company. More specifically, a supervisor will communicate tasks, duties and performance targets to team members while supporting staff, through training and mentoring, to upskill to complete their duties effectively. To be efficient at communication, my experience in (job role) has taught me the importance of (communication criteria/soft skill). Supervisors must be able to motivate team members, an example of me being able to motivative others is when I was working at (company) and (explain situation) happened. To motivate (others) I (actions taken).”
How would you support a new employee?
Supervisors will often mentor and support new staff members.
In retail, its is common to see a large staff turnover as the sector recruits some staff members who are students working their way through university.
Staff support often improves staff retention, and the interview answer should always reference this key point.
If the supervisor role at Quality Save is your first supervisory position, think about what support you prefer when starting a new job. Experienced supervisors are likely to have experience of supporting new employees, that can be used within their interview answer.
Break the answer down into three key areas:
processes and procedures
supporting the new employee
identifying areas of development
“As a supervisor I would always support new employees as this increase staff retention. With any new employee I would first get them up to speed with the company policy and procedures – this might include online training, reading the policies and procedures and through work shadowing and experienced staff member. To check a new staff members progress I would ask them questions on some of the key processes.
It is also important to ensure new staff members are happy with the day-to-day tasks. i would set duties, leave the staff member for a short period of time and then return to ask them ‘how they are getting on?’
Through observing the new employee, having regular catch ups and through asking I would check what areas of development each individual staff member has and help to create a training plan to support them to become a skilled worker.”
How would you react if an employee disagreed with you?
Supervisors need to be confident in themselves and assistive when delegating tasks.
When working as a supervisor, it is likely that from time to time a staff member may disagree with, or even be disrespectful, to the supervisor.
This could take the shape of an employee suggesting a ‘better’ approach for completing a task or passive aggressively refusing to complete a duty.
Employers need to ensure that a new supervisor has the knowhow to handle this situation without it escalating.
“Misunderstandings often result from a lack of clarification. When delegating tasks I would explain my reasons for doing this, to reduce any misunderstandings. If a staff member disagreed with me, I would first ask for and listen to their point of view, encase they have a valid point. If I believed that the employee was trying to be disrespectful, rather then helpful, I would remain calm, and assertively explain that are several ways of completing the task, but we will be going with option that I choose.”
Give me an example of dealing with a customer complaint?
It often comes down to the supervisor to deal with any customer complaints.
Dealing with customer complaints requires a variety of skills:
Communication
Listening
Assertiveness
Confirming
Professionalism
The three steps for dealing with a customer complaint are:
Listening
Confirming
Resolving
Start the interview answer, by explaining the reasons a customer would make a compliant and detail the above three steps. Ideally, give an example of completing the customer complaint task.
An example of helping an awkward customer is when I was working at X company as a (job role). A customer was (complaining/being angry/being awkward) because (reason).
“Retail customers may complain about employees, cost increases on stock, or being overcharged. As someone with (number of years) experience in (customer facing role) I have successfully resolved customer complaints.
First, I listened to the complaint without interrupting, as it’s important to let me let the customer share their concerns. I then asked specific questions to understand the situation better without making assumptionsand to confirm what the customer had stated.
Finally I ask, what was the best way to resolve their issue and share the options I am able to offer there and then. This helped the customer to relax as they felt they were being listened to and supported, resulting in (positive outcome).
An example of this was when (customer complaint), I then clarified what the customer had said and offered (options), which resulted in (happy customer).”
How would you manage your time working in a busy store?
Quality Save is a fast paced retail environment, where now two days are the same.
A supervisor, therefore, must be able to manage their workload, prioritising tasks depending on individual circumstances.
The time management question is really asking – how do you prioritise your workload?
Each week, in the supermarket, there will be regular daily tasks; planning staff cover, stock taking, stock rotation, staff meetings. Plus additional ad-hoc duties that randomly pop up depending on workload and the time of year, with Christmas, as an example, being one of the busiest periods.
When answering the interview question: how do you manage your time (or workload). Split the interview answers into two sections – regular tasks and ad-hoc duties.
“As a supervisor, I know that each day will be different. But embedded into each day will be business-as-usual tasks; staff management, stock inventory, assisting the store manager with stock projections.
For these duties, I prioritise each task depending on the level of urgency and importance. As all these tasks happen weekly, I can easily split each task over a period of a week.
In addition, throughout my working week, new urgent tasks can appear such as several staff being of work at the same time, or an increase in customers during the Christmas period. When new ad-hoc tasks present themselves, which are urgent, I will delegate some of the regular duties to other staff while I prioritise the new job which often has a short deadline.”
Do you have any questions for me?
Each hiring manager during all job interviews will ask each interviewee if they have any questions for the employer.
Knowing that the final ‘ask me’ question will be asked, a set of questions needs to be prepared.
Can you talk me through the training that you offer at Quality Save?
What are the busiest times of the year?
How do you compete with other supermarkets?
Why do you like working for Quality Save?
What is the average duration of staff member working for Quality Save?
This site uses the ‘LMI for All’ online data portal to access official government ‘big data’ sources. This powers the labour market data provided on this site.
Job interview preparation is key to a successful job interview outcome.
Each job applicant should first reflect on their past job interview performances and take the interview identity test to understand how they are viewed by an employer.
Once a career professional is aware of their interview identity, the next stage is to understand the commonly asked job interview questions.
With a list of interview questions, the job applicant is then ready to write, edit and practice their interview answers using the templates below.
Interviewees must add their own stories, real-life examples, facts, and figures, plus embed industry jargon.
To pass a job interview, a successful applicant only needs to score higher than the other (on average) 6-7 interviewees.
A large list of job interview questions and answers
Each interview question will come with an explanation of how to answer the question, to help each applicant highlight the value they can offer a new employer.
Remember hiring managers are looking for a potential employee to stand out – What can you offer that others can’t? What is your industry knowledge and expertise? What personal skills would add value?
Job Interview Question:
Tell me about yourself?
The most commonly asked question during the recruitment process.
You will be asked this interview question in some form.
Give a short statement about your education, experiences, and skills relevant to the job position you are applying for.
Highlight your main strength and/or achievement and your duration in the sector and/or education
Keep each selling point brief, as you can explain each point again in more detail throughout the interview
End this answer with a reason why you’re looking for a new job
“In total, I have over X number of years experience working as a (job role). In (year) I gained a (qualification). Throughout my extensive work experience in (sector), I have (key selling point) and (second unique selling point). I have applied for this role because (company interest) and due to my passion for (job duty).”
Job Interview Question:
Why did you leave your last job?
Be positive when answering this tricky job interview question.
Stay away from any negativity or complaints about previous managers, working conditions, or colleagues.
Hiring managers like to hear that you left for a good opportunity or reason, rather than a tall tale.
Start the answer with a postive reflection on the previous workpalce
Explain what excited you about your last position
End with a (positive) reason for leaving
“I enjoyed working at (company name) as I was able to (achievement). The (aspect of the company culture) was good as this allowed me to (positive action), which resulted in (positive result). The work was exciting, as I was able to (work undertaken) which allowed me to gain (skills). It was a difficult choice to make, but I am leaving the role because (positive opportunity).”
Job Interview Question:
What experience do you have in this field?
State criteria on the job specification
Frame the answer in the positive
Relate previosu experiene to the duties of the new job role
“I have over X number of years working in this field. During my time working as a (job role) I have successfully been able to (big achievement). This is because of my ability to (skill/action). During my time in the sector, I have undertaken a number of roles/worked on projects including (name specific duties, projects, and achievements). What I can bring to your team, is the ability to (key actions and skills).”
Job Interview Question:
Do you consider yourself a successful person?
Never give a short ‘yes’ answer. And never, ever, answer with a ‘no’.
The job interview panel is looking for evidence of sector-related knowledge and experience that they can reference against the job interview scorecard.
This means that the job interview answer requires substance.
Talk about industry success, relating the answer to the job criteria.
“I am highly successful. Throughout my career I have been (involved/a leader of/part of a team) that was responsible for (overcoming a barrier/facing a job-related challenge). An example of this was when I was working at X, and I had to (actions) to help achieve an (outcome). The secret of my success is my ability to (unique selling point)”
Job Interview Question:
How would your colleagues describe you?
To make a lasting impression, use quotes rather than just stating that employees would be positive towards you.
Quotes sound more powerful, more believable.
“I’m lucky, throughout my career I have worked with some great people which helps to be successful within a task or when working on a project. My previous colleagues have always had respect for my dedication, work ethic,and (add third skill/quality). In my previous position, I was always known as (positive attribution). (Name of manager), my line manager, would often say (positive quote). In fact, this reputation has been with me throughout my career. When I was working at X, my manager there would also say (positive quote)”
Job Interview Question:
Are you applying for any other jobs?
It’s rare that a career professional only applies for one position.
In truth, once a job hunter starts searching for positions they are likely to apply for at least 10 roles.
The ‘number of other jobs’ interview question is asked to check if the applicant will have loyalty to the organization – if the applicant is only applying for this one role, they must really want to work for the organization.
So, the reality (employees applying for numerous positions) and the employers ideal (the applicant only applying for the one job role) is a mismatch.
“I have applied for a few positions. For each job I come across, I research the company to check if we could collaborate successfully together. I am always interested in (company culture/projects/reputation). I was really excited to receive the job interview offer for this position, because during my research I learned (amazing fact) about the company, which helped me realise that this is the type of company I would want to work for above all the other vacancies I successfully applied for”
Job Interview Question:
What salary are you looking for?
Prior to the job interview, in preparation for the ‘salary’ interview questions, career professionals must:
Check the salary average for the advertised role
Complete the interview identity test to understand how an employer perceives them during the recruitment process – as this affects the salary offer
Check if the position is one that high salaries can be negotiated – as for many roles, the negotiation is within a salary band, not open.
“Due to my extensive experience within the sector, where I have the (skill/experience) to (unique selling point) which can result in (financially linked selling point) as well as having (second unique selling point) I am looking for a position with a salary of (add amount)”
Job Interview Question:
How long will you stay with our organisation?
Employers spend around 33% of their profits on recruitment.
The employment duration interview question is based on the requirement to employ staff members who won’t leave after a short period of time.
What an employer is looking for here is reassurance.
“I am looking for a position within an organization that I know I can add value to. I prefer not to jump from job to job, and only take offered roles where I can see myself staying for a long period of time. I really like the sound of the (company/job role) and if I was successful I would hope to be here for many more years to come.”
Job Interview Question:
If you could, would you retire right now?
Some job interview questions do, on the face of it, sound a little random.
Successful interviewees also reflect on a potential interview question to better understand the hidden reason for the said question to be asked.
Everyone wants to retire, don’t they?
The truth is not everyone does wants to retire. In fact, for some career professionals, their job is their life.
This is what is at the bottom of the ‘retirement’ interview question. What is really being asked is – are you passionate about your chosen line of work or is it just a pay ticket?
“No, I wouldn’t retire. I am very passionate about what I do and I am especially focused on (long-term achievement). For me, a job isn’t just a salary it’s about (state passion/reasons for working in the industry).”
Answering the ‘what are you looking for in a job question?’ with salary, working near home, or any other ‘wants’ will only result in a lack of job offers.
Employers will score high interview answers that state a liking for the job criteria.
“The three key things I look for in a job are (generic criteria 1, 2 and 3). More specifically I excel in (describe company culture). Because I am skilled at X, I always work well when (state a duty/task you perform well).”
Job Interview Question:
What motivates you to be your best?
This interview question is looking at an applicant’s personal motivation.
The motivational traits must match the job criteria.
As an example, stating that you are motivated while working with others as part of a team would score high for a team role position but not when working in a job role that requires an employee to work on their own initiative.
A second way to answer the ‘motivation’ question is by focusing the answer on a vision – the same vision the company has.
“I am a highly motivated person who enjoys (sector-related outcome). I am at my best when I (job-related criteria 1, 2, and 3). What helps to keep me motivated is my personal goal to (a goal linked to the employer’s company vision).”
Job Interview Question:
Are you willing to work overtime?
The ‘overtime’ question is only asked in a recruitment process when the employer needs employees to have a flexible approach to their working hours.
If asked the overtime question, and offered the position, there will be an expectation for the applicant to work more than their standard hours.
“Yes, I am always happy to work additional hours. In my last position, we would often work overtime during busy periods such as Christmas or at the financial year-end. I understand the importance of not letting customers down, which sometimes means the team needs a flexible approach.”
Job Interview Question:
Are you happy working on a shift pattern?
Unlike the ‘overtime’ question, the shift pattern question isn’t asked as an unwritten rule that employees, once employed, will be expected to work on a shift rota.
There is a legal amount of hours an employer can force an employee to work, hence why the hiring manager checks flexibility.
If the employer only recruited shift workers, those hours would be made clear in the job advert.
The ‘shift-work question then is asked by hiring managers who recruit a large number of employees; some working shift patterns and others on a more traditional 9-5 schedule.
The question is often asked during a large recruitment drive and, in the main, doesn’t affect the hireability of the candidate.
Answers, then, should be honest.
If you are unwilling to work shift patterns let them know, and if you prefer a shift pattern (that often comes with a higher salary) then state this preference.
Even if the answer to the shift-pattern interview questions affects the likelihood of being recruited, honesty is still the best policy. If you dislike shifts and get recruited for a position that works on various shifts, it is unlikely that you would enjoy the role.
“I read that the role might include shift work and I am very happy to work on a shift-rota”
Job Interview Question:
Are you willing to relocate?
When an employer requires you to relocate, they would have stated this in the job specification so the questions shouldn’t come as any real surprise.
What is sometimes not clear is the location or locations where the job role may be.
“The idea of relocating is one of the elements that drew me to this role. I researched the (location) and I am really excited about the idea of living there. To help me decide whether or not to apply for the role I undertook some research to check things like house prices, crime levels, and general living conditions – did you know that (share positive fact about location)?”
Job Interview Question:
Are you willing to put the interest of the organisation ahead of yours?
Hard-hitting job interview questions are, in the main, only asked for high-paid and high-skilled job roles.
For this level of employment, hiring managers need a career professional who will go above and beyond, an employee who isn’t just applying because they need a salary.
High-level positions will require decisive action when problems occur. During a big crisis, for example, a company-level hack, the IT project manager would be expected to come back from leave to help solve the problem.
“Of course, at this level, it is important to hire someone who has the company interest at heart. When I work for an organization, I give it my all. As an example, while working at X a (problem) occurred. At the time I was (on holiday or other situational problem) but due to the urgency and risk of the (problem) I (actions taken). My actions and my commitment to the company interest resulted in a (positive outcome).”
Job Interview Question:
Describe yourself as a person?
This question is perfect for rule two of a successful job interview; be a self-promoter.
First, think about the job specification, the duties you will perform, and the culture of the organisation.
When selling yourself, talk only about the skills and qualities you have that are relevant for the advertised position.
“I am a (quality) (quality) and (quality) individual who specialises in (skill). When working on (sector-related task) I am able to (achievement) due to my (skill/quality). Colleagues and stakeholders describe as (quality) due to my ability to (achievement). My key strength is my ability to (skill/achievement) which I achieve due to (skill/quality).”
Job Interview Question:
What is your philosophy for working?
A career or working philosophy is similar to an organisations mission.
A one-line that accomplishes who you are and what you want to achieve in your career.
Think of the philosophy, as a career identity.
Don’t be tempted to give a deep long answer here, keep it short, sweet, and positive;
“I would say my work philosophy is (add selling line, as an example – completing tasks on time and to a high standard”
Job Interview Question:
Would you say that you are overqualified for this position?
Why are hiring managers concerned about an applicant’s level of qualification?
The truth is, one of the elements of the hiring decision is the likelihood of the duration of the candidate’s time employed within the organisation.
A high-level qualification in a specific field is generalized as the applicant, ideally, wanting a job in the sector related to their degree.
This means, from the employer’s perspective, if the highly qualified applicant is offered the advertised role, they are likely to hand in their notice within the year, leaving the employer to re-recruit.
The interview answer, therefore, must reassure the interview panel that the applicant is passionate about role/job sector/company.
“No, not at all. My qualification is in a completely different field. This was a sector I was previously interested in when I was a lot younger. My goal is to work as a (job role) which is why I applied for this position. My qualification did teach me (knowledge) which can be used when doing (job duty for new role). I am also thinking of undertaking a qualification in (qualification relating to new role).”
Job Interview Question:
How would you describe your work ethic?
Work ethic is becoming a key recruitment factor.
In fact, more employers are using strength-based job interview questions as part of the structured job interview.
Work ethic basically means – how hard-working are you?
The ‘work-ethic’ interview question is another opportunity for an applicant to sell themselves.
Answers with examples do well for this job interview question.
“I have always been a hard worker. When I am working on a task I put my all into it, as I enjoy seeing the end result from my hard work. As well as meeting deadlines and targets, the quality of my work is also important to me. I always ensure that tasks are completed to the best of my ability and I never take shortcuts that would risk the quality of my work. An example of my work ethic is (give example).
Job Interview Question:
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
An applicant’s character can be an indication of their work ethic.
The ‘what do you enjoy doing outside of work?’ question is a sneaky way of asking about a person’s characteristics.
Common mistakes when replying to this interview question, include saying:
Socialising with friends
Nothing really
Watching TV
Bars and clubs
On the web
When answering the question, focus on areas of your life that highlight skills, qualities, and work ethic. This could include:
Volunteering
Having a side hustle business
Self-published author
Fundraising
Being a carer
What is important is to detail the skills, knowledge, or experience gained from the task that can be of use to the new employer.
“I currently do X. What I like about this role, is that I have gained (skills/qualities) which would be of use when performing (task). For the last X number of years, I have also been involved in X which has taught me the value of (skill/quality). While doing X I was praised for (skill) and was lucky enough to gain a (qualification in X).”
Job Interview Question:
Why did you apply for this position?
The interview answer to the ‘why this role?’ question can be split into two sections.
First, talk about your passion for the job sector/job role and how this is part of your long-term career objective.
Second, explain why you want to work for their organisation. Make this personal – you don’t just want any job, you want a job with (employer).
“My career goal has always been to work in (sector). For the past X years,I have been working as a (job role) gaining (skills and experiences). During this time I have gained (sector-related qualifications) that have given me the knowledge to (job duty). As a highly skilled and experienced (job role) I am able to (future achievement). I applied for this particular role because I have always wanted to work for an organisation that (describe company culture, projects the company works on, or the company’s mission and vision).”
Job Interview Question:
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
Employer requirements, for a new member of staff, vary depending on the size of the organisation, the industry the employer is involved in, and the type of job being advertised.
Some employers will look for an employee who will grow and be promoted within the company, while others need a skilled applicant who will work long-term in the one role. One employer may require an innovative individual, while a second needs someone who will follow strict processes and procedures.
The answer to the ‘5 years time’ question will vary depending on the above criteria. This is why rule 1 of a successful job interview is, identify the job criteria. As knowing what is important to the employer will assist in the decision of what to reference during the interview.
In all cases, the employer is wanting to hear that the candidate is wanting to stay within their organsiation.
“Before applying for the position I researched your company and found that (state three things you like about the organisation). It was the company’s (reference something from the company’s values/mission) that inspired me to apply because I am also motivated by (reference the value/mission). As I am passionate about (job role) and I feel this company is the perfect fit for myself, I can see myself working here, successfully collaborating with yourself to achieve (outcome).”
Skill related job interview questions
Employers will ask a number of ‘skill’ related job interview questions to understand how competent the potential employee will be once employed.
Job Interview Question:
Are you a good team member?
Team member interview questions are asked in a high number of job interviews.
Even for roles where, in the main, the employee works alone. In this situation, the employer is looking for a ‘big picture’ understanding – how the various departments are part of a larger team.
Most commonly, the teamwork question is asked to applicants who are applying for a team role.
“In all my previous roles I have worked as part of a team. I enjoy teamwork as collectively the team has a wider range of skills and experiences that they can bring to a project. Within a team, I often take the role of a (add role) as I am able to (actions) that help the team to achieve an objective. When need I can (2nd team role). As an example when working in a team to achieve (outcome) we faced (problem) and I (state actions took) which resulted in (outcome).”
Job Interview Question:
Why should we hire you?
For every advertised role, around 6-8 applicants are interviewed.
Each applicant has the skills and/or experience for the advertised role. The ‘why should we hire you?’ interview question, is really asking ‘why should we hire you and not one of the other interviewees?’
To pass a job interview, an applicant only needs to score higher – be seen as more employable, than the other 6-7 interviewees.
To answer this interview question, highlight your unique selling points.
“By hiring me you will gain an employee who has extensive success of (achievement). In addition,I have a proven track record of (A and B). As an employee, I am (add a list of qualities). But the main reason why you should hire me is because of my ability to (unique selling point).”
Job Interview Question:
Why did you leave your last job?
Many hiring managers believe that past behaviors predict future actions.
Employers request the reason for leaving a past employer, to compare the answer to their own company culture.
In addition, many hiring managers will review the number of positions an applicant has held over a small number of years.
The frame of the interview answer must be positive. Avoid, at all cost, any criticism of past employers.
“I enjoyed my time at X company. While working there as a (job role) I was involved in (projects) which gave me experience in (duties). Throughout my time there, I have gained a variety of skills, including A, B, and C. I am now in the position to use this collective experience in another role, which is why I am here today applying for the position of (job role).”
Job Interview Question:
In what way would you be an asset to us?
The ‘asset’ question allows an applicant to discuss any unique selling points not already covered throughout the recruitment process.
For the ‘asset’ question give a look forward – draw a picture of you succeeding in the workplace.
“As someone who is skilled at X, I know that we would work well together. As an example. If you imagine me working for you in 3 months’ time on a (project). I would first (state actions) as this would (state benefit). Then to gain a (positive outcome) I would use my (skill/knowledge/contacts) to gain (outcome). Finally, when ending a (project) I would (action) to help any future tasks.”
Job Interview Question:
Tell me about a suggestion you have made?
Many of the interview questions asked during the recruitment process, give an insight into the culture of the company.
As an example, some industries are process-driven whereas others are more creative.
The ‘suggestion’ questions indicate that the employer is looking for solution-focused and innovative employees who can see the ‘big picture’.
“There have been a couple of times that I have made I suggestions to (overcome a problem) that have been taken up by the company. An example of this is when I was a (job role) at (organisation). One of the problems we faced was (problem) At first the company tried to (action) but this only resulted in (very little change). Due to my (knowledge/experience), I knew that (potential solution) would work, I suggested this and created a plan of action/project plan which resulted in (positive outcome).”
Job Interview Question:
Do your co-workers ever irritate you?
The frame of the interview question can easily influence the job applicant to answer with a negative answer.
Instead, re-frame the interview answer by focusing on how you work well with colleagues.
“I am a people person, so generally I get on well with everyone. As a professional with X number of years experience in (industry),I have worked with a variety of colleagues and stakeholders. The experience has helped me to understand the various personalities people have, and how their temperament makes people react in a different way to the same challenge. This knowledge of people’s personalities helps me to build rapport with others.”
Job Interview Question:
What makes a successful manager?
This is a management role question, but the question is asked across all job roles – with the hiring manager replacing the job title at the end of the question.
Answer the question by discussing the skills the (position) requires and the criteria on the job specification.
End with an example of you being successful.
“There 3 key skills that make a good (job role). this first is A, the second B, and the third C. A (job role) task is to (main objective). By doing (A, B, and C) a (job role) will be successful. An example of me being successful is when I was working at (company name) and I had (task). To ensure a good result I (took action) which had a (positive outcome).”
Job Interview Question:
What are your strengths?
The ‘strength’ question is one of the most commonly asked job interview questions.
The openness of this interview questions gives the candidate the opportunity to talk about their unique selling point.
When creating an interview answer, the interviewee should think about the job criteria, the main skills and strengths required for the job role, and any additional information that makes them stand out from the crowd.
“I have been told by my previous manager that I am highly skilled at (task). But when I reflect on my key strengths, two come to mind. My first strength is my ability to (task). When working on (task) my (skill) and (quality) ensure (a positive result). My second strength is related to (job duty). I have always been skilled at (skill) which helps when I (task).”
In the main, a job applicant will fall into the trap of listing several weaknesses or areas of development.
A focus on negatives will only result in a low-scoring answer, or at worse the employer believing the applicant is unsuitable for the advertised position.
What the ‘weakness’ interview question is really asking is, ‘how do you develop yourself?’
“Everyone has areas of development. What is important, is to be able to reflect on the actions taken for previous projects and then review weaknesses and learning needs. As an example, when working at (company name) my team’s task was to (add detail). After completing this task I realised that I need to improve (knowledge/skill) so I undertook (training/research/mentoring)to develop this (skill/knowledge). Whenever I recognize a professional development need, I always take action to resolve this, as I am keen to become the best (job role) I can be.”
Job Interview Question:
What is your dream job?
A common reply to the ‘dream job’ interview question is: ‘This job!’.
Employers hate this type of interview answer as it comes across as trying to please. And, it is something a dishonest interview identity is likely to say
What a hiring manager is really trying to uncover, with this interview question, is the specific reasons for applying for a job in the employer’s industry.
“What is important for me in a career is the chance to (achieve vision). I really enjoy roles where I can (job criteria) and (job criteria). In all my previous roles I have been drawn to positions that (job criteria), as this meets with my (skillset/values/mission). “
Job Interview Question:
What would a past employer say about you?
Hiring managers use the ‘past employer’ question to catch an applicant out, depending on their previous working relationships.
For a future employee who only has praise from previous managers, this great becomes an excellent ‘selling’ answer.
“They would want me to come back! All my previous employers hold me in high esteem. This is because of my ability to (complete tasks), as well as my (personal skill) and (work attitude). I remember in my exit interview with my last employer, they said (add positive quote).”
Job Interview Question:
If you were the interviewer, what type of person would you look for?
Describe yourself, without making it too obvious.
When talking about personal skills and experiences, make these relevant to the job criteria.
“As the main objective of this role is to X, the ideal applicant would need to have experience in X and be highly knowledgeable on (subject). As well I possessing this industry knowhow, I would look to hire someone with (personal skills and qualities) to ensure the team collaborated successfully together.”
Knowledge and Competencies Interview Questions
Industry knowledge and experience are one of two axes that create each of the sixteen interview identities.
To be seen as being employable, each candidate must highlight a high level of knowledge around the job role.
A hiring manager only knows about the candidate, what they have been told by the candidate.
Job Interview Question:
What do you know about this organisation?
Research is key prior to preparing for the job interview, especially when asked the ‘about us’ interview question.
Research the company and become knowledgeable about the following criteria:
The duration the organisation has been in business
Why the company was formed
Thier vison and mission
What services/products the company offers
Future projects or collaberations
“The reason I applied for this role in the first place was due to your (vision) and this is in line with what I want to achieve as part of my career. What I also like about the company is that it was formed because of (reason) and is now successfully in its (year) of operation. You have a reputation for being (positive trait) and for (second positive trait).”
Job Interview Question:
Why do you want to work here?
Stand out from the crowd, by using the research gained from the ‘about us’ question to state an answer to show a real understanding of the company.
“As a career professional, I’m not just applying for any job. I am only attending interviews for a position in an organisation that I can see myself succeeding in. I choose (company name) because I follow your company and I know, from my research, that long-term you want to (long term business objective). The barrier you will face will be (state problems to objective). My skills and experience in (job sector/role) will help you to achieveyour objective by (state knowledge and experience you can bring to the team).”
Job Interview Question:
What have you done to improve yourself over the last 12 months?
Globalisation, technology, customer demand, and artificial intelligence, and big-data are rapidly changing the career market and business operational strategies.
Employers, therefore, require employees who are willing and proactive in their continuous professional development.
“I am constantly reflecting on my work, skills, and knowledge and looking at ways to develop myself, both professionally and personally. Over the last 12 months, I have undertaken several development opportunities. The first was (work-related CPD) this taught me the importance of (learning). The second was to help me with (personal skill) as I know this skill is highly important when (job duty) and the third was (knowledge related CPD) which has allowed me to understand why (potential barrier).”
Job Interview Question:
Do you know anyone who works here?
Association plays a big part in this answer. At a basic level, the min takes short-cuts and jumps to conclusions.
The employers ask this interview question because by knowing another employee you will have a better understanding of the job role and company culture, meaning that you are happy with the working conditions.
But by referencing you know an employee, who has a strong work-ethic reputation, the positive association from the employee you know is transferred to you the applicant.
“I know (name) who works in (department). He worked on (project/team) for the last (number of years)He explained the company culture, the vision of the organisation and how you (selling point). He made me excited about wanting to apply for a job here.”
Job Interview Question:
Have you ever had to fire anyone?
This management interview question is just one of several job interview questions that is asking for a specific experience. In all job roles, across all job sectors, job applicants will be asked for examples of how they can complete or have completed various job duties.
Examples are best used here. Or an explanation of the steps you would take to complete the task.
“While working at (company) one of my team was constantly not meeting her targets. To support staff member I (actions taken) and work closely with the staff member to (improve). Over several months I supported the staff member and did notice a slight improvement but nowhere near the average number of (sales/referrals/etc). At this stage, it was the company procedure to implement their warning process which included a creation of an action plan, regular meetings, and (any other requirement).
In the end, we felt we had done all we could to support the member of staff and in the end had to let her go. The member of staff actually agreed this was the best choice and thank us for all the support over the last several months”
Job Interview Question:
Have you ever been asked to leave a position?
As employers can request references, it is important to be truthful here.
This type of interview question is asked during an informal job interview and can come out of the blue. So be ready.
If you have never been asked to leave a previous position, simply say: “No, never”
If you have been in a situation where you were asked to leave the organsiation, answer with:
“X number of years ago, I was asked if I would like to leave the job role. It was a (make the job seem less important: part-time job, my first job after leaving school, a secondary job). The position didn’t suit as I am a (add skills relevant to the new position) and the company focused on (add a re-frame IE quantity over quality).”
Job Interview Question:
What kind of person would you refuse to work with?
Interview questions that talk about other staff members are designed to uncover if the applicant would fit in well with the current team and the culture of the company.
“As a people person, I always get on well with everyone I meet. Throughout my career, I have worked successfully with people who have different experiences, knowledge, and personalities. So I am happy to work with most people. Obviously, I prefer not to work with someone who is lazy or demotivated, But sometimes my personality actually motivates colleagues to work harder.”
Job Interview Question:
Have you ever had a problem with a supervisor?
This question must be answered positively to have any chance of being offered the job role.
“No never. Communication is key for a good working relationship with a supervisor or manager. If there is any negativity in the workplace I can quickly resolve this by having a conversation and looking at what we can do together to overcome any problems.”
Job Interview Question:
How do you approach a project?
Project approach questions are asked in job interviews for all types of positions, not just project management roles.
When answering the question, state a step-by-step process that the applicant utilises.
“The first step is to review the (project brief/task objective). I will often then look at lessons learned from previous (projects/tasks). The project is then broken down into manageable steps, with each step having a deadline date. I look at the risk of each step and if needed create a risk plan. Finally, I delegate and distribute workloads, and set up regular reviews.”
Job Interview Question:
What has disappointed you in a previous job?
Some interview questions sound like a trap. Each interview answer must be framed as a positive to help create a high-scoring answer.
“I have enjoyed all my previous roles. In some positions, the job was challenging but I enjoy the pressure of a challenge. An example of this is when (challenge) and I was able to (actions) that ended with a (positive outcome).”
Job Interview Question:
Can you work under pressure?
Pressure for one person is viewed as a negative, while for others they thrive under pressure. The answer, therefore, needs to state how you handle pressurised situations.
“All jobs have pressure points. Preparing for pressurised situations comes down to how you manage workload. To manage my workload I (explain how you prioritise tasks). I also work with others to (collaborate/delegate to) and I use (technology) to help manage day-to-day tasks. This organised approach takes the pressure off. “
Job Interview Question:
How do you know when you have been successful with a task?
There are many ways to monitor success, depending on the industry the job is in. Employers are looking for applicants to understand when they are working well within the role:
The job has been completed on time
The task has been completed to a good standard
When your customers walk away happy
When you employer tells you
When you have job satisfaction
“There are two ways I monitor my success, one is through (a data related example) and the second is (through a personal satisfaction or customer feedback).”
Job Interview Question:
Give an example of learning from a mistake?
Behavioral job interview questions require an example.
Focused the answer on what was learned, rather than the mistake itself.
“When I was part of a team working on (project name) the group didn’t have (knowledge/experience) to complete (task). As I knew this was an area of development for myself, I decide to action and undertake (training/qualification/research). A year later, the same team working on another (project/task) came across a similar problem, but this time due to my ability to learn from past mistakes, I was able to (give advice/take charge/share knowledge).”
Job Interview Question:
Do you have any blind spots?
The blind-spot interview question is another way to ask about weaknesses.
With the weakness question, which is asked more in a structured job interview, the ideal answer will focus on ‘lessons learned’. For the informal question ‘do you have any blindspots’ the answer can be shorter and more to the point:
“Not that I know off, if I ever discover a weakness I quickly take action to improve this area of development.”
Job Interview Question:
Do you have enough experience for this position?
This follow-up interview question is most commonly asked when an applicant hasn’t been given detailed enough answers that show a high level of competencies.
Employers, who may have been initially impressed by the interviewee’s application form, is having doubts. The interviewee is likely to be viewed with a weak interview identity.
This means the career professional must reinforce their suitability.
“Yes, I do. You are looking for an employee who can (main job criteria) and I have been working as a (job role) for (number of years) completing (main job criteria). In fact, I excel at (main job criteria). Let me share with you an example of this: When I was working at (company) my main task was (main job criteria) where I had to (state duties). In addition, I am skilled at (second job criteria). After (x number of years) in the sector, I have spent (X number of years) completing (second job criteria). There isn’t a (problem/task) in this role that I don’t have experience in.”
Job Interview Question:
What qualities do you look for in a manager?
Use a generic positive answer for ambiguous job interview questions.
“A boss who is knowledgeable, fair, loyal”
The skills needed in a specific sector are recorded on the job specification if the hiring manager requires someone who is creative (or any other job criteria) say:
“A manager who will allow me to be creative (criteria) ..”
Job Interview Question:
What is your role when working in a team?
Talking about a specific role within a team, offers the job applicant a chance to showcase a variety of skills relevant for teh advertised position.
“My natural role within a team is (state role). This is due to my natural ability to (task) and (task). I have a (personal quality) that allows me to easily (task). In addition, as a team member, I am skilled at (supporting role) which is due to may (quality) and (quality).”
Job Interview Question:
What would you say is your biggest achievement?
Only discuss work-based achievements that are relevant to the job role. Ideally, talk about overcoming a well-known industry challenge.
“As you know one of the biggest barriers we face in our industry is (sector-related problem). When working at a previous company, they also struggled with this particular problem. I was given the task of finding the solution. To find the solution I first (generated ideas), tested my theory, and then created a plan of action. The result was (positive outcome).”
Job Interview Question:
Why did you choose this career?
This interview question is a great opportunity to highlight your passion for your job sector.
“I have always wanted a job in (sector) as I am highly passionate about (industry). This started when I was young, I had (explain how you came to know about the sector) and really like the idea of (completing task). The job role really suits my temperament, as a (quality) person, I enjoy (job task). So, this job is perfect for me.”
Job Interview Question:
Tell me about the most fun you have had at work?
Give a specific example of enjoying overcoming a problem or finishing a large project/task – think job satisfaction.
“When working at X, we were working on (task or project. This was a difficult task due to (problem/barrier). We all had to work together, sharing ideas, trying new ways of working, and learning from mistakes. But the hard work and dedication paid off, as, in the end, we were bale to (outcome) which gave me a high level of satisfaction. It was the process of overcoming a big barrier that made this task fun.”
Job Interview Question:
Can you tell me about the gaps in your application/CV?
There are many reasons for gaps in your employment history, which include:
Gap year
Working on short-term contracts
Redundancies
Being a parent
Being a carer
Working in various roles
Think about the generalization an employer may have from the ‘gap’ and reframe this into a positive.
“In (year) I worked at X as a (job role) and then in (year) I started at X company. In between these two job roles I was (reason). This opportunity helped me to gain (skill/experience) that I now use when (completing job duty).”
Job Interview Question:
Do you have any questions?
Most interviewers ask this question and generally towards the end of the interview. Remember to prepare for this, as asking questions will be a great end to an excellent interview.
Don’t ask about salaries or holidays etc until you have been offered a job position.
“Do you have any future plans to expand the company?”
“Does your team work well together?”
“What do you like about working here?”
“Do you have an example of how the company embeds its values in to day-to-day duties?”
“Have you put in any new bids for any new contracts?”
“What is the company’s policy on personal development and training?”
“Where do you see the company being in 5 years time”
“What are you looking for in an employee?”
“What would my first day/week look like?”
“Why did you choose this job/company?”
“What or who is the company’s biggest competitor?”
“How is advancements in technology going to affect the organisation?”
If you are struggling with questions you can end with “I did have several questions planned to ask you, but you have answered these throughout the interview.”
50% of all advertised receptionist job positions are part time roles?
This is due to the large scale of reception jobs. With positions being able in a number of job sectors, from education to construction, from finance to the health sector.
Receptionist jobs are advertised throughout the world, with various salaries and responsibilities, depending on the job sector the receptionist role is being advertised in.
How competitive is a receptionist job interview?
Interview Specifics:
Can you demonstrate the relevant knowledge and experience to pass a receptionist job interview?
How to greet visits in a professional manner
Data inputting, using a variety of IT skills
The process for allocating security passes
Answer enquiries in person, by phone and email
Experience of booking systems
Administrational skills and experience
Knowledge of GDPR
Check the average pay for a receptionist job role.
Below is a list of commonly asked job interview questions for a receptionist role.
Each summary comes with an explanation of the interview question and an example interview answer.
It is important to tweak each interview answer template, making it relevant to the interviewee’s own skills, qualities, experience, and knowledge.
An interviewer’s perception of a job applicant, their interview identity, is made up of the interviewee’s perceived level of knowledge/experience vs their level of confidence during the recruitment process.
The first stage, when preparing for a job interview, is to recognize your own ‘interview identity’.
Job Interview Questions and Answers for a Receptionist
Prior to the official job interview, the panel of interviewers (often 3 staff members, including a direct line manager) will make small talk to help relax the interviewee.
Including, the number of questions that will be asked, who on the interview panel will ask which questions, and how the applicant can ask for a question to be repeated.
They will go to explain the post-interview details; when each candidate will be told if they have been successful or not.
Tell me about your experience working as a receptionist, and what you can bring to the team?
The opening question for a receptionist interview is always an open-style interview question.
The question may be framed slightly differently:
“What is your understanding of a receptionist duties?”
“Why did you apply for a receptionist job role within our company?”
“How does your work experience apply to this position?”
All opening questions, compared to the forthcoming more specific interview questions, allow an applicant to choose how the answer the question.
This ‘choice’ can result in a clever interviewee focusing their answer on their own unique selling point, what they can bring to the team and how they fulfill the job criteria.
It is important, therefore, to be aware of the three rules for a successful job interview.
In short, the initial question is designed for the employer to gain a general overview of the applicants suitable for the receptionist job role.
Start the interview answer with a standout point that will create interest:
A long duration in the industry, as time served is associated with talent: “I have worked as a receptionist for over 12 years…”
A required but rare skill to create interest: “One of my key skills is my ability to (add rare skill)….”
A reference to the industry the receptionist job role is in, which highlights sector knowledge and understanding: “Throughout my career I have always worked in (sector), throughput this time I gained the knowledge to (industry related receptionist task)…”
Next, be more generic list other receptionist duties, being detailed on any duties that the applicant is highly skilled in:
“I have a wide range of experience working as a receptionist and in administrational roles which include: diary management, making appointments over the phone, data inputting, customer service, and in my last role I led on (highly skilled task) where I (add detail)…”
End the interview answer, with a short summary:
“To summarize, I have X number of years and experience and my skill includes A, B, and C.”
What is your knowledge of ITC systems?
In an article on Indeed, they state the following ITC skills are commonly required:
Analytics
Social media
Graphic design
Microsoft Office
Spreadsheets
Email communication
Marketing automation
Data visualization
For certain sectors a particular database may be commonly used, requiring the job applicant to not only be aware of the database but to reference the specific database tasks during the interview answer.
An example is the use of ‘Sims’ in schools or ‘autocad’ in civil engineering.
The ITC question is asked for two reasons, to confirm the interviewee has a basic understanding of ITC systems, including emails, excel, word documents. And, more importantly, any specific sector-related ITC systems.
To answer the technology question, start generic and become more specific, highlighting awareness of the applicant’s level of industry ITC systems and products.
“I am very skilled in a range of ITC skills, including the basics, excel, word, publisher. In fact, my level of (IT system) is above average – I am able to (add specifics details). Because I have worked in the sector for X number of years, I am fully conversed with (sector-related ITC system). I have experience of (add ITC system duties).
An example of this, was when I worked at X organization. We were tasked to X. Because of my knowledge of (ITC system) I personally (action taken) which resulted in (outcome).”
What would you do if the computer system failed?
Most offices are becoming paperless, with digital documents replacing paper, and storage cupboards becoming obsolete as businesses move to storing information in the cloud.
The risk, therefore, is system failure.
Employers need receptionist staff to be able to pro-actively respond to difficult ITC situations.
ITC system failure questions may be more specific depending on the sector the advertised receptionist job role is in:
“How would you gain customer information if the database crashes?”
“How do you recover lost documents in Word?”
“How do you backup databases to prevent loss of information encase of a hack?”
The best way to answer the specific ITC question is via a real-life example. Stating a past experience highlights the skills the applicant possesses to deal with the stated problem.
“This has actually happened to me. While working at X organization, I arrived early one day in the office to find that (ITC failure). The timing was terrible, as the company had (a deadline, audit, inspection, customer/client meeting, etc).
My manager was stressed and nobody had any idea what to do.
Because of MY excellent ITC skills, I was able to (add actions taken).”
Give me an example of dealing with an awkward customer?
A key task for a receptionist is taking a customer or client’s phone calls, responding to emails, signing for office deliveries, making/confirming appointments, communicating face to face, and screening external stakeholders who are requesting meetings with senior staff members.
This task requires various skills:
Communication
Listening
Assertiveness
Confirming
Professionalism
Customers become ‘awkward’ or frustrated due to many reasons:
Feeling unwell – this especially important to understand in NHS receptionist roles
Having previously trained to get through to a certain person time and time again
Time constrictions – commonly happens with delivery drivers
A customer with a complaint/unhappy customer
Stressed/anxious/annoyed
Start the interview answer, by explaining the reasons a customer or client would be awkward or annoyed (relating to common industry problems).
Follow the opening statement by giving an example of what you would do if a future customer was being awkward.
“In our industry customers can become awkward when X, Y, and Z happen.
In this situation, the best course of action is to remain professional, polite, and to listen to any complaint. It is also important to understand the customer’s point of view and to find common ground. This is because an annoyed customer may leave bad reviews online which could affect the image of the company.
An example of helping an awkward customer is when I was working at X company as a (job role). A customer was (complaining/being angry/being awkward) because (reason).
First, I listened to the complaint without interrupting, as it’s important to let me let the anger out. I then asked specific questions to understand the situation without making assumptions.
I then asked what was the best way to resolve this and shared the options I was able to do there and then. This helped the customer to relax as they felt they were being listened to and supported, resulting in (positive outcome).”
What information would you take from a client who is looking to book an appointment?
Accuracy is key for a receptionist job role.
The specific interview question around what information to take from a client appointment booking could easily be asked for a number of receptionist job duties:
“How would you confirm a meeting request?”
“In what way would you ensure the accuracy of a data inputting task?”
“When speaking to a customer on the telephone what information do you need to take?”
A receptionist is often the first point of call, an information receiver, and giver, and often for many businesses the gatekeeper – deciding which persons get put through to senior staff members, and which don’t.
It is the information gained that allows the receptionist to the decision of who speaks to who. The wrong decision can result in either, an annoyed senior staff member due to having their time wasted or an outraged stakeholder for not being let through the ‘gate’.
To answer the ‘information’ interview question, state the required steps, specifying what information is needed:
“I am highly experienced in booking client appointments. When a client telephones for an appointment I first check who the client is; their name, DOB, and address. Requesting the DOB and address is a check to ensure that the person calling is the client and not a fraud caller.
Next, I check the reasons for the appointment. And the availability of the department. Once a date and time have been agreed, I would send a reminder to each of the appointment attendees via email.
This strategy ensures the accuracy of the appointment and reduces any errors.”
How would you arrange your working day?
Receptionists either work within a small team of receptionists (commonly seen in the healthcare service) or on their own initiative (receptionist in a small office).
Either way, the receptionist has to manage their own workload.
The time management question is really asking – how do you prioritise your workload?
For each receptionist, there will be a list of regular daily and/or weekly tasks, plus additional ad-hoc duties that randomly pop up depending on workload.
When answering the interview question: how do you arrange your day (or workload). Split the interview answers into two sections – regular tasks and ad-hoc duties.
“Each day is different. Generally speaking, I will have a set of regular tasks; checking emails, confirming appointments, updating finance information, taking phone call,s and completing a range of administrational tasks.
For these duties, I prioritise each task depending on the level of urgency and importance. As all these tasks happen weekly, I can easily split each task over a period of a week.
In addition, throughout my working week, new urgent tasks will land on my desk. This could include the month-end finance report that needs double-checking, or an influence of customers due to a new promotion.
When new ad-hoc tasks present themselves, which are urgent, I will delegate some of the regular duties to other staff while I prioritise the new job which often has a short deadline.”
Give an example of being GDPR compliant?
GDPR is a fairly new regulation that has a large impact on the responabilities of receptionists.
Most employers will deliver GDPR and data protection training for all new recruits. For the job interview, hiring managers want to ensure that the successful interviewee has enough awareness to not breach the GDPR regulations.
In the interview answer cover the following 3 points:
GDPR Training
Daily actions taken not to breach GDPR
Any additional knowledge
“Due to my previous roles requiring me to handle sensitive personal data I have undertaken a range of GDPR and data protection training.
I am fully versed in (add GDPR regulation related to the sector you are in)
On a daily basis, I follow GDPR by ensuring that all personal data is kept in lockable cabinets, using unique passwords on the various IT systems, and locking my computer when I’m away from my desk.
Because in our (sector) we deal with (sector-related sensitive data) I am also aware of the need to (add actions relating to the sectors sensitive data)”
Do you have any questions for me?
Each hiring manager during all job interviews will ask each interviewee if they have any questions for the employer.
Knowing that the final ‘ask me’ question will be asked, a set of questions needs to be prepared.
How many staff members work in the reception area?
What percentage of the job is customer facing?
What does an average do look like?
Why do you like working for X company?
What CPD is on offer for new staff members?
This site uses the ‘LMI for All’ online data portal to access official government ‘big data’ sources. This powers the labour market data provided on this site.
Job interview preparation is key to a successful job interview outcome.
I know that statement sounds obvious, but research shows that unsuccessful applicants spend an average of 45 minutes in interview preparation, whereas a regular winner of job offers will spend at least 4-5 hours in dedicated interview research, writing answers and practicing public speaking.
The minimum 4-5 hours, for high skilled job roles, should be extended to at least 10 hours due to the level of ability of the competition. For high paid positions other job applicants, with a high level of experience and confidence, will be viewed as a charismatic interviewee.
It is hard to beat a competitor who is seen as highly employable, without adequate preparation and practice.
Each job applicant should first reflect on their past job interview performances and take the interview identity test to understand how they are viewed by an employer.
The 3 Areas of Interview Preparation
Understanding the type of interview they will be attending
Delivery of job interview answers
Content of interview answers
Types of Job Interviews
The duration of the job interview can often hint about type of interview the employer will perform.
Knowing the type of job interview gives a prepared applicant an advantage as they can prepare for specific interview tasks.
A 20 minute interview is often an informal job interview, where there are no set questions – the interview is more of a natural conversation.
The common 45-60 minute recruitment process is a panel interview – a structured job interview, where answers to questions are marked against a set of specific job criteria.
Full-day job interviews consist of an introduction and walk-around (of the premises). A group activity, a practical test, and a panel interview.
These long interview days can be tiring and need additional preparation. Simple tips like eating a healthy breakfast and keeping hydrated can really pay off.
Multiple day interviews are rounds of interviews, where successful applicants are invited back for a second, third, or even fourth interview.
Each interview round is delivered by a specialist who can include an HR member of staff, the direct line manager of the applicant, and an industry expert.
In addition some job interviews will consist of:
A presentation or introduction
Literacy and numeracy test
Demonstration of technical skills
Role play – very common for leadership roles
Problem solving tasks to observe stress resistance
Or, deliver answers to a artificial intelligence recruiter. The AI interview comes in several formats, from the bots guessing at personality traits to applicants having to record interview answers on a video.
No matter the type of interview, the key criteria for a successful job interview outcome is the candidate’s level of confidence.
A confident delivery of answers, the data shows, increases job offers.
Confidence creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. The applicant believing in themselves will give a more detailed answers, will have stronger eye contact and their relaxed appearance is the platform for building a natural rapport with the hiring manager.
Confidence is an expression in non-verbal communication, such as the use of gestures and the candidates posture.
Relaxation increase confidence and confidence improves relaxation (or calmness).
To be more relaxed in a job interview:
Gain job interview exposure
Exposure therapy shows how being exposed to the same stimuli, in our case the job interview environment, reduces the associated anxiety.
The exposure of a job interview – attending a high number of recruitment days and/or mock interviews with an interview coach creates familiarity and familiarity leads to the feeling of control.
This is why preparing interview answers for predicted job interview questions is a key pre-interview preparation. It creates a familiar feeling – I know the answer to this question!
In fact, this is why the career professional who spends 4-5 hours, or more, preparing for the forthcoming interview is more successful than the under-prepared 45-minute applicant – the longer interview preparation often equates to higher number of times to applicant has repeated their interview answers.
Become a skilled orator
The structure of the interview answer, plus the tonality, volume, and pace of the speaker is just as important as the content.
Recruitment research, time and time again, shows how a structured job interview helps to predict the job performance of the pool of interviewees.
This is why a high number of hiring managers have turned to behavioral and situation job interview questions.
Each of the applicant’s answers are marked against the scoring criteria on the employer’s job interview scorecard.
In simple terms, to gain a satisfactory score the job applicants must reference the job criteria.
This is why content is king.
There are three ways to present content:
As a story (giving an example)
Using facts, figures and data
In a logical sequence
Ideally, the savvy interviewee will use a mixture of ways to showcase how they meet the criteria for the position.
A job interview identity is a mixture of content and delivery. An employer will have a positive view of a job applicant who they perceive to have a high level of knowledge and experience and who delivers answers with confidence.
Job Interview Stories
Research using MRIs shows how two people’s brains synchronize when one person is telling a story to another.
Job interview successes come down to the communication of competencies, which is influenced through likeability, unconscious bias, and rapport. “The stronger the coupling, the better the understanding,” said Uri Hasson, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Princeton University.
Giving examples, or stories, activates the brains ‘social interactions’ regions, where the mind becomes focused on what the character is thinking and feeling rather than the sequence of events itself.
In short, the employer when listening to a story or example, will be more able to predict the motivations, emotions, and beliefs of other people – the suitability of the applicant vs the culture of the company.
Facts and Data
Facts, figures and data shouldn’t be ignored.
The conscious part of the mind can process 50 bits of information per second, but the brain receives around 11 million bits of information per second.
The mistake career professionals make, when presenting data, statistics and figures, is that they overwhelm the employer with numbers.
Most information received, is stored in the short-term memory for around 20-30 seconds. The short-term memory is limited to the amount of data it can store. Psychologist George Miller found that people can store between on average 7 items in short-term memory, give or take 1 or 2 items.
Numbers don’t create high-scoring interview answers, stories do. The data, is the evidence to make the story believable.
When presenting data during a job interview, the applicant needs to first give context – the beginning of the story.
Percentages, statistics, data and facts and figures are valid tools to use in a job interview, as the numbers given can shock, inspire or create intrigue.
The framing of data creates a short-cut that influences how the employer hears the evidence, as a positive or negative. An example of this is the marketing frames food products use. One yogurt brand states “This yogurt contains 20% fat” and the other: “This yogurt is 80% fat-free“ Same information, different frame.
Humans like the numerous ways numbers are presented, as the data makes it easy to understand complex information.
The employer’s assumption is: ‘the numbers speak for themselves even though specific evidence may be missing.
Logical Sequence
A second barrier, during a recruitment process, for the short-term memory is being able to follow the interview answer and therefore understand the point the job applicant is making.
The lack of preparation, alongside the anxiety created in an interview environment, often results in interviewees vomiting meaningless information that doesn’t make logical sense.
When asked a question, the human brain is hard-wired to find a response.
In an article on Medium they said: “With the conditions set for the brain to respond to the question, there’s a rush of dopamine. This can have two opposite effects. On the one hand, it might trigger our reward mechanism and we are motivated to go in search of the answers. On the other hand, we might fear giving the wrong answer which makes it more difficult for us to think in a way that will help us provide a worthy response to the question.”
Once asked a question, it is hard for the mind to focus on anything but the question.
The rule of thumb is that an interviewee will be nervous, attempting to find a suitable response that won’t be rejected by the hiring manager.
It is the fear of rejection and the pressure of time, needing to respond to the question instantly, that results in a mind-dump. A mind-dump is when an applicant says whatever comes into their heads.
The problem here, is that humans think of options. If I ask you what restaurant would you like to eat at for your Birthday? You would probably think of several options.
This same thought process happens in a job interview. Once asked a question, the candidate will have several scenarios popping into conscious awareness.
A prepared and practice interviewee doesn’t suffer from a mind-dump, as the repetition of answering predicted questions creates an automatic response; the interviewee starts the delivery of the interview answer without conscious awareness.
What is often misunderstood is the logical sequence required for a high-scoring interview answer.
The nonsensical answer, is created by a splatter-gun approach of random bits of information, data and parts of stories, all confusing the employer.
By having a logical sequence, not only does the employer follow the answer clearly, the interviewee feels more confident.
A large number of job seekers fear the recruitment process, believing that they wont be able to produce a high-scoring job interview answer in the pressurised environment of a job interview.
The truth is, high-scoring job interview answers come from giving specific details. Being confident during the job interview helps with this, as confidence creates relaxation, and being relax helps to stimulate the minds memory functions.
In the main, interviewers across all job sectors follow a similar interview process. By understanding the job interview process, and by predicting the job interview questions, job applicants to prepare high-scoring interview answers.
This article will give a quirk guide on how to answer each of the various job interview questions, a job applicant may be asked during the job interview.
Opening questions
Employers understand that interviewees will be nervous during the recruitment process.
It is also well known that, the more somebody speaks the more confident they become in expressing themselves.
With this in mind, a hiring manager will start of the job interview asking open questions before asking more specific questions, requiring longer and more detailed answers.
The most commonly asked open-ended job interview question is:
“Tell me a little about yourself?”
To answer the ‘tell me about you’ question, answer using a three point process:
State the number of years experience in the industry – as duration is associated with competence
Reference any industry-related questions – as having academic qualifications are viewed as being knowledgeable
Talk using industry jargon – the use of sector related communication has a strong implication of how the employer views the applicants overall suitability
In addition, explain what you can bring to the team – your unique selling points
The second most commonly asked job interview question is:
“Why do you want to work at this organisation?”
The ‘why us’ question has nothing to do with the applicants suitability to complete the job duties, as other interview questions cover this essential criteria. Instead the ‘why us’ question is about employee retention.
Employers ask retention questions due to the average number of years an employee stays within one company.
Research has shown how most career professionals will job-hop once every 3-5 years.
From an employers perspective, having a regularly changing workforce is bad for business. The first 12 months in any job is about the employee becoming familiar with the company processes, procedures and company culture.
The second year helps the employee become competent with business-as-usual duties.
And, in the third year, the employee then starts sharing ideas and bring new suggestions (or business) If the employee starts looking for a new job by year three, from a business perspective, the employer hasn’t gotten value for money.
When answering the ‘why us’ question:
Talk passionately about the company vision, mission and values
Quote positive stories about the company from the local media
Be specific, explain why you would fit in well to the company culture
To prepare for the ‘why us’ question research is virtual.
“Give me an example of X”
Behavioral job interview questions, are interview questions that are framed as a past behavior:
“What did you do in (past) situation?”
“Give me an example of (a past time you did X)?”
“Tell me about a time when you (completed a previous task/duty)?”
“Describe a past project?”
“What has been your key career achievements?”
Employers, therefore, are looking for the job candidate to describe a past real-life scenario.
The job interview answers for most behavioral job interview questions will be an ‘example’ or a ‘story’.
One of the biggest mistakes, when using the example storytelling technique, is a lack of specific actions.
What i mean by this, is that the interviewee will forgot to state the actual actions they took as an individual, and instead will talk about the ‘team’ or worse, not even mention the required actions to achieve a goal or objective.
To give a high-scoring example answer:
Describe the past problem or goal to company/team was facing
State at least 3 actions you took
Explain the positive outcome from the stated actions
In the actions section, job applicants can discuss/expain:
Their decision making process
Influencing stakeholders
Delegation
Actions taken
Reflection techniques
“How would you approach X?”
Competency based job interview questions are part of a structured job interview process. A competency based interview question can take the shape of a ‘behavioral’ question, as described above, or as a future scenario – which is better known as a ‘situational’ job interview question.
Examples include:
“What would you do if (industry related problem) happened?”
“How would you approach (sector task)?”
“How would you handle a disagreement with your manager?”
The idea behind the hypothetical questions, is that it allows the job applicant to share ideas and suggestions from lessons learnt, transferable skills/innovations from a different sector and to describe a new approach they would take, rather then having to describe a past process from a previous role (as required with a behavioral job interview questions).
Hypothetical interview questions can be answered by:
Giving options to highlight breath of knowledge – “In this situation there are two choices”
State the pro’s and cons for each option to show competencies – “…the positive for choice one is….but the negative is….”
Share experience – “…in my experience I would choose (option 1 or 2) because (state reason).”
Technical Interview Questions.
Another type of job interview question that is asked under the ‘structured’ job interview process are the ‘technical’ questions.
Technical job interview questions are designed to test the applicants knowledge and knowhow.
They key to delivering high-scoring technical job interview answers is through confident communication.
Industry models, theories and concepts must be explained in an easy to understand (and follow) manner.
It is best to give a logical, sequential and step by step answer (imagine explaining the technicality to a non-expert).
Technical questions look like:
“What does (industry term) mean?”
“Explain what (industry technology) does?”
“When would you (complete a certain duty/task/step)?
It is important to give detail to highlight sector knowledge and experience, which supports the creation of a positive interview identity:
Closing Questions.
Towards the interview end, employers will finish by asking a few questions around the applicants motivation (or working style):
“How do you work best?”
“What does a successful day look like to you?”
“How do you motivate yourself?”
The ‘personal’ questions are asked to check if the candidate is a fit with the organisational culture.
As previously mentioned, employers are looking to hire someone who is likely to stay with the company for a number of years. Research shows, how by hiring an applicant who would naturally fit-in well with the company culture is more likely to stay within that job role.
When answering the ‘personal’ questions, bets practice says to be yourself – be open and truthful.
In addition, to stating preferences, the applicant can gain additional points on the interview scorecard by following up the stated preferences with an example of (interview question).
The final question is always: “Do you have any questions for us?”
Even though job applicants aren’t scored on the the final ‘what would you like to ask us?’ interview questions, it is virtual to ask something. In fact, a good question can make the applicant highly memorable.
Example Questions to Ask:
“Do you have any future plans to expand the company?”
“Why do you like working here?”
“What is the most challenging part of the role?”
“What is the projected income for the next 12 months?”
“What would I be doing in the first 5 months of the role?”
“What is the average duration of an employee working at the company?”
“Can you tell me a little bit more about the company culture?”
“How do you evaluate success?”
“What is the company’s policy on personal development and training?”
“Where do you see the company being in 5 years time”
The employer’s decision-making process is influenced by the applicant’s perceived level of knowledge and experience vs their level of confidence – the candidate’s interview identity.
Confidence is presumed by the interviewee’s body language, posture, walk, handshake, eye contact, and communication skills.
Therefore the initial impression, when the employer first meets the interviewee, is a key moment.
A confident first impression based on the appearance of an applicant, prior to answering any job interview questions, is an unconscious bias.
Biases act as an initial filter. At a basic level, the bias creates a likeability filter. If an employer has a positive opinion of the applicant, based on their confident initial impression, the interviewer will subconsciously search for evidence to back up their belief.
In short, utilizing confident body language encourages the interviewer to see the applicant as a potential team member.
A second gain to having confident body language is the body-mind cycle.
The mind-body cycle works by a person’s stance, confident or nervous, sends signals to the mind – I am feeling confident or nervous, which creates positive or negative thoughts: “I am going to ace this job interview” or “I am going to fail!”
The negative or positive thoughts, cycle back to the body reinforcing the confident or nervous posture – the applicant will stand more confident; head held high, should backs, good eye contact. Or more nervous; head hung low, arms crossed across the body, shaking legs.
The new reinforced body language sends a reinforced message to the mind, starting the cycle all over again.
Research shows how a confident interviewee will:
Actively promote themselves
Use positive and enthusiastic language
Give longer and more descriptive interview answers
Confident Body Language
The body can be broken down into four parts; the head, arms, torso, and legs.
Actors look confident when on stage.
One technique used in the acting world, to help people with poor posture, is the Alexandra technique:
Stand up
Imagine a piece of string going through your body and coming out the top of your head
Imagine someone pulling the string, so it pulls your body up until you are on stood on your tiptoes
Allow the string to relax, so you land on the balls of your feet
This ends with a straight back and an assertive posture
Head confidence
Microfacial expressions give away internal emotions. In the book, Emotions Revealed, Paul Ekman explains the 7 universal micro facial expressions:
1. Sadness – narrowed eyes, eyebrows together, down-pointed mouth, and a pulling up of the chin
2. Anger – lowered eyebrows, tense lips and eyelids, and wrinkled forehead
3. Contempt – single raised corner of the mouth, a slight tightening of the eyelids (sneer)
4. Disgust – raising of the upper lip, narrowed eyes, wrinkled nose, and narrowed eyebrows
5. Surprise – dropped jaw, relaxed lips and mouth, widened eyes, and slightly raised eyelids and eyebrows
6. Fear – eyes and mouth open rather widely, eyebrows raised and nostrils flared
7. Happiness – raising the corner of lips and cheeks, narrowing eyes to produce “crow’s feet” on the outside of each eye
An interviewer meeting the applicant for the first time will subconsciously register the interviewee’s emotions via fleeting micro-expressions.
Some research explains how a judgment of an applicant’s intelligence is based on the candidate’s face and expressions, with a narrow face, with a prominent nose being viewed as an intelligent face.
At a more basic level, a candidate with low self-esteem will often break eye contact quickly and look towards the floor, as they feel under pressure. In addition, nervous candidates are known to frown or scowl.
The lack of eye contact and the frowning and scrawling of an anxious person is an invisible wall to building rapport.
On the other hand, confident career professionals create likeability through smiling, direct eye contact, and holding their chin up.
Arm confidence.
Fidgeting is a sign of worry.
Nervous candidates will disclose their anxiety by:
Putting their hands in and out of their pockets
Pulling at invisible pieces of cotton on their shirt
“Speech and gesture are integrated not only at a speaker’s thought conception, but also in perception; listeners integrate information from speech and gesture into a single mental representation.”
The Role of Gesture in Communication and Cognition: Implications for Understanding and Treating Neurogenic Communication Disorders
Hand gestures affect how the interviewer perceives the applicant. Interviewers aren’t trained to understand each gesture. Communication is subconscious.
Open hands are viewed as being open and honest
Hand over the heart is viewed as sincerity
Fist shows anger or frustration
When talking, people communicate with their hands. The gestures reinforce the words they are saying.
The emphasising of words with the hands helps the interviewer to picture the point of the communication, the story, or the message.
Gesturing unlocks tension, helping the mind-body cycle, and shows energy, passion, and enthusiasm.
The advice is simple; relax and allow natural gestures to communicate your communication.
Torso confidence.
The body speaks.
The torso is the main factor when it comes to body language, The central piece of the structure.
Stand up as straight as possible
Put your feet shoulder width apart
Put your arms down and relax
Keep your shoulders back – push your shoulderbaldes slightly together
Pull your stomach in
Place the weight on the balls of your feet
This type of stance increases the lung’s capacity for oxygen, a confident stance creates deep breathing.
In an article on uchealth, they say: “Deep breaths are more efficient: they allow your body to fully exchange incoming oxygen with outgoing carbon dioxide. They have also been shown to slow the heartbeat, lower or stabilize blood pressure and lower stress.”
Nervous people will often sit with a hunched-up body, which can be viewed as the nervous applicant being bored or indifferent.
When anxious, the candidate is in fight or flight mode. The shortness of breath is the body’s natural response to help save your life – the original design behind the evolutionary fight or flight process.
The feeling of a tightening of chest muscles, shortness of breath, and short rapid breathing from the top of the chest is how the body prepares your body to run or attack – oxygen is sent to the muscles.
Leg confidence.
As with arm fidgeting, leg fidgeting is a visible sign of feeling uncomfortable with the situation.
Leg fidgeting can include:
Tapping the foot
Swinging a leg (corssed over the second leg) up and down
Shaking legs
Famously, crossed arms across the chest, creating a physical barrier between the interviewee and interviewer, is known to be one way to protect oneself when feeling vulnerable.
Cross legs are the same. Nervous applicants will put one foot behind the other, crossing their legs for protection. With highly anxious candidates constantly changing which leg is on top – a secondary nervous gesture.
The direction of the feet, towards someone or away from them (and towards an exit) is a telltale sign of interest. We point the feet to where we want to go. If confident and interested in the interviewer, an applicant’s feet will point towards the interviewing person.
When nervous, the applicant will point towards the door or exit. Unless the seating area for the interview doesn’t a fontal exit area. In this case, the feet will point away from the interviewer.
Job applicants can use this knowledge, by checking the recruiter’s feet direction – towards them the applicant, or away from them, to get an insight into whether or not the employer has an interest in them.
To be viewed as confident, and to feel more confident, stand with legs together (a natural stance) with a straight back. To feel more dominant, spread the legs apart a little. When sitting, lean back in the chair, hold the head high with strong eye contact.
Overley confident applicants, the egocentric interview identity, will sit in a ‘figure of four’ with one leg on the floor, and the second leg crossed over the first at knee level creating the figure of four.
Whereas a nervous interviewee will ‘ankle lock’ placing one foot behind the other.
The content of a job interview answer, the criteria referenced, is the single biggest influencer of the allocated scores an employer will give during the structured job interview process.
Applicants who constantly fail job interviews, spend on average just 4-5 hours preparing for a forthcoming job interview. Whereas, consistently good interviewees, those who gain regular job offers, will spend 4-5 days in preparation and rehearsal.
The difference between a 4-5 hr prepared interviewee and a 4-5 day prepared applicant is the development of their interview answers. This article will explain how to develop an interview answer to receive high-scoring marks.
Interview Scoring Basics.
Much research shows how employers favor the structured job interview over the informal recruitment process, with behavioral and situational job interviews being the most commonly used interview questions.
Employers mark applicants’ answers against their own scoring criteria on the interview scorecard, with each employer having a personalised system. What this means, is each interview question has a score allocation depending on the type of answer given.
The interviewer, in most cases, to help them accurately score an answer, will have an example reply for a 1-4 scoring system. The example is used as a guide by the employer.
An interview answer that is irrelevant to the interview question/job role will be viewed as weak, only scoring 1 point.
Mentioning the job criteria scores higher, but a basic answer isn’t enough for en employer to understand what the applicant can bring to the team, resulting in 2 points.
A well structured interview answer mentioning the required job criteria for the interview question/job role, as well as clearly stating the actions the applicant took in the example used often results in 3 points.
Being veiwed as highly knowledgable and experienced, through a confidently delivered answer that shows understanding of sector conepts, models and theories, backed up with a real-life example creates an optomistic interveiw identity, scoring on averrage 4 points.
Job interview Scoring Example.
1 = Poor
2 = Satisfactory
3 = Good
4 = Excellent
In addition to the example answer, to help the interview panel compare an applicant’s answer to the ideal answers, the interveiwers will have a minimum scoring criteria that will be used as a benchmark for checking suitability.
If the total number of allocated points doesn’t meet the benchmark, the applicant(s) won’t be offered or considered for the job, even if all the applicants fall under the benchmark score.
On average 8 interview questions are asked, with a maximum of 32 points. In many cases, an employer will use bewteen 22-25 as a benchmark score.
In short, strong answers that reference the job criteria, receive high points. High-scoring interviewees are consistent in receiving job offers.
A basic response, scoring low on the interview scorecard, would be:
“Situation x Outcome”
“In this situation I faced (problem) but in the end I (outcome)”
Another example of a low-scoring outcome is the listing technique. Instead of giving an example, the applicant list tasks relevant to the interview question. Imagine the question was:
“How do you manage your time?”
The applicant may say: “I use diary management, phone alerts, to-do lists, and start with the easiest tasks first.”
List answers do cover a lot of bases, as they list all possibilities. The idea is that list will mention some of the job criteria on the interview scorecard. The problem, though, is the lack of an example, which provides evidence of how you, in this example, manage time in a real working environment.
In most cases, the career professional will use the STAR method. The STAR technique encourages a more detailed answer.
Chris Delaney, the author of ‘what is your interview identity,’ says:
“highly confident interviewees use a longer and more descriptive interview answer, then low confident applicants. It is the longer interview answers, due to meeting the job criteria, that results in an increase in job offers”
Chris Delaney Author: What is your interview identity.
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result.
Returning to the “Give me an example of overcoming a problem?” interview question, the applicant using the STAR technique will add additional elements to the basic ‘situation x outcome’ answer.
A STAR method interview answer would something along the lines of:
Situation: “The barrier we faced was a decrease in customer orders..”
Task: “It was my responsibility to complete a marketing campaign to increase customer orders…”
Action: “I did this by using Google pay-per-click advertisements…”
Result: “The result of this was a massive increase in orders during the pay-per-click campaign.”
Even with a little more meat on the bones, a basic STAR interview answer doesn’t make the cut.
Think about it. A 49-word answer is delivered in less than a minute.
The answer, even though it shows a journey, at a basic level says: To increase sales I create a Google Ad.
The employer thinks: “To be honest, anyone can create a Google Ad, so why should I hire this individual?”
Ask yourself, what will make me stand out from the crowd? What is my unique selling point?
Ok, we know through the STAR answer, the Ad created worked: Result: “The result of this was a massive increase in orders during the pay-per-click campaign.” But, is this enough detail to score more than 2 points?
In the job interview, employers are reviewing more than just the interview answer. At the back of the interveiwers mind, they are thinking:
How will this applicant fit in within the current team, structure, and company values?
What impact will the applicant have on (team/sales or productivity/customer and stakeholder relationships/employers time)
How does this candidate compare to the other interveiwees?
Create High-Scoring Interview Answers.
To answer any job interview question the applicant needs to show:
Understanding of the job interview question
Thought process – why they choose certain actions
Long-term impact
The three elements must be embedded seamlessly within the job interview answer.
Let’s return to the STAR example answer. And review, what is missing.
Situation: “The barrier we faced was a decrease in customer orders..”
Each situation described, should be detailed enough to make it clear to a new employer why there was a need to take action. Ideally, the example chosen will be a similar barrier or goal that the new employer we face.
A more detailed version of “the barrier we faced was a decrease in customer orders…” is:
“Working for a small online retailer, the business at first did well prior to the large retail businesses promoting their online stores. Each year saw a fall in online sales and customer orders.”
If the new employer, for this example, was also a small online retailer the additional detail will give context and create understanding, the example is easy to relate to.
This shows the power of choosing the most appropriate examples depending on the employer. If the same applicant was applying for a well-known (large) high-street retailer, the example used could be reframed or a new example chosen.
A similar example but from a different position in a larger organisation
Reframed; the situation was’ competing online against a larger retailer’, rather then the focus of the interview answer being on losing business
Using a different ‘problem’ the candidate had overcome
Task: “It was my responsibility to complete a marketing campaign to increase customer orders…”
The task section should start by explaining the consequences of not successfully completing the tasks that will be stated in the interview answer:
“The managing director had told us that we had 12 months to increase sales or the organisation may have to look at redundancies.”
High-scoring interview answers are specific and filled with data. A more detailed answer allows the interview panel to compare the tasks and goals vs the outcome.
A more specific version of the above example could look like this:
“The managing director had told us that we had 12 months to increase sales by 45% or the organisation may have to look at redundancies. This meant generating around 3000 new customers each month, each spending an average of £50 per purchase“
The task section could also state the project/company tasks as well as the applicants individual tasks:
“The marketing team was tasked with creating a 12-month marketing plan covering new lead generations, increasing up-sales on the webpage, and building a customer loyalty base. My task was to design Google Ads to increase the website visitors by an additional 25%”
Action: “I did this by using Google pay-per-click advertisements…”
The most important section of the STAR interview method is the Actions segment.
The explanation of the ‘actions’ section must include ‘I’ not ‘We’. Employers are always looking at the applicant’s skills and experience. The common use of ‘we’ can dilute the answer, as the interviewer may be unsure of the applicant’s part in the process.
This part of the interview answers needs to be meaty. The “I did this by using Google pay-per-click advertising” doesn’t cut the mustard. When stating actions add more meat to the bone.
Actions should be broken down into three sections:
Research/Creative problem-solving
Choosing options
Actions
The mistake made by many career professionals is listing the actions they took. In most situations, several pre-action tasks are first completed.
With our example, the candidate would first research what makes a successful Google Ad. With this insight, the applicant would next create several designs, discarding some and improving others.
Highlighting the thought-process in an interview, helps the employer to get to know you: how you work, your motivation, work ethic, and creative problem-solving skills.
In addition to the idea generation, employers want to understand a potential employees decision-making process:
Do you follow procedures or prefer being innovative?
Are decison made based on how they affect others or on data/facts?
Was the choose made from the perspective of the company or the team/individual?
Do you need to be told to make a certain decison or can you make up your own mind and defned your choice, even if the choice is unpopular?
Decision-making is viewed as so important that companies like Amazon ask interview questions based on their leadership principles, including decision making.
Finally, the candidate can end this section of the interview answer by stating the actions they took.
“As our current pay-per-click campaigns weren’t being effective, I first undertook some research on what type of advert attracted customers who are wanting to purchase our type of product. The advert we currently had running was costing around £10000 per month but only generating around £7500 of sales. My research has shown how generic adverts increase clicks but not necessarily sales, especially in a company like ours which has niche products.
I created several adverts that were able to market the product in an intriguing way, to increase clicks but to decrease clicks from potential clickers who wouldn’t purchase the products, This was easily achieved by adding the cost of the goods to the advert itself.
The adverts were run simultaneously to test which advert was most successful. I did this for a two-week period and then fed the results back during the marketing meeting.”
Result: “The result of this was a massive increase in orders during the pay-per-click campaign.”
With the meat on the bone, it’s time to put the icing on the cake.
The original idea, of choosing a situation or example that the employer can relate to, comes full-circle in the results segment of the STAR process.
This is because, hopefully, the actions segment has given the employer something to chew on. A new idea, a new perspective, another way they can overcome their (similar) problems.
The final part of the interview answer must be positive. It should state not only the outcome but the specific changes that had occurred through the applicant’s actions.
“By split-testing the ad campaigns I was able to understand the specifics that increase clicks by paying customers. After the results were shown in the marketing meeting I was given a £10000 budget to run the Google Ad account for 6 months. In the first month, the campaign made a 22% profit, by month three this had increased to 45%, and by 6 months the campaign, after a little tweaking was running at a 75% profit margin.”
Outcomes can also be extended, which highlights the impact of an idea, action, or person.
“Due to the success of the project, we were able to use the same learning to market other company products and services through a pay-per-click campaign, resulting in 70% of turnover coming from Google Ads. I am now working on a Facebook campaign with a projected turnover of £80000 in 6 months.”
Additional detail.
It is clear to see how the additional detail embedded into a STAR interview answer will create a higher-scoring interview answer.
The answer’s goal is to assist the interviewee to be seen as highly knowledgeable and experienced.
Additional ways to achieve this are to:
Talk about sector models and theories
Explian the pro’s and con’s of ideas
Models and Theories Interview Technique
Interview answers can begin by stating the relevant model or theory. As an example, the stakeholder matrix theory explains how a person can work collaboratively with stakeholders. Or, the time management matrix is a model that helps to prioritise tasks.
Referencing industry-relevant theories and models in the interview answer highlights a level of knowledge, as the model is explained as a step-by-step process. The example given can then ‘show’ the employer the model in practice.
Pros and Cons Interview Answer
Discussing both sides of a coin shows understanding.
Many career professionals have a preferred way of working or approaching tasks as they use what has previously worked – they are comfortable with routine.
But not all situations are the same. An employer will prefer an applicant how can see all perspectives, someone who can come shines a new light on an old problem.
When discussing an idea or task, or even a piece of technology, the applicant can show awareness by discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly. Rather than having one strong opinion, the applicant is showing a level of expertise.
Some employers will have a strong opinion. In this case, talking about the pro’s and con’s will help to build rapport, as one string opinion that differs from the employer’s own belief can create dislike.
In this situation, applicants can hedge their bets by answering all options in all ways, ensuring one of the elements of the interview answer will resonate.
What is the one thing all career professionals have in common?
Each must attend a job interview to advance their career.
Understanding the recruitment process, therefore, is key to a successful career, gaining promotions, and increasing a salary.
On average, career professionals will change jobs at least once every three to five years. The days of working in one organisation for life have long gone.
Are you interview-ready?
Even with regular job interviews, the number of job hunters who prepare in advance for a job interview is extremely low.
Being ‘interview ready’ means an increase in confidence. Confidence increase self-promotion and self-promotion increases job offers.
More importantly, understanding the secrets of a job interview can lead to consistent high-scoring interview answers.
What makes a successful job interview?
Research has shown that an applicant’s ability to predict the job criteria, due to possessing a high level of sector knowledge/experience, results in the interviewer being able to accurately predict the job performance (the objective of the interview process) of each candidate.
This means, the more an interviewee reference industry jargon, sector models, and relevant working examples, especially when communicated confidently, the more an employer will presume or predict that the applicant is well suited for the advertised role: the applicant’s interview identity.
Each interview answer is referenced against the job criteria on the interview scorecard as part of a structured job interview – the most commonly used recruitment process. Answers that don’t highlight the candidate’s high level of expertise are likely to score low.
The interview is a two-horse race.
On average, applicants are asked 8 job interview questions, with each question scored on a scale of 1-4, with 4 being the best scoring answer.
The total number of points available is 32.
Because weaker applicants are shifted out during the application process stage, the candidates being interviewed will all score, in the main, 3’s or 4’s for each interview question.
This creates a close race, where every point counts.
Employers have told us how the winning interviewee will only have one or two additional points above the next most suitable applicant.
Unforeseen forces affect the interviewer’s allocated scores, such as job interview unconscious bias. But in the main, the candidate’s ability to communicate competencies creates high or low scoring answers.
The common mistakes applicants make in job interviews are:
Using the same job examples in all job interviews
Having pre-prepared interview answers is a must in a job interview, as the rehearsal of the perfect answer ensures that the answer is delivered with confidence – rules 3.
The barrier though is ‘laziness’. Many career professionals will re-use the same interview stories time and time again.
Yes, their answer is perfectly delivered, as practice creates perfection. But, the original answer was designed for a previous role.
Rule 1, is to identify the job criteria. Creating interview answers based only on the job criteria for each position ensures that each answer will score high as the examples used will reference the required skills, knowledge, and experience for that role.
The same example or situation can be used for multiple recruitment processes, but the frame of the answer – what the example is highlighting has to be specific to the advertised position and the culture of the organisation.
Reserved or forthcoming?
In the UK, especially, job applicants like to be reserved. They will answer interview questions, but the answers lack the benefits, fail to self-promote and in general the interviewee is unforthcoming.
The job interview is the one place where you must be a self-promoter – the 2nd rule of a successful job interview.
To self-promote candidates can ustilse verbal and non-verbal communciation:
Non-verbal communication
Smiling is associated with confidence and competence
Nodding in agreement as the employers speaks and this helps to build rapport
Open body language, gestures and a relaxed postures is linked self-esteem
Strong eye-contact while speaking creates authority
What you wear can influence how the candidate is seen – desirable or unsuitable
Verbal communication
Long descriptive paragraphs help to paint the scene allowing an employer to understand the relevance of the job interview answer
Positive language is associated with a good worker
Mentioning the job criteria (rule 1) shows suitability
Giving examples highlights experiences
Explaining models and theories shows expertise
Changing pitch, tonality, and volume help to maintain employer interest
Is confidence charismatic?
Certain people stand out in the crowd.
We don’t know why our eyes are drawn to them, but something about them; how they dress, their posture, the way th move, or maybe a communication of facts make them a focus point.
It is the same in a job interview. A team of interviewers speak to numerous applicants throughout the recruitment period, with most candidates having a similar level of skills and experiences, but one or maybe two applicant stand out – why?
It is often the self-assurance of an applicant that increases their internal level of confidence. An increase in confidence, increases charisma.
Imposture syndrome, not believing you are at the right level for the job in question (even though you meet the criteria for the advertised role), is the biggest barrier to interview confidence.
Are you an anxious interviewee?
Anxious interviewees will:
Fidgeting, which distracts the employer’s attention
Mumble and use excessive filler words
Give short snappy answers to technical interview questions
Often look down, killing any previously built up rapport including that from the halo effect
Self-disclose weaknesses and past errors which results in low scoring interview answers
Charismatic and highly confident applicants will:
Frame interview questions so all answers sound positive
Focus on solutions, not problems
Create a conversation by asking questions throughout the job interview
Have a relaxed manner; sitting back in the chair, taking their time to reply, and using anecdotes and stories
Eye contact is strong, and they speak using natural gestures
Interview answers are detailed and well structured
Answers naturally reference several key job criteria
In fact, research shows how 5 % of employers make a hiring decision within a few minutes of meeting a candidate, and 35 % within 5 minutes of the initial introduction.
Therefore, the interviewee’s introduction is key to winning a job offer.
Many career professionals don’t bother to prepare for this initial interaction with the office receptionist.
Why should they, when the all important job interview is minutes away?
According to a recent post on Reddit, an interviewee made the mistake of not being professional during the walk-in introduction.
The applicant walked into reception and was greeted by a friendly receptionist who attempted to create a conversation. The ignorant applicant was dismissive and didn’t even bother to look the receptionist in the eye.
A few moments later, the candidate finds himself in the interview room, and who walks in…the receptionist! Well not quite. In turns out that the receptionist wasn’t the receptionist at all. In fact, she was the hiring manager.
First impressions are visual.
The employer makes a snap decision about the applicant as soon as they see them coming through the door.
It is the applicants outfit, postures and eye contact that creates an positive or negative impression.
How to be seen as positive as you walk into reception.
Wear professional clothes with a style that suits your body type
Smile – smiling is seen as a positive trait
Hold your head high and look directly at the receptionist
Walk with determination
Next, the impression can be alerted by the tonality and communication style of the interviewee.
Well paced and professional communication works best. Prior to the job interview, complete vocal warm ups . Warming up your voice helps to overcome any nervous giveaways by the voice.
Avoid:
Filler words
Whispering/mumbling
Shouting
Coughing
Hand over mouth (which anxious applicants are likely to do)
Short sharp breaths which alters the natural sound of your voice
Before introducing yourself to the receptionist, wait for the receptionist to stop what ever it is they are doing. When asked “How can I help?”, in a clear voice say:
“Good morning/afternoon, my name is X I have an interview appointment with (hiring manager) at (time)”
When speaking, look the receptionist in the eye.
As the receptionist would have been expecting you, they are likely to ask you to take a seat while they ring through to the interview panel.
If the receptionist makes small talk, reply back being friendly and professional.
Interview Introduction.
The introduction to the interviewer(s) happens in two stages.
In most situations, one of the interview panel will collect you from reception.
Often they will ask “Hi, are you (name) for the (time) interview?”
How you respond helps to shape a positive or negative impression.
Again avoid mumbling, looking down or a sweaty handshake. Instead, look the interviewer in the eye and say “Yes, nice to meet you” before offering your hand.
As the employer walks you to the interview room, generate small talk as this 1) warms the voice up prior to the imminent interview and 2) makes you seem more confident.
Meeting the interview panel.
As the employer takes you into the interview room, you will be introduced to the rest of the interview panel.
Commonly, the member of staff who met you at reception will introduce each interview panel member in turn and by name.
Pre-interview research is key here. As you are introduced to some of the interview panel, use your research to generate a conversation. As an example:
Employer: “this is Mrs X, he head of the department.”
Applicant: “Mrs X, didn’t you win an award last year for…..”
This referencing opener generates massive rapport helping to create a successful interview outcome.
3 rules for a successful job interview
Rule 1 – identify the job criteria
Rule 2 – be a self-promoter
Rule 3 – communicate with confidence
The power of the three rules is down to how, when combined, they help to sculpture a positive interview identity.
An ‘interview identity’ is one of sixteen interview personality types that are prevalent in the job interview. The identity is how an employer perceives the applicant.
Care assistant employers, when interviewing applicants, look at candidates’ work ethic and personal skills.
A desire to help people is key, but employers also look for communication skills, empathy, patience, calm when in a stressful situation and an employee who can follow directions accurately.
Care assistants can work in a care home or in the community, supporting vulnerable people living in their own homes. The interview questions asked in a care assistant job interview will be based on the applicant’s temperament as well as their ability to perform caring duties which can include;
supporting people with their physical needs
completing household tasks – washing, cleaning and cooking
monitoring health and communicating with nurses
To prepare for a care assistant structured job interview, applicants can answer many interview questions by relating to real-life experiences, from helping their own family members to volunteering in a caring role.
Care Assistant Job Interview Questions and Answers
Below is a list of the most commonly asked care assistant job interview questions and a detailed breakdown of how to answer the question.
Do you having any caring experience?
Normally an opening question, applicants can easily answer this question using a common interview formula; stating duration, qualification and selling point.
The interview answer starts by reassuring the interviewer by stating the duration in the industry “I have over 10 years experience as a care assistant…” For applicants new to the industry this answer can be slightly tweaked “In all my previous roles I have had to support and help vulnerable people…”
Applicants can continue by giving additional detail about a previous position “…while working at X company my key caring duties included (add duties)..”
Next, candidates can explain their level of qualification (only suitable for applicants with an industry qualification) “….In 2010 I gained a caring assistant Btec Level 3 diploma, during he course I leant (add sector theories and models)…”
End with a unique selling point. This could include a care assistant skill or a personality trait “…I’ve applied for this role because I am passionate about caring for vulnerable adults…”
What support do you expect a vulnerable person requires?
Answers to this interview question need to be relevant. If working with the elderly, explain what support an elderly person requires. If working with an ex-addict, discuss the barriers they face.
When answering the ‘vulnerable’ question, answers can be split between a logical and an example answer.
Initially start the interview answer by listing what support an average (vulnerable group) requires. Listing all common support needs shows an awareness and here an applicant is likely to hit the required criteria the interviewees are marked against.
Next, use a story to highlight sector related experience “While working as an X, I worked closely with Y (vulnerable person). It was clear that the client required Z (support needs), so I (explain the action you took)….”
When providing personal care how would you maintain a person’s dignity and respect?
This question is key to a successful job interview outcome. Employers in the care industry are looking to hire empathetic professionals.
The reply to this answer can be broken down into the 3 Cs:
Confirmation – state how a person’s dignity and respect are at the uppermost importance
Communication – explain how your communication is designed to be respectful. An example of this would be asking a vulnerable person who had been in the bathroom for a long duration ‘if they need any assistance’ rather than asking ‘whats up, you have been ages?’
Clarity – many vulnerable people are very independent. Having someone ‘do everything’ for them can be demoralizing. Explain when working with a new vulnerable person you, through a rapport-building conversation, will clarify what support the client requires and what they need the care assistant to support them with.
Give an example of being in an emergency situation?
During the lifetime of a care assistant, they will come across many emergency situations from an elderly person having a heart attack to a vulnerable person attempting to commit suicide.
Example job interview questions require storytelling First, it is important to pick an example that is relevant to the job role the applicant is applying for. This is because the employer will have a list of job criteria that they score each job interview answer against. The highest scoring interview questions result in that applicant being offered the advertised position.
When answering the interview question with an example give context by explaining the situation and vulnerable persons’ background. This makes the interview answer relevant and easy to understand.
It is important, when explaining the steps the applicant took, to explain how they remain calm and professional throughout the emergency situation, even going as far as explaining how they had prepared for this, or similar, situation.
Next, discuss the policies and processes the candidate followed; informing social services, family members, managers. If they had to take notes or update systems.
How would you support a person who suffered from X?
If asked a specific technical question it is because this X is the employer’s bread and butter. Here, the candidate needs to show their level of knowledge and experience.
Explain, initially, the competency level “I have worked with X client for the previous 10 years” “in all my previous roles I have supported service users suffering from X” “I cared for my mother for 20 years who had X”
Next, show knowledge by discussing X in detail: “a symptom of X is…” “What care assistants have to be aware of is ….” “A side effect of X is…”
To end the interview question, spell out the actions required to support a person with X and how this positively implements on the vulnerable person life and wellbeing.
How do you feel about working flexibly?
Care assistants don’t have time off. That, obviously, is an exaggeration, but the truth is care workers (or the care team) are required 24 hrs a day 352 days a year.
Employers, therefore, need to hire care assistants who are willing to work bank holidays, over the Christmas period and during different shifts.
Some career professionals prefer the variety of working different shifts, is this is you make this clear in the job interview. Experienced care assistants can also reference how they have previously worked varying shift patterns, and how for them time is irrelevant, as they enjoy the work of a care assistant so much.
Why are you drawn to this area of work?
Question around the reason for applying for a position within an organization or industry come down to one thing – passion.
Employers know that if they hire a team of passionate employees with a strong work ethic that they will be highly productive. This is especially true in the care sector, where workers will go above and beyond to support their charges.
Not only does this interview question need to be answered with the right language, but the non-verbal communication of an applicant must also emphasise the passion of the words.
Stories relating to how an applicant has cared for a parent work well, as does explaining how for you working in the care sector is more important than a higher-paid none caring job role.
Highlighting ones values (everyone should have a decent life) also reinforces the passion of the applicant.
But hopefully, as you are applying for a caring role, this interview answer comes easy to you.
Is there anything else you would like to know?
At the interview end, the employers will ask each applicant if they have any questions about the job role or company.
