Helping Career Professional Succeed in the Job Interview

August 25, 2021August 25, 2021

How to Answer the Interview Question ‘What are your greatest strengths?’

The ‘greatest strengths’ interview question is one of the most commonly quoted job interview questions, used across all job sectors.

Why is the ‘strengths’ question utilized so often? Because of the open nature of question.

Employers pick specific interview questions to help gained an understanding of the applicants knowledge, experience and potential.

Specific interview question will be directed at a key competencies:

“Give me an example of doing X?”
“How would you handle Y situation?”
“Have you ever used Z?”

Competency based interview questions are easy to cross-reference against the job criteria, which is why employers favor the structured job interview.

The barrier, when asking very specific job duty related questions, is that the applicant doesn’t have the opportunity to promote their additional skills, knowledge and experiences.

This is one of the reasons why employers ask more open-ended interview questions such as the famed ‘tell me about yourself’ or the ‘strengths’ interview question.

The article will explain how to approach the ‘what are your greatest strengths?’ job interview question. How to create a high-scoring answer, and how to make the high-scoring answer relevant to the job role.

Preparing for the Job Interview.

The key to answering the ‘greatest achievement’ interview question is in the applicants pre-interview preparation.

The barrier with an open question is the high probability of the applicant going off topic.

In a structured job interview, all interview answers receive points based on the number of job criteria referenced in the job interview answer.

Research shows that the higher number of words per interview answer, equates to a higher number of job offers. But, the answers have to be relevant to the job position.

When preparing for a ‘strengths’ interview question, applicants need to plan to talk about strengths required for the advertised position: an eye for detail, for a quality control officer, or calculations expertise, for a civil engineer.

A good exercise is to list of the essential duties for the advertised position, and in a second column write down a list of strengths, that the applicant possesses, that are required for each duty.

This exercise is to generate ideas, so details aren’t required at this stage. Applicants may list skills, qualities or experiences.

Example – Project Manager Job

Essential Duties	Strengths
Stakeholder management	Communication Able to influence and persuade Relationship building Having industry related connections Collaborative working
Project planning	Experienced in achieving project outcomes Analytical and logical approach Report writing Collaborative working
Cost projection
Risk assessments
etc

Next, look at the common skills, qualities and experiences that have been repeated throughout the list technique, in our example this is ‘collaborative working’.

Breakdown the reason why the quality, skill, or experience is a strength:

What do you specifically do?
What is your approach?
How is what you do better the a general approach?
What is the common result from your actions?
Does your attitude/work ethic part of the strength?
Do you plan or use intuition?
Is this a team effort or is the strength a personal achievement?
If a team effort, what is your role within the team?

Finally, think about a real-life (work) example, that will be used during the interview answer.

Make the Strength question strong.

To summarise the post so far.

Employers are likely to ask the ‘greatest strength’ interview question as it is documented as one of the most commonly asked job interview questions.

The interview question may be phrased as:

“Tell about one of your greatest successes?”
“What can you bring to the team?”
“How would you have an impact on the team/project?”

The ‘strengths’ interview question is open to interpretation, which requires the candidate to focus the interview answer on the essential criteria of the job role, to ensure the answer scores high.

The strength question needs to state strengths!

The applicant must talk about their unique selling point, relevant to the job role. The answer should show added value, high achieving examples, and the applicants work ethic, motivation as well as a high level of sector related knowledge and experiences.

Mistakes and mishaps.

There are three common mistakes that career professionals make when answering the ‘strengths’ question.

The wrong path.

Taking the wrong path, often comes from a lack of pre-interview preparation.

The unprepared interviewee is nervous and anxious, coming across as having an ‘incompetent’ interview identity.

When asked a question, the lack of confidence leaves the applicant pleading for an idea – anything to create an answer. Whatever random idea pops into their mind becomes the talking point, the main message of the interview answer.

In many cases, the unprepared interview answer lacks detail, is short, and most importantly doesn’t relate to the job criteria. This results in a low-scoring interview answer.

Self-disclosed weaknesses.

Consistently successful job applicants, in the main, aware of their skill set and possess a good level of confidence.

Being confident increases self-promotion.

Whereas, a lack of self-esteem, or having imposture syndrome increases the number of unprompted self-disclosed weaknesses.

When asked a question, the low self-esteem interviewee will initially list weaknesses before picking a ‘strength’. This self-disclosure, is often outside the awareness of the applicant. It is like they are externalizing their thought process:

Interviewer: “What are you greatest strengths?”

Low self-esteem interviewee: “What are my greatest strengths? Well..urm..im not vey good at IT…urm…I don’t work well under pressure…urm, my greatest strength is my ability to (strength)”.

Bragging.

Some applicants are highly confident, but lack industry experiences.

Highly confident applicants feel comfortable with communication. A high level of self-esteem increases self-promotion.

Confidence without knowledge can create a pretender interview identity, where the interviewee attempts to manipulate the employer by exaggerating their skill set.

Self-promotion is expected in the job interview, but when the applicant lacks experience and sector knowledge they rarely know what examples would meet the job criteria.

Instead of giving specific industry related examples, the candidate will self-praise using generalisations:

Interviewer: “What are your greatest strengths?”

Interviewee: “Everything!”

Other examples include:

“My passion, my attitude, my work ethic”
“I’m a good team player, I finish tasks and I am loyal.”
“In all my roles I put on 100% of effort. My previous managers often tell me that I am an excellent member of staff and that I have a positive impact on the team.”

Some of the examples sound positive, and indeed they are, but they lack the specific data the employer requires to cross-reference the interview answer against the criteria on the interview scorecard.

How to answer the what is your greatest strength interview question.

A simple structure to answer the ‘strengths’ interview question is:

Barriers + strengths + summary

Relevance is key here.

Employers working in the same sector will face similar barriers. By stating the industry barriers at the start of the interview questions creates relevance. It also helps to build intrigue, as the employer will presume you are going to state a solution, which you will do by highlighting your strengths.

“As we all know, one of the biggest barriers we face in this industry is X. This barrier can lead to (add additional negative consequences)…”

The body of the interview answer will state the applicants strengths. The exercise above has resulted in a list of relevant strengths relating to the job criteria.

Don’t fall into the trap of just listing strengths, as this technique doesn’t result in a high-scoring answer.

Instead, give an example of using the listed strengths in a workplace setting.

Initially start the body of the interview answer, by stating a generic selling point. This could include the duration in the industry, a high-level sector related qualification or having worked on a well-known project that may impress the interview panel.

“…My (duration, qualification, experience on project) has taught me that (give the solution to the stated problem or an indication that you have the solution)…”

The example follow the opening statement.

Examples must include the situation, actions taken (highlighting strengths, positive outcome).

“…To give you an example of this, when working (at company/on X project) we faced (problem relating to the initial stated barrier)…

…my ability to (add first strength) allowed me to (state outcome). I achieved this by utilizing my (add second strength) which allowed me to (outcome). Throughout the task I faced (add additional barrier) but I was always able to overcome this by (state third strength)….”

“..the end result was (add positive outcome)….”

Conclude the interview answer by summarizing your key strengths.

A summary reinforces the applicants strengths, and clarifies any ambiguity from the example given.

“…To answer the question, my key strengths include (strength one, two and three).”

August 19, 2021August 25, 2021

How to Handle Different Types of Interviewers

There are three main types of job interviewers:

A cold interviewer
A warm interviewer
An expert interviewer

To have regular interview success, applicants need to be able to identify the type of hiring manager in front of them and know how to respond to the interviewer’s behavior.

By understanding the various types of interviewers creates confidence, helping to win over the interviewer and gain more job offers.

In addition to knowing the three interviewer types, career professionals must be aware of their own interview identity – how the applicant is perceived by the interview panel during the recruitment process, and how their interview identity naturally responds to each of the three types of interviewers.

It is these two things, identifying the type of interviewer and understanding how one is perceived in the job interview, that can create a more successful job interview outcome.

The fair interview process.

The goal of any recruitment process is to predict the job performance of each job applicant.

The highest scoring interviewee will, in most cases, be offered the advertised vacancy.

The interview process, therefore, is a logical process. The employer creates a list of essential job criteria, and the applicants interview answers are cross-referenced against the criteria, with each answer being allocated a score or point.

Detailed answers that evidence a high level of knowledge and experience, especially when communicated confidently, will receive the highest possible points.

Not all interviews are equal.

Most recruitment processes aren’t equal, as the interviewer themselves affect the behavior of the interviewee.

Research shows, how an employer that has a natural liking towards a certain applicant will, at the subconscious level, subtly change their behavior that encourages the interviewee to be more open, confident, to give higher-scoring interview answers.

An interviewers opinion of someone, which in turn affects their decision-making process, can be manipulated by any number of things, including:

Familiarity (affinity bias)
Social proof
Positive feelings (an emotional connection)

An interviewee, who is being interviewed by a hiring manager they have a rapport with, will behave differently during the question and answer session than they would when interviewed by an employer they believe doesn’t ‘like’ them.

Applicants in rapport with the employer will:

Be more willing to share personal opinions, ideas and suggestions
Give longer and more detailed interview answers
Share stories and anecdotes
Feel more relaxed and calm
Ask more questions, creating a conversation

The four characteristics of an interviewee.

The interview prediction grid model states that there are 16 interview identities that fit into four categories:

Incompetent
Deceitful
Uninterested
Employable

Incompetent

Incompetent job applicants have a lack of job experience and confidence, resulting in a nervous display during the recruitment process and a misunderstanding of the job interview questions.

Deceitful

The deceitful characteristic comes from a high level of confidence with a low level of industry knowledge and experience. They talk the talk, but can’t walk the walk, resulting in an increase in deceit.

Uninterested

Career professionals with a high level of knowledge and experience, but who lack the confidence to express their competencies during the interview, can be seen as uninterested in the job position – why else would a highly-skilled applicant give short snappy answers?

Employable

Being skilled at communicating competencies confidently creates a persona of being employable, or highly employable. Descriptive and detailed answers, delivered well using a number of non-verbal communication skills, creates likability and desire from the interview start.

Take the interview prediction grid test:

Three Types of Interviewers.

Initially, interviewers can be put into two categories:

Trained
Untrained

Generally speaking, high-skilled professionals applying for high-salaried roles in large organisations will be interviewed by a trained HR or hiring manager.

Trained interviewers, often, will have undertaken unconscious bias training, understand the research behind a structured job interview, and will interview with a panel of job interviewers to help create a fairer recruitment process.

In addition, the recruitment process is likely to consist of 3-6 rounds of interviews, with applications being ‘blind’ – removing the candidate’s name, age, higher educational institute, to help remove any pre-interview unconscious biases.

For low to medium-skilled roles, or in small organisations, the applicant is likely to be interviewed by their potential new line manager.

In this situation, the line manager is unlikely to have undertaken any in-depth interview training and may not be aware of the effects of unconscious bias.

The interview will consist of, on average, one or two interview rounds by one or two interviewers.

In this case, it is likely that the interviewer(s) will be just as nervous as the applicant.

The three interviewer types; cold, warm and expert, can each be either a trained or untrained interviewer.

There has been much research conducted on the impact of the interviewer’s behavior, including verbal and non-verbal communication.

To spot the type of interviewer requires observation. The three types will give their identity away with telltale signs:

A cold interviewer will:

Frown
Sigh
Avoid eye contact or stare
Clock watch
Ask closed questions
Doesn’t smile
Doesn’t ask follow up questions
Be dismissive

A warm interviewer will:

Smile
Nod along with the applicant
Have strong eye contact
Be more personable
Ask follow up questions
Be re-assuring
Creates a conversation
Put the applicant at ease
Encourage with gestures and open body language

An expert interviewer will:

Naturally use industry jargon and acronyms
State sector related theories and models
Have a strong opinion
Challenge generalizations or data/information they believe is incorrect
Request specific examples and evidence
Ask for the applicants opinions
Come across as an authority/expert which they are

The four different interview identities will respond differently to each of the three job interviewer types.

The natural response to a cold, warm or expert interviewer.

Awareness creates change.

By understanding the interviewer types and the applicant’s own interview identity creates awareness. With awareness comes change.

A cold interviewer.

A cold interviewer increases the anxiety of a low confident interviewee, the incompetent and uninterested applicant.

This is because a lack of self-esteem creates an internal focus, leading to job candidates questioning whether the interviewer’s negative behavior is due to how they are acting in the job interview.

Whereas high-confident individuals have an external focus. In an article on scientific America, they say “If the interviewer is cold, highly confident candidates are able to externalize the behavior and not believe that it directly reflects on them.”

The more confident an applicant is, the more consistent their (confident) interview performance is.

A warm interviewer.

The encouraging nature of a warm interviewer, research shows, gets the ‘best’ out of the interviewees, which in turn allows the employer to predict the job performance of applicants.

Even an anxious applicant, an incompetent or uninterested interview identity, will perform much better – give higher-scoring interview answers when interviewed by a warm interviewer.

In fact, the more personable approach of a warm interviewer, prior to the question and answer stage of the interview IE the asking of non-job-related questions “did you find us OK?” or “how was your weekend?”, can help some applicants evolve their interview identity to the most successful quadrant, the employable interview identity.

The interview identity, as we have said, is the perceived level of knowledge and experience vs the level of confidence of the applicant in the job interview.

Therefore, the friendly nature of the warm interviewer can increase an experienced applicant’s confidence level, which in turn improves how that candidate answers the interview questions- giving more descriptive and detailed interview answers.

A warm interviewer encourages confident interviewees – the deceitful and employable interview identity, to be more self-assured leading to an increase in self-promotion.

The deceitful interview identity candidate will have conviction in their own statements, and even argue points with an interviewer. When interviewed by an ‘expert’ interviewer, the interviewer will challenge anything they view as inaccurate which creates the ‘deceitful’ identity.

But, if the warm interviewer isn’t an expert and/or lacks confidence themselves, the deceitful applicant can instead be viewed as having an ’employable’ interview identity.

An expert interviewer.

An expert interviewer can be ‘warm’ or ‘cold’. The difference is the expert has a wide range of sector-related knowledge and expertise, and the confidence to challenge an interviewee’s answers/knowledge to better to predict the job performance of each applicant.

Low levels of knowledge and experience applicants, the incompetent and the deceitful interview identities, are quickly recognized as not having the required level of competencies by the expert interviewer.

The expert interviewer is often interested in evidence-based interview answers, they preference data and use logic to help make hiring decisions. This analytical process becomes the barrier to anyone but the most experienced and knowledgeable career professionals,

Confidence is an important factor when interviewed by an expert. Confidence creates self-promotion. The employable interview identity, compared to the uninterested interview identity, will deliver descriptive, self-promoting and evidence-based answers that can be easily cross-referenced against the interview scorecard.

Uninterested interview identity candidates have the same level of experience and knowledge as an employable identity but lack that all-important ingredient – confidence.

It is the lack of confidence, that decreases communication. At the worst, the uninterested applicant has imposture syndrome and will self-declare a high number of weaknesses, at best their answers are positive but lack detail.

The expert interviewer may be aware of the higher level of knowledge and experience and even ask follow-up questions. But, if an applicant doesn’t state the required criteria on the interview scorecard it is unlikely they will be in the top 3 high-scoring applicants.

It is the lack of sharing information, being aloof and presenting short snappy interview answers that creates the identity of being uninterested in the job role/interview.

The structured job interview is designed to be a logical process, with answers being cross-referenced against the job criteria before being given a score.

Employers want to hire the most suitable applicant. This is the goal of every recruitment process. The ‘interview identity’ is created during the answers to the first interview answer. It is a generalisation of the suitability or unsuitability of an applicant for the advertised position.

If the interview identity is a negative identity, most employers will simply want the interview to end as quickly as possible. This can lead to a ‘warm’ interviewer, acting more ‘cold’ than they normally would do.

If an interview is going badly, the applicant needs to change their approach to win the interviewer around. The ‘what is your interview identity’ book explains actions the interviewee can take during the recruitment process.

5 signs that an employer likes the interviewee.

The interviewer will ask a more specific follow up questions to gain a more detailed answer
A cold interviewer will act more warm; smiling, nodding, eye contact
The interview panel will discuss how (the interviewers answer/knowledge) would help them solve a particular barrier
Employer will disclose how they like the applicant
Additional questions about the applicants situation will be asked; notice period, if the applicant has other job interviews

August 16, 2021August 16, 2021

Job Interview Questions for a Care Manager

How to pass a care manager job interview.

Data is showing how people at living longer then they did 30 years ago.

As more people live longer, more care managers are needed, with some research stating that over 67 million people over the age of 60 will need caring support.

Each residential home, and there are over 15,000 residential care homes in the UK, require a care manager.

A care manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the care home: managing the care assistants, budgets, health and safety, recruitment, and the quality of service (to meet national care standards).

Type of Care Homes that interview care managers.

Nursing homes for the elderly
Supported housing for young people or adults
Children’s homes, often run by social workers
Hospice care homes run by NHS nurses

Each specialist care home will look to hire a care manager with relevant experience. During the job interview, questions will be asked about the specific needs to the residents IE a elderly care home manager, may be asked situational questions about end of life, whereas a children’s home care manager is likely to be asked interview questions around child exploitation.

But, all care manager roles have generic duties, requiring specific skills and knowledge. It is this crossover of duties that allow care managers to work in various care home positions.

The interview questions asked, for a care manager position, will be common across all types of care manager job roles.

Care Manager main duties.

Interview questions are created based upon the job duties of the advertised position.

Job interview questions will vary depending on each individual job role, but as there are common duties across all care manager positions, a number of commonly asked job interview questions can be predicted.

Being able to identity the job criteria, is the first of the three rules of a successful job interview outcome.

With a list of potential care manger job interview questions, applicants can spend time crafting a high-scoring interview answer.

To help, below is a list of commonly asked care manager interview questions and an outline of how to answer each question.

Commonly Asked Care Manager Job Interview Questions.

99% of care manager interviews come in the form of a structured job interview. Each interview answer must reference the job criteria to ensure a high-scoring outcome.

Managers are encouraged to read the Interview Questions for Managers post, as this outlines a selection of managerial interview questions and answers.

Talk me through your care manager experience?

The opening care manager interview question, is designed to get an in-depth look at the candidates suitability:

Are they an experienced or new care manager?
Is the experience relevant to the specific needs of the care home?
Does the applicant have the skills and knowledge to overcome the problems the care home is currently facing?
How would the applicant fit within the company culture of the care home?

In short, a care manager when answering the first interview question will need to communicate their competences confidently.

Answer the interview question by stating a specialism. A specialism could include:

Duration in the industry or a sought after qualification
A unique skill, as an example being able to prepare care homes to pass OFSTED inspections
Won awards

Next, give specific care manager skills, knowledge and duties for business-as-usual task. Then, state any relevant qualifications before summarizing.

To answer the interview question use the following template:

“First, thank you for inviting me to interview for this position. I applied for this role as I very passionate about caring for (add specific group). I know that if I was employed I would be able to add value to the company because (add unique selling point). I am also highly experienced in (list business-as-usual tasks). I have a (add qualification) as well as (add any relevant care home related certificates). In short, I am highly experience care manager who is able to (repeat one of the unique selling points).”

How would you manage the care home finances?

Each care home, depending of the care home size, will have varying budgets.

Care managers need to have an organised approach the budget management as well as being able to manage budget risks and hiring managers need to be reassured that the candidate has an organised approach, with an eye for detail.

To answer the finance interview question, detail of how the care manager manages the budget short and long term needs to be stated.

Budget management tasks:

Using finance spreadsheets
Forecasting spend including salaries, utilities
Reviewing spend vs income
Completing financial risk assessments
Managing cash-flow
Raising purchase orders and Invoicing
Recording daily transactions

To answer the interview question use the following template:

“I enjoy the financial aspect of the role. In all my previous roles, I have been responsible for the finances in the care home. The reason why I have a goof eye for finances, is because I have a good eye for detail, I’m very good at seeing errors. My organised approach also helps to ensure accuracy.

When given a budget I first project the care home spend which includes staff salaries, building cost (add anything specific to the type of care home you work in). I also create a risk budget for unexpected cost (you can add an example here). This allows me to breakdown the budget by month. During the financial year, I complete daily/weekly/monthly booking keeping tasks, including (add specifics) to stay on top of the finances and I complete regular quality checks to ensure accuracy before sending the ‘books’ to the finance team.

Give an example of creating a person-centered care home?

The Care Act 2014 set the terms for the development of social care for the foreseeable future. The act, for the first time, puts personalisation on a legal footing. For the recruitment process, this means hiring managers will be asking more person-centered questions.

In the interview answer the candidate needs to cover:

What personalisation means to them
How person-centered is about identifying the individuals – their personal history, needs and strengths. Also their hopes and ambitions
Experienced of person-centered approach

To answer the interview question use the following template:

“My experience has shown how a regimented non person-centered care home isn’t as effective as a person-centered care home. In my previous care home, I created a person-centered environment putting the residents at the center of all decisions. In fact, we would actively involved them in the planning of the care home, an example of this was (add example). This resulted in (add outcome).

To create a person-centered care home you have to start by understanding the residents, their past, their strengths, their ambitions. You need to ask the residents what they need and respect who they are. One way I use person-centered planning is to (add person-centered planning technique)”

How would you maintain the required quality standards?

With numerous inspects and legislations, care homes need to remain at the adequate quality standards. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates all care homes, and provides guidance to help support care homes to adhere by the regulations it enforces.

According to CareHome.uk, a care homes must:

Provide person-centred care
Treat residents with dignity and respect
Acquire consent before giving any care or treatment
Ensure they do not give unsafe care or treatment, and that staff have the qualifications and skills to keep residents safe
Safeguard residents from any form of abuse or improper treatment
Provide food and drink which keep residents in good health
Keep premises and equipment clean, suitable and looked after
Offer a complaints system, investigate incidents thoroughly and take action
Have plans in place to ensure they can meet above standards and systems to check quality and safety of care
Have enough suitably qualified, competent and experienced staff to meet standards
Only employ staff who can provide care and treatment appropriate to their role
Be open and transparent about care and treatment
Display their CQC rating clearly and make their latest report available to you

Employers are looking for a care home manager who knows and can enforce the legislation into business-as-usual tasks.

To answer the interview question use the following template:

“Quality for me is my first priority. As a care manager I ensure that all staff know and adhere to the quality standards set by the CQC, which include (name 3). To embed quality standards into business-as-usual tasks I (talk about staff recruitment and training), In addition I (explain how you create and embed processes and procedures) and (explain your internal quality check process).”

What is your approach for recruiting care assistants?

Care homes need staff to run them.

Staffing is a real issue in the care industry. Blue leaf care stated that “There are numerous social and economic reasons why staff shortages in care homes are at an all-time high. However, most of the vacancies can be linked to three key causes: an ageing population, the stigma in the care industry and the uncertainty of Brexit.”

Employers know that a string recruitment process can improve staff retention.

In the interview answer, explain recruitment, staff training and staff retention.

To answer the interview question use the following template:

“Overall I have a good track record with staff recruitment and retention, which has a direct impact on expenditure and time. The reason why I have had so much success in recruitment and retention is due to (add interviewing, staff CPD, or creating a positive working environment).

To ensure I gain a high number of applicants, on the interview advert I explain (the duties, available training, expectations, salary). In the interview I use a structured job interview process as this, research shows, is the best tool for predicating applicants job performance.

Once employed a create a positive working environment by (add details) and ensure staff retention by (explaining management styles; CPD, setting up processes and procedures, door-open policy)”

How do you manage your time?

Each day brings its own challenges in a care home, as no one week is the same.

Employers are looking for managers who can manage time, priorities tasks, delegate duties and respond to unforeseen incidents, while not forgetting business-as-usual tasks.

In the above manager job interview questions link, there is a section on discussing the time management matrix model when answering the ‘time management’ interview question. Read this now.

To answer the interview question use the following template:

“As an experienced care manager, I know the importance of time management. Working with (add specific group) no two days are the same, and urgent tasks can present themselves daily.

To manage my own time I (add organized approach: diary management, to-do list, automated reminders, etc) When an unexpected emergency happens, I prioritize the most urgent and important tasks first. For lesser urgent tasks, I may delegate this to the care supervisors or even create an automated process such as (add example).

To ensure that all tasks have been completed I (explain end of day checks you complete)”

Give an example of working with residents families?

As discussed previously, care homes are moving to a more person-centered approach. Working with resident families is part of the person-centered approach.

One way to answer this question is to focus on person-centered approach theory.

Families are a vital part of a residents life. Being able to work with family members can improve the experience and life of a resident. This interview question, therefore, is best answered with a real-life example.

To answer the interview question use the following template:

“To improve the life of a resident I take a person-centered approach and work collaboratively with the resident, their families and friends, often creating a personalized plan for each resident.

An example of this was when I worked at X. There was a resident who needed (adds support needs). His family and friends included (add details). To create a person centered approach I (explain who you were able to agree a meeting) to discuss the residents needs and wants. In the meeting (explain how you chaired the meeting to get everyone involved, to hear opinions of the resident and to challenge assumptions). The outcome was (give learning points and outcome)”.

Do you have any questions for us?

How many residents do you have in the care home?
What is the priority of the care home over the next 12 months?
What score did you get in the last inspection?
Is the care part of a larger group?
What would my first 3 months look like?

August 9, 2021February 22, 2023

Job Interviews in the Metaverse

The recruitment process is evolving.

Job interviews have a new science fiction feel to them.

Not only are robots interviewing candidates, the future of a job interview will be the Metaverse.

Facebooks CEO Mark Zuckerberg in June of this year told the Facebook team about the future of the company, and that they would build a world known as the metaverse.

The word ‘metaverse’ was first coined in the 1992 sci-fi novel Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson’s . The metaverse refers to a convergence of physical, augmented, and virtual reality in a shared online space.

The metaverse will be a mix of a physical and virtual world, with its own economy and users will be able to take their avatars and goods throughout the metaverse.

The metaverse wouldn’t be owned by Zuckerberge, instead it will be a collaboration where different companies and individuals add to it, just as they do with the internet.

In an interview with The Verge, Zuckerberg said, “This is a big topic. The metaverse is a vision that spans many companies — the whole industry. You can think about it as the successor to the mobile internet.

And it’s certainly not something that any one company is going to build, but I think a big part of our next chapter is going to hopefully be contributing to building that, in partnership with a lot of other companies and creators and developers. But you can think about the metaverse as an embodied internet, where instead of just viewing content — you are in it”

Artificial Intelligence and Job Interviews.

Lets take a step back to the present day.

Currently we are seeing a move away from human job interviewers, especially for the initial recruitment stage.

In an article on Slate about AI stressing out job candidates, they said: “A growing number of real-life recruiters are turning to A.I.-led job interviews, using programs that interview and assess candidates before a human recruiter even lays eyes on them.”

Why would an employer turn to AI led interviewing processes?

Well, why not? In the past 20 years businesses have seen an huge increase in the number of applications for every advertised job role.

On one HR statics website, a statistic stated that “On average, each corporate job offer attracts 250 resumes. Of those candidates, 4 to 6 will get called for an interview, and only one will get the job.”

Other organisations, especially sector leaders, have quoted applicant numbers in their thousands. In short, employers simply don’t have the time to check each individual job application form.

Currently the increase for AI job interviews is showing an indication of the future of recruitment processes.

AI robot interviewers are mainly used to decline unsuitable applicants, reducing the number of hirable interviewees, before a human interview panel takes over.

The ways AI interviews Work.

Do robotic interviewers seem like a strange idea?

Well, AI have been employed for a long time to create job adverts, to post vacancies and to scan CVs and Application forms – yes robots, not humans are declining applicants or offering job interview slots.

In a new report by Jobscan they explain how just under 99% of Fortune 500 companies use applicant tracking systems to scan resumes with a view to streamline the recruiting process.

Robotic interviews are becoming so popular that LinkedIn has a free A.I. video interview practice tool to help applicants prepare for the online job interview.

Currently in a virtual video job interview, applicants get access to a private interview video platform. Once registered, the applicant will be introduced to the interview process. The AI robotic interviewer will ask, on average, 4 questions and each applicant has a minute (or maybe two minutes for some companies) to deliver their answer.

There is no way to stop and repeat the recording
If the applicant talks for over the allocated time, the video recording simply stops
No preparation time is given to adjust the interview video framing

Successful interviewee’s are then invited to the next round of job interview, often conducted by a real person.

Are AI Job Interview’s Effective?

There are some standout benefits to the AI interviewer:

Robots aren’t effected by charismatic characteristics of some interviewees (this could be a negative if the personality is one of the job criteria)
AI interviewers don’t get distracted but they do have bias (as the data given is from human data sets)
Robots aren’t effected by tiredness, the time of day or if they haven’t had breakfast
AI hiring managers will deliver a structured job interview without going off script (but can they ask follow up questions or encourage a skilled but nervous applicant to say more?)
There is a more consistent approach with a AI recruiter but robots would struggle with an informal interview process
20,000 plus candidates a day can be interviewed and assessed by a AI interviewing programme

Metaverse and Job Interviews.

The metaverse is coming.

Big tech companies have been working on 3D and interactive technology for some time. Currently, tech like VR googles are big and clunky, but as technology companies make these gadgets more commercial the like hood of a metaverse lifestyle is highly likely.

https://youtu.be/Jd2GK0qDtRg

This means that two people, an employer and candidate, can meet for a job interview in the metaverse rather then the company head office.

The metaverse job interview isn’t just way to save time on travelling, instead the interactive features of the metaverse can help both the applicant and interviewer to see if they are the right fit for each other.

How the metaverse will work as a recruitment tool?

As part of the metaverse recruitment process , the employer will ask a number of behavioral and situational job interview questions.

In addition, the employer could view how an applicant works by setting them a business-as-usual task under conditions that often appear in their sector – this could be a time pressured situation for a broker, or a structural engineer having to produce calculations for a complex structural design.

The metaverse will bring enormous opportunity to individuals who want to work from homes and employers will be able to test how the employee would work remotely (and in the metaverse) and collaboratively on projects.

Applicants will be able to show work, data, videos and statistics in 3D during the metaverse job interview, providing evidence to back up their claims of suitability.

Employers can check applicants online social media feeds live in the interview questioning the candidates on their motivations for posting about a certain topic.

Zuckerberg, in his interview with The Verge explained power of metaverse interactions “The interactions that we have will be a lot richer, they’ll feel real. In the future, instead of just doing this over a phone call, you’ll be able to sit as a hologram on my couch, or I’ll be able to sit as a hologram on your couch, and it’ll actually feel like we’re in the same place, even if we’re in different states or hundreds of miles apart. So I think that that is really powerful.”

In the metaverse, applicants will be able to choose their on avatar – could this help with unconscious bias? And their might even be a need for metaverse only job roles.

We don’t currently know how the metaverse will evolve the job interview process, but as evidence points to an increase in AI recruitment managers and remote working, it is highly likely that a metaverse recruitment process is on the cards.

Chris Delaney

Chris Delaney is one of the leading job interview coaches in the country, helping career professionals to successfully pass job interviews. Delaney is the author of several job interview reference books including ‘what is your interview identity’

August 6, 2021August 9, 2021

Deliveroo Driver and Cyclist Job Interview Questions

Many people become Deliveroo drivers or cyclist as the job allows the delivery driver flexibility in their workings hours (as the delivery driver or cyclist is officially self-employed) while having 24hr support from the Deliveroo team.

This article will help you understand the Deliveroo recruitment process and how to answer the commonly asked job interview questions for a Deliveroo driver or cyclist.

Eligibility to Work for Deliveroo.

On the Deliveroo ‘apply‘ page, they state that drivers need:

Scooter, bike or car (with license and insurance)
Safety equipment (e.g. helmet)
Smartphone with iOS 12 / Android 6 or above
Proof of your right to work self-employed in the UK
Age 18+

Deliveroo provide insurance for their drivers/cyclist.

When applying for a Deliveroo position, applicants need to complete the Deliveroo Rider Application form. You will need your driving license if you will be a car/motorcycle delivery driver.

Deliveroo Job Interview.

Once an application form has been accepted, the applicant will be invited to an job interview.

Depending on the area applicants apply for, the interview maybe virtual, via telephone or face to face.

Generally speaking, the interview is an informal interview to check if the applicant has the right attitude and work ethic for the role.

This is due to the position being self-employed. Deliveroo riders pick their own working hours and can as earn as much or as little as they wont to.

Deliveroo also focus on their brand and hire riders who will help enhance their brand with speed and customer service.

Because Deliveroo complete mass recruitment process, rather then several applicants applying for one single position, interviewees aren’t up against other candidates, instead they only need to be seen as suitable to gain the job role.

If the interviewer likes you, you will be offered the position.

Deliveroo Interview Questions and Answers.

Compared to a structured job interview, the Deliveroo recruitment process is fairly tame. But this doesn’t mean that an applicant shouldn’t prepare for the interview.

In fact, a lack of preparation is one of the reasons why some people fail to receive a Deliveroo rider job offer.

To prepare for the recruitment process:

Read the potential job interview questions
Plan answers embedding your own experience and stories into the formulas below
Smile, be friendly and answer questions confidently and assertively

The interview questions below have come from Deliveroo riders. Remember that questions do change depending on what part of the country you will be working in.

In other areas, Deliveroo will give you a trail once you pass the job interview.

What do you know about Deliveroo?

One of the first interview questions to be asked is – what do you know about Deliveroo or why do you want to work for Deliveroo?

This is the time to sing Deliveroos praises, state everything that is good about the company, and how they are better then there competitors.

Stand out by conducting some research on the history of Deliveroo – it makes interesting reading. And state facts in this section of the recruitment process.

The interviewer will think ‘wow they actually know more about the company then I do!’

Also, end by stating why you want to work for Deliveroo and not, as an example, Just Eats.

Interview Answer:

‘While deciding what company I wanted to work for I undertook some research. I really like how Deliveroo started out (add some well researched historic facts) and (add second fact). I know that Deliveroo (add fact about the number of employees, or the number of businesses Deliveroo partner with, or the financial situation at the the of the interview)

I personally like the customer service you get from Deliveroo. As i am customer focused i thought this would be a good fit for me. In addition I posses (add skills) which suit this job role.

To summaries, I like X about Deliveroo and I have A, B and C skills that make me an ideal candidate for the role.”

How did you hear about the Deliveroo?

Again, the applicant can praise the company achievements: “Deliveroo is the most famous…” “Deliveroo’s marketing strategy ensures that everyone knows about Deliveroo..” “I’m a Deliveroo customer and I love…”

To help pass the interview, candidates can build on the initial praise by (if true) explaining how a friend of theirs works for Deliveroo and how they said that (add additional praise relating to working for Deliveroo IE training, support, working conditions)

How would you handle the pace of the work?

Deliveroo drivers are busy. Orders come in throughout the day/night and customer expect a quick delivery.

In short, time-management is key here. When answering the ‘pace’ question first show an understanding of the role before explaining how you would manage the workload.

Open with something along the lines off:

“As a Deliveroo rider I know there will be a large amount of orders coming through, especially during busy periods such as weekends and evenings. I would only except the deliver jobs if I was confident that I could collect the order and deliver it to the customer in a timely fashion….”

Next, explain local knowledge. As an example, delivering in rural areas may make order deliveries a longer process due to the distance between residential homes. In addition the applicant could explain their extensive knowledge of the area which will speed up delivery times.

Or, an experienced delivery drive/rider could reference their experience. Or cycle rider may explain how they can quickly repair punctures to ensure the food is delivered hot.

End with a summary: “To summaries, I know how busy a shift can be, and that orders need to be delivered on time with food being hot. My organized and sensible approach, will ensure I only pick jobs I can complete in a timely fashion. And I have local knowledge that will help me fulfil the orders.”

Do you have a clean driving license/Do you have a bike?

This answer can be short: “Yes I have a clean driving license, I have been driving for X number of years” or “Yes I have my own bike. I really enjoy biking which is why I have applied for a cycle delivery role”

Additional selling points can be embedded to the interview answer: I also have experience of delivering food on time, I normally use (add technology) to find the correct and quickest route”.

Why do you want this job role?

The best way to answer this question is to focus on how the applicant likes the day-to-day tasks and environment: “I enjoy working outside..” “I love the idea of exercising as part of my job..” “As an introvert I work really well on my own…”

Deliveroo know, for most people, this isn’t a job for life. Many Deliveroo riders are students, part-time workers or use the extra income as a side huzzel – as the riders are self-employed.

The interviewer isn’t looking for someone to say how they want to work their way up through the organisation to one day be the CEO, instead the recruitment process is designed to check that you would enjoy the business-as-usual tasks and make a good Deliveroo rider.

Are there skills or tasks you did at previous jobs that are valuable experiences for this job?

Open job interview questions allow the applicant to talk about anything they feel would help them stand out, and be offered the position.

To answer the questions state: “Yes, when working at X company I was responsible for (task) which gave me (skill) which would be useful when (Add Deliveroo task)”

Deliveroo riders required skills:

Communication
Working alone
Speed
Able to use apps/technology
Driving or cycling skills
Additional driving/cycling skills IE change a tyre
Map reading
Eye for detail
Working outdoors
Polite and friendliness
Professionalism
Advocate for the organsiation

If you were out on a delivery, and you punctured your tyre, what would you do?

Situational job interview questions are when an employer state the applicant to respond to a future scenario.

To answer the situational interview question, the applicant can list a step by step process of what they would do: “In this situation I would first do X, because of Y, Next I would do X, then X, and finally X”

To add to the answer, the interviewee can back up the stated process with an example: “When working as a X, this same thing happened, what I did was….”

Give me an example of customer service?

Deliveroo riders are communication kings.

As a Deliveroo driver, you have to communicate face-to-face, via an app, and on the phone. Communicating to customers, restaurants and the Deliveroo support team.

When giving an example use SAP – Situation, Actions and Positive Outcome:

“Last month (situation) happened. Immediately I (add three actions) which ended with (positive outcome)”

Can you work unsupervised?

In most Deliveroo job interviews the interviewee will be asked if they can work alone.

The initial answer is “Yes..”

Follow this up with why “Yes, in all my previous roles I have had to work alone…”

End with an example: “An example of this was when I worked at X. In this role I was responsible for (tasks when working alone) As a sole worker I would (explain how you completed tasks and stayed motivated)”

August 4, 2021August 4, 2021

Hypnotherapist Explains How To Be Confident in a Job Interview

According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, the number one fear in the world is public speaking,

Public speaking includes speaking on stage in front of large crowds, communicating in team meetings, and job interviews. Any situation where a person is the center of attention.

Hypnotherapist and author, Chris Delaney, will explain how to be confident in a job interview and the reason why most applicants have a deep rooted fear of the recruitment process.

Why are people afraid of the job interview?

The fear is linked to the human need to accepted. Humans, instinctively, band together, forming groups and teams, anything to create the feeling of belonging.

In these groups the leaders, the alphas, and confident members speak out. While others agree (with the leaders) to fit in, to belong.

Conformity Bias is when your views are swayed or influenced by the views of others.

Delaney says: “When being the center of attention, your ideas, opinions and self-worth are in the firing line.”

Humans fear rejection.

Rejection leads to being outcast from the group. For people with low self-esteem, they would prefer to stay quiet then to chance being rejected.

It is the fear of rejection that can stop people accepting a job interview offer.

The Brains Reaction to a Job Interview.

Confident people have an external focus. When offered a job interview there thought process is in the real world – ‘What actions shall I take to prepare for the job interview?’

Anxious individuals have an internal focus. The focus is on ‘How can I stay safe?’ This, in fact, is the positive side of anxiety, the brain is better prepared for dealing with threats.

The basic response to a threat is flight or fight. Your heartbeat quickens, providing the body with an increase in oxygen to better respond to the danger. Muscles tense (priming for action) which increase trembling and your body’s digestive system closes down as this is non-essential during a life or death situation.

But, a job interview isn’t ‘life or death‘. A job interview is a conversation about an applicants skills, qualities and experiences.

This circles back round to the fear of rejection. Prior to the job interview, the anxious applicant will have an increase in negative self-talk:

“No-one will want to hear what I have to say”
“I don’t think I have the skills/experience for this job”
“The interviewer wont like me”
“What if my mind goes blank”
“I’m not suitable for this role”

Imposture syndrome is the belief that you are not as competent or skilled as others perceive you to be IE you wont be able to answer the interview questions and/or do the job once hired.

“The limiting beliefs we tell ourselves become our reality”
Chris Delaney Author of: What is your interview identity

It is the negative self-talk, the stories we tell ourselves, that increase job interview anxiety.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Self-talk often evolves into a visualization. An nervous interviewee, repeatedly says they are terrible in job interviews. The words turn into a movie in the minds eye – the applicant see’s themselves failing in the job interview.

Delaney says : What you see, you feel. If you visualize yourself as a nervous wreck, mumbling answers that don’t make any sense, the image creates a negative emotion – fear or anxiety.

The mind-body process, imagining a situation that creates an emotional reaction, reinforces itself. If the thought creates anxiety, the anxiety will make the thought seem more anxious.

The association between the image and emotion can become so strong that it creates a phobia.

How to Overcome Job Interview Anxiety.

Job interview fears and phobias are easy to overcome.

One way, that works well for the fear of job interviews, is exposure therapy.

Job interview anxiety is created because humans can fear the unknown. We are comfortable with routine. Most people don’t attend weekly job interviews, or even monthly interviews for that matter.

Reputation is the key to mastering any skill. The more you do something the better you will become at that activity.

Exposure therapy allows you to face the fear but in a safe environment.

3 ways to practice speaking:

This first piece of advice is common enough but it is still highly relevant. Predicting job interview questions, preparing answers and practicing out loud creates muscle memory.

As we said the job interview, for most people, is a rare situation, so everyone will feel a little nervous. When asked a question, muscle memory kicks in and the answers pops out of the candidates mouth before they know what they are saying.

The candidate, now realizing, they have given a high-scoring interview answer (due to their preparation and practice) now feels more confident during the recruitment process. Its similar to when a school pupil is asked an unexpected question, and they give the correct answer – they feel all fuzzy and warm inside.

Hypnotherapy Techniques for Job Interview Fears.

Chris has helped thousands of people overcome job interview anxiety and to increase interview confidence.

Chris says, when using hypnotherapy to cure interview phobias, he breaks the session down into three key segments:

Create a deep sense of relaxation
Removing the negative associated emotion
Create excitement for the job interview

Job Interview Relaxation.

Chris explains how the easiest way to get into a state of relaxation is through controlling your breath.

The type of breath can change your heart rate, your heart rate effects the flight or fight response, the flight or fight response effects the job interview outcome.

A long deep breath in from the stomach, and a slow breath out reduces the heart rate.

Rapid breaths from the chest speed up the heart rate creating the feeling of anxiety.

Delany uses rhythmic breathing with anxious clients:

Breath in deeply from the stomach for 4 long seconds
Hold the breath for another 4 seconds (if this is comfortable for you)
Force the breath out (exhale powerfully) for 4 more seconds
Repeat this pattern 5-6 times

Once in a state of relaxation, an anxious client can visualize their fear without having the same negative effect. If the visualization is still emotionally strong, move the thought away and repeat the breathing exercise.

Remove the Negative Emotion.

Once, in a calm and relaxed state you can focus on a fear without it having the same negative effect. But the fear, or the object of fear is still there.

Better to remove this completely.

Once a negative thought is vanished, the associated emotion is also removed.

To remove job interview anxiety, first think about attending a job interview.

Make the thought big, bright and vivid.

Next, push the thought outside of your head, so you can imagine the thought floating in front of you.

Shrink the thought of a negative job interview down into a small ball. and flick it on and off until the colour of the picture disappears and you are left with a black and white small image.

Finally, push the thought further and further way until it is just a dot on the horizon. Then let it go.

Repeat this technique several times. Then, think about a job interview and if the negative association has gone or is weaker.

Create Excitement.

An interview opportunity is an exciting event.

Finding the right job, in the right sector, in the right company can help to create satisfaction.

Job interview excitement is created by two elements:

1) Understanding you possess the skills and experiences for the job role (knowing you are a suitable candidate)

2) Believing that you will communicate confidently in job interview

First, right a list of all your job related skills, qualities and experiences:

Work ethic
Creative problem solving
Specialist skill/knowledge
Natural leader
Highest earner
Proactive
Any number of sector related duties/skills

Next, imagine you were your manager or colleague. Write a list of all the positive skills and experiences they believe you have.

Write a third list of the added value you can bring to a new organisation.

These list are designed to help an applicant reflect on their ability to complete the new job duties.

In the recruitment process, interview questions are always based on the main job duties, and required skills, for each position. These list, therefore, can help the candidate predict the job criteria and the job interview questions, helping them to prepare high-scoring interview answers.

Craft perfection from practice, The more an interviewee practices delivering the job interview answers, the more skilled they will become at delivering answers that score high.

To believe in your own job interview ability you can create a new, positive, association to the recruitment process.

Imagine yourself in a job interview performing well. See yourself smiling, enjoying yourself, sense the strong rapport between you and the employer. Hear yourself giving detailed answers to any job interview question. Notice your positive body language, gestures and tone of voice. Become aware of everything that makes you a strong and professional interviewee.
Design this film anyway you want to. Make it big, bright and vivid.
Imagine being there in the moment, seeing the film from your own eyes.
Focus on the positive emotions, the feeling of job interview excitement. make these feeling stronger, double and triple it, until the positive feeling of you in a job interview is at its optimum.
Take a deep breath and repeat 4-5 times.

A strong emotional visualization is recorded in our memory. When you next think about a forthcoming job interview, the mind will trigger the new positive association, helping a candidate feel more excited for the job interview.

July 26, 2021July 26, 2021

How do you know if an Interviewer likes you?

Job hunters ask ‘how do you know if an interviewer likes me?’ because they are anxious about the recruitment process.

What the applicant is really asking is, ‘how likely is it that I will be offered the position after the job interview?’

But, likeability does effect the job interview outcome. This article will break down the impact of likeability in the job interview and how an interviewee can increase job offers by being liked by an interview panel.

Is the interview a fair process?

The goal of any recruitment process is to predict the job performance of each interviewee.

The predicted job performance is the main factor in the offering of the advertised position to one applicant over another.

The second factor, that influences the ‘main’ factor, the predicting of the job performance, is likeability.

To improve likeability, applicants must understand the psychology behind liking.

Humans like:

Familiarity (affinity bias)
What other people like (social proof)
Things that make us feel good (emotional connection)

Likeability starts before the interview starts.

Unconscious bias is the process of an opinion being made at the subconscious level, instantaneously, about a person (or group) base on any number of stimuli.

In recruitment processes, where the employers task is to make a conscious, logical, opinion on the applicants suitability for the job role, unconscious bias can be created by a persons:

Perceived age
Gender
Ethnicity
Body mass
Accent
Body language
Any number of things

The truth is, that an interviewer, when meeting the applicant for the first time, will make an opinion about that person prior to asking them an interview question. The opinion, which is an unconscious bias, as the employer doesn’t know the applicant, is made in milliseconds.

This is the initial likeability factor.

You meet someone and you like or dislike them, but you don’t know why. Or your gut feeling makes you cautious or open, or you feel drawn towards someone or you want to get away from them 9running from a potential threat).

The initial likeability is created based on a persons own experiences including the culture they grew up in.

If for example, the environment a person grew up in, generalized that a person/group with X characteristic was lazy, the interviewer with this limiting belief would search for evidence to back up their prejudice.

Research shows, that characteristics on the applicants application form, social media feed or from the opinions of others can create a pre-interview opinion.

Not all opinions are negative.

If an employer read on the candidates application form that they had a degree from a leading university, Oxford or Cambridge, as an example, a positive pre-interview opinion can be created.

In fact, if the candidate attended the same university as the interviewer, the interviewer, due to affinity bias, will have rapport with the applicant.

Having a published industry related book, or having been quoted in sector magazines, or even possessing a social media feed filled with industry updates can create authority prior to the job interview.

Strong eye contact, positive body language and being physically attractive all shape the initial opinion, as the employer meets the applicant for the very first time.

In short, the employer prior to meeting an applicant will make a positive or negative generalization (I like or don’t like this person) at the subconscious level, due to a number of different factors.

“Unconscious bias creates a likeability factor that acts as a filter during the forthcoming job interview”
Chris Delaney Author of What is Your Interview Identity.

Challenging the Initial Impression.

Most interviewers aren’t consciously aware of the reason behind their initial likeability impression.

A racist, sexist or ageist interviewer, as an example, is aware (and doesn’t care) that they dislike a certain group.

In this case it will be hard to challenge the limiting belief. But, in the main, the initial feeling about a stranger is subconscious.

For an employer who has an initial reaction, as an example, to a female applying for a traditionally masculine role, they become aware (and they care that this initial filter wont effect the interview process) making an effort to override the unconscious bias.

For many people, the unconscious bias reaction, isn’t a reflection of the values they hold true to themselves. Imagine, for example, an obese applicant applies for a job in your team.

Is the obese applicant male or female?

It doesn’t matter which gender you choose, what matters is that you automatically choose a gender – this is unconscious bias in play.

The job interview environment is designed to be a logical place, with answers being cross-reference against the job criteria. Employers, apart from the ‘aware and don’t care’ interviewers, want to hire the most suitable applicant no matter what the persons age, gender, ethnicity, etc.

One barrier to a fair interview process is that the duration of the job interview is long for one person to remain totally focused. Again, like with unconcise bias, the mind will create short cuts.

The initial short-cut the brain makes is ‘likeability’ created by the initial impression. The second short-cut, or snap decision, is the applicants ‘interview identity’.

The ‘interview identity’ is created in the first, and possibly second job interview question. Or more specific the applicants answers to each question.

If the interviewee states their sector related competencies confidently, showing added value, worth and skillset (knowledge, experience and unique selling points) the interview identity will be positive.

But, an answer that lacks specifics and filled with self-declared weaknesses and excessive use of filler words is likely to create a negative identity.

The interview identity, to generalize, is the applicant being suitable or unsuitable for the advertised position.

Check your interview identity by taking the interview prediction grid test.

An ‘aware and care’ employer, with an initial negative impression (likeability factor) can easily be swayed if the initial interview answers highlight a high level of industry knowledge and experience (suitability).

Suitability is a logical choice and likeability is emotional. The new filter created by the ‘suability’ factor, the applicants interview identity, becomes the main focus. The mind, then searches for evidence to back up their belief ‘this interviewee is suitable/not suitable for the role’.

***the initial likeability factor can effect the suitability short-cut.

In fact, some high-scoring answers can create a ‘charismatic’ or ‘optimistic’ interview identity.

Signs that an Interviewer likes you?

It is easy to spot an interested interviewer.

If an employer doesn’t believe the candidate is suitable for the role, they will want to end the interview process as quickly as possible.

For an interested interviewer, they will show signs of desire by:

Asking additional questions to help the applicant mention the required criteria relevant for that job question
Positive non-verbal communication to encourage more descriptive answers from the candidate
Sharing personal stories to build rapport with the applicant with a view to help them take the offered role
Stating their high opinion of the applicant
Discussing future projects that the candidate would be suited for
Checks competition by asking about the interviewees other job interviews

Remember that just because the interviewer is interested in an applicant, this doesn’t always lead to a job offer, as the next applicant may have a stronger interview identity.

July 25, 2021July 25, 2021

HR Assistant Interview Questions

How to answer HR (Human Resources) Assistant job interview questions.

HR assistant, sometimes known as a HR administrator, job roles are entry-level job roles. This means that the employer doesn’t expect the job applicant to possess a high number of years in the industry.

Instead, the interviewer is looking for potential, the right fit for the organisation.

This article will explain how to pass a human resource assistant job interview. We will provide a list of commonly asked human resource assistant job interview questions and answers.

What is a HR assistant job interview.

The HR assistant recruitment process often consists of a signal job interview, conducted by an HR professional or manager.

The recruitment panel will have been trained in interviewing process including unconscious bias, often adopting a structured job interview approach.

The interview will last around sixty minutes, with the interviewer asking around eight job interview questions.

As the position is an entry-level role, the employer will do their best to put each candidate at ease.

To put the applicant at ease, the interview panel will:

Make small talk
Explain the interview process
Initially, ask open questions

Small Talk

To relax a nervous interviewee, interviewers will create small talk.

Small talk helps as it creates a conversation (the small talk isn’t part of the job interview itself), puts the applicant at ease, and helps communication during the job interview, as the candidate has been encouraged to speak.

Small talk questions include:

Did you find the building ok?
What do you think about the weather today?
Do you want a tea, coffee, water?

The small talk section of the job interview, can be used to help shape an applicants interview identity, how the employer views the candidate: suitable or unsuitable.

As an example, if asked ‘did you find the building ok?’ an applicant can easily reply with: ‘Yes it was easy to find’ or can show preparation skills by replying with: ‘Yes, I’m an organized person, so I drove here a couple of days ago to ensure I would be on time’.

Another example, when asked about ‘What did you do over the weekend?’ The applicant could respond by talking about a sector-related book they were reading.

“Pre-interview communication effects the job interview outcome”
Chris Delaney Author of what is your interview identity

Even the level of communication confidence; the language used, the number of filler words, pace and speed, all effect the employers opinion of the applicant, prior to the job interview start.

HR Assistant Job Interview Questions and Answers.

Below is a list of commonly asked job interview questions, and an explanation of how to answer each question, for a Human Resource Assistant job interview.

Tell me about your experience and how it relates to a human resource assistant job role?

For an entry-level position, employers aren’t expecting a string answer for this opening interview question.

This, then, is a great opportunity to be viewed as hirable by preparing a high-scoring interview answer.

The answer should include:

Relevant qualifications
Past experiences relevant to the job role
Skills and qualities
The reason why you have applied for this role

“For the past X years, I have been working in (add job sector) where I have been (add relevant HR and administrational duties). Over this time I have built up a wealth of skills and qualities which include (add HR required skill/quality). I possess a (add qualification) and have applied for this role because (add reason: passion, interest, possess the skills)”

How would you provide administrative and organisational support for HR colleagues?

There are different ways to answer job interview questions. For higher-paid positions, where employers expect an applicant to possess industry experience, the interviewer will ask ‘behavioral’ job interview questions.

For lower-paid entry roles, the questions will be framed as ‘situational’ – ‘What would you do…’ and, ‘How would you…’

To answer a situational job interview question, applicants can so knowledge by:

Sharing industry-related theories
Well used sector models
Give a step by step plan of what they would do in a given situation

“One of my key strengths is (add strength IE organisational skills). In work, I (add model IE the time management matrix model) This allows me to (explain model). To support HR colleagues on a day to day basis I would (add actions you would take IE offer my support, complete tasks on time, share my knowledge of excel, etc)

For the later part of the interview answer, the skills and duties, think about the job role. What skills are required for the common HR assistant duties?

Communication
Listening skills
Accuracy
Organisational
Excel, Word and database knowledge
Understanding HR legislation
Fast typing skills
Dictation and note taking
Being professional
Telephone skills

How could you support monthly payroll tasks?

When asked any job interview question, the interviewee should first ask themselves ‘what skill, experience, or quality is the employer looking for evidence for through this interview question?’

For technical skills and duties, job hunters must, prior to the job interview, research what will be expected of them once employed. For the above question, job applicants must understand what payroll is.

In fact, one of the three rules of a successful job interview outcome is ‘predicting the interview criteria’

As payroll consist of calculating employees’ salaries, calculating tax, and reporting spend to HMRC, the successful applicant will require ITC skills, excellent numeracy skills, and attention to detail.

The ‘How could you support..’ section of the interview question, indicates that the employer is checking the applicant’s level of knowledge and experience – their ability to complete this task.

To answer this interview question, use the formula ‘skills x actions’

State the relevant skills or experiences you possess relevant to the described duty and follow this up by explaining how that skill would assist with the duty.

“One of my key strengths is my attention to detail. I have a mathematical mind and can easily work out large calculations. I always check my work and ensure I cross the T’s and dot the I’s. When assisting with payroll I would be able to double-check the workings outs, take on any calculations, and assist with any spreadsheet and databases.”

What experience do you have using data systems?

In all human resources positions, the HR team works on various data systems and spreadsheets.

It is highly advantaged for any HR assistant to train in, as an example, Excel. Skilled excel employees can create automate calculations, create visual versions of hard data, and designed formulas. This knowledge could be the unique selling point that gives one applicant the edge over another.

Answer the interview question, by stating the duration of working with data systems, name each data system and give a real-life example of using one of the stated data systems.

“I have worked with various data systems for X numbers of years, including (data system 1, 2 and 3). An example of what I can do is (add specific example IE designing pivot tables)”

What do you need to think about when being the first port of call for an employee with a HR query?

Throughout the HR administrator or assistant job interview, there will be a number of duty-related interview questions.

Some of the questions will be situational interview questions, asking how you think you would handle X or what would you do in Y situation.

The list technique can be used to highlight a diverse skill or knowledge range. The list formula is ‘list x example’ List possibilities and pick one that is explained in detail.

“When being the first point of call you need to (list options IE record the date of the call, collect personal information, explain data protection, record the conversation…) An example of this was (give SAP example)”

Do you have any questions for me?

Always attend a job interview with interesting questions to ask the employer

What training and development is available for new employees?
Does the company help HR administrators to advance into HR roles?
How would you describe the managment style within the HR department?
What do you like about working for this organisation?
Is the compnay looking to expand?

July 16, 2021July 16, 2021

How to Answer Job Interview Questions

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.

Creating an Interview Answer.

Common interview practice is to prepare for a job interview by:

Reading the job spec and predicting the interview questions
Creating a reply that showcases the skills or experiences required in the job role
Completing a mock interview with a career advisor

As a start, the three-step process is good. But, many failed interviewees use this same process.

Why isn’t a positive job interview outcome consistent when following the three pre-interview preparation steps?

Because the answers only give basic information.

Let’s take one of the most commonly asked job interview questions:

“Give me an example of overcoming a problem?”

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 addition, giving examples is a form of storytelling. Much research shows how storytelling creates a memorable interview.

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.

This is important as the number one, most in-demand skill is creative problem-solving.

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.

July 8, 2021July 8, 2021

How Do I Prepare for an Amazon Leadership Principle Interview?

The Amazon leadership interview is a longer then normal process, often consisting of several interviews with different members of the Amazon team. Including a hiring manager, a bar-raiser interviewer, and (job role) specialist.

This article will explain how to prepare and pass an Amazon leadership job interview.

Amazon is a successful company as they recruit leaders who fit in with the company culture. The Amazon recruitment process uses questions based on the 16 leadership principles.

What you need to know to prepare for an Amazon LP Interview.

You will attend multiple online interviews
Each interviewer will ask leadership principle job interview questions
Questions will be structured as ‘behavioral’ job interview questions

Behavioral Job Interview Questions.

Amazon preference the behavioral job interview question format, believing that past behaviors can help predict future performance.

This means that the Amazon interviewers will frame the questions on previous experiences:

Tell me about a time you did…
Give me an example of when you have…
What past achievements did you….
When was the last time you….
Have you ever….

Amazon Interviewers.

Who will interview you?

On average, applicants will attend 4-6 rounds of interviews, with each round lasting around 60 minutes. This seems a lot compared to other organizations, who only have two rounds of interviews.

Why so many?

Amazon only want to recruit the most suitable applicants, to create the best team they can.

In fact, amazon are happy to decline applicants and wait until a more suitable applicant comes along – someone who meets the leadership principle criteria and some one who can raise the bar. This is because the leadership principles are about the company culture.

Depending on the job role, the recruitment process varies between different departments. In the main, the interviewers will include:

Amazon Bar Raiser
Sector Expert
Hiring Manager

What is an Amazon Bar Riser?

The ‘bar raiser’ is an objective third party interviewer who looks at the candidates potential for long-term success.

Bar raiser are experienced interviewers, trained by Amazon to evaluate applicants against the leadership principles (but all Amazon interviewers will ask leadership principle interview questions).

Amazon want to recruit leaders who will make a difference, they want someone who can raise the bar. An applicant with a high level of knowledge and experience may not gain a job offer if they don’t come across as someone who can raise the bar.

Sector Expert Interviewer.

The bar raiser isn’t from the department the job role is in, as this gives the bar-raiser interviewer as different perspective to evaluate the applicant against the leadership principles.

For technical roles, such as engineers, a internal sector expert will ask more sector related interview questions embedded within the leadership principle interview questions.

The sector expert will be reviewing:

Industry experience
Sector knowledge
Transferable skills and knowledge for the Amazon role

As an example IT managers maybe asked about coding, whereas a sales managers might be asked about building demand.

Hiring Manager Interview.

The hiring manager interview is often the first interview round applicants will go through.

The initial interview is to check suitability. The interview will last around 60 minutes and the hiring manager will check suitability against a number of Amazon job roles.

During the interview the hiring manager will check:

Duration of industry experience.
Knowledge of Amazon leadership principles
Skills, knowledge, abilities and qualities.

The interview is often a conversation, an informal job interview, to get to know the applicant.

What is Amazon Chime?

One if the interview stages is a telephone interview.

As Amazon is a technology company, they have decide not to reply on interviewees using a mobile phone and instead (in most cases) will ask candidates to use Amazon Chime.

Amazon Chime is pretty easy to use. To set up the app follow these steps: Amazon Chime Set Up.

Interviewees need to be prepared for a virtual interview.

Amazon Leadership Principles

It is important to understand all 16 Amazon leadership principles (previously 14 leadership principles) as it these principles that the job interview questions are based on.

One thing Amazon insist on is data specific information. Stay way from generalizations and instead, give detail.

As an example, don’t say “we increased profit” and instead state the monetary value earned.

Stay away from lines like “I thought we did really well.” Amazon would prefer “The customer said X and increased their orders by 25% that year, which was £X turnover.”

Words like “good”, “beautiful” or “positive” are all personal opinions. What Amazon look for is specific data, real evidence, something that can be measured.

Customer Obsession

Amazon are all about the customers, and say “Leaders start with the customer and work backwards.” Interview questions will question if the applicant has what it takes to “Work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust.”

Example questions:

Tell me about a time you couldn’t achieve the customer expectations?
Give me an example of how you turned around a negative customer interaction?
Explain a time when you have dealt with a difficult customer?

Ownership

Amazon say that “Leaders are owners.” This is because Amazon look long-term, and expect their leaders to “think long term and don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term results.”

Amazon leaders act on behalf of Amazon, not just their own team. In this sense an Amazon leader would never say “that’s not my job.”

Example Questions

Give me an example of when you have made a decision that had a negative short term outcome but led to a positive long term outcome?
Have you ever took on additional work that wasn’t part of your everyday duties/responsibilities?
Tell me about a time when you pushed a new initiative that was challenging?

Invent and Simplify

Amazon is an innovative company, starting as an online book store they now have a wide range of technologies, services and products. One thing Amazon do well is to simply things, often making it easier for their customers. As ideas are presented they are not always understood by stakeholders, Amazon says “As we do new things, we accept that we may be misunderstood for long periods of time.”

Amazon are externally focused and expect innovation and invention from their teams. With innovation Amazon aim to simplify.

Example questions

Tell me about a detailed process or procedure that you were able to simplify?
Give me an example of when you learnt something by making a mistake?
Explain a time when you invented something complete unique?

Are Right, A Lot

Amazon believe that leaders have strong judgement. They believe in their own ideas, and use their instinct to make the correct decision. In short, Amazon says “Leaders are right a lot.”

Example questions

Give me an example of when you have made decision, while under pressure, that went against the opinion of others, as you were relying on your own judgement and experiences?
Tell me about a time someone challenged what you were doing and what your response was to the critique?
Have you ever made a a bad decision?

Learn and Be Curious

Innovation comes from a team of life long learners. Amazon say “Leaders are never done learning and always seek to improve themselves.” Amazons products and ideas come from being curious about new possibilities.

Example questions

Give me an example of creating change in an idea, process or product?
Tell me about an experience you had that made you change they way you thought?
Tell me about a time when you experience and knowledge helped to improve something?

Hire and Develop the Best

The Amazon recruitment process, outlined above, shows the value Amazon put on hiring the best “Leaders raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion.” As a leader, Amazon will expect you to be able to recognize exceptional talent.

Leaders are coaches and take developing their staff seriously. Therefore, hiring and coaching are an important leadership task.

Example questions

How have you coached other people to be successful?
How do you ensure you recruit exceptional people?
What makes a good member of staff?

Insist on the Highest Standards

High standards equal high quality, high quality improves customer satisfaction. Everything Amazon undertakes is of high quality. In the recruitment process Amazon use ‘bar-risers’ not just a hiring manager. This is an example, of how Amazon push the quality in everything that they do.

Example questions

Share an experience when another team member wasn’t pulling their weight?
When have you personally raised the bar?
Give an example of when you have improved something that you felt wasn’t up to your high standards?

Think Big

Amazon believe on what you focus on you get. If you think small, small things happen, but if you think big…

Amazon says “Leaders create and communicate a bold direction that inspires results.”

Example questions

Give an example of going above the scope of a project?
Have you ever been disappointed because you didn’t think ‘big’ enough?
Tell about a time that you were able to put your big vision into practice?

Bias for Action

Amazon knows that “Speed matters in business.” Therefore Amazon “value calculated risk taking.” This is because they know that “Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study.”

Example questions

Give an example of taking a calculated risk?
Tell about a risk you took that didn’t work the way you wanted it to?
Have you ever took the initiative to take action rather then waiting for support or advice?

Frugality

When needed humans are resourceful. Amazon believe that you can “Accomplish more with less.” Amazon leaders are paid to get a job done “There are no extra points for growing headcount, budget size, or fixed expense.”

Example questions

Have you ever turned down resources when working on a project as you knew you could rely on yourself or your team to complete the tasks?
Tell me about a time you achieved a big out on a small budget?
Give me an example of using your own resources to achieve an objective?

Earn Trust

Open and honest leaders earn trust. Being self-critical can be awkward, but it allows a leader to benchmark themselves against others. “Leaders listen attentively, speak candidly, and treat others respectfully.”

Example questions

What quality do you lease values about yourself?
Give an example of when you knew someone else was out-performing you?
Have you ever seen a colleague act unethically?

Dive Deep

Leaders understand the nitty gritty of all jobs in their department and beyond and will step in when required. Amazon says “Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to the details, audit frequently, and are skeptical when metrics and anecdote differ.”

Example questions

Give an example of when having an in-depth knowledge of various job roles in an organisation helped to solve a problem?
Tell me about a time when auditing data changed how you approached a situation?
How do you use data in decision-making?

Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit

Leaders aren’t followers, Amazon says “Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting.” Amazon look for leaders who have conviction, who don’t comprise to fit in and who “Once a decision is determined, they commit wholly.”

Give an example of when you have refused to go with business-as-usual?
Have you ever made a decision that was, initially, highly unpopular?
Tell me about a time you have challenged someone in a senior position?

Deliver Results

A good leader can rise to the occasion, Amazon says “Leaders focus on the key inputs for their business and deliver them with the right quality and in a timely fashion.” Even though setbacks happen, leaders need to be able to deliver good results.

Example questions

How have you previously have to prioritized workload when working on multiple projects – how did you do this?
Give me an example of working on a project that had a big change half way through – how did you manage the change?
Tell me about a time that you worked towards a goal that others wanted to give up on?

Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer

Amazon says “Leaders work every day to create a safer, more productive, higher performing, more diverse, and more just work environment. ” Good leaders are empathetic, can create an enjoyable working environment and are skilled at developing their staff to be successful.

Example questions

Give an example of developing a team to become a high-performing team
Tell me about a time you were able to motivate a team to believe in the company vision?
How do you mange projects and staff development at the same time?

Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility

Amazon started in a garage selling books, now they are a global business. Amazon know that they impact the world, but that they are far from perfect “We must be humble and thoughtful about even the secondary effects of our actions. Our local communities, planet, and future generations need us to be better every day. We must begin each day with a determination to make better, do better, and be better for our customers, our employees, our partners, and the world at large. “

Amazon says “Leaders create more than they consume and always leave things better than how they found them.”

Example questions

How do you take the bigger picture into account when making decisions?
Give an example of taking something which was ‘good’ and making it better?
Tell me about a time when you thought about the affect of a decision on a stakeholder(s)?

How to answer Amazons leadership principle interview questions.

Amazon encourage applicants to use the STAR technique.

This is because an example shows a recruiter that you have experience of the required job criteria.

When answering the interview questions, think about:

The reason for the question – what skill or experience is the hiring manager wanting to hear?
Which of the leadership principles does the interview question relate to?
What specific information, data or facts can I use to offer prove of my knowledge/experience

The perceived level of knowledge and experience is key to passing an Amazon job interview. Take the Interview Prediction Grid test to check how you are viewed by an employer.

STAR Technique

Situation, Task, Actions, Result.

This interview formula allows the applicant to create a detailed job interview answer.

Situation

Think about the situation part of the interview answer as story-telling.

Set the scene. explain the job role or project. Detail the situation you were in: what barriers did you face? What was the goal? What would happen if you couldn’t achieve the objective? Who was involved?

Make the story relevant to the Amazon interviewer

Task

Explain what your reasonability was. for big project gives an overview of the main steps, then focus in on your own tasks, what you personally had to do.

Action

Amazon wants to know what you did, the actions you took, to achieve the outcome. In this section use “I” instead of “we”. Be descriptive. Explain your thought process, how you generated ideas, why you disregarded one suggestion over another. Discuss how you planned your actions, why you prioritised one action over another.

Result

End, by sharing the positive outcome (short term) and then the longer term positive effect. Also add in any lessons learnt and how these lessons were used in new projects or could be used when working for Amazon.