Easy to implement ideas that will make a big difference in a job interview

Why are job interviews so tricky?

One of the main reasons why most career professionals struggle in a job interview is because no-one is taught how to act during a recruitment process.

Everyone knows that during a structured job interview the employer will ask a set of industry related questions to check the competencies level of all applicants.

Each answer is then scored on the interview scorecard.

What is an interview scorecard?

An interview scorecard is the document each interviewer has to help them rank the applicants interview answers against the essential criteria for the position being hired.

The interview scorecard, in chronological order, lists all the job interview questions. Beneath each question is a list of the skills, qualities and experiences required for the advertised role, and/or an example answer/pointer for the allocated points.

In the main employer use scoring of 1-4; 1 = weak, 2 = medium, 3 competent, 4 = expert – with each employer having their own scorings system.

A fair interview is created through this analytical process, especially when conducted by a panel interview allowing each interview score(s) to be normed, decreasing the effect of job interview unconscious bias.

An interviewee, to be successful, not only has to gain a higher score than the competition but also needs to achieve enough points to beat the benchmark to be viewed as suitable for the role.

Why is it hard to pass a job interview?

Being a highly skilled and experienced professional should result in a higher than average job interview to job offer ratio.

For many career professionals, their interview identity – how an employer perceives the applicant based on a level of knowledge/experience vs level of confidence formula, results in a less skilled applicant being offered the position they are best suited for.

Even when a candidate’s wealth of sector knowledge is clear on the application form, the lack of self-promotion concludes with an employer’s negative assessment.

To be successful in a job interview requires the interviewer to view the applicant as highly skilled, an expert or someone they cant do without.

So, whats the problem?

The problem that many interviewees face is they simply can’t structure their interview answers (content and delivery) in a way that inspires the interviewer.

This problem has an easy to implement solution: 3 easy to implement ideas that will make your next interviewer want to hire you.

Confident Statement

The first few seconds of a job interview answer are deemed to be very important.

As many career professionals are aware, an initial impression is created by the employer when they first meet the interviewee – hireable or undesirable. This impression affects how the employer views the applicant’s whole job interview.

If a visual impression can have such a huge effect at the interview start, then the opening words of an interview answer can shape how the employers score the question being marker.

Unsure
Hesitant
Confident

Being unsure of what is being asked or blatantly having no idea what a (sector jargon) is, highlights a lack of industry knowledge.

An employer, now aware that the applicant lacks sector experience, is unlikely to hire that candidate. During the Q&A process, they will long for the interview to end, and look forward to the next, hopefully, more suitable interviewee.

Asking for an explanation of a sector terminology, theory, model or working practice creates the interview identity of ‘inexpert’.

Successful interviewees answer questions with a confident statement:

I am highly skilled in this area
This is something I have had to do in all my previous roles
My current managers always come to me with this problem

A confident statement is an opening line, delivered instantly, that simply highlights 1) a level of understanding of the job duties 2) a confident employee 3) sector experience

Employers are reassured when applicants start their answers by confidently confirming they have the required skill being discussed. As a secondary gain, employers are now likely to listen to the whole interview answer, picking up on more of the scoring criteria – scoring high on the interveiw scorecard.

Evidence Equals Expert

A picture is worth a thousand words.

In the main, employers make hiring decisions based on the content of an applicants interview answer. The detail given could possibly be exaggerated, misinterpreted or an out right lie.

Evidence, in the form of a target sheet, references, data sets, media articles or a physical item, is proof of an interviewees expertise.

By using evidence as part of the interview answer backs up any claims of competencies. It also highlights how the applicant is prepared, organised and detailed focus.

Different industry use the ‘evidence’ technique to get a customer to buy. Sweet shops will often hand out free samples; once the quality of the chocolate has been tasted, the customers is now more likely to purchase the product. It is the same in the job interview, the sample evidence is given as proof of ability before the employer buys into the candidate.

To be perceived as being highly skilled, bring evidence to the job interview. Or for virtual job interviews use the share screen function to show online proof of the candidate’s abilities.

Future Focus

Low scoring job applicants when asked a competency based job interview question will often just list skills and duties, other, more high scoring interviewees, gain points by telling stories relating to their past behaviors in the workplace.

But only a few utilise the future projection method.

Employers use the recruitment process to predict the candidates job performance.

What employers really want to know is – what can you do for me?

To end a job interview answer, the successful applicant will take the skill being discussed and explain how they would use their abilities in the employers workplace.

“…once I am employed in your organisation I will use (skill) to (outcome)”

A future focused interview answer allows the employer to visualise how the employee would fit within the company culture and what added value that applicant would bring to the overall team.

The structure of an interview answer.

Using the team work interview question as an example, an applicant using the CEF structure could answer the question by:

Confident statement; “In all my previous roles I have always worked with a team. where I have a reputation of achieving project objectives on time..”

Evidence; “…An example of this was when I worked on X project. During this project, my team was tasked with completing X. The barrier here was (state a problem you had to overcome). As a team we (state solution to the problem) I personally was responsible for (explain actions and steps you took) which resulted in (add positive outcome). The team was able to achieve this outcome because of (add reason IE being well organised used gannt charts and work packages) I actually have a copy of the project plan and gannt charts with me (show evidence)..”

Future focus; “…if I was offered a role working in your company, it would be my organisational and detailed approach that would allow to us collaborate successfully together to achieve project deadlines while ensuring the quality of the project.”

CEF Structure

The CEF structure is highly successful as the employer, through the initial statement, feels confident in the applicants attitude, as only industry experts or highly experienced professionals, would answer so confidently.

Stating you have a skill/experience isn’t enough, and even strong answers can be an exaggeration, so the producing of evidence, literally, shows the employer why you were initially so comfortable in the answering of the interview question.

And by making the answer relevant to the employers company, not only shows a deep understanding of the position being advertised, it can create a positive association between the vision and the applicant.

Job Interview Advice

April 26, 2019January 12, 2023

Common Asked Housing Officer Questions

A housing officer will often be employed for housing associations or the local authority, supporting clients with the assessment of needs in terms of housing applications.

The housing officer may also specialise in working with homeless people and/or service users with additional needs.

How competitive is a Housing Officer job Interview?

Interview Specifics

This article will list the commonly asked job interview questions for a housing officer.

By understanding the job interview structure and by knowing the commonly asked housing officer interview questions, applicants can prepare answers that highlight their level of competencies within this industry.

Common Asked Housing Officer Interview Questions

Can you tell me about your housing officer experience?

This housing officer interview question is asked for two reasons; 1 it is an open question to get you talking/feeling relax at the job interview start. 2, to gain a general overview of your experience (generic because the follow-up questions will go into more detail)

To answer this job interview question, start by summarising your experience as a housing officer, your relevant qualifications and a key unique skill relevant to the industry – something that makes you stand out, this could be a specialism you have IE working to house homeless service users.

How do you assess the needs of a client?

This interview question is key because this is the crux of the job role.

Split this answer into two sections. Section one is your people skills; explain how you build rapport, how you use effective listening skills, how open and closed questions have a powerful impact, and how you remain calm in stressful situations. Give a short example to highlight your level of expertise and competencies.

Section two should explain the interview structure; the questions you should ask, the information you need to collate, and how you follow GDPR, data protection and confidentiality legislation.

What does customer service mean to you?

You may be asked several customer services-related interview questions.

In the housing association sector often the service users can be stressed or angry. Some service users may have alcohol or drug addiction. In some cases, you will be speaking to clients who are struggling with finances and have been turned down for financial support.

When answering interview questions relating to customer service and communication, explain how you can handle these situations;

What was the situation – why was the service user angry or upset?

How did you handle the situation – what did you say or do to help calm down the client?

What was the positive outcome – how did the client respond to you?

What do you look for during a housing inspection?

Competency-based job interview questions require you to fall back on your experience.

Give an example of when you have carried out an inspection that had issues (you need to pick an inspection with issues to show that you can deal with this in a professional way)

In the example explain what you look for during a general inspection, the inspection process you follow and quote safeguarding regulations, and how you, when required, challenge a service user.

Follow this up with the example “one time during an inspection I saw…” Give details of what you found, the potential safeguarding issue, and what you did to address this

How would you have a positive effect on your colleagues and team?

A big part of the housing officers’ job criteria is to have the ability to work as part of a close-knit team. You will be asked one way or another about your ability to work within a team.

Open the teamwork answer by simply explaining how you enjoy working as part of a team and how in all previous housing roles teamwork has been an important aspect of the role. This opening confirmation statement shows how you have this required skill.

Now you have ticked the ‘teamwork’ box, you need to give a real-life example. A good frame for this job interview answer is to give a ‘helper’ perspective.

Describe how a colleague was having a problem with a housing issue and how this problem affected the output of the whole team.

Go on to describe how you took action and explain the action you took. Follow this up with the positive outcome focusing on how the whole team benefited from your quick actions.

You can also talk about the larger team – in this role, you will need to work with a range of agencies and stakeholders, including social services, jobcentre plus, citizens’ advice service.

Which other agencies would you refer a service user to?

Part of a housing officer’s job role is to work with the tenants to help them to be successful.

To be effective in this job duty you will need to work with, signpost or refer to a large number of partner agencies from social services to the local job center, from doctor surgeries to career advice officers.

In your answer list the relevant agencies you would partner with and give an example of when you would make a referral compared to signposting.

The example has to be specific. First, explain the service users situation and the key block that was holding them back. Explain the limitations of your roles and how the service user required expert advice.

Go on to explain how the service user had attempted to get support but had failed. End the interview answer by stating what you did to ensure the client got the support and advice they required.

Do you have any questions for me?

A guaranteed question is the “do you have any questions for me?” question. And your answer should be YES! Always ask a question.

Good questions to ask in a housing officer job interview are;

What is your approach to supporting service users with their many barriers?
What development opportunities do you have to help upskill a housing officer?
How many hostels/houses do the organisations look after?
What is the best part of your day?

November 6, 2017December 5, 2020

Aristotles Teaches How To Persuasion in a Job Interview

Aristotle’s Persuasion Technique

Persuasion is the goal of the job interview.

In the job interview, you need to influence, persuade and motivate through the answers of your job interview answers. You naturally persuade all the time, through the words you say and how you say these words. The problem is you may persuade people not to recruit rather than persuade them to offer you the desired job position.

Aristotle was a master of the persuasive language. We have taken the leanings of Aristotle’s rhetoric and made it relevant to the job interview.

Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Ethos is your character, how you come across to the interviewer. In a job interview, you need to be seen as credible, an authority. If the job interviewer believes in you, they will listen to you, if they listen to you, they will want to buy you (offer you the position) Aristotle said “We believe good men more fully and more readily than others.”

An example of an ethical appeal: “What I have learned from working in this industry for over 28 years is…” Your duration of experience has a direct path to your Ethos.

Pathos creates an emotional response from the interview panel. In the job interview situation, you need to appeal directly to the interviewer’s emotions. The great interviewee controllers the employer’s emotions throughout the job interview, taking them on an emotional roller coaster.

An example of an emotional interview answer is “have you ever been in a situation when a multi-pound deal was just about to be lost….what I did to turn things around was…” By getting an employer to imagine/remember a negative situation stirs up their negative emotions, before you create a positive emotional pull, by explaining your positive outcome.

Logos is a way to use logic; reasoning, data, statistics and even debates and arguments. Imagery creates an emotional pull, logos allows you to give the facts to back up the story. “This technique increased profit by 35%..” “9 out of 10 people benefited from X”

August 19, 2017

Job Interview Questions for a Job at Rise in Manchester

Rise Manchester offers a tailor-made space for the FinTech community, drawing together the city’s vibrant startup culture and its rich industrial past. In staff they are looking for friendly and fun staff who know there coffee and who can improve their customers experience.

If you want a job at rise, here is some questions you will need to answer

Below you can also access 101 Interview Questions and techniques to Influence the Job Interview. Good luck with your next job interview.

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Job Interview Questions for a Job at Rise in Manchester

Job Interview Question 1:

“Tell me about your customer service experience?”

The opening question at Rise, will be a generic interview question to gain an insight into your customer service and barista experience. Summarise your experience and have a focus on the key skills required for this position; how you welcome customers, how you promote the rise philosophy and how you go above and beyond

Ensure you mention

customer service skills
strong written and spoken communication skills
the ability to solve problems
the ability to deal tactfully with customers
your friendliness and rapport building skills

Job Interview Question 2:

“How do you handle difficult customers?”

For situational job interview questions, answer using a real life story or example

state the situation – why the customer was angry/difficult
explain how you remain calm and how this calmed down the customer
discuss what you did to support the customer while following processes and procedure
explain the outcome of the situation ***ensure this is positive

Job Interview Question 3:

“When have you gone and beyond to help a customer?”

Rise isn’t just a coffee shop, its an experience. In an employee Rise are looking for staff members who go that extra mile. Answer this interview question by first stating your work ethic and your temperament. Second give a real life example of when you went above and beyond to help a customer. Remember at Rise the customer base isn’t just shoppers, in fact the percentage of customer are entrepreneurs who spend their day at Rise working

Job Interview Question 4:

“What questions do you need when booking a room for a customer?”

Many customers book rooms and the stage area. This task requires a level of organisation. When answering this questions explain your strategy for keeping the administration side of things on point. How do you ensure that you have the correct details; customer detailsl, booking details

Job Interview Question 5:

“Why do you want to work at Rise?”

Be honest when answering this question – Rise has to be the right fit for you, and you need to be the right fit for Rise. What made you apply for this role? Why do you like the environment? To answer this question, start with “The three reasons I want to work at Rise are…” and then give 3 real reasons.

Job Interview Question 6:

“Do you have any questions for me?”

Good interview questions to ask interviewers at the end of the job interview include questions on the company growth or expansion, questions on personal development and training and questions on company values, staff retention and company achievements.

Conclusion

Many people are afraid of job interviews. The truth is if you prepare for your job interview, by predicting the job interview questions, you can easily prepare your job interview answers. If your job interview answers highlight your unique selling point, are stated in the positive and are said in a confident manner, then you can influence the job interview to increase job offer.

Interview Preparation Resources

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September 25, 2016November 21, 2020

Out Of The Box Interview Tips

Think Out Of The Box To Pass a Job Interview

Run of the mill interviewing techniques are becoming talk of the past.

“Tell me about yourself”?, A question that has been out there for so long that candidates tend to just learn the answer to it by heart with minor tweaks here and there.

If the questions aren’t going to change so will the same patented responses will be given during interviews. There is no advancement in the interviewing procedures and no learning for graduates coming fresh out of the universities.

career

Let’s consider a situation where a candidate (you) gets the call from HR representative of the company you applied to.

A unique feature about this call would be (we’ll get into that) but how normally a candidate would respond to one such call:

HR: “Hi, is this Mr. X I’m speaking to?”

Mr. X: “Yes, who’s this?”

HR: “This Ms. Y from ABC Co., you applied for the position of XYZ. Have you got a minute, I have to ask a couple of questions?”

Mr. X: “Please go on”

HR: “Ok, so have been you working somewhere?”

Mr. X: “Both yes and no, actually I resigned from my previous employment and am currently serving my notice period”

HR: “Ok, it says here you’ve been with the firm for last 5 years, what makes you want to switch?”

Mr. X: “Although, I have had no issues here during the tenure of my employment, all I feel is a bit stagnant where I’m and want to challenge myself in pursuit of new and better opportunities”

HR: “Alright, let me schedule an interview with you tomorrow say at 11am?”

Mr. X: “Sounds good to me, will be there.”

HR: “The directions to our office will be emailed to you shortly.”

Mr. X: “Sure thanks. Bye.”

That is how a normal telephonic interview appears as. But if we could improvise and candidate can earn the seat in front row? Startling? We pick it up from point no. 10 above and see how it changes.

Mr. X: “Can I suggest a date, as I have some things to take care of in the days to follow? Hence I won’t be able to squeeze time for the meet.”

HR (based on the availability): “When it would be possible for you to visit, then?”

Mr. X: “On so and so date (suggest a date for 2-3 days ahead)

The idea is to buy time so you can thoroughly search about the company, its stakeholders, review their profile on LinkedIn and prepare yourself well.

HR: “How does day after tomorrow sound?”

Mr. X: “Great!”

Now if the counter argument is not up to your liking, best lock in the day as it maybe that the organization is interviewing other candidates or the interviewing authority may not be available in those days.

At least by making a request you have made your presence felt and that you are not typical instead expressive. Just that is the purpose of asking to schedule at a later date. This gives you leverage in negotiations at the time of offer.

You don’t need to insist on scheduling for the day/date you have in mind or you’ll lose the opportunity, altogether. An attempt suffices and generally employer allows for a day or two in scheduling meets for candidates.

Secondly, the questions needs to be revisited to allow candidates to speak open-endedly and when someone is provided the platform to speak, their frame mind is reflected and the person interviewing can gauge whether or not the person would be a suitable fit for the organization.

Questions could be:

“How much element of fun is part of your life?”

“Do you cater to sarcasm?”

“What if I were to ring up a close friend of yours, will he/she be able to tell me your weaknesses?”

Author Bio

Rayanne Dany is an HR consultant and can be reached for assignment writing service via her twitter handle. She has tons of experience in different organizations amounting to a total of 10 years. Her insight over the years as an HR professional has paved way for writing improvement techniques.

October 4, 2015November 30, 2020

Interview Question and Answer What motivates you to be your best?

To answer the interview question what motivates you, your first need to think about the job duties required for the position you are applying for.

This way you can match your motivation to that of the job. In this article we have broke down what the interviewer is looking for in a perfect job interview answer and to help you create the perfect answer we have recorded an example answer.

Interview Question “What motivates you to be your best?”

Explanation of the Question:

If every job paid the same salary, would you still apply for this position? If the answer is yes, why? This is what motivates you.

Think about the job you are applying too, what is the end result this company delivers? Does it make something? Help people? Give advice? Sells?

If you are motivated by the same thing the company does then you will do well in the company and the interviewer will want to recruit you.

Example Interview Answer

“I am always motivated knowing that my job role is making a difference with other people’s lives”

April 7, 2015November 30, 2020

Preparing Your Interview Answers for Maximum Impact

Maximum Impact Interview Answers

To beat the job interview competition the savvy interviewee will prepare each interview answer to maximize the impact each answer has on the interviewer.

Don’t fall into the trap of simply re-reading your CV the night before the interview, instead start preparing weeks ahead of the job interview – as soon as you receive the invitation to interview e-mail.

This way you will have time to predict each question, prepare each interview answer and ensure each answer sells you and your skills, work ethic and employment experience.

The simple 3 step process below, will help you prepare each interview answer (the examples we will concentrate on qualities and skills, but the same process can be used for experience related interview questions).

Step 1 Predicting the Interview Question

First think about the position you are applying for and ask yourself “what skills and qualities does the employer require me to possess?” and write a big list of required skills, qualities and experiences. You can also use the job specification or job profiles to predict the essential job criteria.

Step 2 Breakdown the Skill

Each essential job criteria requires a certain skill or quality. Create a mindmap for each required skill, as an example “Communication Skills” – ask yourself “how do you communicate?” – e-mail, face to face, telephone, fax, body language, sign language, etc. make this list as big as possible, there are no wrong answers be creative add anything you associate to communication (or your essential criteria)

Next think about a real example of when you have used this skill or quality and recorded it.

Step 3 Creating the Answer

Now you have a giant list of criteria and a breakdown of those particular criteria, you can now move onto the third stage – paragraphs. All you need to do here is put the breakdown of the criteria into a paragraph (and this doesn’t need to perfect yet)

Let’s use the communication example – remember at this stage the paragraph doesn’t need to read well as we are still in the ideas stage. “I communicate with everyday, over the phone and face to face. When talking over the phone I use my voice tone to build rapport and ask regular questions to ensure the other person is taking onboard what I am saying. When talking to people face to face, I use my body language to increase likeness and watch the other people’s body language and face gestures to check they agree with what I am saying”

Use real life examples show’s the employer two things; one you understand what their essential criteria is and more importantly you have implemented in previous roles (which is often taken for you can do that part of the job)

Your real life examples need to be related to the position you are applying for. In sales jobs communication skills and rapport building are key essential criteria, so you can edit your above profile using real life sales (or any position) experience

“In my previous sales position I was always on the monthly top 10 sales executive’s board often at the top, this is because I understand the importance of communicating with people over the phone. I would often use my voice tone to build rapport with customers and ask customers questions throughout the sales pitch to ensure they were listening to me…..”

You need to re-write your interview answer 3 times to ensure it really sell’s you. After each interview think about which answer worked well and which answers need improving. Reflecting on your interview answers allows you to improve with each and every job interview.

July 15, 2014December 6, 2020

Interview Preparation: The Structure of the Job Interview

The Structured Interview and How to Prepare For It

The myth that job interviewers are evil, that employers are always trying to catch you out just isn’t true.

From the employer’s perspective, the job interview is the final assessment to see if you will be a good fit with the businesses.

The employer has spent a large amount of money and used various resources to advertise the job.

They have read the CVs, application forms, linked-in profile, and watched the video CVs.

From this, they have picked a number of candidates that they are interested in and checked your social media and online presence to see how you act out of work.

The employer is interested in all 6 candidates and will use the interview to find out more about your past duties, work ethic, skills and experiences before offering the lucky interviewee a contract of employment.

The interview is set out into 3 stages and by knowing how to act in each stage will give you an advantage during the interview process.

Stage 1 The Welcome

The interviewer knows that most candidates are nervous, which is why they ask questions like “tell me about yourself.” These opening questions are designed to get you talking and to help you relax.

To answer this question, first give an overview “I have over X years experience in Y…” and then highlight 3 key achievements and skills “My 3 key achievements are…” and then end with the reason you are applying for this role.

Prior to this, the interviewer will often start by discussing the business, why they are hiring and where they see the company progressing to over the next few years.

Remember the interviewer likes you, they have checked your experience and qualifications and they feel you and the other 5 applicants have what it takes – they want you, which is why the interviewer often starts by selling the company to you.

Use this initial opener to ask more questions about the business. Hopefully, through pre-interview research, you already know about plans for expansion. Knowing that the interviewer will discuss their business and future plans, prepare questions to ask them.

The advantage to this is twofold; first, by asking questions your confidence will grow, rather than having to answer a verbally long question at the interview start.

Second, this shows interest, highlights your sector knowledge and builds rapport – people like it when they are asked questions as it shows interest and likability.

Stage 2 – The Fit

You will be questioned on your experience and skills, which means you need to prepare answers that highlight your experience relevant to the job specification. Use stories and quotes figures throughout your interview as this allows the interviewer to see the value of employing you.

Your experience alone is never enough.

Throughout the body of the job interview, you need to ensure your work ethic and attitude is highlighted.

Relate your answers to key aspects of your personality by discussing how you went above and beyond, how you worked late to meet the deadline for a project that was dropped on you last minute.

Discuss how you turn around an underperforming team by implementing X procedure.

You need to detail all these little aspects of your personality that makes you a great employee.

Remember everyone being interviewed will have similar experience and qualifications; you need to use your attitude towards work and the industry to stand out.

Step 3 – The Close

At the interview end, you will be given the chance to ask the interviewer additional questions. (you already questioned the interviewer at the interview start) Use this last section as another chance to sell yourself.

Most interviewees ask 3 simple questions, as this is what we are taught before getting out of the room as fast as we can. Rather than this prepare your interview questions so you can respond to the interviewer’s answer by referencing key selling points.

As an example “you talked about entering a new niche, what problems do you envisage along the way?” The interviewer will reply with a general answer, which is where you add your key selling point “When I lead the X project that we discussed a minute ago, we came across the same problem. What I did to solve it was…..”

Set the interviewer up so you can add a new selling point (I’m also good at this) or to highlight of the key points discussed throughout the job interview.