Predicting performance related job interview questions is a relatively easy task.
The main duties of any job role require a certain level of industry knowledge and/or experience. For key tasks; completing calculations for a IstructE chartered engineer or serving customer task for a retail role, is classed as ‘essential’.
Each of the essential criteria will be turned into a technical interview question. Technical questions are asked in the form of a ‘behavioral’ or ‘situational’ question as part of the ‘structured’ interview process.
Generally speaking, an applicant who scores high in the ‘interview prediction grid’ test will be offered the job role, as their competencies are expressed confidently throughout the recruitment process.
In addition to being asked technical interview questions, applicants will often be asked question to undercover a candidates personal qualities.
Skills, which can range from ‘communication’ to a driving skill for a FLT driver, can be learnt. On the other hand, a ‘quality’ is something a person is born with.
In the world of work qualities are in demand. Qualities can include:
Determination
Patience
Creativity
Honesty
Problem-solving
Questions like ‘tell me how you handled a difficult situation at work?’ are asked to review an applicants qualities.
The wrong way to answer the ‘difficulty’ interview question
Commonly, interviewees answer ‘behavioral’ interview questions using an interview formula including the STAR technique.
The STAR technique is a structure designed to make the telling of an interview answer direct and specific.
Situation:
Explain the situation, giving enough specifics to allow an employer to understand the difficulty the applicant was facing.
Task:
In the ‘task’ part of the answer, candidates can highlight their competencies by explaining what their responsibility was during the difficulty.
Action:
It is important, no essential, that the interviewee references what actions they personally tool to solve the difficulty.
Result:
Finally the result of the actions should be stated to conclude the interview answer.
What is missing from the STAR formula, or what is misunderstood, is the need to reference personal qualities.
The STAR structure encourages the referencing of ‘actions.’ In most cases, the applicant, when stating passed experiences, fail to reference their thinking process, or their temperament, or their qualities.
How to answer the ‘difficulty’ questions by stating qualities
Another 4 step interview formula can be used which allows a deeper insight into an applicants process to dealing with problems:
PEAL Interview Formula
Problem (or difficulty)
Explain Thinking
Action
Long-term outcome
Problem
Stating a common industry related problem or difficulty makes it story relevant to job role and easy for the interview panel to relate to.
Once a problem has been reference, explain the negative impact this issue would have on business as usual.
Discussing the negative impact of a problem highlights the seriousness of the event.
Explain Thinking
The ‘thinking’ stage is missing stage in most job interview questions.
It is here where an applicant can ‘sell’ their ‘qualities’.
To highlight problem solving skills, a candidate can discuss options. Stating the choices an applicant had shows an deeper understanding and awareness of sector related issues and potential solutions.
When discussing ‘choices’ explain the pro’s and con’s of each choice. End by giving the reason for the choosing the preferred option.
If the difficulty was solved with creative thinking explain the ‘creative’ process. Did you use mind-maps? Lists? Checked lesson learnt logs?
If it came down to hard work or work ethic, describe how this came about. As an example you could state how you knew that the task required X number of working hours to complete and because of (add quality) you decide to (action)
What is important is to clearly explain the qualities the applicant possesses that were key in overcoming a difficulty.
Action
Combined small tasks together to create 3-5 detailed actions.
Explaining the actions is in essence a breakdown of the chosen option. The option, therefore, was the objective and the actions are the required steps taken to achieve the objective.
Stating the information in this way allows the interview panel to process the interview answer in a logical format.
Long-term Outcome
Many job interview questions end weakly.
‘I achieved the goal’ or ‘everyone was happy with the end result.’
Instead, shows a strategic view point. Give a long-term positive outcome. Explain the knock-on affect of overcoming the problem.
This could include:
The project was so successful that is become part of business as usual
This led to the customer increasing orders with our company
We found that this method reduced overhead cost which led it to be the preferred method of operation
Example PEAL Interview Answer
Problem
‘When in my last position (add common industry difficulty) happened. As you know when (common industry difficulty) happens it can (add negative outcome). In this case, the situation worsened because (add situation that would have a negative long-term effect) which would led to (negative long-term effect)….
Explain Thinking
‘…I had two choices. the first option was to (add choice 1) the positive of this option was (add pro) but this could also (add con). The second option was (add choice 2) we were concerned about (add con) but this choice could (add con). In the end I choose to (add thinking and reason)…’
Action
‘….Once I had chosen the best way to overcome (problem) I first (add action), then (add second action) and finally (add third action)…’
Long-Term Outcome
‘…We were able to solve the immediate problem but we were able to use this (situation) to make key changes to (specify) which resulted in (long-term outcome)’
Meaning that the ‘management’ job role is one of the most commonly advertised job roles, globally. The ‘manager’ position includes varying levels of leadership roles:
Team leader/supervisor
Team manager
Project manager
Area Manager/head of department
Senior manager
Business owners, Director, CEOs, etc
Even with management positions being in demand, competition for leadership roles is tough.
Some roles may require industry-related experience and knowledge, while other employers focus the job interview criteria entirely on management skills, as the manager skill/experience is transferable across job sectors.
Depending on the advertised position, an employer may require a leadership and management qualification. And some roles require specific training such as a Prince2 for a project management role.
But not always. Having a large number of sector experience is enough to move onto the management career ladder or possessing many years of managerial experience can outweigh a leadership certificate.
What is key, is to be viewed as one of the strong job interview identities. Being perceived as lacking confidence and/or a low level of industry or managerial competencies can only end with a job interview rejection.
Successful interviewees normally have one of the following four interview identities:
As a general rule of thumb, a supervisor or team leader interview will consist of a single panel interview.
Middle management recruitment processes will often have a structured job interview followed by an informal interview.
For senior leadership roles, the employer is willing to spend more time, money and energy into the hiring of a suitable applicant (as the salaries and responsibilities for a high skilled position demand a detailed analysis of all applicants). Human resource departments, therefore, will design a full-day recruitment process:
Interview presentation (the content is often sector-specific rather than managerial, but some presentations who be a talk-through of a proposed operational plan)
In the main, all managerial and leadership interviews, for all levels of job role, will be undertaken by a panel of interviewers.
The panel interview is designed to reduce the effect of an unconscious bias, creating a fair interview process based on managerial competencies alone.
Panel interviews are often made up of:
A member of the HR (human resource) team
A senior staff member – often the managers direct manager (once appointed)
A department team member – to ensure the level of industry knowledge
Increasingly, employers recruiting for managerial and leadership roles will outsource the recruitment of senior managers to an external specialist interviewing company.
The panel interview consists of around 10 managerial job interview questions – see below. And last for around 60 minutes.
This will be in the format of a structured job interview – every applicant will be asked the same job interview questions and answers will be cross-referenced against a job interview scorecard.
Interview presentations, commonly, take 15 minutes including a 5 minute Q&A session. Employers may give advance warning of a presentation, allowing an applicant to prepare their presentation in advance of the job interview. But some employers will state the presentation task on the day of the job interview giving candidates 10 minute notice period to prepare.
Tip – Always prepare for a potential presentation for all managerial job interviews
Group interviews are designed to observe soft skills; communication, teamwork, problem-solving and of course, for managerial roles, leadership skills.
The team task is often observed by several interviewers, all of whom will make notes on each group member. The recruitment team will view applicants’ temperament – who took the lead, did the applicant demonstrate an authoritative management approach or a laissez-faire management style?
The group task section last around 20 minutes, but can be up top 45 minutes in duration.
Roleplay. Increasingly popular, especially when the recruitment process is conducted by an outsourced interview company. The roleplay is seen as a vital step in the recruitment process.
For a management position, the 20 minute role-play is often an actor playing the part of a disgruntled team leader attending an appraisal or meeting. The actor will attempt to disrupt the meeting by stating that they need to get back to work due to an urgent deadline.
Employers observe the applicant’s response to the situation focusing on the candidate’s ability to work under pressure, their communication skills, creating authority, reasoning and remaining professional.
For many managerial candidates, this is the hardest test during the whole recruitment process and requires preparation and practice. Practice can be undertaken with a job interview coach.
Informal job interviews are often the last section of a recruitment process. Unlike the structured job interview where each candidate is asked the same questions, in an informal job interview (sometimes referred to as an unstructured job interview) employers generate questions based on the flow of the conversation that happens in the moment.
The idea here is for the interviewer to get to know the applicant; their personality, values, and leadership style.
This section of the interview is often a 1-2-1 talk with the potential employees future line manager and takes around 45 minutes to complete.
How to pass a managerial level job interview
Each of the various job interview sections for a managerial or leadership recruitment process is designed to check suitability. Employers look for:
How the applicant’s temperament and managerial style fits in with the company culture
The candidates level of managerial competencies – their knowledge and experience for leadership roles
What added value each applicant can bring to the organisation, if recruited
If required, their level of sector knowledge
And, their level of confidence which is vital for any level of managerial job role
The management job interview is split into 3 sections:
About you
Management style and experience
Skills and qualities
About you – interview questions
‘Why did you apply for this role?’
‘Tell me about your experience and how it relates to this position?’
‘What motivates you?’
‘About you’ questions are asked at the interview start, as an ‘ice-breaker’ question to help applicants relax into the job interview.
It is also a way for an employer to better understand the applicant and to assess them against the culture of the company, and their values.
Management style and experience – interview questions
‘How would you describe your management and leadership style?’
‘Give an example of managing a project from the initial conception stages to completion – what barriers did you face and how did you overcome these?’
‘Tell me about a time you have had to motivate an unmotivated team member?’
‘Have you ever had to deal with conflict within a team?’
Under the experience section, for some employers, interviewees will also be asked industry technical questions: ‘how would you (job duty)?’
Skills and qualities – interview questions
‘What management system are you familiar with?’
‘How do you prioritise tasks?’
‘Give an example of collaborating with a influential stakeholder?’
‘Which management tools do you utilise to achieve a project outcome?’
‘What is your approach to a stressful situation?’
Example answers to manager interview questions
In this final section, we have chosen some of the most commonly asked managerial job interview questions, breaking down each question to support applicants to create high scoring answers.
Tip – each employer requires a unique set of criteria. By identifying the job criteria helps in the creation of high scoring answers
Each answer is a guide. The successful interviewee will be able to take each example answer, editing this so it is relevant to their own experience.
Give an overview of your managerial experience?
The ‘overview’ question can be worded as:
‘Tell me how your skills and experience suit this position?’
‘Why have you applied for this role?’
‘Can you introduce yourself, focusing on your key achievements?
Each question, no matter how the employer states the question, is an open question. This allows the applicant a free-range in their approach to the question.
Often asked as the initial interview question, the interviewee doesn’t need to detail specific examples of technical knowledge. Rather this question should be seen as a mood-setter.
A mood-setter is created from the frame of the response. Generally speaking, applicants will be viewed as a person of interest or as a time waste, employable or unsuitable, knowledgable or lacking competencies.
The mood-setter is the filter the employer uses for the remainder of the interview. For a positive ‘interview identity’ employers will isten more intently, whereas for a negative perception, teh employer will be wanting to end the interveiw quickly.
It is therefore important to answer the ‘overview’ question by creating interigue.
Interigue, in a job interview, is created by getting the employer excited about:
Duration in the industry; duration is associated with competencies
Qualification level; high levels of qualification is linked to perceived knowledge
Unique selling point; possessing an industry skill, that others don’t, is viewed as valuable (or profitable)
‘As a highly experienced manager specialising in (add USP) I can utilise my (duration as a manager/working in the industry) to (2nd USP) Qualified in (add highest qual level) I am able to use (knowledge) to (state outcome). In all my previous roles I have been able to (add 3rd USP)’
A unique selling point can relate to:
Change management
Turning around underperforming teams
System changes to reduce on-cost
Increasing profit
Improving staff retention
Decreasing overheads
Breaking into new markets
Taking a business global
Achievement of strategic outcomes
Project management
Operational planning
How would you prioritise tasks?
The common mistake mangers make during a job interview is by answering questions with a signal answer.
Stating various facts, processes, examples highlights a wealth of knowledge required for senior managerial roles.
The ‘priority’ interview question is a good example of this.
‘How would you priorities tasks?’ can be asked in the following ways:
‘What is you approach to time-management?’
‘How do you organise your workload?’
‘Which time-management tools do you utilise?’
In many cases, the interviewee will state a tool or give an example. The answer meets the criteria and receives a medium score. Job offers, though, are offered to high scoring applicants.
Embedded into the answer should be reference to time management models, discussions around the appropriateness of tools and techniques, depending on the task/project and a summary of generic tools that may be required on the interview scorecard.
As an example an applicant may explain the Pareto Principle: 80-20 Rule. Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist, observed that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. Later this same 80/20 rule was applied within the context of the workplace, where it was suggested that only 20% of your time (effort) is used to complete 80% of key task (results). “The Pareto Principle states that for many phenomena 80% of the output or consequences are produced by 20% of the input or causes” (Dunford et al., 2014).
Or an explant ion of the Time Management Matrix can be given to explain how you decide the order of completing tasks.
The time management matrix explains how task can be distributed into 4 quadrants, with each quadrant indicating the importance of the task.
Q1 Urgent/ important – includes upcoming deadlines, firefighting task, unforeseen problems. It is these task that need completing in the current moment as putting these off can result in a negative result IE not achieving a timebound KPI
Q2 Non-Urgent/Important – in this section you would collate long term projects, relationship building and all task that are key to the organisations or projects success but need a period of time to achieve
Q3 Urgent/non-important – includes low level emails (reminders to request a staff member to complete a task they are already aware of) meetings and general communications. These task, if many, can eat into the time need for actions in quadrant 1 & 2 Many of these task should be automated or delegated
Q4 Non-urgent/Non-important – task here are often a reason you give to yourself because you are procrastinating on another task. Many of the task here such as checking social media, should be deleted giving you additional time for other actions
Or an in-depth breakdown of a well sued tool can be explained, such as Diary Management.
The use of diary management can support a leader to manage their time which then improves the ability to undertake their role due to a reduction in stress “time management models and theories should be designed to focus on improving management skills and reducing psychological stress resulting from untimely completion of responsibilities and task” (Jinalee and Singh, 2018)
If a manager has works in an environment where they have to attend various meetings and events, as well as having timeframes for completing various task, using a comprehensive diary management system can assist in the self-management of workloads.
The use of the recurring appointments feature on calendars can save time and proactively manage time, tentative and confirmation of meetings ensures that you aren’t double booked and the use of a colour coding system allows a manger to easily see, when reviewing the month ahead, the types of task and their allocated time for upcoming appointments.
The diary can also need used to collect data, including time spent, to reflect on their self-management and to change processes to reduce time spent on important tasks.
It doesn’t matter which tools and models are stated, what is important is to show understanding of several models.
Example Answer
‘Time management, for me, is more than filling 8hrs of a working day with 8hrs worth of task. Instead managing time is a process of making the most of the time given in a day. If for example I had two completing deadlines I would (add time management model 1). When I review reoccurring business as usual tasks I (add time management model 2). In addition to these I use diary-management, automation, delegation and to-do list which always result in a high standard of work being completed on time.’
Give an example of working with stakeholders?
Stakeholders are groups of people who have a certain stake in the organisation “..stakeholders are those individuals or groups that depend on an organisation to fulfil their own goals and on whom, in turn, the organisation depends” (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, n.d.) and come in various forms from a supplier, partner, customer, shareholder, government, unions, community members and managers, to name a few, and can be an organisation, social group or individual. Stakeholders can be internal or external.
To make an interview relevant, answer the ‘stakeholder’ question by giving an example of working with a stakeholder that the new company would collaborate with on a regular basis.
During the answer a manager needs to explain the complexities of working with stakeholders:
Each stakeholder has their own agenda and their own level of influence. A stakeholder can affect a business, this as an example could be in the form of a protest due to moral rights or a trade union going on strike, or be affected by a business – employees not being paid due to the organization going into liquidation.
In the sense the relationship between a stakeholder(s) and the organisation are intertwined. Managers then have to be aware of all stakeholders not just shareholders that often have a larger influence, and project how their actions could have wider implications on individual stakeholders “they argue that the role of management is to balance these stakeholder needs rather than simply focus on shareholders” (Henry, 2018)
Stakeholder Matrix
Stakeholders all have different impact on an organisation. It is useful to be aware of the influence of each stakeholder. This can be achieved by using a stakeholder power/influence matrix (Mendelow 1991)
Power is the influence in the organisation a stakeholder has. And, interest refers to a stakeholder’s willingness to influence “it is important therefore to understand the power different stakeholders have and their their likely attention to issues” (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, n.d.)
High Power, Low Interest
High Power, High Interest
Low Power, Low Interest
Low Power, High Interest
Stakeholder Matrix
The influence and interest of each stakeholder can vary depending on the task, project. In this sense, the mapping of stakeholders is always fluid and it should not be presumed that a stakeholder who didn’t act on one point of the organisations business wouldn’t then act on another “even where stakeholders have low interest, they can be moved into a high-interest space by their response to activities the company engages in that are attracting unwanted media attention” (Henry, 2018)
To answer the stakeholders question, split the reply down into three sections:
List relevant stakeholders
Explain the stakeholder matrix theory
Give a real-life example
Example answer:
‘I know that the key stakeholders for this organisation will be (list stakeholders) When working with a stakeholder it is important to understand where they sit on the ‘stakeholder matrix’. For this I review each stakeholders level of power vs interest as this helps to predict their reactions to new projects, changes and communications. Therefore, allowing me to change my approach to create a successful outcome. An example of this was (add 1) situation 2) actions 3) outcome.’
What is your approach to project management?
Businesses have two ways of working, business as usual (working on current processes to create the businesses output) and via projects (a new change that requires a new set of processes. Projects are temporary but can become business as usual)
When asked about ‘project management’ the employer needs a manger who possess the ability to take on, and achieve, a new challenge.
The same question can be asked in the following forms, often depending on much project management is required for the advertised role:
‘Explain your understanding of project management?’
‘Give an example of managing a success project?’
‘What do you need to consider when starting a new project?’
For a project management interview, all questions will relate to the management of projects. For none-PM job roles there will only one or two questions relating to this topic.
The answer should be a detailed version of the following steps:
Receiving and analysing a project brief
Benefits and risks
Cost of the project (and risk of overspend)
Timescale vs quality of output (including quality check processes0
Project scope
Creating work packages
Communications
Example answer:
‘I have managed many projects. When I receive a project brief from a (stakeholder) I breakdown the desired objectives into the working tasks (give an example relevant to your sector) Prior to taking on a new project I will the benefits vs risk, often utislising lessons learnt from previous projects. I also consider timescales and how quality processes will be implemented. One of the key questions is the scope of the project – if and where there is flexibility. An example of this would be (add example). Once the project has been accepted and then break tasks down into work packages. This includes a communication plan, setting up training if required and a project launch. ‘
How you approach the process of a culture change within an organisation?
The ‘change’ question is very popular as industries, due to globalization and rapid changing technical, including AI, results in operational models’ needing to be adapted to satay competitive.
More information of managing organisational change can be found here: organisational change
Operational management is the planning, organisation, implementation and reviewing of process to support an organisation to achieve its own KPIs. According to Bartol et al (1998), operations management “Is the function, or field of expertise, that is primarily responsible for managing the production and delivery of an organisation’s products and services.”
There are 3 commonly used operational management theories.
BPR – Business Process Redesign.
BPR is the process of redesigning (rather than just tweaking) an organisations processes, designed to reduce overheads and increase profit. In a fast paced world where technology advances at a rapid rate it is easy for a business, without realising, to find themselves pushed out of a competitive market.
For many years, the company yellow pages had a monopoly on the world of small business marketing. Each home in the UK was given a free annual copy of the yellow pages which advertised a wide range of local businesses. By the 90’s most households had access to the internet and search engines such as Google were fast becoming to go to for the general public to search for local businesses and services. Yellow pages were becoming a thing of the past. To stay competitive the yellow pages created yell.com an online version of the yellow pages. This required a complete overall of the business process which lead the company no longer offering a printed directory. Other businesses were slow to react to the massive and often quick changes created by technology and online systems. HMV dominated the high street music business but as more customers moved to the music download system HMV missed out on an opportunity to remain competitive in this new music era. Due to not drastically redesigning their operational process HMV started to have reduced sales, reduced business and reduced profits.
BPR is the overhaul of a business’s current processes, designed to make the business more efficient by reducing cost, automating systems and making staff (or machines) more productive. The redesign of a business’s processes can lead to staff lay-offs, disruption in the current flow of producing outputs and can have an expensive initial outlay. But when successful the BPR system will eventually increase profits.
Six Sigma
Six Sigma is a quality controlled process with a focus on increasing profit by following a 5 step quality control process system.
Six sigma is designed to reduce waste and defects in essence increasing output with a reduction in errors. Six sigma looks to use tools and methods to source dependable and reusable data. It states that a business process that produces less than 3.4 defects per 1 million chances is efficient and therefore anything outside of this is a defect.
To begin six sigma ask for a six sigma champion to lead a team to achieve a specific goal by analyzing the current practices, objectives and by identifying a faulty process. The team then analysis’s the current performance reviewing all inputs. Each input is then isolated and reviewed to see if the specific input is causing an error, thus identifying all input errors. Once an error(s) is identified the team will work to improve the process and adds controls to monitor and review the input and process.
After being introduce in the 1980s six sigma is highly recognized as a quality control methodology to increase output and reduce errors, which has led to an industry received qualifications (similar to how prince2 has become a recognized certificate for project management) Six sigma uses data to recognize the error before a team of practitioners solve the problem and embed a quality assurance process to reduce future errors.
Lean Manufacturing
Lean manufacturing is wide spread across a vast range of industries which shows the diversity and impact of these operational management theory.
Lean can be broken down into 3 stages; deliver values from a customer perspective, eliminate waste and continuous improvement (work, processes, people and purpose).
Lean has continued to evolve and develop overtime resulting in 5 common principles;
Identify value. Customers purchasing a product or service that gives them value, something that allows them to solve a problem. As a business you need to think about your customer – what problem do they have? What solution do they require? What value can you add? By identifying the value you can create processes to achieve the desired customer value.
Value stream mapping. Stage 2 is reflection, here you review current processes to identify what works and what doesn’t add value. At this stage you dig deep reviewing all aspects of the processes from input to output. This reflection stage allows an organization to understand how different teams have different influences in the process. If one team has an abundance of downtime is this due to their work ethic or a hitch in the production line? Process reviews may allow you to understand feedback loops; team A identify and report a gap, but how is this actioned? Who is responsible for checking the gap, who is responsible for the quality check and who is responsible for managing the situation? Any identified steps that don’t bring value can be eliminated from the process.
Stage 3 looks at creating a continuous workflow. Embedding a process takes time but the end results can increase production and profits by having the whole team running a smooth well implement system that adds value at all stages. Each stage can be reviewed, created and implemented which allows organizations to look at specific areas of the process before looking at the whole process (which has too many elements to fully ensure value). Chunking a large process down into smaller chunks allows an origination to check for potential potholes, and to remedy these proactively rather than reactively. With an established workflow system you can now move on to the 4th stage creating pull
Stage 4 creating a pull (or move away from making and storing goods in advance of orders to creating an on demand service). This system requires flexibility but also have cost saving benefits (especially for organizations to create physical products) An on-demand system allows customers to “pull” products on request. An example is on-demand book printing. Stage 4 can allow the organization to be flexible with their inputs.
The final stage, stage 5, creates the everlasting cycle – continuous improvement. In lean you do not simply create a strong process and run it across the organization before sitting back and waiting for the profit sheet, instead you continuous review, amend and improve processes whenever you can. Here you can aim for perfection, and sometimes a small tweak can add tremendous value. Systematically you may review and amend process (using steps 1-4), or use employee and customer feedback to change your way of working, embed new technology and get rid of once good processes that no longer add value.
Example answer:
‘In my previous role the company undertake a change in terms of its (add values, customer market, product, processes) Leading on the change process I followed the (change process model) To begin (add detail) The barrier was (add potential problems) I solved this by (detail) which resulted in (positive outcome).’
How would you create a high-performing team?
For all managerial job interview questions there will be a question(s) around leadership and managerial style. Some will be specific like the ‘creation of a high performing team?’ or a question on ‘recruitment processes’ but may will be generic leadership questions.
‘What is your preferred leadership style?’
‘How do you motivate a team?’
‘Are you a manager or a leader?’
To give a detailed answer it is important to understand leadership theories.
All people, including leaders, have a natural way of working often defined by their temperament. Being motivated or stressed can change the way you manage people (and yourself.)
A natural leadership style will creative a supportive environmental for people who naturally respond well to this leadership style or on task/actions that suit the leadership environment created by the manager.
But due to the difference in team members personality makeup, the various task and actions individuals are required to complete (compared to having one set task) and if there is a set timeframe(s), managers need to adopt a combination of leadership approaches, choosing the correct managerial leadership style to implement for specific projects or vary the way they manage and motivate individual staff members, based on the way that team member needs to be led. Peter G Northhouse (Practice et al., 2019) explains that leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.
Hersey and Blanchard (Investopedia, 2019) talk about the leadership curve and how depending readiness of employees, the task and the relationship effects the maturity of those being led. An example of this is a new employee with a lack of experience which effects their confidence. They explain that a leader should mold their managerial style throughout 4 styles; delegating, participating, selling and telling to suit the employee. A staff member who needs managing in one style as a norm, may need a different leadership style depending on the circumstances (staff redundancy effecting moral, as an example)
Some organisations will adopt a top-down environment; the company will be operated my way. The recruitment process and company values will represent the desired environment and employees who work well under this management style will flourish, whereas other employees will often move on effecting staff retention at the initial change process period.
Other organisations will adopt a leadership style that is aimed to be supportive to employees, with a goal to improve staff retention thus improving output. The supportive leadership style is aimed are leading people in the best way that a particular individual can be led. The skills approach model explains that there a distinct skill set; conceptual – the big picture, how task, teams fit into the organisation as a whole, human – cooperative team member and technical – process, method, procedure or technical driven activities (Schedlitzki and Edwards, n.d.)
The model goes on to explain how a senior manager spends more time on strategic activities; planning and organizing (conceptual). Whereas middle managers spend more time supervising (human)
Leadership styles
The first leadership style we will look at is the Autocratic leadership style. This is a “do it my way or the highway” leadership style. It excels in industries that have high output through repetitious actions and falls down in creative industries. As a controlled leadership style it doesn’t allow for innovation from its employees, instead it uses well used practices and instils stick procedures. It is a perfect leadership style for sectors or situations that need immediate actions such as armed forces, environmental disaster response teams and even in high stressed jobs such as financial markets. The autocratic leader is rarely liked but can be respected and/or feared. Fearing a leader can seem a strange want, but fear can be a tool for producing results, as the employee is motivated to achieve a target rather the face the wrath of the autocratic manager. This leadership style in the wrong industry can result in massive staff turnover which has a direct effect on profits.
Going to the other extreme our next leadership style, Laissez-Faire, is a more open, flexible and creative leadership style. This leadership style works well with motivated and experienced teams who can use creativity to achieve results. The lack of structure and day to day leadership can be demoralising for some, but other employees find the freedom liberating and excel using their own skill base, rather than following a set process, to achieve the project objective. Often small teams, family companies will adopt the Laissez-Faire approach as a small team, compared to a multi-layered team, often feel emotional connected to company, as if they are one of the family. When having to react to a problem, the Laissez-Faire leader can fall down, as having to react quickly to a serious situation of requires a strong forceful leader that gets result, and gets results quickly.
Along the same lines, but not as laid-back as Laissez-Faire, is the Paternalistic leadership style. This leadership style recognises that collectively a team has a larger pool of resources, tools and experiences. The Paternalistic sees themselves as a head of a family, but unlike Laissez-Faire, they make the decision as does the Autocratic leader. This leadership style encourages loyalty, trust and obedience. The paternalistic leader communicate in a way to get employees to action willingly.
A democratic leader is a delegating leader. They like staff to take the responsibility and to feel empowered. The democratic manager wants to get task completed, they will communicate the vision, listen to ideas from the team and encourage them (the staff) to take action – they encourage leadership in others. This style works well with staff working in outreach where the employee doesn’t have direct daily contact with a line manager. But for an employee who values constant direction and support this style can be highly demotivating and can lead to costly mistakes as the manger has a hands-off approach. Another downside to this leadership style is the manager can take too much time coming to a decisions, as they take on-board each team members opinion which is some situations, long term projects can be effective, but with short deadline task a quick and decisive decision may be required.
In the job interview, an applicant needs to show an understanding of leadership styles, the impact on employees and how they adopt approaches depending on culture and duties or an organization.
”To be effective, a leader must therefore match his/her behaviour to the situation he/she faces” (Schedlitzki and Edwards, n.d.)
Situational leadership theory contains 4 behavioral styles
Directing – this is a directive approach, where clear detailed communication and processes are used to ensure a key objective. An example of this would be working within the arm forces
Coaching – here the leader gives guidance in a directive way but also has a focused on employees needs and motivation. This style works well on complex task and within a matrix management structure
Supporting – when an employee(s) knowledge and skills are key to achieving goals. The leader will use their people skills to support and motivate the team. This style can be seen in retail or the voluntary sector
Delegating – a hands-off approach where the leader has little involvement in the day to day task. This leadership style only works with highly competent staff. You will see this style in senior managers who have a reasonability to manage managers or project managers who oversee contractors.
Example answer:
‘There isn’t one signal management style that works to create a (add relevance to the interview question IE a high-achieving team). As a strong leader I understand the value of using a top-down process for (add sector related situation) or a coaching approach when (add sector related situation). With new staff it is important to build up their confidence through taking them through the four behavioral styles as stated in ‘situational leadership theory’. With this in mind I vary my management approach depending on the ability of the team, external and internal stresses IE during a change process, and the demand of the project. An example of this is time – the duration to achieve an objective helps me to choose between an autocratic or paternalistic leadership style.’
Job Interview Advice
What personal development opportunities have you undertaken recently?
‘I’ve been reading books’
‘I volunteer’
‘I recently attended an online webinar’
These three common replies to the ‘self-development’ question are low scoring answers.
The employer isn’t look for a list of small actions you have took. Instead, the interviewer is attempting to understand your position of being a life long learner.
As with all managerial questions, it shows a high level of knowledge when you can quote related models and theories.
KOLB LEARNING CYCLE
To learn something new, the learner has to, according to Kolb (1984) go through a 4 stage cycle;
Experience
Reflection
Conceptualisation
Experimentation.
Kolb believes that each stage supports the next “The cycle encourages managers and other learners to perceive a whole process of learning and to identify those parts of the process in which – for whatever reason – individuals are dependant on or stuck in particular parts of experimental awareness” (Vince, 1998)
The experience stage allows the learner to experience something new or experience a new perspective of an existing experience. Reviewing the experience against your current understanding and looking at differences helps the learn to reflect on the learning. Conceptualization helps to build on a current idea or creates a new idea. And finally, experimentation happens as the leaner embeds their idea in business as usual. The learning cycle can be entered at any of the 4 stages, but to be fully effective the learner does need to visit is stage “The approach emphasises the importance of the synthesis between individual’s behaviour and the evaluation of their actions” (Mullins, 2005)
Within this model are 4 learning styles.
Kolb believes that individuals have different ways to learn “The research claim that an understanding of ones learning style will enhance learning effectiveness, whether as a trainee or as a tutor” (Mullins, 2005)
But the cycle doesn’t cover the importance of learning from the experience of others “regardless of how much reasonability we take for learning from our own experience and learning with others, we also still have to rely a great deal on learning from the experience of others” (Vince, 1998)
The cycle doesn’t cover how with an anxious group – fearful of making mistakes, which is common among leaners, they aren’t ready to fit within the cycle as their emotional starting point is different to that of a confident leaner “the emotions at this point can take the learning in two directions – one that promotes learning and the other that discourages it” (Vince, 1998)
Kolb states that continuums; process (approach) and perception (how we think/feel about the task) It is the combination of the two continuums that create the learner styles:
Active Experimentation (Doing)
Reflective Observation (Watching)
Concrete Experience (Feeling)
Accommodating (CE/AE)
Diverging (CE/RO)
Abstract Conceptualization (Thinking)
Converging (AC/AE)
Assimilating (AC/RO)
Each of the 4 learner styles approach learning differently. There isn’t a wrong and right learner style, they just vary due to the learner’s natural preference “An integrated and effective learner will be equipped to manage all four styles, even though the learner may have a preference for one” (Mullins, 2005)
Accommodating learner are the hands-on learners that use intuition and creatively. They move away from chunking down into details and us other people’s statistics before talking a practical approach to a task
Diverging leaners are idea generators. They observe before use creativity to problem solve. They are more of an observer then a doer, but their strength comes from having the ability to use perspective
Converging learner are practical learners who focus on technical task. They like to experiment and prefer processes then people. They can come up with ideas, theories and solutions
Assimilating leaners are logical individuals who require specific details to work well. They work well with abstract formats and learn through reading and seminars. They are more practical focused then people focused
By understanding that individuals learn in different ways and reflecting on yourself and your team, you can redesign activities to have a higher impact on the distance learnt “Exploration of the cycle has helped managers to see that learning can occur either from an individual’s rationality or their emotional reality” (Vince, 1998)
Example answer:
‘I am passionate about my personal and professional development. Through my career I constantly reflect on my areas of development and look to improve my skillset. I use Kolbs learning style theory which is in 4 sections; experience, reflection, conceptualisation, experimentation. An example of this was when I (started a new job/took on new reasonability) As I (name a duty or task that you lacked skill in) I released that my knowledge in this area was lower then I though it was. I reflected on (add specific) and decided to (add learning action) which resulted in (outcome).’
Sources:
Johnson, G., Whittington, R. and Scholes, K. (n.d.). Exploring strategy. 11th ed. Pearson.
Henry, A. (2018). Understanding strategic management. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mullins, L. and Christy, G. (2016). Management and organisational behaviour. Harlow, England: Pearson.
stakeholder collaboration building bridges for conservation. (2000). 1st ed. Washington DC: World Wildlife Fund.
Northouse, P. (n.d.). Leadership. 5th ed. sage.
Schein, E. and Schein, P. (n.d.). Organizational culture and leadership. 4th ed.
Lock, D. and Scott, L. (n.d.). Gower handbook of people in project management. 10th ed. gower.
Dunford, R., Su, Q., Tamang, E. and Wintour, A. (2014). The Pareto Principle.
Jinalee, N. and Singh, A. (2018). A descriptive study of time management models and theories.
Bartol, K. and Martin, D. (1998). Management. Boston: McGraw-Hill Co.
Slack, N., Brandon-Jones, A. and Johnston, R. (n.d.). Operations management.
Womack 1990
Cleverism. (2019). Making Your Business More Competitive with Business Process Reengineering (BPR). [online] Available at: https://www.cleverism.com/business-competitive-business-process-reengineering-bpr/ [Accessed 7 Oct. 2019].
HISTORY. (2019). Ford’s assembly line starts rolling. [online] Available at: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fords-assembly-line-starts-rolling [Accessed 7 Oct. 2019].
Dana, B. (2012). SWOT Analysis to Improve Quality Management Production. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 62, pp.319-324.
Bxlnc.com. (2019). [online] Available at: http://bxlnc.com/download/The-Six-Sigma-Revolution.pdf [Accessed 7 Oct. 2019].
Pettinger, T. (2019). The decline of Yellow Pages | Economics Help. [online] Economicshelp.org. Available at: https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/27868/economics/the-decline-of-yellow-pages/ [Accessed 7 Oct. 2019].
You have just started your first week in higher education and you are thinking about how to get a job as a fresher.
As a fresher, there is a high number of job options. One question to ask , before starting the job searching process, is are you looking for a part-time job for extra cash or a job role that will enhance your career options post university studies?
Freshers looking for a Part-Time Job for Extra Cash
There are hundreds of part-time jobs for students which are easily gained as the recruitment process for student vacancies is simple.
In the main, a part-time job interview is informal. Employers look at work ethic and skills and qualities rather than focusing the job interview questions on knowledge and experience as they would for a graduate job position.
Top 10 required employability skills for a fresher
Reliability (due to working hours and a high turnover of staff)
Strong work ethic
Flexibility – working evenings, weekends or on demand for jobs like an Uber delivery driver
Teamwork
Communication skills
Customer service skills
Honesty
ITC skills
Problem-solving
Professionalism
In the job interview, if a fresher can come across as hard working and reliable, they are likely to be offered the job role.
The part-time job interview will be either a 1-2-1 interview or a virtual job interview.
Applicants will be asked around 6 interview questions during a forty minute recruitment process.
We will breakdown how to answer fresher interview questions shortly.
Fresher looking for a career advancement job
Knowing that the graduate job market is highly competitive, even for those students receiving good grades, some freshers look for work that they can complete during their time in higher education that will enhance their career options post university.
In fact, for some careers such a medicine, require graduates to have some relevant experience.
Thinking about the future, freshers can use fresher week to gain skills and experiences relevant to their future career choices.
A student, therefore, can gain career related skills and experiences by joining a suitable club or society.
As an example, a Law student may join the debate team to enhance their communication and persuasion skills – two skills required in the legal profession.
Or a wanna be manager may become the head of the Kayak club to improve leadership skills.
A direct example, would be a student journalist writing for the university newspaper to gain direct journalist experience.
Any skills and experiences gained from a club or society help to give more detailed job interview answers, increasing the chances of gaining a job offer.
During the degree qualification or towards a graduation date, students will ultimately start applying for sector specific job openings or graduate schemes.
In the job interview, graduates will be asked around ten questions during the course of a one hour interview.
Employers, actively recruiting graduates, don’t expect all candidates to be industry experts. Instead, the applicant needs to show a degree level worth of knowledge, their work ethic and any relevant skills or experiences. Which can be gained from part-time work, industry placements or through university societies and clubs.
Below is an explanation of how a fresher can approach the most commonly asked job interview questions:
Why have you applied for this position?
All job interviews will start with one of the following three questions – the same question formatted differently:
‘Why have you applied for this role?’
‘Tell me about your relevant experience?’
‘Give me an overview of why you would be a good fit for this graduate position?’
What is being asked is – do you understand the job criteria and what relevant skills and experiences do you have that will make you a suitable employee?
To answer the question discuss:
The company – what you know about them, and how the culture appeals to you
Any experiences, skills, qualities and unique selling you posses relevant to the job criteria
Knowledge gained from a university course and the qualification grade you received
Example answer
‘I have been following (company) for a number of years now, and I like (add a company culture fact). I recently graduated/or am studying a (add course name) where I have learnt (add knowledge) which would useful for you when (make knowledge relevant to a job criteria). From being a (add a relevant society or work experience) I have gained (skills) which will suit (job criteria). Overall I am passionate about working for (company) and I have a range of skills and experiences that are highly suitable for this role.’
What did your course teach you?
The employer isn’t looking for a an ethical hacker student to state that they learnt ‘hacking’. Instead, the employer is looking for specifics.
What is key to remember, for the applicant, is that other freshers studying the same qualification will have learnt the same level of knowledge. In a job interview, it is the applicants goal to stand out – to be seen as different, better than the competition.
This is where extra curriculum activities help.
An art student may talk about how they had been commissioned to produce a piece of art, or a business management study could have set up a profitable business and won a young business person of the year award.
A student may talk about the managing of a university society evert which helps them stand out for an events organiser job role. Or a fresher could discuss how their debate team won the UK debate finals.
What is required then is an answer that covers industry knowledge gained from a university course and skills gained from additional activities.
Example answer
‘On my (course) I learnt 3 key industry models that I found very useful (discuss three key points). I was able to test these theories when I (give a working example) which resulted (add outcome). In addition, I (add reference to placement, experience or society) where I gained (skills) that will be highly useful in this role.’
Do your grades reflect your potential?
I love these oddball interview questions, but for many applicants the randomness of the question is off putting.
Interviewers ask this question, mainly to applicants who have gained a lower grade then the national average. Here, the employer is offering an olive branch, allowing the applicant to discuss their potential.
The goal here is to keep the answer positive. Don’t blame grades on poor teaching, external distractions or the pressure of an example.
Instead, be positive. Focus the rely on your area of growth, your knowledge level, your passion and commitment. Your work ethic, personal skills and relevant experiences.
Example answer
‘Exam grades are only one part of a persons potential. Experience, temperament, skills and qualities also reflect potential. As an example, I recently (reference an experience – this could include a society or club, or even a volunteering opportunity) which highlighted by ability to (add job criteria). A second example of my potential is my ability to (add employability skills) which will be useful when (add job duty). Overall my potential can be seen by my work ethic and (add skill)’.
What is your understanding of principle one?
In all job interviews you will be asked several technical job related questions.
For graduate job roles you may asked about sector models and theories. As an example, a engineering interviewer may ask ‘what are the sub-grades of steel?’
For a part-time job, lets say in retail the employer may ask ‘how would you deal with a customer compliant?’
For technical job related questions, answers can be either a breakdown of the underpinning sector model or theory or a real-life example.
Interview answer – theory
‘(theory author name) stats that (detail the theory outline) but (theory author name) contradicts this when they talked about (detail theory outline)’
Interview answer – example
‘When working on (project) we faced (barrier/problem) To solve this I (describe actions took) which ended with (outcome).
Previously, office-based copywriters would have collaborated directly with artists, often working in the same office, to create copy in printed newspapers and for advertisement boards.
Before too long, copywriters were being hired to create radio and TV ads. As the internet took the world by storm and a whole new sub-niche of marketing was created; SEO, PPC, and social media ads.
Advertising copywriters these days work remotely on slogans, catchphrases, headlines, as well as short copy for online ads, and long copy for TV commercials, newspaper adverts, press-releases and all kinds of written words copy.
Salary and qualifications
As a general rule of thumb, a skilled copywriter will receive a salary varying between £30-£50k. With some in-demand advertisers earning up to £90k.
From a job interview perspective, an applicant’s perceived level of experience can determine, not only the interview outcome but the salary negotiation outcome as well.
Employers are looking to hire experienced writers who understand the psychology of sales and persuasive writing.
Copywriters are often degree-level qualified but there are no required degree courses that an applicant must have – writing skills and interview techniques are the two essential must have to pass an advertising copywriter job interview.
On the other hand the following degrees are highly relevant for a writing career:
creative advertising
communication studies
English
journalism
public relations
Job interview questions and answers for a copywriter
Interview questions will vary depending on the sub-niche the advertised role sits within, but there are some commonly asked questions that every advertising copywriter needs to prepare for.
The job interview will be book-ended by commonly asked job interview questions; Why did you leave your last job? What motivates you? Why do you want to work here? or Do you have any questions for me?
This article, therefore, will focus on job-specific questions that require high-scoring answers to ensure that the interviewee has any chance of a successful job interview outcome.
What is your process for creating copy?
For ‘process’ or ‘system’ job interview questions, the best bet is to simply list the industry recognised procedure:
Client brief
Idea generation
Sample copy for review
Main copy with updates
Release the copy
To score high, answers need to be more detail – meat on the bone is required. As an example step 1 the client brief can be better worded by breaking down the process of the brief:
‘My first action, when I receive the client brief, is to research the company; their past copy, their values and vision, the target audience and the product the marketing campaign relates to, as this gives me a better understanding of the client.’
You could also discuss looking at the organisations competitors, liaising with the client to check your own interpretation of the brief and to establish a timeline.
By breaking each step down into specifics, the applicant can’t help but meet the criteria on the interview scorecard. Once met, the employer has to allocate the answer a high score.
Detailed answers can be long. What is required for lengthy answers is a slow pace answer, with links between each stage.
At the end of the answer give a quick summary to ensure that the interview panel have heard all 5 stages of the interview answer.
How do you prioritise work when managing multiple client accounts?
Working on multiple projects is the norm in the advertsing world.
Therefore, employers are looking for copywriters who can multitask. What the interviewer is looking for when they ask a time-management, work priority or high workload interview question, is the process you use to ensure quality work is produced in a timely manner.
To answer this question you can either quote time management models: the time management matrix.
Or, to give an example.
The example given should state:
The number of projects you were working on
The competing deadlines
The duration and complexity of different tasks
Your decision making process ie what did you prioritize and delegate
The positive outcome
It is also good to reference the tools you utilise:
Gantt Chart
To-do list
Any automation tools
Reusing/editing old copy
Calendar reminders
The goal here is to show organisation and effective decision making.
Do you have examples of copy from previous projects?
Generally speaking, when asked for an ‘example’ many interviewees will describe a previous successfully experience.
And so they should.
Examples do score high as, if they are done correctly, they will describe a previous situation that had a risk attached to it. This could be an advertisement project with a short deadline , a new market product or a gorilla marketing tactic, previously not used.
The danger, stated in the example, builds suspense.
The interview answer points come from the description of the actions the applicant took (which need to be specific stated) and the outcome of the example.
An additional, underused, trick that can be used to gain additional points is to bring physical evidence.
There is something about seeing and holding a piece of work that brings the quality of the work to life.
Preparing evidence also highlight the candidates organisation and preparation skills.
Evidence can include:
A portfolio of work
Examples of writing
Data from past campaigns
Client feedback
How do you ensure your copy is in another person’s voice?
One of the hardest, and most required, skills is having the ability to write in the clients voice.
Again, evidence sampling different ‘voices’ will show the employer that you possess this skill.
To answer this question, start with a confirmation statement: ‘all my work has a different tone to suit the voice of the client. This is a skill I excel in….’
A confirmation statement reassures the employer.
Next, explain the process you go through with the client to accommodate the tone, perspective, and overall voice of the copy to resonate with the product.
This explanation, along with physical evidence, is enough to help the interviewer see the benefits of hiring the applicant with this skill.
How do you prepare content for SEO or PPC?
Online advertsing is growing year upon year.
Social media ads are short, dynamic and engaging requiring a new style of copy. Some online copy, a press release or a blog post as an example, is written in a similar style as copy for a newspaper.
Clients may want pay-per-click ads or banners. Short marketing videos on YouTube and Instagram are becoming popular. In short, there are various styles of online marketing.
When asked about online marketing list the different styles and a summary of what is required, before delving deeper into your two approaches for SEO and PPC.
Start the interview answer by showing expertise:
‘I have been creating a high click-through copy for online PPC ads on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and more recently Linked-in for 8 years now…’
Detail your knowledge:
‘…I specialise in Facebook animation ads for the health sector. An example of this was (discuss best performing ad)...’
Link both SEO and PPC:
‘…I also have worked on a high number of SEO campaigns. You may have heard of (add a well-known campaign you led on) I was responsible for (discuss your part in the project). The campaign was a success (add data and stats). ‘
Amazon, this month, has announced a recruitment drive to hire 100 degree-level apprentices.
In addition, Amazon also has 400 advanced apprenticeships on offer and 500 internal apprenticeships opportunities for current Amazon employees to apply for.
The Amazon apprenticeships, according to Yahoo News, will span across 25 different job roles including engineering, broadcast production, creative design, IT, health, safety, and the environment.
Degree-level apprenticeships are in high demand, so expect tough competition, especially with Amazon offering up to £30,000 salaries.
Equivalent to 5 GCSEs grade 4-9 (previously known as grade A*-C)
Entry requirements – literacy and numeracy Level 2 certificates or Maths and English GCSEs
Advanced level apprenticeship
Equivalent to A-levels and BTec extended diploma
Entry requirements – 5 GCSEs grade 4-9 including Maths and English
Higher-level apprenticeship
Equivalent to a foundation degree
Entry requirements – A-Levels, Advanced level apprenticeships NVQ Level 3 or a BTec extended diploma
Higher and Degree-level apprenticeship
Equivalent to a degree. The difference between a higher and degree apprenticeship is that a full bachelor’s or master’s degree can be achieved as part of a degree apprenticeship.
Entry requirements – HNC, HND, NVQ Level 4 NVQ or any other level 4 qualifications
To be successful in the recruitment job hunters will need to pass an apprenticeship interview process.
Don’t fall into the trap of believing the apprenticeships are only for school leavers. The myth comes from a previous government initiative to increase Level 2 and 3 apprenticeship take up with school and college leavers.
For degree-level apprenticeships, any career professional (school leavers won’t yet have the entry requirements to apply for a degree-level apprenticeship) can apply for the various apprenticeship opportunities, and they will due to Amazon’s competitive salaries.
Amazon Recruitment Process.
With vacancies going live on March 4th, it’s important for job seekers to get familiar with the Amazon recruitment process.
The trick to passing a job interview is predicting the job interview questions, as this allows the interviewee to prepare high-scoring answers.
As an example, a candidate applying for an Amazon warehouse apprenticeship is going to be asked questions on health and safety, completing orders and receiving goods, whereas an Amazon applications developer will be asked questions on programming language and creative problem-solving.
This article will teach you how to answer job interview questions relating to degree-level apprenticeships.
What is your career goal?
Degree-level apprenticeship interviews vary from standard job interviews because the employer will invest a lot of time into the development of a successful employee.
Not only do employers fund the degree-level apprenticeship (there is no cost to the apprentice) the employer will also allocate other staff members as mentors, fund additional development and training opportunities, as well as allowing time off work duties to complete assignments.
With this in mind, the employer is looking to recruit an enthusiastic career professional who has a clear career objective.
Why? Because an employer who has spent a large amount of time developing a staff member doesn’t want them, once qualified, to leave for another opportunity.
When answering the career goal question, which can be phrased as ‘why have you applied for an apprenticeship position?’ or ‘what interested you about this role?’ the interviewee must reassure the employer that the job role they are applying for has a direct route to their longer-term career goal.
To score high, when answering this interview question, applicants should:
Be enthusiastic
Show confidence
Give detail
Example Answer
Start by focusing on your passion, which should relate to the job role/career goal being discussed:
‘I am passionate about (add sector related passion – computer design, advanced technology, artificial intelligence, etc)..’
After highlighting a passion, link the subject to your career goal:
‘…since (a young age, leaving school, learning about X) I have wanted to pursue a career in (add job role) …’
Next, add a unique selling point:
‘…my whole life is about (add sector/job role) I attend (fairs, training, clubs – anything that links to the job role). My previous roles were in (add relevant job roles) where I became an expert at (add a skill, quality and unique selling point)…’
End with a summary:
‘…to conclude, I am passionate about (career) and I have applied for the degree-level apprenticeship to increase my sector knowledge while utilising my (unique selling point) while working as a (add apprenticeship job role).
Why did you apply for the Amazon apprenticeship scheme?
The ‘why us?’ interview question asks a hidden question – will you be working for Amazon long-term?
As discussed, there is a great deal of time and money put into the development of a degree-level apprentice. The employer, through the apprenticeship scheme, is upskilling the employee to be a highly competent industry professional.
In addition, the training is focused on the Amazon company culture, shaping the apprentice approach to the values of Amazon.
Anyone candidate that is viewed as a potential job hopper is unlikely to be successful.
Impress the employer by:
Reassuring the interviewer that you have a long-term goal to work your way up the Amazon career ladder
Matching your personal values to the culture of Amazon
Praising Amazons successes
Research is key here. On Amazon’s about me,’ page is a breakdown of their history and Amazon’s vision and values.
Example answer.
State options:
‘When looking at degree-level apprenticeship options, I found several relevant to my career goal. One was with (add competitor) …’
Prase Amazon – use the below as a template but read Amazon culture and talk about the key areas that relate to your personal values:
‘…but I applied for the Amazon apprenticeship because of Amazon’s mission of being ‘customer-centric, what appeals to me is the innovative technology that Amazon brings to market, you can see how the leadership principles are embedded into every decision….(reference other Amazon values that you believe and any other reason why Amazon, as an employer, stood out for you)…’
Discuss what you can offer:
‘…what I can bring to the team is (add skill/quality IE creative thinking) an example of this is (give example of using said skill/quality)..’
How will you balance the apprenticeship assignments and the business as usual in work activities?
The ‘workload’ question isn’t really necessary.
Asking irrelevant questions to wannabe apprentices is important as the employer needs to check the applicant’s time-management skills and if they have an awareness of the workload involved in the undertaking of a degree-level apprenticeship.
The reason that there is no need to ask how a candidate will balance work against study, is due to the fact that Amazon will have an embedded training timetable.
On average, but depending on the apprenticeship role, the apprentices will attend a monthly, often online, lesson. Between each lesson, the apprentice will have to complete the accompanying assignment and collect relevant work-based evidence.
In most cases, employers will allow the apprentices time in work to complete the assignments, while still completing the day-to-day operational tasks.
Therefore, to answer the ‘time-management’ questions ensure you cover:
Recognising the workload involved in undertaking a degree-level apprenticeship
Working while studying
Time management techniques
Example interview answer.
Show excitement
‘I’m really enthusiastic about returning to study….
Give detail
‘…I am really keen on developing my skills in (add a specific area relevant to the apprenticeship role)…’
Show understanding
‘… a friend of mine recently finished their degree-level apprenticeship and told me about the workload….’
Explain time-management approach
‘….as a very organised person I use (explain time-management model IE time management matrix)
Summarise
‘….in summary, I understand the additional workload and timeframe and the competing requirements of the day-to-day in-work tasks. As someone who always achieves deadlines and who is keen to pass the qualification, I will be able to plan workload and assignments to ensure that all tasks are complete to a high standard while being on time.’
The remaining questions will be job role related. For ideas what the type of job interview questions you will be asked use the Employment King search bar.
According to Bury Times, Aldi has announced the launch of 96 store apprenticeships across Greater Manchester.
Since 2012 Aldi has recruited over 200 apprentices in their head office, distribution centers and stores with a starting salary of, on average, £190 per week rising to £283 following the completion of a 3 year apprenticeship scheme.
Career Starter – For applicants with no previous qualifications you can apply for a Level 2 Retailer Apprenticeship which takes around 12-15 months to complete. You will also complete Functional Skills at Level 2 alongside this.
Store Management Apprenticeship – For applicants that already have their GCSE’s in Maths and English at Grade C or above (or equivalents) you can apply for our Store Management Apprenticeship programme. You will complete both Level 2 Retailer and Level 3 Retail Team Leader which takes up to 36 months to complete.
Unlike a higher education course, apprentices, to be successful in the recruitment process, are required to pass an apprenticeship interview. This article will give you a list of questions and answers Aldi may ask applicants.
It is also important to remember that during the lockdown, the apprenticeship recruitment process is likely to be an online job interview.
The ‘about us’ question is asked to check if applicants are on the same level as Aldis business plan – to have 1200 UK stores by 2025
What this vision requires to achieve this goal is a diverse workforce made up of hardworking and ambitious staff members.
When answering the ‘about us’ interview question, first state your knowledge of Aldi – one of the UK’s fastest-growing supermarket chains, who recently opened their 900th store. Originally started as a small grocery store in Germany back in 1913. Eventually, Aldi gained a liquor license to overcome the challenges of the great depression and built up customer loyalty by allowing customers to buy now, pay later.
By 1954 their innovation had not stopped, with the very first self-service checkout. Now Aldi has stores worldwide and is always looking at creative ways to build upon the business, such as their apprenticeship scheme.
End the interview answer by stating why you applied for this role:
‘..this is why I applied for the apprenticeship role. Not only do I want a career in retail management, but I also want to work for an innovative company that sets high standards and I believe Aldi will be the go-to supermarket for customers who want quality goods at cheap prices.
Why did you apply for the Aldi apprenticeship scheme?
Aldi recruitment director, Kelly Stokes, said: “Aldi Apprentices are trained and mentored by some of the most experienced people in the retail sector, so all new colleagues receive the best training possible.”
This statement can become the basis of the interview answer ‘I want to be the best retail manager I can, with Aldi apprentices being trained and mentored by highly skilled and experienced sector professionals I want to increase my skill set, knowledge, and experience to ensure I will become a success Aldi manager.’
In addition to stating what you the apprentices want out of the relationship, explain what you can bring to the team:
‘As a (add experience, skill or qualification) gained from (give example) I will (state what you can offer the Aldi family)
Skills required for an apprentice retail manager or store assistant include:
Determination
Creative problem-solving
IT and mathematical skills
Target driven
Customer service skills
Walk me through what you believe a standard working day will look like?
This question, sometimes worded as ‘give me an overview of the role you are applying for?’ or ‘what do you think your main duties will be?’ is a question to check each applicant’s understanding of the day-to-day task.
The employer here is checking suitability. If you know the job duties and are enthusiastic about them, you are likely to be applying for a suitable job role.
On the other hand, if you dislike some or all of the retail tasks or have no awareness of the essential job duties it is unlikely that you would last long as an apprentice.
To show understanding simple list the job duties in order;
Preparing the store for opening; stacking shelves, stocktaking, cleaning the isles, checking the temperature of the fridges, getting the tills ready
Customer service; operating the tills, assisting customers, re-stocking the shelves, taking deliveries, cleaning up
3 End of the day; closing the store, checking security, stock-taking, filling up the stores, stock rotation
To stand out during the interview answer, end the answer with what you would most enjoy about this role:
‘Out of all these duties, I am most looking forward to (add duty) as I know this would give me a great deal of job satisfaction.’
Give me an example of great customer service
Aldi value customer service.
When answering this interview question use an example that highlights how you go above and beyond to help a customer.
Next, explain what action you took to support the customer to overcome their problem:
gave advice
source additional support
find a creative solution
End the interview answer with positive success:
the customer was happy
increase in repeat business
gave an online review
Are you a team player?
Sometimes, the question is framed as ‘give an example of working within a team?’ or ‘why is teamwork so important in retail?’
No matter how the interview question is worded, the wannabe apprentice has to ensure that the interviewer knows that they excel in team.
Start the answer confidently ‘I’m an excellent team player, in all my previous roles I have had to work within a team.’
Next, show sector awareness by stating how the Aldi team work together:
‘I know that for an Aldi store to be successful all colleagues and departments have to work collectively. As an example, if the warehouse team hasn’t been informed about a well-selling product they are unlikely to have the goods ready to refill the shelves, which could result in a loss in sales, or if the tills are busy and a colleague decides not to help out this could result in poor customer satisfaction.’
End the answer, by expaining the type of ‘team player’ you are:
‘As a team player I always look at the big picture and proactively help colleagues out whenever I can with the goal of ensuring customers are well looked after.’
Dexters are ‘passionate about investing and training,’ according to CEO Andy Sheppard, who has seen over 150 apprentices pass through Dexters academy over the past 4 years.
An apprenticeship is one way to gain an industry related qualification whilst working within the job sector, gaining valuable worked-related skills.
One advantage of an apprenticeship, over a more traditional higher education route, is receiving a salary while gaining a qualification. In addition, there are no student loans required, unlike a higher education course.
According to property industry eye, Dexter’s will be adding 100 new apprentices to its current pool of 90.
Unlike a higher education course, applicants, to be successful in the recruitment process, are required to pass a very competitive apprenticeship interview.
Below is a list of commonly asked apprenticeship questions and answers for an estate agent apprenticeship interview.
Remembering, that during lockdown the apprenticeship recruitment process is going to be an online job interview.
Apprentice Estate Agent Interview Questions
5 commonly asked interview questions:
What do you know about Dexters?
Dexters take their corporate responsibility seriously, with a focus on having ‘people at the heart of everything we do’
When answering the ‘about us’ question give an overview of the company portfolio; chartered surveyors, leaseholding and estate agents.
Also, discuss their corporate responsibility, as this will show that you have researched the organisation. Talk about Dexter’s approach to the gender pay gap, business ethics and care in the community.
Companies that are ‘people’ focused make hiring decisions based on the potential employee’s values and attitude. By showing how you are also people-focused and you care about the customers, colleagues and stakeholders, will help to increase the chances of being recruited.
The goal here, is to highlight your level of interest and knowledge of the company.
Why would you make a good Dexter’s apprentice?
In the main, most apprentices don’t possess a large duration of industry experience and, generally speaking, won’t possess a sector related qualification, and employers know this.
With this in mind, employers are looking for proof of work ethics, skills and qualities.
For an estate agent apprenticeship, employers want to recruit employees who possess:
good communication skills
a high level of confidence
determination
IT skills
target driven
To answer this interview question split the answer into two parts; work ethic and skill set (if an applicant has any relevant experience they can discuss the experience during this interview answer.
“I know I would be an excellent apprentice because…(state skill relating to work ethic) an example of this was when (add example)…
..I also possess a good level of (add skill) when working at X, I … (add example)…”
How would you balance working in a full-time job and studying to pass the apprenticeship qualification?
The demanding responsibilities of the role and the number of assignments required to complete the apprenticeship qualification means that hiring managers are looking for an employee with proven time management skills.
To approach this interview question, show that you understand the demands of the job role:
“Working as an estate agent apprentice, I understand that I would (add job duties; collecting property information, writing copy for Rightmove and adverts, showing customers around properties and working and supporting qualified estate agents) …..”
Next, show awareness of the workload involved in an apprenticeship:
“…and I know that to pass the apprenticeship I will have to write around 6-8 assignments to show my competencies for being an estate agent, as well as sourcing evidence of my industry knowledge…
Then follow up by highlighting time management skills:
“..to achieve my job duties while meeting assignment deadlines, I will utilise my time management skills. This would include (add time management techniques; ranking task in terms of importance, diary management, to-do list, collaborating with colleagues, automating activities) …”
Why would you like to work as an estate agent?
The question is really designed to test an applicants knowledge of the job role. It is important, therefore, to describe the job duties that drawn you to the advertised apprenticeship.
Explain (and link) your long term career goal.
It is also important to show enthusiasm and communicate with words that motivate and impress employers.
Start the answer by showing passion: “I have always wanted a career as an estate agent, as I love the thought of helping customers to find their dream house that they can make their home….”
Secondly, discuss some of the job duties that you enjoy:
“…I want to specialise in sales as I’m very target driven. As a strong communicator, I am able to negotiate to get the best price for my customers, an example of negotiation was when (add example)…
…I would also enjoy (add second duty) as I am (add relevant skill and example)..”
Why is communication an important skill for an estate agent?
Throughout the whole job interview, there will be several questions based on the skills and job duties of the job role.
One commonly asked question will be the ‘communication’ question. Why? Because communication is a key skill for any estate agent.
When answering any skill-based interview question, ideally answer by using an example to back up any claims made in the interview answer.
Open the answer with a confident statement: “Communication is a key strength of mine…”
Show knowledge by listing different elements of communication “…good communication includes listening, speaking and confirming and double-checking details, but it also includes eye contact, varying tonality, building trust and body language…”
“..I was able to demonstrate my communication skills in my last job where (add example)…”
Recruiting processes are designed to cross references a candidates skills, qualifications and experiences against the job criteria.
The employer, therefore, uses the job interview questions to predict the applicant’s potential job performance.
More than ever before interviewers are focusing the interview questions on the interviewees temperament, with a goal of creating a positive company culture.
Strength-Based interviews, which are becoming more commonly used, are designed with the culture fit in mind. But even in competency-based job interviews, employers have always, and still do, embed personality questions into the interview process.
One of the most common interview questions used to find the ‘right fit’ employee is the ‘what motivates you?’ interview question.
For the applicant, having an open-ended question to answer, allows them to create a reply that meets many of the criteria on the interview scorecard.
The employers perspective
Employers ask the ‘motivation’ question to help understand what encourages an employee to work harder.
Career psychologists know that by hiring a team that will naturally work well with the environment and culture of the organisation, the team will be more productive, have a lower number of sick days and staff members are less likely to look for new opportunities at competitive companies.
The cost of recruitment is high and eats into the company profits. Recruiters are always looking for the right job interview question that will help them to hire, not only the most skilled and experienced employee, but one that will fit well within the current team.
Honest interviewee
There are two approaches to the ‘motivation’ question.
Honesty, is the first approach. The advice is always to be honest within a job interview.
The problem with true honestly is that many career professionals suffer from imposter syndrome.
A lack of self-belief results in an increase in the self-disclosure of weaknesses, weak worded job interview answers and excessive use of filler words creating an ‘amateurism’ interview identity.
What is needed, throughout the job interview, is a ‘self-assured’ interview identity to help the employer view the candidate as employable.
Being honest, even when the candidate is suitable – the candidate would fit in well with the company culture, can say the wrong thing, resulting in a low scoring answer.
Interview questions like ‘are you a self-starter or a team player?’ or ‘do you like starting or finishing tasks?’ can force an interviewee to choose an option that they don’t really have a preference for – they enjoy working both within a team or on their own initiative.
Not being honest doesn’t mean lying
A career professional can have a natural preference to follow processes and procedures – a detailed employee. But if this same employee ends up landing a job in a creative company where they hire innovative, out the box thinking, do it your own way people, the same details career professional can excel.
In fact, depending on the applicant’s past employers (and their company culture) creates an experience – a frame of reference, that shapes the answer they give. In this way not all honest answers, are honest.
Creating high scoring answers
Researching the company culture prior to the job interview is key to creating high scoring interview answers.
Obvious, I know, but I don’t mean researching the company history blah, blah, blah. What is required is an understanding of the company culture.
The organisations vision directly influences the company values, the company values affect the company manager’s decision-making process creating the workplace environment – the company culture.
Disney’s vision is ‘to make people happy.’ Imagine, in the job interview, being asked what is your purpose? or what motivates you? And the interviewee talks about quality, making great cartoon films, or designing fast-paced roller coasters. All good answers, all relevant to Disney’s brand, but the employer hearing this answer, thinks something is missing, something isn’t quite right.
Employers want to hire employees who are motivated by the same reason as the organisation is – their vision.
In this example, the ‘quality’ driven applicant can reframe their interview answer to be inline with the company vision ‘ to create quality animated films that make people feel good…’
To back up the ‘motivation’ answer, add an example to the initial opening line ‘…in my last company, I always focused of the outcome of films – making the audience to be happy. When working on X project……”
Conclusion
To be successful in a job interview, applicants need to research the culture of the company as the day to day environment of an organisation affects all decisions, including hiring decisions.
Answering questions by referencing how the applicant meets the culture and values of the company will improve the level of scores allocated to each job interview answer, increasing the number of job offers an applicant will receive.
