Tag: interview questions and answers

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Final Interview Questions and Answers

High skilled positions often come with a long recruitment process, consisting of several interview stages:

  1. AVI – asynchronous video interview (a virtual job interview conducted by an AI bot) used to screen applicants
  2. Technical interview to check a candidates competencies – this may include practical tests
  3. Group interview and/or values interview to review suitability/company culture fit
  4. Final interview for shortlisted candidates

A large number of career professionals on platforms such as LinkedIn express their concern over the high number of interview rounds – or ‘hoops’ they are made to jump through to secure a job offer.

So, why do employers have multiple interview rounds?

From the employers perspective, when paying a high salary for a highly skilled role, the hiring manager needs to ensure they recruit the right person. Often a single interview gives an indication of a persons suitability but doesn’t always highlights the individuals temperament, skills, knowledge, work-ethic, and values.

For low to medium skilled roles, most employers will have one or two interview rounds. For leadership positions, high-skilled roles, technical jobs the recruiters must hire someone who can add value, this requires a more in-depth recruitment process.

What does a final job interview mean?

Research shows how the top three candidates in a job interview will only have one or two points between them – the structured job interview is a close run thing.

Having such a close match can result in the interview panel being influenced by an unconscious bias. Rather then being forced into a decision, the recruitment team, often led by a human resources hiring manager, will invite the top performing interviewees to a final interview.

The final interview means that all the candidates are employable, they all meet the essential criteria and can add value to the team.

Only three to five applicants are offered a final interview round. This shortlist of candidates will all hold relevant industry qualifications , many years of sector experience and the confidence to delivery high-scoring job interview answers during the recruitment process. In short, they have a strong interview identity.

Competition, therefore, is high in terms of quality but low in terms of quantity – as the weaker candidates have already been dismissed.

Border force job interview is competitive

Interview Specifics:

Structural job interview last 45 minutes with 8 interview questions being asked

Can you demonstrate the relevant knowledge and experience to pass a final job interview?

  • Do you give detailed examples?
  • Do you state measurable data during examples?
  • Do you reference industry models and theories?
  • Do your answers meet the job criteria?
  • Are you a self-promoter?
  • Are your answers delivered confidently?
  • Do you use an excessive number of filler words?
  • Does your unique selling point stand out during the interview?

Check the average pay for your job role.

How to prepare for a final interview?

The biggest mistake most career professionals make during a final interview is not repeating examples from previous job interview rounds.

For all rounds, the job interview panel must score applicants based on the answers given in that interview round. Remember that each interview round maybe conducted by a different interviewer.

Not that all previously used examples will be needed. Each employer has their own way of conducting a final interview.

Some employers, will ask similar questions throughout all the interview rounds (worded a little different) to check that the applicant does possess the required skills and knowledge for the job vacancy.

In this approach, the final interviewers – often trained HR and senior leaders will ask more specific interview questions looking for data and evidence that they can measure.

As an example:

  • Interview round 1 question: “Tell me about a time when you worked with stakeholders?”
  • Interview round 2 question: “Tell me about a time when you had to influence a stakeholder?”
  • Interview round 3 question: “Give me an example of when you have influenced a senior stakeholder to overcome an objective on a collaborative project?”
  • Interview round 4 question: “Explain the specific steps you took to get a stakeholder with an objective to a project to agree with a proposal you had created?”

In other organisations, the final interview round will be focused on added value. The interview questions maybe open, even informal, to understand how an applicants experience will make a difference in the current team, on a project, and/or to achieve the company vision.

The employer is looking for:

  • Unique selling points
  • How an (experience) can be used to improve production or output/increase profit
  • What industry related knowledge can help progress the company
  • Specific skills and how they can be used to influence the workforce/achieve an objective
  • How the (applicant) can raise the bar

Final job interview tips

By the final interview stage, the employer has a high opinion of the candidate. The opinion must be reinforced.

It is often the confident, the charismatic interview identity, who is finally offered the role.

This is because employers value confidence. A self-assured employee gets things done. Humans also associate other positive personality traits to confident people. We believe they are hard-working, skilled, knowledgeable, and that they possess good personal skills; communication, listening, teamwork.

To be viewed as confident:

  • Be assertive with your communication
  • Use the power of a pause – don’t rush your answers
  • Add characters and storylines to your examples – entertain as we as explain
  • State researched information about the company within the interview answer
  • Be a master of the basics; eye contact, positive posture, power voice

Be ready to answer scenario interview questions.

Employers recruit for a reason – there is a recruitment to gain a person with the knowledge and experience to achieve a key objective.

The final job interview often focuses on the candidates abilities to achieve these objectives. The questions asked can be both open or closed:

  • What do you know about X?
  • What would be your 5 step plan to achieve (objective)?
  • We are facing a (barrier) who would you turn this around?
  • Describe the operational plan, over a 5 year period, you would implement to achieve (objective)?
  • Tell me more about that?

The employer leaves it to you!

In the final interview, don’t wait to be asked follow up questions. If questions are ambiguous:

  • Tell me more about that (often used in informal job interviews)
  • Describe your leadership style
  • Give me an example of success

It is up to the interviewee to provide the detail. Research shows how the higher number of words per answer often results in a high number of job offers.

Give detailed and specific answers as this increase word count. This can be achieved by:

  • Talk about the pro’s and con’s of a situation, management style, product, machinery, process
  • Use multiple situations in answers. As an example, to answer a ‘leadership style question’ talk about using different leadership styles in different (sector related) environments
  • State a theory or model and give an example of the theory/model in use
  • Embed short metaphors and examples into a longer example, ensuring their is a golden thread

Create a conversation.

Dont wait until the end of a job interview to ask the employer questions about the company.

Ask questions throughout the recruitment process and use the answers to give your own suitable replies. As an example if, by asking the interview questions, it is clear that the company value innovation, ensure you reference times you have been creative and innovative.

Mirror the language an employer uses; build on their metaphors, copy jargon and acronyms. By using a similar level of language a stronger level of rapport will be built.

Final job interview questions and answers

Final job interview question: Tell me what would you do in the first 3 months of working for the organization?

The interviewer here, is checking that the applicant is a self-motivated individual who can get things done.

Explain:

  • Understanding the vison/project brief
  • Planning for risk
  • Reviewing budget spend
  • Team motivation
  • Taking action
  • Being results driven

Final job interview question: How will you motivate the team to achieve the objective?

A leader creates a vision that the team work to achieve. The two parts vision and action(s) come together by ‘motivation’.

Discuss:

  • Different leadership styles
  • Staff motivation models
  • Operational plans
  • Previous examples of motivating teams

Final Interview Questions: What problems do you foresee?

Nothing is streamless in the world of work.

All managers, senior leaders and project managers can predict and manager risk. To answer the ‘problem’ question:

  • State potential problems
  • Discuss risk management models
  • Give solutions to common industry problems
  • Explain reactive and proactive approaches
  • Talk about risk budgets

How competitive is a final job interview?

Final job interviews aren’t competitive in terms of numbers.

The average number of applicants per vacancy is around 250. The average number of interviewees for each role is 8-10. The average number of final interviewees is just 2.

The two final interviewees will be highly skilled, knowledgeable and experienced. In these terms competition is high, because both job candidates are equally matched.

Often, the job offer goes to the candidate who has best prepared, and therefore the most confident in delivering high-scoring interview answers.

For a final job interview, high scoring answers are the answers that give specific and measure data that highlights the candidates competencies relevant to the job criteria and beyond.

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How to Answer Interview Questions Confidently

optimistic interviewee

The ability to confidently communicate competencies during the job interview will give the interviewee a significant advantage over other, less confident, applicants.

Highly skilled and highly experienced career professionals often fail job interviews due to stress created by wanting to be viewed as knowledgeable.

It is the fear of being rejected by the hiring manager that creates job interview anxiety. Anxiety, sometimes at a subtle level, changes the candidate’s behavior which in turn creates a weak interview identity.

This article will explain how to reduce anxiety during the recruitment process to help answer job interview questions confidently.

Are you worried about the hiring manager’s opinion?

Humans worry about employers’ opinions as they don’t want to be seen as incompetent. Someone who consistently worries about other people’s opinions can become depressed.

Belonging is hardwired in the human psychic, to belong is to be safe. The desire to belong comes from our ancestors, the hunter, and gathers. Back in time when humans roamed the earth competing for food with wild animals, humans needed to be part of a tribe to survive.

A group of hunter and gathers were stronger together, but if one of the tribe rejected their survival rate diminished. Tribes were created on shared beliefs, values and through the individual skills, each person brought to the tribe.

In the job interview, how an interviewee thinks affects their behavior.

Research into the recruitment of staff has shown how applicants with low self-esteem have an internal focus, worrying about the hiring manager’s opinion. Whereas, a confident candidate is externally focused – giving the same quality of answers no matter how the employer acts in the job interview.

The research shows how the more confident a person the less they care about the opinions of others because self-worth out powers the self-worry.

Eggs in One Basket

Caring about a hiring manager’s opinion increases depending on context.

The advice that an interview coach would give, is to apply for new roles while in a position you are happy with.

Being employed in a good job takes the pressure off during the recruitment process, as the belief that ‘if I’m not successful I still have a job I like’ creates a win-win situation.

The increased confidence gained from the win-win scenario has a slight change in the candidate’s interview behavior. Confident interviewees will:

  • Give detail examples
  • Share their opinions rather then looking to agree with the interviewee panel
  • Stand up for themselves
  • Be a self-promoter
  • Have an open conversation
  • Tell the employer what they want from a job

In most cases though, career professionals look for new positions because their current job role is one they now detest. Many interviewees are desperate to leave their current employer and/or are highly stressed.

The new job role is viewed as a ‘last chance’ with applicants saying ‘if I’m not successful i don’t what I will do!’

A last chance mind-frame has an effect on the candidate’s attitude, as they focus more on the employer’s opinions than focusing on showcasing their skills and experiences.

Employers hiring decisions are emotionally led, which means the psychology of a job interview plays an important part in the recruitment of new staff. This includes:

  • Unconscious Bias
  • The power of likeability
  • Prejudices
  • Commonality and rapport
  • The applicants language and word choice

Action – apply for jobs while in a position you love

Answering Interview Questions Confidently

The first task then is to have an external focus – a focus on the delivery of high-scoring job interview answers.

Low confident interviewees use generic statements:

  • ‘I’m not good enough’
  • ‘Others are better skilled then I am?
  • ‘I have less sector knowledge than other people’

Limiting beliefs limit the possibilities of a successful job interview outcome.

To change a limiting belief requires challenge. Question the belief, look for evidence to the contrary, request specifics.

Ask specifics:

  • ‘Not good enough of what specifically?’
  • ‘Good enough compared to whom?’
  • ‘Who are these other people?’
  • ‘Which skills in particular?’
  • ‘Name your own strengths’

Language shapes our reality. Challenging oneself (a technique used by career and interview coaches) changes perception. Perception creates confidence. Confidence creates a stronger interview performance. A stronger interview performance increases job offers.

The language used to describe an interview also influences an applicant’s interview confidence.

Some confident career professionals view the job interview as a:

  • Meeting
  • Discussion about their experience
  • An opportunity to find more out about the employer

The frame of an interview, a life or death situation (if I don’t succeed in this job interview I will have failed), or an opportunity (a chance to develop my career), changes the candidate’s approach to the recruitment process.

Interview Questions and Answers

Repetition is the key to mastering a skill.

A job interview – communicating high-scoring answers confidently, is just another skill. A job interview is essentially a public speaking engagement. Many people initially fear public speaking but become more confident once they practice their oration skills.

One of the biggest barriers to a successful job interview is the lack of practice. The fear of rejection creates procrastination, which can increase anxiety if the applicant suffers from imposter syndrome.

First-choice applicants – career professionals who receive a high number of job offers, will follow the three rules for passing a job interview.

  1. Identifying the job criteria
  2. Being a self-promoter
  3. Communicating confidently

The more an interviewee predicts the job interview questions, craft high-scoring job interview answers, and practices the delivery style of those answers, the more they are likely to feel confident throughout a hiring process.

5 Steps for Practicing Job Interview Answers

Step 1 – Turn each essential job criteria into an interview question

Step 2 – Draft an interview answer for each question

Step 3 – Rewrite the answer by adding an example

Step 4 – Tweak the answer 3-4 more times embedding positive language

Step 5 – Practice, out loud, saying the answer as you would in a job interview

Feeling Confident

The more an applicant feels confident, the more confident their interview answers will be.

Pre-interview preparation can help to increase confidence. Some basic advice includes:

  • Stay hydrated drink lots of water prior to the job interview
  • Exercise on the morning of the interview
  • Use mindfulness or a positive visualization to feel more relaxed

The candidate’s mindset is key to building confidence. Self-worth increases self-promotion. Become aware of your skills, qualities, and experiences by:

  • Re-read passed appraisals and make a list of all the skills, strengths and qualities a passed employer has stated
  • List of the key project you have been part of – focus on what you did to make the project a success
  • Breakdown your personality – What are you naturally gifted at? How do you work best? What are your natural strengths?

It is important to remember the power play of a job interview.

In the main, the job applicants frame is that the employer has something they want (the job role) rather than the realization that the candidate has what the employer needs (that is why the employer is currently recruiting).

The candidate’s frame – how they view the job interview, changes how they perceive the power balance themselves and the employer.

The Formula for a Confident Job Interview

Confidence, therefore, is created by perception – how the candidates view the job interview and the number of hours of interview preparation.

Mindset x Practice = a confident job interview

If we summarize the above advice, to answer job interview questions confidently:

  1. Create an external focus – a focus on the delivery of high-scoring job interview answers
  2. Decrease the internal focus – worrying about the hiring managers opinion
  3. Apply for jobs while in a position you currently enjoy as this releases stress
  4. Challenge limiting beliefs by asking for specifics
  5. View the interview as a conversation or meeting
  6. Follow the three rules for a successful job interview and practice answering interview questions
  7. Identify your own skills, strengths and qualities
  8. Use meditation, exercise and staying hydrated to increase confidence
  9. Remember the employer needs you more then you need them – be in charge of the power play of the recruitment process
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Common Interview Questions for Entry Level Jobs

In years gone by having a degree open the doors to a new career.

In more recent times the number of people attending university has risen meaning having a degree alone isn’t enough to secure an entry level position.

One study precited that ‘the number of young people aged 24 to 34 completing a tertiary degree across OECD and G20 countries is expected to increase to 300 million by 2030, up from 137 million in 2013‘

This is because the data shows that having a degree will:

  • Increase your chances of employment
  • Help gain a high-skilled job role
  • Increase earnings compared to non-degree employees

An entry level job role is a the starting position on the career ladder. Employers, in the main, will create an entry level position with additional support, training and mentoring to introduce the new employee to the word of work even though they lack industry experience.

With an increase in degree level applicants an increase in competition has become common, with job offers going to the candidates who perform best in the job interview.

This article will explain what a graduate can do to pass an entry-level job interview.

How competitive is an Entry Level job interview?

Interview Specifics:

Informal job interview lasts around 30 minutes with 6 questions being asked

Can you demonstrate the relevant knowledge and experience to pass a Entry Level job interview?

  • Relevant qualifications
  • Any sector related experience including placements, internships, and work experience
  • Personal skills and work ethic, related to the job role
  • Knowledge of industry related model and theories
  • Being a life long leaner
  • Commitment to organization as they invest time and money into the graduate
  • Skills gained from being a graduate
  • Any unique selling points

Check the average pay for an entry level job role.

Job offers are given to the graduate who is viewed by the employer as being the best fit. This means the way a candidate is perceived by the interview panel, the applicants interview identity, which is based on their perceived level of knowledge/experience vs their level of confidence, is an important aspect of the hiring mangers decision making process.

In fact, the applicants interview identity for an entry level position is important for a second reason. On average, all the interviewees will have a similar level of qualification (the sector related degree) and therefore a similar level of knowledge.

Each candidate, in the main, wont have in-depth experience of recruitment processes, so will be nervous during a job interview. And most will have equal work experience and/or placements.

In short, an entry level job interview is a level playing field. That means the interview performance can be the difference between or job offer or job rejection.

Job Interview Questions and Answers for an Entry Level Job Role.

Most employers adopt an informal job interview process for an entry-level job role. This is because, in many cases, the candidates wont have enough experience to answer behavioral job interview questions.

An informal job interview is a 30-45 minute job interview where the employers ask several planned job interview question that create a conversation, before asking follow up question depending on where the conversation is leading.

Whereas, a structured job interview – the most common type of job interview will ask the same questions to all applicants, with no ad-hoc follow up questions.

Entry Level Job Interview Question 1 – why did you apply for this position?

Before planning the answers to interview questions, it is wise to first think about the interview environment.

Has the employer requested a virtual or a face to face interview? Tips for a virtual interview can be found here: Online Job Interview Advice

The most commonly asked entry-level job interview question is the ‘why this position?’ question, sometime framed as ‘Tell me about yourself and whey you applied for this role?’

Unstructured job interview questions are often ‘open’ allowing the interviewee to discuss anything they think may be relevant.

Two mistakes graduates make is either 1) not giving enough information and detail, or 2) discussing experiences and skills irrelevant for the advertised position.

To answer the initial opening question discuss three key elements:

  1. Your character
  2. Your journey
  3. Your reason for applying

“I have always had a passion for (industry) this is due to (give reason). What I particular interested in is (give a specific element of the job sector that you care about). My experience (in university studying an X degree/working in job sector) has given me an in-depth knowledge on (job sector criteria) as an example (state 1 or 2 job sector relevant data/knowledge)

I recently completed my (qualification) at (university name) where I (give selling point: achieved a 2:1 or had a work placement at (famous company). In addition to studying I also (describe relevant work experience gained)

People describe me as a (name three qualities). This is because (give reason for the character reference). The reason I applied for this position is because of the company reputation. I am looking to work for an organization that (add facts about the company) which is why I want to work here. I was also impressed with the company vision (state company vision) which is something I also deem important”

Entry Level Job Interview Question 2 – how do you develop yourself?

Employers understand that entry level employees lack sector knowledge and industry experience.

The reason for the lower waged than a more experience career professional is due to the fact that the employer will train, mentor and support the graduate in the position.

Hiring managers are looking to recruit staff members that are life long learners. Technology, politics, customer demand, globalization, among other things, are the drivers of change that evolve each industry.

In time gone by these same drivers of changed happened, but at a slower rate. The fast pace rapid sector changes require a flexible workforce who can absorb new knowledge, changes in industry policy and quick adopt to new ways of working.

On a smaller level, a graduate new to the world of work needs to have the ability to pick business-as-usual tasks and job duties quickly. Over a 3 year period, an entry level employee will learn the same level of knowledge as they did during their degree course.

In short, employers need applicants to demonstrate they are keen on professional development and learning.

“I’m a life long learner who values personal and professional development. Over the past three years I studied for my degree where I gained a (qualification level). As well as attending the lectures, I also decided to improve my sector knowledge by (add any additional studying; attending online courses, watching additional lectures on YouTube or attending study groups). Because I have a clear career direction, I also applied for and gain a (part-time sector job, placement, internship, etc) where I learned about (describe a sector related knowledge).

Because I value development, I often reflect on my strengths and weaknesses and attend short training courses to improve skills and knowledge. Recently I felt I could do with improving a (soft skill) as I knew this skill would be important when (completing a job duty) so I attending a (course) which helped me to (course objective).”

Entry Level Job Interview Question 3 – what can you bring to the team?

The informal job interview is designed to get to know the applicant.

The goal of the informal interview is to find out what the candidate can bring to the team and if they would work well within the company culture, which is why many employers directly ask ‘what can you bring to the team?’

To answer the interview question well, a candidate must remember the tree rules for a successful job interview outcome:

  1. Identify the job criteria – the skills, qualities and experiences an employers deems relevant for the job role
  2. Be a self-promoter – detailing experiences, explaining knowledge and using self-promoting language
  3. Communicate with confidence – delivering interview answers in a clear, concise and confident way

One barrier to gaining a job offer is the relevance of a job interview answer. Some applicants will give detailed and self-promoting answers but still struggle to gain a successful job interview outcome.

The reason is the content of the interview answer. By identifying the job criteria (knowing what the employer is looking for in a new team member) helps to craft an answer that references the job criteria.

“The three key elements that I can bring to the team are X, Y and Z. I’m am highly skilled at X, which means I can (describe how being skilled in X will be a benefit to the organisation). My key strength is Y. As a team member I can use this strength (to gain a positive outcome). And finally, being highly knowledgeable about Y can help in (describe a future scenario where the knowledge would be of high importance).”

Entry Level Job Interview Question 4 – tell me about your course/degree?

The trap, most entry level applicants, fall into when asked a question about their time at university is that the interviewee will simply describe the duration of the course, the course content and their opinion of the degree.

What an employer is really asking is: ‘what skills and knowledge did you gain from studying a degree and how will those skills and knowledge help you in this job role?’

Again, as with all job interview questions it is important to first identify the skills, qualities, and experiences and employer deems to be important and then to reference these throughout the interview answer.

“What I really enjoyed about the course was how it improved my knowledge in (a specific area). As an example, I know have a level of understanding about (technical element of the job role) that would be of great use when (describe relevant work-based scenario). I also have a great knowledge based of (describe three additional knowledges).

Throughout the course, I also able to recognize and build upon some of my skills and qualities. In particular, one of my key strengths is (add strength). On the course I (describe a situation/problem). To overcome this barrier I (state three actions took, describing in detail how yo use your strengths, skills and qualities). This resulted in (state a positive outcome).”

Entry Level Job Interview Question 5 – what were your favorite classes and why?

The ‘favorite classes’ job interview question is asked as an alternative to the ‘tell me about your degree’ question. It is mainly asked in apprenticeship job interviews.

The format of the interview answer is the same for both questions – a focus on how a particular class or classes gave the interviewee the skills, knowledge and experience relevant to the job role.

The above interview answer template can be tailored for both questions.

Entry Level Job Interview Question 6 – what do you like to do outside of university/work?

Businesses complete risk assessments on all aspects of the business, including recruitments.

Hiring a highly experienced and qualified employee is deemed as low risk, as the cost of recruitment vs the experienced gained is viewed as beneficial.

The risk of recruiting a graduate with no industry experience and therefore no way of knowing how the react the pressure of a job role, how they work within a team and their work ethic is viewed as high risk.

In addition, employers spend time and money to support and develop entry level employees. The pay off, for the employer, is that they get to train the new employee to work in a way that suits the culture of the organization.

But culture fit also depends on an applicants personality. By asking ‘what do you do outside of work?’ is an indicate to that persons temperament.

Stay ways from answering the question with anything to do with:

  • Drinking
  • Staying in bed
  • Parties

“I like to make the most of my time. I spend a lot of my evenings exercising, going for short runs, walks and doing yoga. Exercise is one of the best ways to stay fit and healthy but also helps to build a positive mindset.

I mentioned previously that I enjoy professional development. I am currently applying to attend (short course) that will teach me (state course objective).

I also enjoy (describe hobby). What is interesting, even though the hobby doesn’t directly related to the job role, is that this hobby helps me build up (a skill) that can be used when (job duty).”

Evolve the mind book on Amazon

Entry Level Job Interview Question 7 – Do you have any questions for me?

Each hiring manager during all job interviews will ask each interviewee if they have any questions for the employer.

Knowing that the final ‘ask me’ question will be asked, a set of questions needs to be prepared.

  • What will the first few weeks as an entry level employee look like?
  • How would you describe the team?
  • What have previous graduates gone on to do in your company?
  • Why do you proactive employee graduates?
  • Do you offer training for new employees?

This site uses the ‘LMI for All’ online data portal to access official government ‘big data’ sources. This powers the labour market data provided on this site.

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Best Job Interview Books for 2022

2022 will see an increase in job interviews as employers recover from pandemic and great resignation.

Already there has been a significant rise in job vacancies. The office for national statistics said “The number of job vacancies in October to December 2021 rose to a new record of 1,247,000, an increase of 462,000 from the pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic level in January to March 2020”

Source.

Competition for job roles is at an all time high, with a higher number of degree-level qualified career professionals looking for new career opportunities.

Technology and remote working has open the job market up to a global audience.

To be successful in a job interview, the candidate not only has to have the best experience, skills and qualifications, they also have to be the best interviewee.

Below is a list of the 5 best job interview books for 2022 to help you land your next job role.

job interview coaching

Job Interview Book – what is your interview identity?

Pre-released at the end of 2021, the interview book ‘what is your interview identity, both paperback and hardback versions, were in top ten of Amazons new release books list.

The books explains the psychology of the recruitment process and how an employers perception of an applicant at the interview start creates a lasting impression that influences the scoring of the candidates job interview answers.

The ‘interview identity’ is the Myers Briggs of job interviews. The book also discusses the power of unconscious bias and explains the academic research findings of what creates a successful job interview.

Suitable for all job sectors, a must have for any career professional.

Amazon link – what is your interview identity

Job Interview Book – Cracking the Coding Interview

The programming sector, and the technology industry as a whole, is one of the biggest recruiters,

In tech job interviews you are asked very specific tech related job interview questions. To prepare for a programming job interview it is important to have technical interview answer prepared.

Cracking the code shares 189 programming interview questions and solutions to help any programming interviewee prepare for the job interview.

Amazon link – cracking the coding interview

Job Interview Book – Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

With over 4 million copies sold, the crucial conversation book is a wide read book.

Crucial conversations explains how to communicate in high stake situations. The book delves into the emotional reactions of individuals helps to influence and persuade.

The book explains the seven step model for crucial conversations; start with the heart, stay in dialogue, make it safe, don’t get hooked by emotions, agree mutual purpose, separate facts from the story and agree a clear action plan.

Amazon link – Crucial Conversations

Job Interview Book – Why You 101 Job Interview Questions

The forth book in the list is why you – 101 interview questions that explains an approach to answering the various job interview questions from the classic ‘tell me about your weakness’ to the famous sales job interview question ‘sell me this pen’

Amazon Link – Why You – 101 job interview questions

Job Interview Book – How to get hired

The how to get hired book covers more than just interviews, talking about the application process, identifying the right job and salary negotiation.

The book is framed as an inside guide (from an experience recruiter) on what works across the whole recruitment process to find career success.

A clearly written book that touches upon the various ways a candidate can successfully land a job of their dreams.

Amazon Link – how to get hired

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Interview Questions for Retail

Retail is one of the largest job sectors with over 2.9 million employees in the UK alone.

This article will focus on the job interview questions for a retail worker which incldues:

  • Shelf-stacker
  • Till operator
  • Customer service

Retail supervisors and managers attend a more structured job interview where they are asked leadership questions.

A third of retail staff are under the age of 25 and over half are part-time employees. This role attracts both students, looking for a part-time income and full-time retail staff looking for a career in retail.

In the main, the larger retail organizations have an ongoing recruitment campaign and like to hire a diverse workforce.

Due to the time spend on recruitment, many employers deliver short informal interviews that are designed to check a applicants work-ethic, attitude and personal skills.

This article will list the commonly asked interview questions for a retail position, and explain the best way to answer each question.

How competitive is a Retail job interview?

Interview Specifics:

Informal job interview lasts around 30 minutes with 6 questions being asked

Can you demonstrate the relevant knowledge and experience to pass a Retail job interview?

  • Customer service skills
  • Communication skills
  • Numeracy and literacy
  • Reliability
  • Flexibility
  • Teamwork
  • Till/handling cash experience
  • Stock rotation knowledge
  • Sales techniques (for some roles)

Check the average pay for a Retail job role.

Retail job interview questions will vary from one retailer to the next. As an example a food retailer will ask about stock rotation and food hygiene awareness, whereas a clothing company will focus their interview questions on personal skills – being helpful, smart in appearance and communication skills.

All retailers will ask a variation of the common retail questions listed below, but it is important to follow the three rules of a successful job interview:

One – identify the skills and experiences each retailer requires you to possess

Two – be a self-promoter by highlighting customer service skills, reliability and your work ethic

Three – communicate confidently. In retail communication and customer service is a key skill. The whole of the job interview is an assessment of how you come across to a potential customer.

Job Interview Questions and Answers for a Retail Position.

To pass a job interview for a retail position is relatively easy.

Employers don’t ask tricky interview questions, they are rarely ‘scary’ and in the main try to create a relaxed environment to help the interviewee to open up.

At the bottom line, the interviewers want to get to know the potential employee.

The barrier here then is the number of applications each employer receives, which is much higher then the number of job vacancies.

To pass a retail job interview, it is important to predict the interview questions and practice the delivery of the interview answers.

  • Mock interviews help to practice an interview in full
  • Re-writing interview answers helps with memory
  • Talking in slower pace (as interviewees then to speed up due to nervousness) helps the employer to record your experiences and skills

Below is a list of retail questions and an explanation of how to answer each question.

Retail Interview Question 1. Tell me a little bit about yourself?

In all retail job interviews, the hiring manager will ask a generic opening question:

  • “Tell me about yourself?”
  • “Do you have any retail experience?”
  • “Give me an overview of your relative experience?”

The idea with asking a generic interview question is for the interview panel to get to know the job applicant, while at the same time getting them to open up.

By talking about oneself often gives confidence to the candidate, which helps later in the recruitment process when the hiring manager will ask more specific questions.

Employers will make a hiring decision based on the interview answers each candidates give. For a retail job role, the employer using a applicants retail/customer service experience as well as their personality/confidence to create an opinion.

We call the the interviewees Interview Identity.

Interview Answer Template.

“I have worked in (retail/customer service) roles for ‘X’ number of years. I really enjoy the (state a positive challenge) aspect of the role.

One of my key skills is (add retail related skilled IE customer service, sales, problem-solving) an example of this is when I was working as a (job role) at (company). A customer (describe action) to help get a positive result I (describe actions). The outcome was (positive outcome)

People describe as (list qualities). In my last role I was known as the employee who would (add quality; arrive on time, help customers, go above and beyond).

I am currently (studying full-time/looking for a career in retail) and I applied for this position because of (reference a positive aspect about the company)”

Retail Interview Question 2. Why did you apply for a job with our company?

Retail managers know that there is a vast amount of retail job roles, all with varying pay and conditions, available for people to apply for.

With this in mind, a high number of hiring managers will ask the reason why a candidate is applying for their vacancy rather then another.

The reason for this interview question is due to staff retention. The longer a staff member/retail team work for one company the more skilled that team will become (as well as saving on recruitment cost).

Don’t answer the ‘why us’ question with any of the following reasons:

  • Financial
  • Near to my home
  • I just need a job
  • Don’t know

Instead create an interview answer that highlights how the company values, vision and culture appeal to you.

Interview Answer Template.

“When I started job searching I saw a high number of retail vacancies, but when I saw that your company was advertising I knew I had to apply.

What I like about your company is the fact that you (add a company value/vision). This is something I can relate to. I also am passionate about (add a passion that relates to the company value/vision).

I also like where the company is heading. When I was researching the organization I read how you are (add a recent quote from a media source) I think this is a great idea as more people are (give a future action related to the quote IE shopping online).

One of the main reasons I applied for the role, is because I shop at your company and I love (the products/the way customer are treated/the environment)”

Retail Interview Question 3. What does customer service mean to you?

Customer service is a fundamental part of any retail job role.

Retail employers always ask a customer service related interview question:

  • “Tell me about your customer service experience?”
  • “What would you do if a customer did X?”
  • “Give me an example of going above and beyond for a customer?”

An article on Salesforce talked about the 8 principles of customer service:

  1. Teamwork
  2. Listen and share
  3. Friendly
  4. Honest
  5. Improved empathy
  6. Deep product knowledge
  7. Timeliness
  8. Improving processes

One way to answer the customer service interview question is by stating what makes good customer service and then giving an example of delivering excellent customer.

Interview Answer Template.

“For me, customer service is the key part of my job role. Good customer service includes being a great listener and communicator, while being able to build rapport. It is also about being a time-sensitive problem solver and looking at a customer problem from their viewpoint, and most importantly its about helping to create loyal customers.

I have always had a natural ability to give great customer service, as I am a natural peoples person. An example of this was when I was (describe a situation), to help the customer I (add 3 steps: Listened to the issue, discussed options and used my personal skills to get a positive outcome)”

Retail Interview Questions 4. How would you handle a rude customer?

Helping a pleasant customer is easy, they ask for help, help is given and everyone is happy.

On the other hand, having to deal with an angry, rude or disruptive customer is much more difficult.

In fact, the whole reason that customer service is the hot topic in retail job interviews is because of the fact the employers need to hire retail staff that can respond professionally to any customer service situation.

An article on MindTools explains 5 steps to dealing with a rude customer:

  1. Stay calm and don’t react
  2. Don’t take it personally
  3. Listen and apologise if needed
  4. Stand firm
  5. Solve the problem

Interview Answer Template.

“I have helped many rude customer in the past. I don’t get affected by a rude customer as I don’t take the rudeness personally. I know that many customer s act rude because they are frustrated and once they see that I am willing to help them resolve their issue, they will calm down, often applogise and become helpful.

An example of helping a rude customer is when I worked at (company name) and a customer was angry because of (state issue). First I stayed calm and listened to their complaint without interrupting. I then summarised their problem and asked what outcome they wanted. I then though about two options (describe options) and asked the customer a few questions to help them decide which option was best. By being calm, patient and by wanting to solve their problem I was able to get a customer, who initially was rude, to leave a positive comment on a store feedback card.”

Evolve the mind book on Amazon

Retail Interview Question 5. Do you work well within a team?

A retail store is a well oiled machine.

All the various cogs; shelf-stackers, cahiers, cleaners, security guards, customer service desk, buyers, warehouse staff, etc, etc work together to display products that customers want to buy.

The team collectively works well when all team members embrace being team.

Many retail company’s will create a team culture through teambuilding activities, team meetings and highlighting team achievements.

In a retail recruitment process, the hiring manager isn’t just looking for a skilled worker they are searching for a team player.

The best answer to give is to share an example of teamwork in action. When sharing a teamwork example it is important to explain the problem the team were facing before the candidates shares what actions they took to help the team achieves its goal.

Interview Answer Template.

“I really enjoy working within a team. I like that everyone helps and supports each other to achieve a common goal.

An example of me working within a team is when I worked at (organisation). The team had to (achieve an objective) but the problem was (describe a barrier the team faced).

The team didn’t know what we should do, so I suggested that everyone should share an idea. We all did, and that led to a natural discussion. I took the lead and asked my team mates for their opinions on the ideas and before long it was clear that we all wanted to try a particular suggestion. We the divided up the jobs, I was responsible for (task) and went to work. By the end of the (day/project/task) we had (positive outcome).”

Retail Interview Question 6. Do you have any questions for me?

Each hiring manager during all job interviews will ask each interviewee if they have any questions for the employer.

Knowing that the final ‘ask me’ question will be asked, a set of questions needs to be prepared.

  • Can you talk me through the training that you offer new staff members?
  • What are the busiest times of the year?
  • How would you describe an average day?
  • How would you describe the culture of the company?
  • How many staff work full time and part time?

This site uses the ‘LMI for All’ online data portal to access official government ‘big data’ sources. This powers the labour market data provided on this site.

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Four Day Work Week Job Interview Questions

A six month pilot, to test the benefits of a four day work week, has seen hundreds of businesses register their interest.

If a four day week becomes the norm, employers will want to know how employees will adopt to working less hours. It will be in the job interview where hiring managers ask about productivity in the hour-day week world.

In this article, we will list potential four-day week job interview questions and answers.

Less hours equals more productivity?

The 4 Day Week Global will see a reduction in the number of hours an employee with the hope of increasing production.

Three universities; Oxford, Cambridge and Boston college (US) plan to sign up around 30 companies during this new initiative. The idea is that less work equals less stress, and less stress increases productivity.

The trio of universities will collect data from the trial, including evaluations via an interview method, to check the advantages and disadvantages of working just 80% of the (current) working week.

Currently three official businesses have signed up to the trial, with the experiment needing a variety of job sectors to participate to test the impact of a reduction in working hours. MLB Seminars (a training company), Yo Telecom and Hutch Games (computer) are currently testing the four day week.

The data gained from the UK companies will be assessed along side data taken from similar experiments across the globe. It is predicted that different sectors will have to vary how they adapt the four-day week to meet the needs of their industry.

In a four day week trial in Iceland the results show how reducing working hours increased smarter working, with staff managing their time better, reducing time spent in meetings and improving internal communications.

Employee wellbeing had a significant improvement, with staff stating how they felt more positive and happy. Experiments has shown this before, where overworked staff working more hours are less productive then staff working the average number of hours per week.

The goal is to offer employees less hours with the same pay (rather then compressed hours in a four day week), not to decrease hours and pay. The concept is referred to as the 100:80:100 model. Employees receive 100% of pay for 80% in exchange for 100% productivity.

As AI becomes more embedded within organizations, a 20% cut in working hours could easily be accommodated with technology automating business as usual low skilled tasks. The pandemic has taught businesses time-saving lessons, as an example virtual project meetings has reduced the total number of travel hours, to and from the meeting, of the participants.

Looking at the wider picture, a four-day week can also support the green agenda. In 2019, Microsoft Japan’s trailed a three-day weekend that resulted in a recorded 40% productivity but also increased efficiencies, such as 23% electricity savings.

Employers look for productive staff

Each recruitment process is designed to predict the job performance of the interviewee, their productivity.

The evidence is clear, happy fulfilled and trained employees are more productive. Whereas a stressful working environment reduces each employees productivity.

From an employees perspective, the workers expect that employees create processes and procedures that help create a productive workforce. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory states that their are two categories for workplace motivation:

Motivation factors that give employees a sense of satisfaction

  • Work that has a purpose
  • Greater autonomy
  • Recognition

Hygiene factors that determine the basic level of stability and job security:

  • Pay
  • Job security
  • Working conditions

On the other hand, employers expect a level of output from a paid employee. In the job interview the job candidate, through their answers, makes a pledge of their skill set and work ethic which the hiring decision is based on.

As with all new initiatives that get launched, the organizations that take part in the trail will have a vested interest in the initiative and happy to work within the guidelines. As the initiative becomes common place, other organizations get on board rather then being seen to rock the boat.

The problem here is that the latter employers may need commitment from the interviewee, at the interview stage, that they can and will offer 100% productivity during a four-day week.

Four day week job interview questions

In the main, employers will ask four day week job interview questions that come under one of three categories:

  1. Time management
  2. Output
  3. Wellbeing management

How will you maximize output while working a four day week?

Employers are looking to hear what tasks or last time activities can be reduced to increase productivity.

Job interview answers should cover time management processes, the use of automated technology/systems and task priority.

Job Interview Answer:

“Output is improved through the management of tasks. The time management matrix explains how tasks can be prioritised based on their urgency vs importance. Tasks that are highly urgent and important must be completed straight away, this could include (example).

One of the common task in our sector is (add task) which often takes up (number of hours per week) but can easily be automated through (system/procedure/software). Another common task is (second task and third task) which is required in several departments. I propose, to save time, that these tasks are job shared. With one department completing all (task one) and the other all (task two).

One the reasons why I always have a high level of productivity is due to my wellbeing management. The research shows how stressed employees have less production, whereas motivated staff are highly productive. Personally, I keep motivated by regularly (add activity)”

What ways can you think off that will help reduce time spent on non-productive tasks?

Each sector varies, but generally speaking their are a number of ways to reduce time.

When answering the time saving interview question, it is important not to use examples that make the candidate to be viewed as lazy IE ‘I would talk less’. Instead think more strategically, as an example having ‘task and finish’ team meetings or shared calendars that reduce planning time.

Job Interview Answer

“Thinking about our industry there are two areas that could be changed to reduce the amount of time spent on non-productive tasks. The first is (add specific situation). Time is wasted here because of (give reason), instead we could save time by (give solution).

The second area is (add specific situation). A number of hours are wasted because of the amount of people who do (add time wasting task) Instead if we were able to implement (solution) we could save a (give percentage) of time.”

An example of a solution to a time wasted tasks is in the recruitment sector, where many companies are now using AI bots to read job applications rather then leaving it to humans.

Give me an example of how you managed your stress levels during a busy period?

When giving a real life example of part of a job interview answer, it is important to create context by describing the situation – the why this was happening.

Then, specifically explain what actions were taken to create a positive outcome. Ideally, the example used must be relative to the position being applied for.

Job Interview Answer.

“A couple of years back, I was working at an organization named (company name). I was part of a team working on (a specific project). The project was highly important as (describe how the successful completion of the project would have a benefit to the employer).

The timeframe for the project was tight, we had to complete (task) within a (add timeframe). the reason this was difficult was (give specifics).

It was a very stressful time for everyone, but I was always able to manage my stress and stay motivated and productive.

To stay motivated and to have good wellbeing I (generic stress management technique). When on a tight deadline I always (stress management technique)which helps me to stay on track. When working in a stressful environment or when other colleagues are stressed I will (stress management technique).”

Evolve the mind book on Amazon
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Quality Save Supervisor Interview Questions

Quality Save was founded in 1974 by Bob Rudkin while working on a market stall in Walkden. Since then it has grown into a recognized brand across the Northwest, UK.

Quality Save support employees by offering a range of training and professional development opportunities, valuing loyalty as the company like to recruit from within.

For some of their supervisory roles the applicant don’t need experience as Quality Save will train up the successful applicant, indicating that the majority of interview questions while be situational interview questions.

How competitive is a Quality Save Supervisor job interview?

Interview Specifics:

Situational job interview, lasts around 45 minutes with 8 interview questions being asked

Can you demonstrate the relevant knowledge and experience to pass a Quality Save Supervisor job interview?

  • Supervising cashiers, shelf stockers, and other employees.
  • Assisting the store manager with weekly finance returns.
  • Keeping records of employee performance.
  • Reporting on stock.
  • Implementing Quality Save processes and procedures to avoid stock damages, theft, and wastage.
  • Creating a welcoming environment for customers.
  • Supporting staff with training and development.
  • Managing the staff rota.

Check the average pay for a supervisor job role.

Below is a list of commonly asked job interview questions for a Quality Save supervisor role.

Each summary comes with an explanation of the interview question and an example interview answer.

It is important to tweak each interview answer template, making it relevant to the interviewee’s own skills, qualities, experience, and knowledge.

An interviewer’s perception of a job applicant, their interview identity, is made up of the interviewee’s perceived level of knowledge/experience vs their level of confidence during the recruitment process.

The first stage, when preparing for a job interview, is to recognize your own ‘interview identity’.

Job Interview Questions and Answers for a Quality Save supervisor.

Prior to the official job interview, the panel of interviewers (often 3 staff members, including a direct line manager) will make small talk to help relax the interviewee.

The hiring manager will start the interview by explaining the process of the structured job interview.

Including, the number of questions that will be asked, who on the interview panel will ask which questions, and how the applicant can ask for a question to be repeated.

They will go to explain the post-interview details; when each candidate will be told if they have been successful or not.

The job applicant, who prior to the recruitment day has made ample preparation, is expected to answer the questions by showcasing how they meet the job criteria.

Quality Save try to create a relaxed atmosphere and never ask any curveball job interview questions. Overall the interview is informal, within a structured job interview process.

Explain why do you want to be a Quality Save supervisor?

The difference between a situation job interview, and a behavioral job interview, is the framing of the job interview questions.

In a behavioral job interview, the question asked for evidence of past behaviors. Employers using behavioral job interview questions are, in the main, looking to recruit someone with past experience.

As Quality Save recruit and train a suitable candidate, the hiring manager is likely to frame the majority of their interview questions as ‘situational’ – this means question will be framed on ‘what you might do in X situation’.

A situational interview allows an applicant take experience from one job role/sector and make it relevant to another. Also, answers can reference models and theories highlighting a level of sector knowledge.

Answers for both situational and behavioral job interviews must reference the job criteria and be self-promoting.

It is important, therefore, to be aware of the three rules for a successful job interview.

When asked, the why do you want to be a Quality Save supervisor?, answer by stating skills, experiences and and personal qualities that would make you a good supervisor.

It also good to reference any relevant customer service, retail or supervisory qualifications.

This question gives the job applicant a chance to showcase their awareness and knowledge of both the job role and the company – Quality Save.

“I applied for the role of a supervisor at Quality Save, as I have a (background/experience) in (retail, customer service, or supervisory roles). For the past (number of years) I have been working as a (job role) at (company) where I was responsible for (state relevant duties). My direct supervisory experience includes (A, B and C). I am passionate about retail and love (job duty). In addition, I have a (qualification) which taught me the theory for (job duty). I applied for the role at Quality Save as I was impress with (company fact/history/mission).”

What is your understanding of the supervisor job role?

As an organisation that is willing take train up suitable applicants (which is a great way to great start to a managerial career) the hiring manager does need to first check suitability.

One way to check if a job applicant would work be a potential Quality Save supervisor is by checking their knowledge of the supervisor job role.

Many people fail to answer the ‘understanding’ correctly.

A common way to incorrectly answer this interview question, is by just listing a few job duties.

Listing duties does show an awareness of the job role but not a full understanding of importance of certain task, or how supervisory responsibilities have an impact on the business.

To create a high-scoring answer, frame the interview answer by stating first, an overview of what a supervisor does.

Second, state a number of duties, then explain the importance of the stated duty and/or how the applicants possess the skills required to complete the supervisory task.

To better understand the job duties of a supervisor, read the job advert on Monster.

“A supervisor works closely with the store manager to communicate the mission and vision of the company. More specifically, a supervisor will communicate tasks, duties and performance targets to team members while supporting staff, through training and mentoring, to upskill to complete their duties effectively. To be efficient at communication, my experience in (job role) has taught me the importance of (communication criteria/soft skill). Supervisors must be able to motivate team members, an example of me being able to motivative others is when I was working at (company) and (explain situation) happened. To motivate (others) I (actions taken).”

How would you support a new employee?

Supervisors will often mentor and support new staff members.

In retail, its is common to see a large staff turnover as the sector recruits some staff members who are students working their way through university.

Staff support often improves staff retention, and the interview answer should always reference this key point.

If the supervisor role at Quality Save is your first supervisory position, think about what support you prefer when starting a new job. Experienced supervisors are likely to have experience of supporting new employees, that can be used within their interview answer.

Break the answer down into three key areas:

  1. processes and procedures
  2. supporting the new employee
  3. identifying areas of development

“As a supervisor I would always support new employees as this increase staff retention. With any new employee I would first get them up to speed with the company policy and procedures – this might include online training, reading the policies and procedures and through work shadowing and experienced staff member. To check a new staff members progress I would ask them questions on some of the key processes.

It is also important to ensure new staff members are happy with the day-to-day tasks. i would set duties, leave the staff member for a short period of time and then return to ask them ‘how they are getting on?’

Through observing the new employee, having regular catch ups and through asking I would check what areas of development each individual staff member has and help to create a training plan to support them to become a skilled worker.”

How would you react if an employee disagreed with you?

Supervisors need to be confident in themselves and assistive when delegating tasks.

When working as a supervisor, it is likely that from time to time a staff member may disagree with, or even be disrespectful, to the supervisor.

This could take the shape of an employee suggesting a ‘better’ approach for completing a task or passive aggressively refusing to complete a duty.

Employers need to ensure that a new supervisor has the knowhow to handle this situation without it escalating.

“Misunderstandings often result from a lack of clarification. When delegating tasks I would explain my reasons for doing this, to reduce any misunderstandings. If a staff member disagreed with me, I would first ask for and listen to their point of view, encase they have a valid point. If I believed that the employee was trying to be disrespectful, rather then helpful, I would remain calm, and assertively explain that are several ways of completing the task, but we will be going with option that I choose.”

Give me an example of dealing with a customer complaint?

It often comes down to the supervisor to deal with any customer complaints.

Dealing with customer complaints requires a variety of skills:

  • Communication
  • Listening
  • Assertiveness
  • Confirming
  • Professionalism

The three steps for dealing with a customer complaint are:

  1. Listening
  2. Confirming
  3. Resolving

Start the interview answer, by explaining the reasons a customer would make a compliant and detail the above three steps. Ideally, give an example of completing the customer complaint task.

An example of helping an awkward customer is when I was working at X company as a (job role). A customer was (complaining/being angry/being awkward) because (reason).

“Retail customers may complain about employees, cost increases on stock, or being overcharged. As someone with (number of years) experience in (customer facing role) I have successfully resolved customer complaints.

First, I listened to the complaint without interrupting, as it’s important to let me let the customer share their concerns. I then asked specific questions to understand the situation better without making assumptions and to confirm what the customer had stated.

Finally I ask, what was the best way to resolve their issue and share the options I am able to offer there and then. This helped the customer to relax as they felt they were being listened to and supported, resulting in (positive outcome).

An example of this was when (customer complaint), I then clarified what the customer had said and offered (options), which resulted in (happy customer).”

How would you manage your time working in a busy store?

Quality Save is a fast paced retail environment, where now two days are the same.

A supervisor, therefore, must be able to manage their workload, prioritising tasks depending on individual circumstances.

The time management question is really asking – how do you prioritise your workload?

Each week, in the supermarket, there will be regular daily tasks; planning staff cover, stock taking, stock rotation, staff meetings. Plus additional ad-hoc duties that randomly pop up depending on workload and the time of year, with Christmas, as an example, being one of the busiest periods.

When answering the interview question: how do you manage your time (or workload). Split the interview answers into two sections – regular tasks and ad-hoc duties.

“As a supervisor, I know that each day will be different. But embedded into each day will be business-as-usual tasks; staff management, stock inventory, assisting the store manager with stock projections.

For these duties, I prioritise each task depending on the level of urgency and importance. As all these tasks happen weekly, I can easily split each task over a period of a week.

In addition, throughout my working week, new urgent tasks can appear such as several staff being of work at the same time, or an increase in customers during the Christmas period. When new ad-hoc tasks present themselves, which are urgent, I will delegate some of the regular duties to other staff while I prioritise the new job which often has a short deadline.”

Evolve the mind book on Amazon

Do you have any questions for me?

Each hiring manager during all job interviews will ask each interviewee if they have any questions for the employer.

Knowing that the final ‘ask me’ question will be asked, a set of questions needs to be prepared.

  • Can you talk me through the training that you offer at Quality Save?
  • What are the busiest times of the year?
  • How do you compete with other supermarkets?
  • Why do you like working for Quality Save?
  • What is the average duration of staff member working for Quality Save?

This site uses the ‘LMI for All’ online data portal to access official government ‘big data’ sources. This powers the labour market data provided on this site.

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How to Answer Government Job Interview Questions

The UK government is one of the largest UK employers, recruiting career professionals in a range of industries from civil engineers to job center plus staff.

Government jobs include:

  • NHS jobs
  • Council jobs
  • Civil service positions
  • Law enforcement
  • Administration
  • Science and technology
  • Teachers
  • and many more

Source: Indeed Use the employmentking search box to find specific industry job interview questions and answers.

Total jobs stated that the average government job salary is £37499 but this is broad average and salary potential depends on the position and job location.

In short, there are a high number of government jobs across the UK with varying salaries.

For a successful job interview outcome, job applicants need to understand how the interview panel views them as employable or unemployable – the job applicants interview identity.

For high skilled roles; engineering, scientist, councilor, teacher, interviewees must be seen as high experience with a high level of confidence – a self assured interview identity or higher.

Step one: take the interview identity test.

For most government positions, applicants will be asked several questions to check elgibaility:

  1. Do you have a criminal record?
  2. Are you a UK resident?
  3. How long have you resided in the UK?
  4. Does any of your family work for (government) department?
  5. Do you have a (sector related) qualification?

Government hiring managers use a panel interview to create a fair recruitment process, all following the structured job interview process.

It is the structured job interview process, asking each applicant the same interview question in the same order and cross-referencing each answer against the job criteria on the interview scorecard, that helps the employer predict the job performance of each interviewee.

The interview panel, often 3-5 hiring managers, will receive a blind application. Information that can create an unconscious bias; applicants age, gender, religion, name of university, disabilities, attended is deleted from the application form.

The removing of non-job related information is designed to create a fairer interview process.

Government recruitment processes can have at least 3 interviews:

  1. Shifting interview – often a quick 15 minute telephone or video interview to check suitability
  2. Panel interview – a structured job interview often consisting of around 8-10 job interview questions
  3. Final interview – delivered often by a senior staff member to check skill level for the advertised role

Each individual position will have various job interview questions. Governemnt recruiters are trained to put job applicants at ease by creating a conversation prior to the start of the job interview.

The following questions that may be asked wont be scored on the interview scorecard. Instead, they are designed to get the job candidate to relax.

  • Did you have any trouble finding the office?
  • How was the drive over?
  • How was your weekend/week?

The hiring manger will then explain the government interview procedure. they will cover:

  • The duration of the interview
  • The number of questions that will be asked
  • The structured interview process
  • Who in the interview panel will ask what
  • That questions can be repeated
  • And that there will be a chance for the interviewee to ask the interview panel questions

There will be a mixture of generic and job specific interview questions.

Generic job interview questions

  • Tell me about your experience and how to relates to the role?
  • What are your greatest strengths?
  • Where do you see yourself in 5yrs time?
  • Tell me why you applied for this position?
  • What have you done to develop yourself in the past 12 months?

Industry specific job interview questions

  • Give me an example of completing (job task)?
  • What would you if (sector related problem) occurred?
  • Do you have an example of collaborating/working within team?
  • What does (sector related term/technology) mean to you?
  • If you where working on (job task) and (problem) happened, what procedure would you follow?

Why a government role interview questions

  • Tell me about your first government position? (often used internal progression job interviews)
  • What has inspired you to work for the government?
  • What do you think working in a government department would be like?
  • Do you know the mission of this government department?
  • How did you find out about the (government) department?

Government interview questions and answers

Why have you chosen to apply for a government position?

Hiring managers want to hire skilled applicants who have an ambition to work for the government, compared to just wanting the role, as the outcome is often a highly-motivated team.

Interview Template:

“I have always wanted to work within a government department, so that my skills can be used to make a difference to improve the lives of the public. I have a wide range of experience related to the (position) which includes (detail experience related to the job criteria). I know that together we will be able to achieve the (department objective)”

What made you apply for a position in this department?

Employers need to know that a potential employee has the skills, knowledge and experiences to be a virtual part of the team. This question is more about the actual duties, rather then answering the question focusing on why you applied for a government role. As an example, a civil engineer would answer by relating to engineering experience more then wanting to be part of the civil service.

Interview Template:

“With over X number of years experience working as a (job role) I am also qualified as a (state qualification). My previous experience include (state job duties and responsibilities) I am always drawn to roles that meet my skills and experiences, but that can also challenge me. I applied specifically for this department because (give reason).”

What do expect to do on a daily basis?

Questions relating to business-as-usual tasks are designed to test competencies and knowledges. Only a skilled and experienced career professional will have a deep understanding of the role. The more an applicant can express knowledge of the job role the higher they will be scored on the interview scorecard.

Interview Template:

“The 3 main responsibilities for this role include (A, B and C) To ensure that I meet my job objectives I would, on a daily basis, focus my time and energy on (duty one – detail required actions, duty two – detail required actions, duty 3 – detail required actions). In addition, I know there will be times when i will be required to (additional task), for this part of my job I would reply on my previous experience of (add past experience) with will allow me to (actions you will take) Overall I am highly experienced in this line of work and can take on any tasks relating to this position.”

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Do you have any questions for us?

  • Could the department be effected by any upcoming elections or budget cuts?
  • How do collaborate with other government departments?
  • How is success measured within the department?
  • Do new staff undertake any training?
  • Why do you enjoy working in a government department?

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5 Most Common Asked Interview Questions for a Christmas Job

As Christmas approaches, the number of advertised, temporary and part-time, jobs shoots up the Christmas chimney.

In a recent article in the Mirror, they explain how some well known brands are hiring thousands of Christmas staff:

  • Amazon to recruit over 20,000 extra staff
  • Royal Mail, as they do each Christmas, are taking on another 17000 roles in England, 1,800 in Scotland, 650 in Wales and 500 in Northern Ireland
  • And Tescos, Morrisons and Aldi to hire a collective 55000 staff members

This article will teach you how best to answer Christmas job interview questions.

When to apply for a Christmas job?

Applying for a temporary Christmas position is relatively easy.

With employers often recruiting high numbers of staff within a short period of time, the hiring manager will make the application process as simple as possible.

Most organizations will request a CV before inviting candidates to an informal job interview or even a group recruitment day.

Recruitment periods, for Xmas jobs, are between September and November, with some employers hiring all the way into December – especially retailers who also recruit for the increase in shoppers during the January sales.

The golden rule for applying for festive position, is to apply early.

How long does a Christmas job last for?

On average, temporary Christmas roles last around 3-4 months, with a variety of full or part-time hours.

For some employees the part-time position can be the gateway to be offered a full time role. But this is only for a small percentage of workers.

Temporary job roles, recruiting for the lead up to Christmas include:

  • Delivery drives – this is at the highest this year
  • Retailers
  • Marketing
  • Hospitality and catering
  • The voluntary sector
  • Warehouse and packaging
  • Postal delivery workers
  • Ski instructors (working aboard)
  • And of course, Santa Claus in a shopping center

Christmas Job Interviews

Throughout the year, most companies adopt a structured job interview process when recruiting new staff.

As mentioned, employers for their Christmas time hiring may need to boost staffing levels by their thousands. An increase in recruitment over a short period of time, requires a quicker or simpler hiring process.

With time being of the essence, recruiters often adopt the informal, or unstructured, job interview process.

An unstructured job interview, is an informal conversation between the employer and applicant, to check that the interviewee has the required skills and qualities for the advertised role.

Unlike a full-time professional job, where the future employee needs to prove they can add value to the team and business, the temporary Christmas position requires (in most cases) additional staff to keep up with demand – more hands on deck!

During the interview, the employer is looking for the following skills and qualities:

  • Time management
  • Work ethic
  • Team work
  • Multi-tasking
  • Communication skills
  • For many Festive jobs; customer service skills
  • Basic numeracy and literacy

Employers don’t require the following for a temporary Christmas job:

  • Long term project planning skills
  • Creative problem-solving skills
  • Strategic focus

In short, employers are looking for a good fit – someone who can complete business as usual tasks, during a busy period, without requiring to much training and development.

Christmas Jobs: Interview Questions and Answers

Below are 5 of the most commonly asked festive job interview questions and a breakdown of how an applicant can answer each question.

The templated answers, along with a confident interview manner, will result in an increase in job offers.

The interview process

The interview will start with the employer explaining the reason why they are hiring new staff members. Often the interviewer will stat the number of vacancies, which can be in their thousands, the locations of the job roles, the duration of the part-time contract and the potential hours of the role.

Next, the interviewer will state the interview procedure. The duration of the interview, which in most cases for a temporary xmas role, will be 30 minutes. That the interview is informal – they want to get to know the applicant, and when each applicant will be informed of the outcome to their interview – which could be within a few days or, in some cases, a few hours.

Questions and Answers

When using the interview answer template, add your own skills, qualities and experiences to your answer.

What do you know about the role?

The employer asking the ‘what do you know about the role’ question want to check if the applicant has a grasp on the duties they will be required to perform.

Even better, if the candidate can reference their skills, qualities and experiences relating to the business-as-usual tasks in their interview answer, they are more likely to be seen as a suitable fit.

Remember, due to the high number of required staff, job applicants aren’t in competition with other interviewees over one position. Instead, the interviewee only needs to communicate their competencies confidently to gain a job offer.

Interview Template:

“Before applying for (position) at (company name) I looked into the job role and what skills and experiences you would require. I know as an example that the main duties are (A, B and C). As you can see from my application form that I have X number of years experience as a (relevant job role) where I was responsible for (detail relevant job duties) To summaries, I have a good understanding of the role, and various skills that will help me collaborate successfully with you to complete all the required tasks.”

The positions is only for X months, does this suit your situation?

One concern hiring managers have when mass recruiting, is the fact that a percentage of the new staff may potentially leave before their 3-4 month contract is up.

Reassurance, then is key. If an employer believes an applicant has the correct skills and qualities for the role, and is highly likely to stick the job out, they are likely to be hired.

Interview Template:

“Yes certainly. I have been looking for a (X) month contract as this suits my current situation. I am currently (give situation IE on leave from University etc) for 3 months and looking to gain some experience in (add skill relating to the job role IE customer service). I am also very flexible with my contract and hours, so if I am needed for a little longer I would be happy to discuss this.”

How flexible are you in terms of your working hours?

Christmas time for employers is busy.

On top of this staff will ring in sick as the flu cases rise over the winter period. And the nature of part-time and temporary contracts result in staff leaving before the contract end dates runs out.

In short, employer on certain days will need to call on other member of staff to help out.

Ideally, the successful candidates, as well as having the required experience, will also have a flexible attitude towards working hours.

Interview Template:

“I know that this time of year is really busy in (job sector) and that you will occasionally need people to work additional hours. I have a flexible approach and if I can I am always happy to help out. In my last job I would often be called upon to work extra hours during busy times, and i was always happy to be of help.”

Give me an example of doing X

Part of all job interviews for all temporary Christmas jobs will be a number of ‘example’ questions.

To help predict the candidates skills and abilities, interviewers will asked questions based on past behaviors:

“Tell me about a time you did X?”

“Have you dealt with Y?”

“Give me an example of working within a team?”

To answer the various worded versions of the ‘example’ question applicants can use the SAP model:

  • Situation
  • Action
  • Positive Outcome

All you do is describe, in detail, the situation relating to the interview question: “when working at X, we had (situation)…”

Importantly, ensure you state the actions YOU took to solve the situation: “…to solve the situation I did A, B and C…”

End with the positive outcome: “…my actions resulted in (positive outcome)”

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Do you have any questions for me?

For a professional interview, the questions an applicant would ask at the end of a job interview would be around company growth, company culture and long term objectives.

For a temporary Christmas role, the questions can be short term focused:

  • When are you looking for new staff to start?
  • Is there any training for temporary staff?
  • Where will I be based?
  • Is there any opportunity for working extra hours?
  • What will be my main responsibilities?

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How to Answer the Interview Question ‘What can you bring to the team?’

The ‘what can you bring to the team’ is one of the best job interview questions any experienced career professional can be asked.

Why?

The openness of the question allows a skilled interviewee to sell themselves by discussing a skill, quality or experience that would be hard to embedded into an interview answer for a more specific recruitment question such as a ‘give me an example of….’

Open job interview questions, which include:

  • Tell me about yourself?
  • What are your strengths?
  • Why should we hire you?

The barriers and pitfalls to the open interview question

One of the most common mistakes when answering ‘open’ questions, is the tendency to list items.

As an example, for the ‘why do you want to work here?’ open interview question, an applicant may reply with the following list: “Because I like the company, it has a good reputation, and I have always wanted to work.”

It is similar with the ‘strengths’ question: “My strengths include teamwork, the ability to get things done and my work ethic”.

‘Listing’ is a technique that works when embedded into a more detailed job interview answer. As a solo technique it often doesn’t result in a high-scoring answer.

The second pitfall that many nervous job applicants fall into, is the unintentional rambling problem.

Unintentional rambling is common in a job interview because the interviewee knows that they should be giving a longer answer.

As an example, when asked ‘why should we hire you?’ the nervous applicant panics as they search for a high-scoring interview answer.

Initially, they reply using the listing method: “I am highly skilled, experience and qualified.”

Realizing that they need to add more meat to the bone, the candidate adds a second list: “..Also, I’m good with people, a strong communicator and a good listener.”

At this point panic takes over, firing the flight or fight mode, with the interviewee splurting out irrelevant information: “…I am also good at administration, tidying up and making cups of tea!”

You may have done this yourself. You return from an interview and think: ‘What was I saying in there?’

The key to avoid rambling is having a interview answer structure.

Interview Answer Structure

Getting back to the interview question in-hand, before I start going off topic as well!!

Open questions allow the applicant to state whatever it is they want to discuss.

It is key, then, to be a self-promoter during the answering of this question. In fact, all three rules of a successful job interview come into play during the ‘what can you bring to the team?’ interview question.

To plan a high-scoring answer, think about:

  • What does the current employer need, or what problem are they facing (and do you have the solution, skills or expertise?)
  • What is the culture of the company?
  • How can you frame your unique selling point and expertise to be relevant to the interview panel?

To answer the interview question, each applicant must discuss the following three points during the interview answer:

  • An understanding of the job role/duties
  • Sector related experience/knowledge
  • Personal qualities

Below is a breakdown of the interview structure, which needs to be edited to fit the job sector and experiences of each individual job applicant:

Start the answer by referencing a key area of the job role. name a specific duty or industry problem.

Second, explain how you have experience in this area or highlight a relevant skill set.

Finally, end by focusing in on your personal skills and qualities.

Interview Answer Template:

Interviewer: “Tell me what you can bring to the team?”

Interviewee:

“After working in this industry for X number of years, one of the most common problems we face is (add sector related problem) The (problem) is an issue as it (add the negative effects of the problem)….”

“….My experience in (job role/dealing with the problem) has taught me (explain in detail what actions are required to overcome the problem) This is one of the things I can bring to the team, the ability to (summarise how your expertise/experience can overcome the industry problem)….”

“….In addition, I am able to (add second skill or experience relating to the job role/duties). An example of this was when I was working for X organisation and we were tasked to (achieve a goal). To meet the (objective) I (explain steps taken/actions took) which resulted in (outcome)…”

“…To summarise, I can (point 1) and (point 2). And my (add personal qualities/skills, ideally relevant to the company culture)”.

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What makes an interview answer effective?

Research has shown what elements help to create a high-scoring interview answer, tehy include:

  • A structured interview answer
  • A higher number of words per answer
  • Varying tonality during the interview answer to help maintain interest
  • A confident delivery style
  • Positive language (nervous applicants will self-disclose weaknesses)