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:
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.
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.
“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:
Teamwork
Listen and share
Friendly
Honest
Improved empathy
Deep product knowledge
Timeliness
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:
Stay calm and don’t react
Don’t take it personally
Listen and apologise if needed
Stand firm
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.”
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.
The recruitment process is changing due to issues such as the great resignation and the global job market.
Since the start of the pandemic, career professionals have been reflecting on how their employers have treated them.
The great resignation is an economic trend that started in the United States which saw a large number of employees resign from their job roles.
With a high number of vacancies on the increase:2.4% of job roles were vacant in quarter 1 of 2021, career professionals are feeling confident when it comes to job-hopping.
Depending on the employer, businesses are being affected in various ways.
For small to medium-sized companies, the advice is to shorten the hiring processes as the number one choice applicant gets bored and quits the application when it is long and slow.
This ‘quit and jump’ strategy is a big problem when it comes to filling a position. Indeed state that the average number of days a job is live is 30 days and other sources indicate it is more like 42 days, which has led to employers having to sweeten the deal by increasing salary and company benefits.
Global brands are on the opposite scale with businesses receiving a record number of applications for an advertised role that has led to the increase in automated recruitment processes.
One reason for this is the global job market. With advances in technology and remote working becoming the norm for employees, career professionals living in one country can apply for a position in a second country.
Technology is set to change the workplace with tech giants like Mark Zuckerberg investing in the metaverse – a digital environment where multiple people can interact in a 3D world, which could lead to a future where many jobs take place in the virtual world, from the comfort of your won home.
In an article on Microsoft, they stated how they received over 7 million visitors to the career section of their website.
As global brands see a year-on-year increase in the number of applications they receive for each job vacancy, many of them are turning to automated recruitment options such as asynchronous video interviewing and application tracking system software.
The great resignation and the global job market have resulted in employers testing new job interview processes.
Top 5 Job Interview Processes
Below is an outline of the various and most common job interview stages an applicant may have to attend to land their dream job.
Preperation is key to a successful job interview. To prepare, career professionals must understand the various steps in the recruitment process.
Asynchronous Video Screening Interview
Global brands, big businesses, and high-paying employers are receiving record numbers of applications.
The extremely high volume of applicants is simply too much for a human to contemplate. Rather than hiring additional human resource staff to read and interview each career professional who has shown interest in the vacancy, organisations have turned to technology.
AVI – asynchronous video interviews are used as a screening process.
The AVI interviewed won’t be scheduled on a particular date and time. Instead, the applicant can choose a time most suitable for themselves (as the interviewer is an AI programme, not a human).
Each AVS lasts for around 15 minutes.
During the 15 minutes the interviewee has time to prepare themselves; check the voice and video systems are working correctly, take a practice interview test, before being interviewed by the AI programme.
The actual interview takes around 10 minutes, with an average of three job interview questions being asked.
The interview question will appear on the screen and the candidate will have one minute to prepare for their answer.
After the minute is up, the video recording takes place. During the recording, the interviewee has only two minutes (on average) to answer the interview question, before the recording stops, in readiness for the second or third interview question.
As the 2 minutes are coming to an end the AVI will let the interviewee know that there are 30 or 10 seconds left to go.
Employees, more than ever before, job hop, resign out of the blue, and are approached online by recruiters and employers if a suitable vacancy is available.
Global problems such as the bank crisis and Covid19 have shown how a business one year is a success, but the next year is making redundancies.
No job is safe.
Employers, to help recruit the most suitable and ideally long-lasting employees are turning towards a new way of recruiting based on the values of the organisation.
The ‘values’ job interview is designed to hire staff members who are likely to 1) go above and beyond for the company and 2) improve staff retention as the job interview asks questions about the applicant’s own values before cross-referencing their answers against the values of the company.
In the main, the interview questions will be about the company values:
Can you name the 7 company values?
Which of our values would you say in most important to you?
When working in a team what is your main priority?
What does success sound like to you?
What motivates you to get out of bed on a Monday morning?
How do you know when you have done a good job?
How would you (value) when working on a project?
Research is required for a values job interview. Without an awareness of the employer’s company values it is unlikely that any of the job interview answers will state enough relevance to gain a high-scoring mark.
A number of employers are embedding strength-based job interviews into their recruitment processes.
Similar to the ‘values’ job interview, the strength-based job interview is looking at suitability from the perspective of the ‘company fit’.
Each strength-based job interview question is about the employee’s preference – the way they prefer to work, their natural motivators and are crossed reference against the company culture.
There is an obvious cross-over with company culture and values which is why a values job interview and a strength-based one are similar.
In the main, but not always, the questions are asked about preference:
Do you prefer to work independently or as part of a team?
What is more importnat to you starting or finishing a project?
Do you like variety or routine?
How do you work best, when you are woking on one importnat task or when you have to multitask?
Choose a statement that best suits you: I prefer creativity or I prefer following processes and procedures?
When do you excel when being told what to do or when telling other people how to do things?
The final two job interviews that will be discussed are both from the structured job interview family.
Both the behavioral and situational job interviews are well-known and well-used recruitment tactics.
Previously, employers, especially in small to medium-sized organisations where the interviewer is the potential line manager, not a trained HR interviewer, the interview panel asked a mixture of behavioral and situational job interview questions.
More recently, employers are understanding the importance of how they frame a job interview question, as the frame can influence the type of answer an applicant gives.
This understanding has led to organisations using a specific structured job interview: Behavioural or situational. Amazon, as an example, is known for asking behavioral job interview questions and even going as far as referencing this on their career page.
“Behavioral job interview questions are questions framed in the past tense. The idea being, that past behaviors predict future actions – a zebra cant change it stripes”
Chris Delaney author of What is your interview identity
Behavioral job interview questions sound like this:
Tell me about a time when you were faced with a problem that had a number of possible solutions?
When have you learnt from a mistake?
Describe a time when you took the lead?
Tell me about a time that you collaberated with others?
Have you ever gone above and beyond?
Situational Job Interview Questions
Situational job interview questions are future-based scenarios.
Behavioral job interview questions are ideal when an employer is recruiting a highly experienced and skilled employee, someone, who must demonstrate their work experience.
On the other hand, many roles are suitable to a qualified individual without the need for several years experience:
Graduate positions
College jobs
Internships
Newly created roles/job sectors (as no one will have direct experience) created through the advancement of technology, politics, and globalisation
Situational job interview questions sound like this:
What would you do if you were working on a project and (X) happened?
If you were hired as a team member what would your first priority be?
How would you go about solving (X) problem?
How would you motivate your team?
What do you forsee the problems to be?
Other Types of Job Interviews
Technical Job Interview
Technical interviews assess the candidate’s technical ability to complete a certain technical task.
Some technical interview questions look at skills required for the technical role: problem solving or numerical reasoning, with some questions being in the form of a brain teaser.
Common in engineering, science, and IT roles.
Group Job Interview
Team to group interview tasks are common during full-day assessments.
As part of the recruitment process interviewees will be put in groups to complete a simple task.
Several interveiwers will observe the groups and mark each person on their communication, leadership, and teamwork skills.
The task normally lasts around 30 minutes.
Role Play Interview
The use of actors and/or hiring managers acting a part and situation that the interviewee has to deal with while being observed and marked by additional interveiwers is very common in leadership and high-paid positions.
The idea is for the employer to see in real-life (or as near to as possible) how the applicant will react in the (common) situation.
The person playing the part/situation will often be having a problem or being disruptive, and it is for the interviewee to show their professionalism and skill set to find a solution to the problem.
The recruitment process is changing.
There will be an increase in automated job interviews and resume/CV selection.
Large employers will continue to see an increase in the number of applications per vacancy.
Competition (for many roles) will be global.
Technology will continue to change the jobs on offer.
Many employers will use multiple stages of interviews to help recruit a high-performing team.
Hiring managers will ask more interview questions around company values and culture.
Employers will continue to adopt the structured job interview process as it has been proven to be the best indicator of a candidates job performance.
It is highly likely that recruitment will be completed in the metaverse or as part of a virtual reality interview process.
A large number of organisations are choosing job applicants not just based on their experience and knowledge, but also on their personal values.
More importantly, employers use ‘values’ interviews to review if the candidate’s values, their behaviors, and their likelihood to fit within the company culture.
Both, strength-based and values job interviews are often part of a longer recruitment process. Either used at the start or end of a 3-4 stage hiring process the idea behind the values interview is to help avoid recruiting an employee who may be, at worst, disruptive or simply not a good fit within the team.
How to prepare for a Values job interview
Value interview questions, in the main, are asking – do you embody the company values?
More specifically, the vales job interview questions ask – how do you embed the company values into the day-to-day operations?
There are two approaches to asking value interview questions:
An obvious first step to prepare for the values interview is research.
Any organisations adopting this job interview strategy will showcase the company values on their website.
Some businesses will have a dedicated values page (often an indication that values questions will be asked at some point direction the hiring process) or on the ‘about us’ page.
Once armed with the company values, the career professional must understand their own values. As each interview value question will be about how the applicant’s values match the employers.
Values are the drivers of motivation – you are motivated to action because of your values.
An example of value motivation is working overtime. One employee will work overtime because they value money (the additional pay for the extra hours) whereas a second employee may value customer satisfaction (the overtime results in a completion of a task on time that makes the customer happy).
Career professionals all value different things. There are no good or bad, right or wrong values, instead, it is (often) an unconscious trait that motivates that person.
Values can include:
Quality
Quantity
Finance
A job well done
Being quicker/better/more knowledgebale than others
Praise
Fame
Caring for others
Independence
Collaberation
The end result/finishing a task
Professionalisum
Trust
The bigger picture or specfic detail
Processes and procedures
Values are often viewed in the behaviors of colleagues and the language they use within the workplace:
Detailed value: “I like to cross the Ts and dot the Is”
End result: “Lets fisish what we started”
People: “Look how happy they are with (product)”
Finance: “One more sale and I will have made my bonus”
Praise: “I know my (manager) wil like that I did this”
Carer professionals can identify their own values by asking:
What five things are important to me in my job?
Which is more important A or B? (ask this for all 5 values)
What motivates me in the workpalce?
What demotiavtes me?
What makes me the most fulfilled?
Which sectors use value interviews?
There has been an increase in the use of value job interviews, as more employers are taking steps to hire long-lasting employees.
By hiring a career professional whose values are in line with the organisations values (and their vision) the new employee is likely to be happy, and therefore stay, with the employer.
The following industries are adopting the values job interview:
Healthcare
Sales
Education
Animal care
Science
Finance
Job Interview Structure
As mentioned, there are two types of value job interviews – direct value questions, and embedded questions.
A direct value job interview is when the employer asks questions based on their company values.
Direct value interview questions can include:
Can you name the company values?
Which of the company values most resinates with you?
What are your personal values and how do they relate to the company values?
Other direct questions ask about the implementation of the value into business-as-usual tasks:
An example of this is when an employer values quality. The interview question may be: “How would you ensure the quality of (product/service) while increasing the number of outcomes?”
Or, as a second example, an employer who values integrity, could ask: “Describe a situation where you have demonstrated integrity?”
The hiring manager in a direct values job interview will ask one question for each of their list of company values.
Indirect job interview questions
Embedded value interview questions are hard to detect.
Hiring managers ask standard job interview questions:
“Tell me about how you would fit this role?”
“How do you make a decision?”
“How do you manage conflicting deadlines?”
“Tell me about a time you have made a mistake?”
“What would you do if a client gave an unrealisitic timeframe?”
On the face of it, the questions seem to be one of the most commonly asked job interview questions. The difference is, the employer is making note of the job applicant’s values, preferences and motivations.
The framing of job interview questions
Clues to what an employer is looking for, what will score high, is leaked by the structure of the interview question.
An employer who asks: “Have you ever gone the extra mile to satisfy a customer?” is quite likely to value customer satisfaction.
Whereas an employer asking: “how would you say no to an unrealistic customer demand without running the customer relationship?” may be more quality or process-focused.
Employers who ask: “Are you willing to work overtime?” would only ask the question if they require flexibility in their workforce.
Value job interviews often last for around 30 minutes and are conducted by a trained HR practitioner.
Remember value questions can be, and often are, embedded within a behavioral or situational structured job interview.
Chris Delaney
Chris Delaney is one of the leading job interview coaches in the country, helping career professionals to successfully pass job interviews. Delaney is the author of several job interview reference books including ‘what is your interview identity’
Data has highlighted how today’s workforce isn’t scared of job-hopping, leading to employers having to constantly recruit new staff.
An increase in advertising the same job roles, time and time again, has resulted in a shortening of the recruitment process with hiring managers looking to streamline procedures, but some employers still enforce a 4-6 stage job interview process.
Employees are willing to quit their jobs
In a recent article on MRI Network, talking about the cost of a slow recruitment process, shared staggering HR statistics: “25 percent of people quit their jobs in 2021; 65 percent are currently seeking out new opportunities.”
A Gallop post, sharing statistics from a report, back-up’s the job-hopping data: “21% of millennials say they’ve changed jobs within the past year, which is more than three times the number of non-millennials who report the same.”
In the same post, it goes on to explain how 50% of millennials believe they will switch employers within a 12-month period.
The job sector the advertised job role is in, as well as the demand for a career professionals skill-set, experience, and qualifications, impacts the likelihood of an employer recruiting a long-lasting suitable employee. The MRI Network article explains: “In any market, first-choice candidates always tend to disappear quickly, as they have multiple options to pursue.”
First-choice applicants are interviewees who can communicate their competencies confidently, creating a strong ‘interview identity.’
Long vs short recruitment processes
Even with a need to hire staff quickly to fill the gaps left by job-hoppers, some employers embed long recruitment processes.
On a list of HR facts in a Zoom Shift HR Stats article, they explain how: “60% of applicants quit filling out application forms due to complexity or length. (SHRM)”
The MRI article talking about ‘slow hiring’ says: “These days, employers need to act quickly and decisively, particularly when candidates are currently employed or need to relocate.”
Recruitment processes vary by sector. A detailed study, by Linkedin, of over 400,000 confirmed hires between 2020-2021 shows the duration of hiring times:
The graph shows how industries that value ‘precision’ have a longer recruitment process. But why? The Linkedin article explains: “Companies in the tech industry tend to value precision — sometimes false precision — over speed…. can mean putting candidates through endless technical interviews, assessing deep textbook knowledge that’s far beyond what jobs may require.”
Demand drives change
Some organisations have a higher number of applicants than others.
If a high number of career professionals seek to work at a particular company, that organisation can have a longer recruitment process without the worry of missing out on first-choice applicants.
In a Glassdoor article they explain: “On average, each corporate job opening attracts 250 résumés. Of these candidates, four to six will be called for an interview and only one will be offered a job.”
A recent press releasehighlighted the high number of applicants for global brands: “1 million people applied for a job at Amazon as part of Career Day 2021”
An advice article about getting a job at Google on the Independent shared eye-opening Google recruitment stats: “Google receives more than three million applications a year and hires just 7,000 people”
The automated job process
The extreme number of job applicants has resulted in HR teams utilizing artificial intelligence robots to screen applicants and to act as job interviewers.
An HR research report from 2020 started: “a third (of HR teams) – 33% anticipate high or very high use of AI in two years.” Whereas other information shows how the pandemic has already created a faster move towards the use of asynchronous video interviews.
Algorithms have a cost-saving advantage over humans, as the AI bot is able to scan a higher number of applications per day than a human HR staff member.
Chris Delaney is one of the leading job interview coaches in the country, helping career professionals to successfully pass job interviews. Delaney is the author of several job interview reference books including ‘what is your interview identity’
An asynchronous video interview (AVI) is a job interview conducted by a computer algorithm.
In an AVI, the interviewee is filmed answering a set of pre-determined interview questions. Each interview answer must last between one or two minutes. Post two minutes and the video recording ends, even when the job applicant is halfway through their interview answer.
Never heard of an asynchronous video interview? You soon will!
AVI’s have been around for a while.
In a BBC article, they explained how some industries have already tested AVI’s prior to the recent increase in common usage: “AVIs were being used as the first stage of recruitment in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, tech, business and finance sectors..”
In 2012, around 10% of ‘top positioned’ businesses used any type of video interviewing. An article in the Financial Times by Sarah O’Connor, talking about the impact of AVI’s, said that: “Of those employers using video interviews in the UK in 2019/20, 46 percent were doing them with an interviewer, 30 percent were using automated video interviews and 24 percent were using a mix of both, according to the Institute of Student Employers.”
A poll of 334 HR leaders by Gartner found that covid increases the usage of AVI’s with 86% of organizations incorporating new virtual technology to interview candidates.
Artificial intelligence being used in the recruitment process is nothing new
Large organisations have been using Application Tracking Systems (ATS) to shift through candidates’ application forms for many years.
In a Slate article, they explain how AI is embedded into the recruitment system: “Artificial intelligence has played a growing role in recruiting and hiring for some time, as both a timesaver and a matchmaker. A.I. has been used to generate job descriptions, to post and share jobs, to automate candidate searches, and to scan résumés and cover letters..”
Mid to large companies use ATS if they receive a high number of applications for multiple job positions. AI can sort the weak from the strong, the unsuitable from the suitable, a lot quicker than a human can. ATS mainly makes decisions based on keywords embedded throughout the application form.
Recent research by JobScan found that“at least 494 Fortune 500 companies use an ATS, we were able to identify the exact ATS for 482 of them. This means that 98.8% of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS”.
Artificial intelligence, from an employer’s perspective, is about saving time and money. But where does this leave the job seeker?
Which Organisation use AI Interviewers?
A high number of large companies are known to be using asynchronous video interviews, including:
PwC
Unilever
Kingfisher
Hermes
JP Morgan
Amazon
Different Trypes of Asynchronous Video Job Interviews
Understanding the platform the employer chooses to use is deemed as being highly important.
In Slates ‘should robots be conducting interviews’ article, they explain that the various algorithms used by the various programmes look at various criteria: “Like humans, these bot recruiters have their own unique styles of interviewing. Some are merely seeking logistical information, like availability and ongoing interest, while others might be looking to assess drive, initiative, team-working skills, adaptability, or even your tendency to job hop.”
The BBC go-on to explain some of the challenges when interviewed by an AI system: “There are challenges; AVIs can vary in the amount of time allotted for each answer, and not every programme will give candidates unlimited preparation time or allow them to re-record a section if they are unhappy with their first attempt”
Some robot interviewers choose candidates based on their interview answers (keywords that match the job criteria), with others reading facial expressions and the candidates tonality.
A researcher, speaking to the Mirror, shared concerns that working-class applicants could be at a disadvantage when a robotic interviewer analyze voice and tonality of a job candidate, if the working class interview doesn’t have “beautifully compiled grammar”
How to Prepare for an Asynchronous Video Job Interview?
Each job applicant should first reflect on their past job interview performances and take the interview identity test to understand how they are viewed by an employer.
Specifically for an AVI recruitment process, job applicants must:
1. Set up the interview environment and IT systems
A full guide to setting up for an online interview can be found here: Online Job Interviews.
The biggest question asked is “what happens if my internet signal drops during the asynchronous interview?”
Luckily, the designers of AVI’s have tackled this potential problem. As an applicant’s signal starts to dip, a warning indicator pops onto the screen. When the signal is lost, the interview will atomically stop and only resume once the candidate’s internet signal strength is strong.
2. Practice speaking to camera
In the online job interview article, it explains the importance of looking at the camera, not the screen, to help improve eye contact.
For systems that monitor facial expressions, feeling an emotion (excitement, joy, happiness) will automatically show on the applicant’s face.
Many applicants worry about the turnaround from entering the virtual interview room and being monitored. In most cases, an interviewee can access the AVI, take a deep breath to relax, before actually starting the interview.
In fact, many AVIs have a practice interview question to help the candidate prepare and ready themselves.
3. Predict the job interview questions and preapre answers
In advance, the employer will send details of the AVI. This will include the date/time of the interview – this is often optional over several dates.
As there are no human interviewers, the job interview isn’t on a specific time on a set date.
The career professional needs to log in, often within a seven-day period, 24hrs a day, and complete the interview at a time convenient to them.
Candidates will also be told the number of interview questions they will be asked – with the average being three questions. And the duration of the interview answer, which is often one or two minutes per answer. Sometimes this information is present once the candidate logs onto the AVI.
The three interview questions will be chosen to gain a better understanding of the job applicant’s suitability for the role. In most cases, AVI’s are used to reduce the number of applicants, which can be as many as 20,000 for global companies to a manageable number of interviewees who will be invited for a face-to-face interview with a human.
One question will be a generic question on suitability “Tell me why you are suitable for the role?” or “Tell me about yourself?” or “What can you bring to the role?”
The additional questions will be more specific, based on the key job criteria: “Give me an example of when you did X?” or “What is your experience doing X”
How do you speak to a robot interviewer?
Research shows how a nervous job applicant will self-disclose weaknesses, give shorter responses and use excessive filler words.
The key to being seen as suitable is through a confident delivery of the interview answer.
Confidence is one element that creates a strong interview identity. A job interview identity is created by a mixture of content and delivery. An employer will have a positive view of a job applicant who they perceive to have a high level of knowledge and experience and who delivers answers with confidence.
AI interviewers have built-in software to understand mispronounced words, and to understand local slang.
But the advice is to always speak clearly and to pace yourself. Talk slower than you would when naturally speaking and focus on diction.
As with a human interviewer, be self-promoting, enthusiastic (especially if the bot is monitoring your tonality), and stick to the time frame of the interview answer.
Are AVI’s here to stay?
The test results aren’t in yet.
There are many concerns around biases with AI interviewers, as they are programmed by humans and data that are filled with biases.
Many people on social media talk about how being interviewed by a robot increase job interview anxiety.
But with one large grocery chain in the U.S. using an AVI to interview about 20,000 people a day for stocker and cashier jobs, it sounds like there will be an increase in robot job interviews.
Chris Delaney is one of the leading job interview coaches in the country, helping career professionals to successfully pass job interviews. Delaney is the author of several job interview reference books including ‘what is your interview identity’
Quality Save was founded in 1974 by Bob Rudkin while working on a market stall in Walkden. Since then it has grown into a recognized brand across the Northwest, UK.
Quality Save support employees by offering a range of training and professional development opportunities, valuing loyalty as the company like to recruit from within.
For some of their supervisory roles the applicant don’t need experience as Quality Save will train up the successful applicant, indicating that the majority of interview questions while be situational interview questions.
How competitive is a Quality Save Supervisor job interview?
Interview Specifics:
Can you demonstrate the relevant knowledge and experience to pass a Quality Save Supervisor job interview?
Supervising cashiers, shelf stockers, and other employees.
Assisting the store manager with weekly finance returns.
Keeping records of employee performance.
Reporting on stock.
Implementing Quality Save processes and procedures to avoid stock damages, theft, and wastage.
Creating a welcoming environment for customers.
Supporting staff with training and development.
Managing the staff rota.
Check the average pay for a supervisor job role.
Below is a list of commonly asked job interview questions for a Quality Save supervisor role.
Each summary comes with an explanation of the interview question and an example interview answer.
It is important to tweak each interview answer template, making it relevant to the interviewee’s own skills, qualities, experience, and knowledge.
An interviewer’s perception of a job applicant, their interview identity, is made up of the interviewee’s perceived level of knowledge/experience vs their level of confidence during the recruitment process.
The first stage, when preparing for a job interview, is to recognize your own ‘interview identity’.
Job Interview Questions and Answers for a Quality Save supervisor.
Prior to the official job interview, the panel of interviewers (often 3 staff members, including a direct line manager) will make small talk to help relax the interviewee.
Including, the number of questions that will be asked, who on the interview panel will ask which questions, and how the applicant can ask for a question to be repeated.
They will go to explain the post-interview details; when each candidate will be told if they have been successful or not.
Explain why do you want to be a Quality Save supervisor?
The difference between a situation job interview, and a behavioral job interview, is the framing of the job interview questions.
In a behavioral job interview, the question asked for evidence of past behaviors. Employers using behavioral job interview questions are, in the main, looking to recruit someone with past experience.
As Quality Save recruit and train a suitable candidate, the hiring manager is likely to frame the majority of their interview questions as ‘situational’ – this means question will be framed on ‘what you might do in X situation’.
A situational interview allows an applicant take experience from one job role/sector and make it relevant to another. Also, answers can reference models and theories highlighting a level of sector knowledge.
Answers for both situational and behavioral job interviews must reference the job criteria and be self-promoting.
It is important, therefore, to be aware of the three rules for a successful job interview.
When asked, the why do you want to be a Quality Save supervisor?, answer by stating skills, experiences and and personal qualities that would make you a good supervisor.
It also good to reference any relevant customer service, retail or supervisory qualifications.
This question gives the job applicant a chance to showcase their awareness and knowledge of both the job role and the company – Quality Save.
“I applied for the role of a supervisor at Quality Save, as I have a (background/experience) in (retail, customer service, or supervisory roles). For the past (number of years) I have been working as a (job role) at (company) where I was responsible for (state relevant duties). My direct supervisory experience includes (A, B and C). I am passionate about retail and love (job duty). In addition, I have a (qualification) which taught me the theory for (job duty). I applied for the role at Quality Save as I was impress with (company fact/history/mission).”
What is your understanding of the supervisor job role?
As an organisation that is willing take train up suitable applicants (which is a great way to great start to a managerial career) the hiring manager does need to first check suitability.
One way to check if a job applicant would work be a potential Quality Save supervisor is by checking their knowledge of the supervisor job role.
Many people fail to answer the ‘understanding’ correctly.
A common way to incorrectly answer this interview question, is by just listing a few job duties.
Listing duties does show an awareness of the job role but not a full understanding of importance of certain task, or how supervisory responsibilities have an impact on the business.
To create a high-scoring answer, frame the interview answer by stating first, an overview of what a supervisor does.
Second, state a number of duties, then explain the importance of the stated duty and/or how the applicants possess the skills required to complete the supervisory task.
To better understand the job duties of a supervisor, read the job advert on Monster.
“A supervisor works closely with the store manager to communicate the mission and vision of the company. More specifically, a supervisor will communicate tasks, duties and performance targets to team members while supporting staff, through training and mentoring, to upskill to complete their duties effectively. To be efficient at communication, my experience in (job role) has taught me the importance of (communication criteria/soft skill). Supervisors must be able to motivate team members, an example of me being able to motivative others is when I was working at (company) and (explain situation) happened. To motivate (others) I (actions taken).”
How would you support a new employee?
Supervisors will often mentor and support new staff members.
In retail, its is common to see a large staff turnover as the sector recruits some staff members who are students working their way through university.
Staff support often improves staff retention, and the interview answer should always reference this key point.
If the supervisor role at Quality Save is your first supervisory position, think about what support you prefer when starting a new job. Experienced supervisors are likely to have experience of supporting new employees, that can be used within their interview answer.
Break the answer down into three key areas:
processes and procedures
supporting the new employee
identifying areas of development
“As a supervisor I would always support new employees as this increase staff retention. With any new employee I would first get them up to speed with the company policy and procedures – this might include online training, reading the policies and procedures and through work shadowing and experienced staff member. To check a new staff members progress I would ask them questions on some of the key processes.
It is also important to ensure new staff members are happy with the day-to-day tasks. i would set duties, leave the staff member for a short period of time and then return to ask them ‘how they are getting on?’
Through observing the new employee, having regular catch ups and through asking I would check what areas of development each individual staff member has and help to create a training plan to support them to become a skilled worker.”
How would you react if an employee disagreed with you?
Supervisors need to be confident in themselves and assistive when delegating tasks.
When working as a supervisor, it is likely that from time to time a staff member may disagree with, or even be disrespectful, to the supervisor.
This could take the shape of an employee suggesting a ‘better’ approach for completing a task or passive aggressively refusing to complete a duty.
Employers need to ensure that a new supervisor has the knowhow to handle this situation without it escalating.
“Misunderstandings often result from a lack of clarification. When delegating tasks I would explain my reasons for doing this, to reduce any misunderstandings. If a staff member disagreed with me, I would first ask for and listen to their point of view, encase they have a valid point. If I believed that the employee was trying to be disrespectful, rather then helpful, I would remain calm, and assertively explain that are several ways of completing the task, but we will be going with option that I choose.”
Give me an example of dealing with a customer complaint?
It often comes down to the supervisor to deal with any customer complaints.
Dealing with customer complaints requires a variety of skills:
Communication
Listening
Assertiveness
Confirming
Professionalism
The three steps for dealing with a customer complaint are:
Listening
Confirming
Resolving
Start the interview answer, by explaining the reasons a customer would make a compliant and detail the above three steps. Ideally, give an example of completing the customer complaint task.
An example of helping an awkward customer is when I was working at X company as a (job role). A customer was (complaining/being angry/being awkward) because (reason).
“Retail customers may complain about employees, cost increases on stock, or being overcharged. As someone with (number of years) experience in (customer facing role) I have successfully resolved customer complaints.
First, I listened to the complaint without interrupting, as it’s important to let me let the customer share their concerns. I then asked specific questions to understand the situation better without making assumptionsand to confirm what the customer had stated.
Finally I ask, what was the best way to resolve their issue and share the options I am able to offer there and then. This helped the customer to relax as they felt they were being listened to and supported, resulting in (positive outcome).
An example of this was when (customer complaint), I then clarified what the customer had said and offered (options), which resulted in (happy customer).”
How would you manage your time working in a busy store?
Quality Save is a fast paced retail environment, where now two days are the same.
A supervisor, therefore, must be able to manage their workload, prioritising tasks depending on individual circumstances.
The time management question is really asking – how do you prioritise your workload?
Each week, in the supermarket, there will be regular daily tasks; planning staff cover, stock taking, stock rotation, staff meetings. Plus additional ad-hoc duties that randomly pop up depending on workload and the time of year, with Christmas, as an example, being one of the busiest periods.
When answering the interview question: how do you manage your time (or workload). Split the interview answers into two sections – regular tasks and ad-hoc duties.
“As a supervisor, I know that each day will be different. But embedded into each day will be business-as-usual tasks; staff management, stock inventory, assisting the store manager with stock projections.
For these duties, I prioritise each task depending on the level of urgency and importance. As all these tasks happen weekly, I can easily split each task over a period of a week.
In addition, throughout my working week, new urgent tasks can appear such as several staff being of work at the same time, or an increase in customers during the Christmas period. When new ad-hoc tasks present themselves, which are urgent, I will delegate some of the regular duties to other staff while I prioritise the new job which often has a short deadline.”
Do you have any questions for me?
Each hiring manager during all job interviews will ask each interviewee if they have any questions for the employer.
Knowing that the final ‘ask me’ question will be asked, a set of questions needs to be prepared.
Can you talk me through the training that you offer at Quality Save?
What are the busiest times of the year?
How do you compete with other supermarkets?
Why do you like working for Quality Save?
What is the average duration of staff member working for Quality Save?
This site uses the ‘LMI for All’ online data portal to access official government ‘big data’ sources. This powers the labour market data provided on this site.
Job interview preparation is key to a successful job interview outcome.
Each job applicant should first reflect on their past job interview performances and take the interview identity test to understand how they are viewed by an employer.
Once a career professional is aware of their interview identity, the next stage is to understand the commonly asked job interview questions.
With a list of interview questions, the job applicant is then ready to write, edit and practice their interview answers using the templates below.
Interviewees must add their own stories, real-life examples, facts, and figures, plus embed industry jargon.
To pass a job interview, a successful applicant only needs to score higher than the other (on average) 6-7 interviewees.
A large list of job interview questions and answers
Each interview question will come with an explanation of how to answer the question, to help each applicant highlight the value they can offer a new employer.
Remember hiring managers are looking for a potential employee to stand out – What can you offer that others can’t? What is your industry knowledge and expertise? What personal skills would add value?
Job Interview Question:
Tell me about yourself?
The most commonly asked question during the recruitment process.
You will be asked this interview question in some form.
Give a short statement about your education, experiences, and skills relevant to the job position you are applying for.
Highlight your main strength and/or achievement and your duration in the sector and/or education
Keep each selling point brief, as you can explain each point again in more detail throughout the interview
End this answer with a reason why you’re looking for a new job
“In total, I have over X number of years experience working as a (job role). In (year) I gained a (qualification). Throughout my extensive work experience in (sector), I have (key selling point) and (second unique selling point). I have applied for this role because (company interest) and due to my passion for (job duty).”
Job Interview Question:
Why did you leave your last job?
Be positive when answering this tricky job interview question.
Stay away from any negativity or complaints about previous managers, working conditions, or colleagues.
Hiring managers like to hear that you left for a good opportunity or reason, rather than a tall tale.
Start the answer with a postive reflection on the previous workpalce
Explain what excited you about your last position
End with a (positive) reason for leaving
“I enjoyed working at (company name) as I was able to (achievement). The (aspect of the company culture) was good as this allowed me to (positive action), which resulted in (positive result). The work was exciting, as I was able to (work undertaken) which allowed me to gain (skills). It was a difficult choice to make, but I am leaving the role because (positive opportunity).”
Job Interview Question:
What experience do you have in this field?
State criteria on the job specification
Frame the answer in the positive
Relate previosu experiene to the duties of the new job role
“I have over X number of years working in this field. During my time working as a (job role) I have successfully been able to (big achievement). This is because of my ability to (skill/action). During my time in the sector, I have undertaken a number of roles/worked on projects including (name specific duties, projects, and achievements). What I can bring to your team, is the ability to (key actions and skills).”
Job Interview Question:
Do you consider yourself a successful person?
Never give a short ‘yes’ answer. And never, ever, answer with a ‘no’.
The job interview panel is looking for evidence of sector-related knowledge and experience that they can reference against the job interview scorecard.
This means that the job interview answer requires substance.
Talk about industry success, relating the answer to the job criteria.
“I am highly successful. Throughout my career I have been (involved/a leader of/part of a team) that was responsible for (overcoming a barrier/facing a job-related challenge). An example of this was when I was working at X, and I had to (actions) to help achieve an (outcome). The secret of my success is my ability to (unique selling point)”
Job Interview Question:
How would your colleagues describe you?
To make a lasting impression, use quotes rather than just stating that employees would be positive towards you.
Quotes sound more powerful, more believable.
“I’m lucky, throughout my career I have worked with some great people which helps to be successful within a task or when working on a project. My previous colleagues have always had respect for my dedication, work ethic,and (add third skill/quality). In my previous position, I was always known as (positive attribution). (Name of manager), my line manager, would often say (positive quote). In fact, this reputation has been with me throughout my career. When I was working at X, my manager there would also say (positive quote)”
Job Interview Question:
Are you applying for any other jobs?
It’s rare that a career professional only applies for one position.
In truth, once a job hunter starts searching for positions they are likely to apply for at least 10 roles.
The ‘number of other jobs’ interview question is asked to check if the applicant will have loyalty to the organization – if the applicant is only applying for this one role, they must really want to work for the organization.
So, the reality (employees applying for numerous positions) and the employers ideal (the applicant only applying for the one job role) is a mismatch.
“I have applied for a few positions. For each job I come across, I research the company to check if we could collaborate successfully together. I am always interested in (company culture/projects/reputation). I was really excited to receive the job interview offer for this position, because during my research I learned (amazing fact) about the company, which helped me realise that this is the type of company I would want to work for above all the other vacancies I successfully applied for”
Job Interview Question:
What salary are you looking for?
Prior to the job interview, in preparation for the ‘salary’ interview questions, career professionals must:
Check the salary average for the advertised role
Complete the interview identity test to understand how an employer perceives them during the recruitment process – as this affects the salary offer
Check if the position is one that high salaries can be negotiated – as for many roles, the negotiation is within a salary band, not open.
“Due to my extensive experience within the sector, where I have the (skill/experience) to (unique selling point) which can result in (financially linked selling point) as well as having (second unique selling point) I am looking for a position with a salary of (add amount)”
Job Interview Question:
How long will you stay with our organisation?
Employers spend around 33% of their profits on recruitment.
The employment duration interview question is based on the requirement to employ staff members who won’t leave after a short period of time.
What an employer is looking for here is reassurance.
“I am looking for a position within an organization that I know I can add value to. I prefer not to jump from job to job, and only take offered roles where I can see myself staying for a long period of time. I really like the sound of the (company/job role) and if I was successful I would hope to be here for many more years to come.”
Job Interview Question:
If you could, would you retire right now?
Some job interview questions do, on the face of it, sound a little random.
Successful interviewees also reflect on a potential interview question to better understand the hidden reason for the said question to be asked.
Everyone wants to retire, don’t they?
The truth is not everyone does wants to retire. In fact, for some career professionals, their job is their life.
This is what is at the bottom of the ‘retirement’ interview question. What is really being asked is – are you passionate about your chosen line of work or is it just a pay ticket?
“No, I wouldn’t retire. I am very passionate about what I do and I am especially focused on (long-term achievement). For me, a job isn’t just a salary it’s about (state passion/reasons for working in the industry).”
Answering the ‘what are you looking for in a job question?’ with salary, working near home, or any other ‘wants’ will only result in a lack of job offers.
Employers will score high interview answers that state a liking for the job criteria.
“The three key things I look for in a job are (generic criteria 1, 2 and 3). More specifically I excel in (describe company culture). Because I am skilled at X, I always work well when (state a duty/task you perform well).”
Job Interview Question:
What motivates you to be your best?
This interview question is looking at an applicant’s personal motivation.
The motivational traits must match the job criteria.
As an example, stating that you are motivated while working with others as part of a team would score high for a team role position but not when working in a job role that requires an employee to work on their own initiative.
A second way to answer the ‘motivation’ question is by focusing the answer on a vision – the same vision the company has.
“I am a highly motivated person who enjoys (sector-related outcome). I am at my best when I (job-related criteria 1, 2, and 3). What helps to keep me motivated is my personal goal to (a goal linked to the employer’s company vision).”
Job Interview Question:
Are you willing to work overtime?
The ‘overtime’ question is only asked in a recruitment process when the employer needs employees to have a flexible approach to their working hours.
If asked the overtime question, and offered the position, there will be an expectation for the applicant to work more than their standard hours.
“Yes, I am always happy to work additional hours. In my last position, we would often work overtime during busy periods such as Christmas or at the financial year-end. I understand the importance of not letting customers down, which sometimes means the team needs a flexible approach.”
Job Interview Question:
Are you happy working on a shift pattern?
Unlike the ‘overtime’ question, the shift pattern question isn’t asked as an unwritten rule that employees, once employed, will be expected to work on a shift rota.
There is a legal amount of hours an employer can force an employee to work, hence why the hiring manager checks flexibility.
If the employer only recruited shift workers, those hours would be made clear in the job advert.
The ‘shift-work question then is asked by hiring managers who recruit a large number of employees; some working shift patterns and others on a more traditional 9-5 schedule.
The question is often asked during a large recruitment drive and, in the main, doesn’t affect the hireability of the candidate.
Answers, then, should be honest.
If you are unwilling to work shift patterns let them know, and if you prefer a shift pattern (that often comes with a higher salary) then state this preference.
Even if the answer to the shift-pattern interview questions affects the likelihood of being recruited, honesty is still the best policy. If you dislike shifts and get recruited for a position that works on various shifts, it is unlikely that you would enjoy the role.
“I read that the role might include shift work and I am very happy to work on a shift-rota”
Job Interview Question:
Are you willing to relocate?
When an employer requires you to relocate, they would have stated this in the job specification so the questions shouldn’t come as any real surprise.
What is sometimes not clear is the location or locations where the job role may be.
“The idea of relocating is one of the elements that drew me to this role. I researched the (location) and I am really excited about the idea of living there. To help me decide whether or not to apply for the role I undertook some research to check things like house prices, crime levels, and general living conditions – did you know that (share positive fact about location)?”
Job Interview Question:
Are you willing to put the interest of the organisation ahead of yours?
Hard-hitting job interview questions are, in the main, only asked for high-paid and high-skilled job roles.
For this level of employment, hiring managers need a career professional who will go above and beyond, an employee who isn’t just applying because they need a salary.
High-level positions will require decisive action when problems occur. During a big crisis, for example, a company-level hack, the IT project manager would be expected to come back from leave to help solve the problem.
“Of course, at this level, it is important to hire someone who has the company interest at heart. When I work for an organization, I give it my all. As an example, while working at X a (problem) occurred. At the time I was (on holiday or other situational problem) but due to the urgency and risk of the (problem) I (actions taken). My actions and my commitment to the company interest resulted in a (positive outcome).”
Job Interview Question:
Describe yourself as a person?
This question is perfect for rule two of a successful job interview; be a self-promoter.
First, think about the job specification, the duties you will perform, and the culture of the organisation.
When selling yourself, talk only about the skills and qualities you have that are relevant for the advertised position.
“I am a (quality) (quality) and (quality) individual who specialises in (skill). When working on (sector-related task) I am able to (achievement) due to my (skill/quality). Colleagues and stakeholders describe as (quality) due to my ability to (achievement). My key strength is my ability to (skill/achievement) which I achieve due to (skill/quality).”
Job Interview Question:
What is your philosophy for working?
A career or working philosophy is similar to an organisations mission.
A one-line that accomplishes who you are and what you want to achieve in your career.
Think of the philosophy, as a career identity.
Don’t be tempted to give a deep long answer here, keep it short, sweet, and positive;
“I would say my work philosophy is (add selling line, as an example – completing tasks on time and to a high standard”
Job Interview Question:
Would you say that you are overqualified for this position?
Why are hiring managers concerned about an applicant’s level of qualification?
The truth is, one of the elements of the hiring decision is the likelihood of the duration of the candidate’s time employed within the organisation.
A high-level qualification in a specific field is generalized as the applicant, ideally, wanting a job in the sector related to their degree.
This means, from the employer’s perspective, if the highly qualified applicant is offered the advertised role, they are likely to hand in their notice within the year, leaving the employer to re-recruit.
The interview answer, therefore, must reassure the interview panel that the applicant is passionate about role/job sector/company.
“No, not at all. My qualification is in a completely different field. This was a sector I was previously interested in when I was a lot younger. My goal is to work as a (job role) which is why I applied for this position. My qualification did teach me (knowledge) which can be used when doing (job duty for new role). I am also thinking of undertaking a qualification in (qualification relating to new role).”
Job Interview Question:
How would you describe your work ethic?
Work ethic is becoming a key recruitment factor.
In fact, more employers are using strength-based job interview questions as part of the structured job interview.
Work ethic basically means – how hard-working are you?
The ‘work-ethic’ interview question is another opportunity for an applicant to sell themselves.
Answers with examples do well for this job interview question.
“I have always been a hard worker. When I am working on a task I put my all into it, as I enjoy seeing the end result from my hard work. As well as meeting deadlines and targets, the quality of my work is also important to me. I always ensure that tasks are completed to the best of my ability and I never take shortcuts that would risk the quality of my work. An example of my work ethic is (give example).
Job Interview Question:
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
An applicant’s character can be an indication of their work ethic.
The ‘what do you enjoy doing outside of work?’ question is a sneaky way of asking about a person’s characteristics.
Common mistakes when replying to this interview question, include saying:
Socialising with friends
Nothing really
Watching TV
Bars and clubs
On the web
When answering the question, focus on areas of your life that highlight skills, qualities, and work ethic. This could include:
Volunteering
Having a side hustle business
Self-published author
Fundraising
Being a carer
What is important is to detail the skills, knowledge, or experience gained from the task that can be of use to the new employer.
“I currently do X. What I like about this role, is that I have gained (skills/qualities) which would be of use when performing (task). For the last X number of years, I have also been involved in X which has taught me the value of (skill/quality). While doing X I was praised for (skill) and was lucky enough to gain a (qualification in X).”
Job Interview Question:
Why did you apply for this position?
The interview answer to the ‘why this role?’ question can be split into two sections.
First, talk about your passion for the job sector/job role and how this is part of your long-term career objective.
Second, explain why you want to work for their organisation. Make this personal – you don’t just want any job, you want a job with (employer).
“My career goal has always been to work in (sector). For the past X years,I have been working as a (job role) gaining (skills and experiences). During this time I have gained (sector-related qualifications) that have given me the knowledge to (job duty). As a highly skilled and experienced (job role) I am able to (future achievement). I applied for this particular role because I have always wanted to work for an organisation that (describe company culture, projects the company works on, or the company’s mission and vision).”
Job Interview Question:
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
Employer requirements, for a new member of staff, vary depending on the size of the organisation, the industry the employer is involved in, and the type of job being advertised.
Some employers will look for an employee who will grow and be promoted within the company, while others need a skilled applicant who will work long-term in the one role. One employer may require an innovative individual, while a second needs someone who will follow strict processes and procedures.
The answer to the ‘5 years time’ question will vary depending on the above criteria. This is why rule 1 of a successful job interview is, identify the job criteria. As knowing what is important to the employer will assist in the decision of what to reference during the interview.
In all cases, the employer is wanting to hear that the candidate is wanting to stay within their organsiation.
“Before applying for the position I researched your company and found that (state three things you like about the organisation). It was the company’s (reference something from the company’s values/mission) that inspired me to apply because I am also motivated by (reference the value/mission). As I am passionate about (job role) and I feel this company is the perfect fit for myself, I can see myself working here, successfully collaborating with yourself to achieve (outcome).”
Skill related job interview questions
Employers will ask a number of ‘skill’ related job interview questions to understand how competent the potential employee will be once employed.
Job Interview Question:
Are you a good team member?
Team member interview questions are asked in a high number of job interviews.
Even for roles where, in the main, the employee works alone. In this situation, the employer is looking for a ‘big picture’ understanding – how the various departments are part of a larger team.
Most commonly, the teamwork question is asked to applicants who are applying for a team role.
“In all my previous roles I have worked as part of a team. I enjoy teamwork as collectively the team has a wider range of skills and experiences that they can bring to a project. Within a team, I often take the role of a (add role) as I am able to (actions) that help the team to achieve an objective. When need I can (2nd team role). As an example when working in a team to achieve (outcome) we faced (problem) and I (state actions took) which resulted in (outcome).”
Job Interview Question:
Why should we hire you?
For every advertised role, around 6-8 applicants are interviewed.
Each applicant has the skills and/or experience for the advertised role. The ‘why should we hire you?’ interview question, is really asking ‘why should we hire you and not one of the other interviewees?’
To pass a job interview, an applicant only needs to score higher – be seen as more employable, than the other 6-7 interviewees.
To answer this interview question, highlight your unique selling points.
“By hiring me you will gain an employee who has extensive success of (achievement). In addition,I have a proven track record of (A and B). As an employee, I am (add a list of qualities). But the main reason why you should hire me is because of my ability to (unique selling point).”
Job Interview Question:
Why did you leave your last job?
Many hiring managers believe that past behaviors predict future actions.
Employers request the reason for leaving a past employer, to compare the answer to their own company culture.
In addition, many hiring managers will review the number of positions an applicant has held over a small number of years.
The frame of the interview answer must be positive. Avoid, at all cost, any criticism of past employers.
“I enjoyed my time at X company. While working there as a (job role) I was involved in (projects) which gave me experience in (duties). Throughout my time there, I have gained a variety of skills, including A, B, and C. I am now in the position to use this collective experience in another role, which is why I am here today applying for the position of (job role).”
Job Interview Question:
In what way would you be an asset to us?
The ‘asset’ question allows an applicant to discuss any unique selling points not already covered throughout the recruitment process.
For the ‘asset’ question give a look forward – draw a picture of you succeeding in the workplace.
“As someone who is skilled at X, I know that we would work well together. As an example. If you imagine me working for you in 3 months’ time on a (project). I would first (state actions) as this would (state benefit). Then to gain a (positive outcome) I would use my (skill/knowledge/contacts) to gain (outcome). Finally, when ending a (project) I would (action) to help any future tasks.”
Job Interview Question:
Tell me about a suggestion you have made?
Many of the interview questions asked during the recruitment process, give an insight into the culture of the company.
As an example, some industries are process-driven whereas others are more creative.
The ‘suggestion’ questions indicate that the employer is looking for solution-focused and innovative employees who can see the ‘big picture’.
“There have been a couple of times that I have made I suggestions to (overcome a problem) that have been taken up by the company. An example of this is when I was a (job role) at (organisation). One of the problems we faced was (problem) At first the company tried to (action) but this only resulted in (very little change). Due to my (knowledge/experience), I knew that (potential solution) would work, I suggested this and created a plan of action/project plan which resulted in (positive outcome).”
Job Interview Question:
Do your co-workers ever irritate you?
The frame of the interview question can easily influence the job applicant to answer with a negative answer.
Instead, re-frame the interview answer by focusing on how you work well with colleagues.
“I am a people person, so generally I get on well with everyone. As a professional with X number of years experience in (industry),I have worked with a variety of colleagues and stakeholders. The experience has helped me to understand the various personalities people have, and how their temperament makes people react in a different way to the same challenge. This knowledge of people’s personalities helps me to build rapport with others.”
Job Interview Question:
What makes a successful manager?
This is a management role question, but the question is asked across all job roles – with the hiring manager replacing the job title at the end of the question.
Answer the question by discussing the skills the (position) requires and the criteria on the job specification.
End with an example of you being successful.
“There 3 key skills that make a good (job role). this first is A, the second B, and the third C. A (job role) task is to (main objective). By doing (A, B, and C) a (job role) will be successful. An example of me being successful is when I was working at (company name) and I had (task). To ensure a good result I (took action) which had a (positive outcome).”
Job Interview Question:
What are your strengths?
The ‘strength’ question is one of the most commonly asked job interview questions.
The openness of this interview questions gives the candidate the opportunity to talk about their unique selling point.
When creating an interview answer, the interviewee should think about the job criteria, the main skills and strengths required for the job role, and any additional information that makes them stand out from the crowd.
“I have been told by my previous manager that I am highly skilled at (task). But when I reflect on my key strengths, two come to mind. My first strength is my ability to (task). When working on (task) my (skill) and (quality) ensure (a positive result). My second strength is related to (job duty). I have always been skilled at (skill) which helps when I (task).”
In the main, a job applicant will fall into the trap of listing several weaknesses or areas of development.
A focus on negatives will only result in a low-scoring answer, or at worse the employer believing the applicant is unsuitable for the advertised position.
What the ‘weakness’ interview question is really asking is, ‘how do you develop yourself?’
“Everyone has areas of development. What is important, is to be able to reflect on the actions taken for previous projects and then review weaknesses and learning needs. As an example, when working at (company name) my team’s task was to (add detail). After completing this task I realised that I need to improve (knowledge/skill) so I undertook (training/research/mentoring)to develop this (skill/knowledge). Whenever I recognize a professional development need, I always take action to resolve this, as I am keen to become the best (job role) I can be.”
Job Interview Question:
What is your dream job?
A common reply to the ‘dream job’ interview question is: ‘This job!’.
Employers hate this type of interview answer as it comes across as trying to please. And, it is something a dishonest interview identity is likely to say
What a hiring manager is really trying to uncover, with this interview question, is the specific reasons for applying for a job in the employer’s industry.
“What is important for me in a career is the chance to (achieve vision). I really enjoy roles where I can (job criteria) and (job criteria). In all my previous roles I have been drawn to positions that (job criteria), as this meets with my (skillset/values/mission). “
Job Interview Question:
What would a past employer say about you?
Hiring managers use the ‘past employer’ question to catch an applicant out, depending on their previous working relationships.
For a future employee who only has praise from previous managers, this great becomes an excellent ‘selling’ answer.
“They would want me to come back! All my previous employers hold me in high esteem. This is because of my ability to (complete tasks), as well as my (personal skill) and (work attitude). I remember in my exit interview with my last employer, they said (add positive quote).”
Job Interview Question:
If you were the interviewer, what type of person would you look for?
Describe yourself, without making it too obvious.
When talking about personal skills and experiences, make these relevant to the job criteria.
“As the main objective of this role is to X, the ideal applicant would need to have experience in X and be highly knowledgeable on (subject). As well I possessing this industry knowhow, I would look to hire someone with (personal skills and qualities) to ensure the team collaborated successfully together.”
Knowledge and Competencies Interview Questions
Industry knowledge and experience are one of two axes that create each of the sixteen interview identities.
To be seen as being employable, each candidate must highlight a high level of knowledge around the job role.
A hiring manager only knows about the candidate, what they have been told by the candidate.
Job Interview Question:
What do you know about this organisation?
Research is key prior to preparing for the job interview, especially when asked the ‘about us’ interview question.
Research the company and become knowledgeable about the following criteria:
The duration the organisation has been in business
Why the company was formed
Thier vison and mission
What services/products the company offers
Future projects or collaberations
“The reason I applied for this role in the first place was due to your (vision) and this is in line with what I want to achieve as part of my career. What I also like about the company is that it was formed because of (reason) and is now successfully in its (year) of operation. You have a reputation for being (positive trait) and for (second positive trait).”
Job Interview Question:
Why do you want to work here?
Stand out from the crowd, by using the research gained from the ‘about us’ question to state an answer to show a real understanding of the company.
“As a career professional, I’m not just applying for any job. I am only attending interviews for a position in an organisation that I can see myself succeeding in. I choose (company name) because I follow your company and I know, from my research, that long-term you want to (long term business objective). The barrier you will face will be (state problems to objective). My skills and experience in (job sector/role) will help you to achieveyour objective by (state knowledge and experience you can bring to the team).”
Job Interview Question:
What have you done to improve yourself over the last 12 months?
Globalisation, technology, customer demand, and artificial intelligence, and big-data are rapidly changing the career market and business operational strategies.
Employers, therefore, require employees who are willing and proactive in their continuous professional development.
“I am constantly reflecting on my work, skills, and knowledge and looking at ways to develop myself, both professionally and personally. Over the last 12 months, I have undertaken several development opportunities. The first was (work-related CPD) this taught me the importance of (learning). The second was to help me with (personal skill) as I know this skill is highly important when (job duty) and the third was (knowledge related CPD) which has allowed me to understand why (potential barrier).”
Job Interview Question:
Do you know anyone who works here?
Association plays a big part in this answer. At a basic level, the min takes short-cuts and jumps to conclusions.
The employers ask this interview question because by knowing another employee you will have a better understanding of the job role and company culture, meaning that you are happy with the working conditions.
But by referencing you know an employee, who has a strong work-ethic reputation, the positive association from the employee you know is transferred to you the applicant.
“I know (name) who works in (department). He worked on (project/team) for the last (number of years)He explained the company culture, the vision of the organisation and how you (selling point). He made me excited about wanting to apply for a job here.”
Job Interview Question:
Have you ever had to fire anyone?
This management interview question is just one of several job interview questions that is asking for a specific experience. In all job roles, across all job sectors, job applicants will be asked for examples of how they can complete or have completed various job duties.
Examples are best used here. Or an explanation of the steps you would take to complete the task.
“While working at (company) one of my team was constantly not meeting her targets. To support staff member I (actions taken) and work closely with the staff member to (improve). Over several months I supported the staff member and did notice a slight improvement but nowhere near the average number of (sales/referrals/etc). At this stage, it was the company procedure to implement their warning process which included a creation of an action plan, regular meetings, and (any other requirement).
In the end, we felt we had done all we could to support the member of staff and in the end had to let her go. The member of staff actually agreed this was the best choice and thank us for all the support over the last several months”
Job Interview Question:
Have you ever been asked to leave a position?
As employers can request references, it is important to be truthful here.
This type of interview question is asked during an informal job interview and can come out of the blue. So be ready.
If you have never been asked to leave a previous position, simply say: “No, never”
If you have been in a situation where you were asked to leave the organsiation, answer with:
“X number of years ago, I was asked if I would like to leave the job role. It was a (make the job seem less important: part-time job, my first job after leaving school, a secondary job). The position didn’t suit as I am a (add skills relevant to the new position) and the company focused on (add a re-frame IE quantity over quality).”
Job Interview Question:
What kind of person would you refuse to work with?
Interview questions that talk about other staff members are designed to uncover if the applicant would fit in well with the current team and the culture of the company.
“As a people person, I always get on well with everyone I meet. Throughout my career, I have worked successfully with people who have different experiences, knowledge, and personalities. So I am happy to work with most people. Obviously, I prefer not to work with someone who is lazy or demotivated, But sometimes my personality actually motivates colleagues to work harder.”
Job Interview Question:
Have you ever had a problem with a supervisor?
This question must be answered positively to have any chance of being offered the job role.
“No never. Communication is key for a good working relationship with a supervisor or manager. If there is any negativity in the workplace I can quickly resolve this by having a conversation and looking at what we can do together to overcome any problems.”
Job Interview Question:
How do you approach a project?
Project approach questions are asked in job interviews for all types of positions, not just project management roles.
When answering the question, state a step-by-step process that the applicant utilises.
“The first step is to review the (project brief/task objective). I will often then look at lessons learned from previous (projects/tasks). The project is then broken down into manageable steps, with each step having a deadline date. I look at the risk of each step and if needed create a risk plan. Finally, I delegate and distribute workloads, and set up regular reviews.”
Job Interview Question:
What has disappointed you in a previous job?
Some interview questions sound like a trap. Each interview answer must be framed as a positive to help create a high-scoring answer.
“I have enjoyed all my previous roles. In some positions, the job was challenging but I enjoy the pressure of a challenge. An example of this is when (challenge) and I was able to (actions) that ended with a (positive outcome).”
Job Interview Question:
Can you work under pressure?
Pressure for one person is viewed as a negative, while for others they thrive under pressure. The answer, therefore, needs to state how you handle pressurised situations.
“All jobs have pressure points. Preparing for pressurised situations comes down to how you manage workload. To manage my workload I (explain how you prioritise tasks). I also work with others to (collaborate/delegate to) and I use (technology) to help manage day-to-day tasks. This organised approach takes the pressure off. “
Job Interview Question:
How do you know when you have been successful with a task?
There are many ways to monitor success, depending on the industry the job is in. Employers are looking for applicants to understand when they are working well within the role:
The job has been completed on time
The task has been completed to a good standard
When your customers walk away happy
When you employer tells you
When you have job satisfaction
“There are two ways I monitor my success, one is through (a data related example) and the second is (through a personal satisfaction or customer feedback).”
Job Interview Question:
Give an example of learning from a mistake?
Behavioral job interview questions require an example.
Focused the answer on what was learned, rather than the mistake itself.
“When I was part of a team working on (project name) the group didn’t have (knowledge/experience) to complete (task). As I knew this was an area of development for myself, I decide to action and undertake (training/qualification/research). A year later, the same team working on another (project/task) came across a similar problem, but this time due to my ability to learn from past mistakes, I was able to (give advice/take charge/share knowledge).”
Job Interview Question:
Do you have any blind spots?
The blind-spot interview question is another way to ask about weaknesses.
With the weakness question, which is asked more in a structured job interview, the ideal answer will focus on ‘lessons learned’. For the informal question ‘do you have any blindspots’ the answer can be shorter and more to the point:
“Not that I know off, if I ever discover a weakness I quickly take action to improve this area of development.”
Job Interview Question:
Do you have enough experience for this position?
This follow-up interview question is most commonly asked when an applicant hasn’t been given detailed enough answers that show a high level of competencies.
Employers, who may have been initially impressed by the interviewee’s application form, is having doubts. The interviewee is likely to be viewed with a weak interview identity.
This means the career professional must reinforce their suitability.
“Yes, I do. You are looking for an employee who can (main job criteria) and I have been working as a (job role) for (number of years) completing (main job criteria). In fact, I excel at (main job criteria). Let me share with you an example of this: When I was working at (company) my main task was (main job criteria) where I had to (state duties). In addition, I am skilled at (second job criteria). After (x number of years) in the sector, I have spent (X number of years) completing (second job criteria). There isn’t a (problem/task) in this role that I don’t have experience in.”
Job Interview Question:
What qualities do you look for in a manager?
Use a generic positive answer for ambiguous job interview questions.
“A boss who is knowledgeable, fair, loyal”
The skills needed in a specific sector are recorded on the job specification if the hiring manager requires someone who is creative (or any other job criteria) say:
“A manager who will allow me to be creative (criteria) ..”
Job Interview Question:
What is your role when working in a team?
Talking about a specific role within a team, offers the job applicant a chance to showcase a variety of skills relevant for teh advertised position.
“My natural role within a team is (state role). This is due to my natural ability to (task) and (task). I have a (personal quality) that allows me to easily (task). In addition, as a team member, I am skilled at (supporting role) which is due to may (quality) and (quality).”
Job Interview Question:
What would you say is your biggest achievement?
Only discuss work-based achievements that are relevant to the job role. Ideally, talk about overcoming a well-known industry challenge.
“As you know one of the biggest barriers we face in our industry is (sector-related problem). When working at a previous company, they also struggled with this particular problem. I was given the task of finding the solution. To find the solution I first (generated ideas), tested my theory, and then created a plan of action. The result was (positive outcome).”
Job Interview Question:
Why did you choose this career?
This interview question is a great opportunity to highlight your passion for your job sector.
“I have always wanted a job in (sector) as I am highly passionate about (industry). This started when I was young, I had (explain how you came to know about the sector) and really like the idea of (completing task). The job role really suits my temperament, as a (quality) person, I enjoy (job task). So, this job is perfect for me.”
Job Interview Question:
Tell me about the most fun you have had at work?
Give a specific example of enjoying overcoming a problem or finishing a large project/task – think job satisfaction.
“When working at X, we were working on (task or project. This was a difficult task due to (problem/barrier). We all had to work together, sharing ideas, trying new ways of working, and learning from mistakes. But the hard work and dedication paid off, as, in the end, we were bale to (outcome) which gave me a high level of satisfaction. It was the process of overcoming a big barrier that made this task fun.”
Job Interview Question:
Can you tell me about the gaps in your application/CV?
There are many reasons for gaps in your employment history, which include:
Gap year
Working on short-term contracts
Redundancies
Being a parent
Being a carer
Working in various roles
Think about the generalization an employer may have from the ‘gap’ and reframe this into a positive.
“In (year) I worked at X as a (job role) and then in (year) I started at X company. In between these two job roles I was (reason). This opportunity helped me to gain (skill/experience) that I now use when (completing job duty).”
Job Interview Question:
Do you have any questions?
Most interviewers ask this question and generally towards the end of the interview. Remember to prepare for this, as asking questions will be a great end to an excellent interview.
Don’t ask about salaries or holidays etc until you have been offered a job position.
“Do you have any future plans to expand the company?”
“Does your team work well together?”
“What do you like about working here?”
“Do you have an example of how the company embeds its values in to day-to-day duties?”
“Have you put in any new bids for any new contracts?”
“What is the company’s policy on personal development and training?”
“Where do you see the company being in 5 years time”
“What are you looking for in an employee?”
“What would my first day/week look like?”
“Why did you choose this job/company?”
“What or who is the company’s biggest competitor?”
“How is advancements in technology going to affect the organisation?”
If you are struggling with questions you can end with “I did have several questions planned to ask you, but you have answered these throughout the interview.”
The type of school; primary, high-school, college or higher education also effects the number of applications with primary schools having a high number of applications.
In a recent Guardian post, they said: “Figures released by Ucas, the university admissions network, showed more than 21,000 graduates had applied to teacher training programmes since the start of the coronavirus lockdown, a rise of 65% on the last five years.”
Interview Specifics:
A teacher interview, as discussed above, is part of a larger recruitment process which can consist of:
An interview with school pupils to see how well an applicant can communicate and build rapport with the pupils
Assessment centre for psychometric test and/or literacy and numeracy assessment
Delivery of an assembly, presentation and/or class
The teaching job interview is often a whole day recruitment event ending, with a structured job interview where candidates are asked job interview questions relating to the day-to-day tasks of a teacher.
Can you demonstrate the relevant knowledge and experience to pass a teacher job interview?
Prepare, plan and deliver engaging lessons to pupils of different ages and abilities
Mark pupil work and maintain records of pupils’ progress
Embed a range of learning resources into lessons to increase pupil engagement
Prepare pupils for examinations
Manage pupil classroom behaviour
Meet with parents and carers to discuss pupils’ progress
Collaborate with learning mentors, careers advisers and educational psychologists and social workers
Check the average pay for a teacher job role.
Below is a list of commonly asked job interview questions for a teacher 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 Teacher
Prior to the job interview, the panel of interviewers (often 3 staff members, including a direct line manager) will make small talk to help relax the interviewee.
Including, the number of questions that will be asked, who on the interview panel will ask which questions, and how the applicant can ask for a question to be repeated.
They will go to explain the post-interview details; when each candidate will be told if they have been successful or not.
There are a number of job interview questions for teachers. In this article, you will be given an explanation of how to answer the most commonly asked teacher questions.
Tell me about your teaching experience?
The ‘experience’ interview question is asked at 9 out of every 10 teacher job interviews.
For trainee teacher roles the question may be phrased as: “why do you want to be a teacher?” and some schools ask: “why did you apply for a teaching role at this school?”
To start the job interview on the right footing, the answer to the opening question must create a strong job interview identity.
A positive interview identity comes from highlighting a high level of teaching skills and experience through confidently delivered interview answers.
Here the employer is interested to hear:
Number of years in the teaching sector
Any specific roles/leads IE led on GATSBY benchmarks, head of yr10, career advisor
All teaching qualifications and relevant CPD
Pupil groups worked with (SEND, primary/high, yr 7,8,9 etc, young carers, FE/HE)
Teaching skills and qualities
Any standout achievements
In short, the openness of the first job interview question gives the applicant to state any selling points they deem as important.
The three rules of a successful job interview explain the importance of:
Understanding the job criteria – the teaching duties and culture of the school
Self-promoting any key achievements, teaching style and personal skills
Confidently communicating competencies
“I am a passionate teacher with over X number of years teaching (add various age ranges/pupil cohorts)…
…In my last role I was (add selling point IE head of year 11, SEND coordinator, etc where I was responsible for (list 3-5 duties)…
…my X number of years experience as a teacher I have consistently been able to (add unique selling point) which was achieved by my ability to (add actions), an example of this was (give short example)…”
…My qualifications include (list qualifications)”
What is your knowledge of school data systems?
The following ITC skills are commonly required by teachers:
SIMs or other school databases
Whiteboard technology and teaching apps
Microsoft Office
Spreadsheets
Email communication
Data visualization
The ITC question is asked for two reasons, to confirm the interviewee has a basic understanding of ITC systems, including emails, excel, word documents. And, more importantly, any teacher-related ITC systems.
Schools are becoming more reliant on teaching technology, requiring teachers to be skilled in a variety of ITC.
To answer the technology question, start generic and become more specific, highlighting awareness of the applicant’s level of industry ITC systems and products.
“I am very skilled in a range of ITC skills, including the basics, excel, word, publisher. In fact, my level of (IT system) is above average – I am able to (explain school-related technology such as a teaching app)…
…Because I have worked in the sector for X number of years, I am fully conversed with (school database system) where I (add actions…
….I have experience of (add ITC system) that I use for (relate this to the classroom)”
Give an example of dealing with a disruptive pupil?
Having a range of techniques for dealing with a variety of difficult situations is a must for a teacher – as every day is different.
The ‘disruptive’ pupil question is commonly asked in teaching job interviews. The hiring manager is looking for the applicant to highlight their classroom management techniques.
In an article on handling brazen behavior, Michael Linsin, talks about the need to:
Be calm
Be Patient
Be stealthy
Be thorough
When answering the interview question, it is important to set the context allowing the employer to understand and visualise the past situation.
The key to receiving a high-scoring interview answer is to state the steps taken and the outcome from the stated actions.
Start the answer by listing the types of disruptions you have handled throughout your career:
“As an experienced teacher I have dealt with various descriptions from pupils shouting out in class to other pupils refusing to complete a task. From (add disruption to add second disruption)…
Explain why context is important:
“…It is important not to just jump in and discipline a pupil as this could easily escalate the situation. For example, a pupil may be angry because of a recent home incident which requires a different approach from when a pupil is disruptive on a regular basis..”
Next, give a real-life example:
“One example that comes to mind is when I was working as a teacher at (school name). I was teaching (subject) and set (task) when a pupil (disruptive behavior) which resulted in (escalation). Initially I (first action to control disruption), but this didn’t have enough effect. Instead, I (second action) which resulted in (positive outcome)…”
End, with a summary:
“…To summarise, I have much experience supporting disruptive pupils and with classroom management. When there is a disruption I will first think about the pupil and the potential reason for the negative behavior. I then use various techniques such as (A, B, and C) which has a (positive effect)”
Tell me about a time when a child or young person behaved in a way that caused you concern. How did you deal with that?
In an article on Headteachers-update they explain the principles of the NICE approach:
Take a child-centred approach to all work with children and involve them in decision-making to the fullest extent possible according to age.
Use a range of methods for communicating with children, e.g. drawing, books, activities where appropriate.
Explain confidentiality and when you might need to share specific information and with whom.
Always do what you say you are going to do and if circumstances change and this is no longer possible, explain why as soon as you can.
Safeguarding questions come in all teacher job interviews, often frame as above: “Tell me about a time when a child or young person behaved in a way that caused you concern.?”
The answer to the question can be split into two sections. The first is a general overview of your knowledge of safeguarding and second, an example of reacting to a pupil’s behavior.
“As a teacher safeguarding is paramount. A common sign of concern is a change in a pupil’s behavior. A pupil who in the main is calm and then randomly turns angry requires investigation. If for example, I discipline the pupil I might miss the reason for the change of behavior…
…I always keep an eye for indicators of abuse, which include:
Indiscriminate contact or affection-seeking.
Being over-friendly to strangers.
Excessive clinginess and persistently seeking attention.
Habitual body rocking.
Being withdrawn and reluctant to communicate.
…An example of this is when I was teaching at (institute) One pupil that I knew well came to school (with a sign of abuse or neglect). Instead of (potentially escalating action) I decide to (action). I also (positive action taken which could include referrals, parent meetings, additional support). This resulted in (short term outcome and long term outcome).”
Give an example of getting all pupils involved in a lesson?
Pupil participation, not only creates a more enjoyable lesson for the pupils and teacher but also helps individuals pupils understand the lesson.
There are numerous ways to engage pupils from the ‘jigsaw’ technique – allow a student to learn a specific topic before teaching other students, to allowing the pupils themselves to choose a learning style, as discussed on a recent article on Kaplanco.
When answering the ‘involvement’ interview question, is is important, before giving an example, to highlight a working knowledge of engagement techniques.
“Research shows the importance of getting pupils engaged in lessons, from pupils measuring their own distance travelled in the classroom to putting students in charge of the lesson….
…An example of this was when I was working at (school) I was teaching (lesson) to a group of (pupils) and the lesson wasn’t going well (give brief description). To improve the session I wanted to increase pupil engagement. To get the pupils involved I (add steps)…
…This first helped (add positive engagement outcome) but more importantly this achieved (positive outcome)…..
…When planning lessons I always look at different ways to get the pupils engaged in the classroom, as this increases (benefit).”
What are your core strengths in terms of teaching?
Each teacher can bring a new strength to the classroom.
Many schools will list their GDPR and data protection policy on the school website.
In the job interview, the interviewee can cover 3 points to help create a high-scoring answer:
GDPR Training
Daily actions taken not to breach GDPR
Any additional knowledge
“In all my previous teaching roles I have had handle sensitive pupil data…
…I have undertaken a range of GDPR and data protection training, which include (name training courses)
As a teacher I follow GDPR regulations by ensuring that all personal data is kept in lockable cabinets including pupil data, medical forms and sensitive information. When using IT systems I always create unique passwords, and lock my computer when I’m away from my desk.
Because we work in education, we deal with (sector-related sensitive data) I am also aware of the need to (add actions relating to the sectors sensitive data)”
How would you prepare for an OFSTED inspection?
All schools are asking the ‘OFSTED’ question.
Understanding this allows the job applicant to research and prepare their job interview answer.
The interview answer can start by highlight prior research: “I saw that in your last OFSTED inspection you received a (grading)…”
Before, moving to explaining previous OFSTED inspection experience: “…I myself have had to prepare for X number of OFSTED inspections. while at X school I was reasonable for (OFSTED role/reasonability)…
End the interview answer by giving specifics: “..When preparing for an OFSTED inspection I (actions – these can include proactive actions before the OFTED visit notification and re-active actions once an inspection has been announced). These actions has previously resulted in (positive outcome)”
Do you have any questions for the interview panel?
Each hiring manager during all job interviews will ask each interviewee if they have any questions for the employer.
Knowing that the final ‘ask me’ question will be asked, a set of questions needs to be prepared.
How does the school support vulnerable pupils?
What is the schools strategy for maintaining a good OFSTED outcome?
What have been the progression and NEET rates for the past 3 years
What makes you want to work at this school?
How would you describe the schools culture?
What CPD is on offer for new teachers?
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.
50% of all advertised receptionist job positions are part time roles?
This is due to the large scale of reception jobs. With positions being able in a number of job sectors, from education to construction, from finance to the health sector.
Receptionist jobs are advertised throughout the world, with various salaries and responsibilities, depending on the job sector the receptionist role is being advertised in.
How competitive is a receptionist job interview?
Interview Specifics:
Can you demonstrate the relevant knowledge and experience to pass a receptionist job interview?
How to greet visits in a professional manner
Data inputting, using a variety of IT skills
The process for allocating security passes
Answer enquiries in person, by phone and email
Experience of booking systems
Administrational skills and experience
Knowledge of GDPR
Check the average pay for a receptionist job role.
Below is a list of commonly asked job interview questions for a receptionist role.
Each summary comes with an explanation of the interview question and an example interview answer.
It is important to tweak each interview answer template, making it relevant to the interviewee’s own skills, qualities, experience, and knowledge.
An interviewer’s perception of a job applicant, their interview identity, is made up of the interviewee’s perceived level of knowledge/experience vs their level of confidence during the recruitment process.
The first stage, when preparing for a job interview, is to recognize your own ‘interview identity’.
Job Interview Questions and Answers for a Receptionist
Prior to the official job interview, the panel of interviewers (often 3 staff members, including a direct line manager) will make small talk to help relax the interviewee.
Including, the number of questions that will be asked, who on the interview panel will ask which questions, and how the applicant can ask for a question to be repeated.
They will go to explain the post-interview details; when each candidate will be told if they have been successful or not.
Tell me about your experience working as a receptionist, and what you can bring to the team?
The opening question for a receptionist interview is always an open-style interview question.
The question may be framed slightly differently:
“What is your understanding of a receptionist duties?”
“Why did you apply for a receptionist job role within our company?”
“How does your work experience apply to this position?”
All opening questions, compared to the forthcoming more specific interview questions, allow an applicant to choose how the answer the question.
This ‘choice’ can result in a clever interviewee focusing their answer on their own unique selling point, what they can bring to the team and how they fulfill the job criteria.
It is important, therefore, to be aware of the three rules for a successful job interview.
In short, the initial question is designed for the employer to gain a general overview of the applicants suitable for the receptionist job role.
Start the interview answer with a standout point that will create interest:
A long duration in the industry, as time served is associated with talent: “I have worked as a receptionist for over 12 years…”
A required but rare skill to create interest: “One of my key skills is my ability to (add rare skill)….”
A reference to the industry the receptionist job role is in, which highlights sector knowledge and understanding: “Throughout my career I have always worked in (sector), throughput this time I gained the knowledge to (industry related receptionist task)…”
Next, be more generic list other receptionist duties, being detailed on any duties that the applicant is highly skilled in:
“I have a wide range of experience working as a receptionist and in administrational roles which include: diary management, making appointments over the phone, data inputting, customer service, and in my last role I led on (highly skilled task) where I (add detail)…”
End the interview answer, with a short summary:
“To summarize, I have X number of years and experience and my skill includes A, B, and C.”
What is your knowledge of ITC systems?
In an article on Indeed, they state the following ITC skills are commonly required:
Analytics
Social media
Graphic design
Microsoft Office
Spreadsheets
Email communication
Marketing automation
Data visualization
For certain sectors a particular database may be commonly used, requiring the job applicant to not only be aware of the database but to reference the specific database tasks during the interview answer.
An example is the use of ‘Sims’ in schools or ‘autocad’ in civil engineering.
The ITC question is asked for two reasons, to confirm the interviewee has a basic understanding of ITC systems, including emails, excel, word documents. And, more importantly, any specific sector-related ITC systems.
To answer the technology question, start generic and become more specific, highlighting awareness of the applicant’s level of industry ITC systems and products.
“I am very skilled in a range of ITC skills, including the basics, excel, word, publisher. In fact, my level of (IT system) is above average – I am able to (add specifics details). Because I have worked in the sector for X number of years, I am fully conversed with (sector-related ITC system). I have experience of (add ITC system duties).
An example of this, was when I worked at X organization. We were tasked to X. Because of my knowledge of (ITC system) I personally (action taken) which resulted in (outcome).”
What would you do if the computer system failed?
Most offices are becoming paperless, with digital documents replacing paper, and storage cupboards becoming obsolete as businesses move to storing information in the cloud.
The risk, therefore, is system failure.
Employers need receptionist staff to be able to pro-actively respond to difficult ITC situations.
ITC system failure questions may be more specific depending on the sector the advertised receptionist job role is in:
“How would you gain customer information if the database crashes?”
“How do you recover lost documents in Word?”
“How do you backup databases to prevent loss of information encase of a hack?”
The best way to answer the specific ITC question is via a real-life example. Stating a past experience highlights the skills the applicant possesses to deal with the stated problem.
“This has actually happened to me. While working at X organization, I arrived early one day in the office to find that (ITC failure). The timing was terrible, as the company had (a deadline, audit, inspection, customer/client meeting, etc).
My manager was stressed and nobody had any idea what to do.
Because of MY excellent ITC skills, I was able to (add actions taken).”
Give me an example of dealing with an awkward customer?
A key task for a receptionist is taking a customer or client’s phone calls, responding to emails, signing for office deliveries, making/confirming appointments, communicating face to face, and screening external stakeholders who are requesting meetings with senior staff members.
This task requires various skills:
Communication
Listening
Assertiveness
Confirming
Professionalism
Customers become ‘awkward’ or frustrated due to many reasons:
Feeling unwell – this especially important to understand in NHS receptionist roles
Having previously trained to get through to a certain person time and time again
Time constrictions – commonly happens with delivery drivers
A customer with a complaint/unhappy customer
Stressed/anxious/annoyed
Start the interview answer, by explaining the reasons a customer or client would be awkward or annoyed (relating to common industry problems).
Follow the opening statement by giving an example of what you would do if a future customer was being awkward.
“In our industry customers can become awkward when X, Y, and Z happen.
In this situation, the best course of action is to remain professional, polite, and to listen to any complaint. It is also important to understand the customer’s point of view and to find common ground. This is because an annoyed customer may leave bad reviews online which could affect the image of the company.
An example of helping an awkward customer is when I was working at X company as a (job role). A customer was (complaining/being angry/being awkward) because (reason).
First, I listened to the complaint without interrupting, as it’s important to let me let the anger out. I then asked specific questions to understand the situation without making assumptions.
I then asked what was the best way to resolve this and shared the options I was able to do there and then. This helped the customer to relax as they felt they were being listened to and supported, resulting in (positive outcome).”
What information would you take from a client who is looking to book an appointment?
Accuracy is key for a receptionist job role.
The specific interview question around what information to take from a client appointment booking could easily be asked for a number of receptionist job duties:
“How would you confirm a meeting request?”
“In what way would you ensure the accuracy of a data inputting task?”
“When speaking to a customer on the telephone what information do you need to take?”
A receptionist is often the first point of call, an information receiver, and giver, and often for many businesses the gatekeeper – deciding which persons get put through to senior staff members, and which don’t.
It is the information gained that allows the receptionist to the decision of who speaks to who. The wrong decision can result in either, an annoyed senior staff member due to having their time wasted or an outraged stakeholder for not being let through the ‘gate’.
To answer the ‘information’ interview question, state the required steps, specifying what information is needed:
“I am highly experienced in booking client appointments. When a client telephones for an appointment I first check who the client is; their name, DOB, and address. Requesting the DOB and address is a check to ensure that the person calling is the client and not a fraud caller.
Next, I check the reasons for the appointment. And the availability of the department. Once a date and time have been agreed, I would send a reminder to each of the appointment attendees via email.
This strategy ensures the accuracy of the appointment and reduces any errors.”
How would you arrange your working day?
Receptionists either work within a small team of receptionists (commonly seen in the healthcare service) or on their own initiative (receptionist in a small office).
Either way, the receptionist has to manage their own workload.
The time management question is really asking – how do you prioritise your workload?
For each receptionist, there will be a list of regular daily and/or weekly tasks, plus additional ad-hoc duties that randomly pop up depending on workload.
When answering the interview question: how do you arrange your day (or workload). Split the interview answers into two sections – regular tasks and ad-hoc duties.
“Each day is different. Generally speaking, I will have a set of regular tasks; checking emails, confirming appointments, updating finance information, taking phone call,s and completing a range of administrational tasks.
For these duties, I prioritise each task depending on the level of urgency and importance. As all these tasks happen weekly, I can easily split each task over a period of a week.
In addition, throughout my working week, new urgent tasks will land on my desk. This could include the month-end finance report that needs double-checking, or an influence of customers due to a new promotion.
When new ad-hoc tasks present themselves, which are urgent, I will delegate some of the regular duties to other staff while I prioritise the new job which often has a short deadline.”
Give an example of being GDPR compliant?
GDPR is a fairly new regulation that has a large impact on the responabilities of receptionists.
Most employers will deliver GDPR and data protection training for all new recruits. For the job interview, hiring managers want to ensure that the successful interviewee has enough awareness to not breach the GDPR regulations.
In the interview answer cover the following 3 points:
GDPR Training
Daily actions taken not to breach GDPR
Any additional knowledge
“Due to my previous roles requiring me to handle sensitive personal data I have undertaken a range of GDPR and data protection training.
I am fully versed in (add GDPR regulation related to the sector you are in)
On a daily basis, I follow GDPR by ensuring that all personal data is kept in lockable cabinets, using unique passwords on the various IT systems, and locking my computer when I’m away from my desk.
Because in our (sector) we deal with (sector-related sensitive data) I am also aware of the need to (add actions relating to the sectors sensitive data)”
Do you have any questions for me?
Each hiring manager during all job interviews will ask each interviewee if they have any questions for the employer.
Knowing that the final ‘ask me’ question will be asked, a set of questions needs to be prepared.
How many staff members work in the reception area?
What percentage of the job is customer facing?
What does an average do look like?
Why do you like working for X company?
What CPD is on offer for new staff members?
This site uses the ‘LMI for All’ online data portal to access official government ‘big data’ sources. This powers the labour market data provided on this site.
Job interview preparation is key to a successful job interview outcome.
I know that statement sounds obvious, but research shows that unsuccessful applicants spend an average of 45 minutes in interview preparation, whereas a regular winner of job offers will spend at least 4-5 hours in dedicated interview research, writing answers and practicing public speaking.
The minimum 4-5 hours, for high skilled job roles, should be extended to at least 10 hours due to the level of ability of the competition. For high paid positions other job applicants, with a high level of experience and confidence, will be viewed as a charismatic interviewee.
It is hard to beat a competitor who is seen as highly employable, without adequate preparation and practice.
Each job applicant should first reflect on their past job interview performances and take the interview identity test to understand how they are viewed by an employer.
The 3 Areas of Interview Preparation
Understanding the type of interview they will be attending
Delivery of job interview answers
Content of interview answers
Types of Job Interviews
The duration of the job interview can often hint about type of interview the employer will perform.
Knowing the type of job interview gives a prepared applicant an advantage as they can prepare for specific interview tasks.
A 20 minute interview is often an informal job interview, where there are no set questions – the interview is more of a natural conversation.
The common 45-60 minute recruitment process is a panel interview – a structured job interview, where answers to questions are marked against a set of specific job criteria.
Full-day job interviews consist of an introduction and walk-around (of the premises). A group activity, a practical test, and a panel interview.
These long interview days can be tiring and need additional preparation. Simple tips like eating a healthy breakfast and keeping hydrated can really pay off.
Multiple day interviews are rounds of interviews, where successful applicants are invited back for a second, third, or even fourth interview.
Each interview round is delivered by a specialist who can include an HR member of staff, the direct line manager of the applicant, and an industry expert.
In addition some job interviews will consist of:
A presentation or introduction
Literacy and numeracy test
Demonstration of technical skills
Role play – very common for leadership roles
Problem solving tasks to observe stress resistance
Or, deliver answers to a artificial intelligence recruiter. The AI interview comes in several formats, from the bots guessing at personality traits to applicants having to record interview answers on a video.
No matter the type of interview, the key criteria for a successful job interview outcome is the candidate’s level of confidence.
A confident delivery of answers, the data shows, increases job offers.
Confidence creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. The applicant believing in themselves will give a more detailed answers, will have stronger eye contact and their relaxed appearance is the platform for building a natural rapport with the hiring manager.
Confidence is an expression in non-verbal communication, such as the use of gestures and the candidates posture.
Relaxation increase confidence and confidence improves relaxation (or calmness).
To be more relaxed in a job interview:
Gain job interview exposure
Exposure therapy shows how being exposed to the same stimuli, in our case the job interview environment, reduces the associated anxiety.
The exposure of a job interview – attending a high number of recruitment days and/or mock interviews with an interview coach creates familiarity and familiarity leads to the feeling of control.
This is why preparing interview answers for predicted job interview questions is a key pre-interview preparation. It creates a familiar feeling – I know the answer to this question!
In fact, this is why the career professional who spends 4-5 hours, or more, preparing for the forthcoming interview is more successful than the under-prepared 45-minute applicant – the longer interview preparation often equates to higher number of times to applicant has repeated their interview answers.
Become a skilled orator
The structure of the interview answer, plus the tonality, volume, and pace of the speaker is just as important as the content.
Recruitment research, time and time again, shows how a structured job interview helps to predict the job performance of the pool of interviewees.
This is why a high number of hiring managers have turned to behavioral and situation job interview questions.
Each of the applicant’s answers are marked against the scoring criteria on the employer’s job interview scorecard.
In simple terms, to gain a satisfactory score the job applicants must reference the job criteria.
This is why content is king.
There are three ways to present content:
As a story (giving an example)
Using facts, figures and data
In a logical sequence
Ideally, the savvy interviewee will use a mixture of ways to showcase how they meet the criteria for the position.
A job interview identity is a mixture of content and delivery. An employer will have a positive view of a job applicant who they perceive to have a high level of knowledge and experience and who delivers answers with confidence.
Job Interview Stories
Research using MRIs shows how two people’s brains synchronize when one person is telling a story to another.
Job interview successes come down to the communication of competencies, which is influenced through likeability, unconscious bias, and rapport. “The stronger the coupling, the better the understanding,” said Uri Hasson, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Princeton University.
Giving examples, or stories, activates the brains ‘social interactions’ regions, where the mind becomes focused on what the character is thinking and feeling rather than the sequence of events itself.
In short, the employer when listening to a story or example, will be more able to predict the motivations, emotions, and beliefs of other people – the suitability of the applicant vs the culture of the company.
Facts and Data
Facts, figures and data shouldn’t be ignored.
The conscious part of the mind can process 50 bits of information per second, but the brain receives around 11 million bits of information per second.
The mistake career professionals make, when presenting data, statistics and figures, is that they overwhelm the employer with numbers.
Most information received, is stored in the short-term memory for around 20-30 seconds. The short-term memory is limited to the amount of data it can store. Psychologist George Miller found that people can store between on average 7 items in short-term memory, give or take 1 or 2 items.
Numbers don’t create high-scoring interview answers, stories do. The data, is the evidence to make the story believable.
When presenting data during a job interview, the applicant needs to first give context – the beginning of the story.
Percentages, statistics, data and facts and figures are valid tools to use in a job interview, as the numbers given can shock, inspire or create intrigue.
The framing of data creates a short-cut that influences how the employer hears the evidence, as a positive or negative. An example of this is the marketing frames food products use. One yogurt brand states “This yogurt contains 20% fat” and the other: “This yogurt is 80% fat-free“ Same information, different frame.
Humans like the numerous ways numbers are presented, as the data makes it easy to understand complex information.
The employer’s assumption is: ‘the numbers speak for themselves even though specific evidence may be missing.
Logical Sequence
A second barrier, during a recruitment process, for the short-term memory is being able to follow the interview answer and therefore understand the point the job applicant is making.
The lack of preparation, alongside the anxiety created in an interview environment, often results in interviewees vomiting meaningless information that doesn’t make logical sense.
When asked a question, the human brain is hard-wired to find a response.
In an article on Medium they said: “With the conditions set for the brain to respond to the question, there’s a rush of dopamine. This can have two opposite effects. On the one hand, it might trigger our reward mechanism and we are motivated to go in search of the answers. On the other hand, we might fear giving the wrong answer which makes it more difficult for us to think in a way that will help us provide a worthy response to the question.”
Once asked a question, it is hard for the mind to focus on anything but the question.
The rule of thumb is that an interviewee will be nervous, attempting to find a suitable response that won’t be rejected by the hiring manager.
It is the fear of rejection and the pressure of time, needing to respond to the question instantly, that results in a mind-dump. A mind-dump is when an applicant says whatever comes into their heads.
The problem here, is that humans think of options. If I ask you what restaurant would you like to eat at for your Birthday? You would probably think of several options.
This same thought process happens in a job interview. Once asked a question, the candidate will have several scenarios popping into conscious awareness.
A prepared and practice interviewee doesn’t suffer from a mind-dump, as the repetition of answering predicted questions creates an automatic response; the interviewee starts the delivery of the interview answer without conscious awareness.
What is often misunderstood is the logical sequence required for a high-scoring interview answer.
The nonsensical answer, is created by a splatter-gun approach of random bits of information, data and parts of stories, all confusing the employer.
By having a logical sequence, not only does the employer follow the answer clearly, the interviewee feels more confident.
