Below is a list of sample interview questions. These can be used to highlight specific areas of candidate competency during an interview.
- What did you have to learn to be effective in your current role? How long did it take you to master this?
- What tricks or techniques have you learned to make your job easier or more rewarding?
- Have you ever felt that you were over your head on a project? Why? What did you do? What happened?
- Have you ever needed to learn new information about changing products, markets or procedures? Tell me about one of these situations and how you learned the new information.
- In your current job what aspects did you pick up quickly and what aspects took longer to learn?
- Describe a time when you had difficulty learning something complex. What did you do?
- How is your present job affected by facts beyond your control? How did you deal with this? Give examples.
- Tell me about a time when you have had to deal with a number of pressing assignments at once? How did you adapt to the situation?
- Tell me about a situation when you had to adjust quickly to changes in your organisational or departmental priorities.
- Tell me about a time when you had to abruptly change what you were doing. What did you do? How did it affect you?
- Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a new policy or procedure instituted by management. Why? What did you do?
- Describe a problem that you had to solve. What steps did you take to solve it?
- What is the biggest problem that you faced in the past 6 months. How did you handle them?
- Describe a situation in which you had to get information by asking a lot of questions of several people.
- Tell me about a recent work related problem and the action that you took to solve it.
- What sources of information do you use to stay aware of problems in your work area? Tell me about a situation in which you used one of these sources.
- Describe a time when you weren't sure of what the customer wanted. How did you handle the situation?
- Can you give an example of how you have used your analytical and problem solving skills? What were the results?
- Describe what systems you employ to control errors in your work.
- Can you example of a time when you found errors in your work? What were the causes?
- We have all had times when we just couldn't get everything done on time. When & why has this happened to you?
- Give an example of a time when you knew that things were not going well with a process, function or operation. How could you tell?
- What are your career goals in the next five years? What have you done to achieve them?
- In what areas do you lack qualifications? What are you doing about this ?
- Why do you want this position? What type of self development activities are you involved in to develop the necessary skills?
- How does your current job relate to your career goals?
- What alternative career goals have you considered?
- What people or events have been the most important in your own self development?
- How do you keep informed about important changes in your field?
- What are your expectations of your next role and employer?
- What do you contribute your career success achieved to point and what is it that will drive you to achieve and succeed further?
- Have you ever recognised a problem before your boss or others in the organisation? Explain
- Describe any significant projects, ideas, etc. you have conceived within the past year. How did you know they were needed and would work? Were they used? Did they work?
- Can you give me example of a time that you were able to identify a small problem before it became a major problem?
- Describe a situation at work when you wish you'd acted differently with someone at work. What did you do? What was the result?
- What unpopular decisions have you recently made? How did you communicate that decision? How did your peers/subordinates respond? How did that make you feel?
- When dealing with individuals or groups, how do you determine when you are pushing too hard? Give an example
- Can you tell me about a time when people from outside your work group have asked for your help in solving a problem or meeting an objective? How did you react?
- Occasionally we are confronted by someone who wastes our time at work. Tell me about a situation like this.
- How do you "break the ice" in an initial conversation with a (client, co-worker, subordinate, manager, etc.) Give an example.
- Describe a situation in which you did not get along with a (customer, co-worker, person from another part of the organisation). What happened?
- How have you differed from your supervisor in the evaluation of your performance ? How did you handle this situation?
- How have you gone about establishing standards of performance for yourself? Tell me about those standards?
- Tell me about time when you weren't pleased with your performance. What did you do?
- Give me an example of a time when your work was above standard and when it was below standard. What were some reasons for the differences in performance?
- What are the measures of success in your job? What have you done to meet these standards?
- Describe some times when your supervisor, either formally or informally talked with you about your performance.
- Tell me about a time when you missed a deadline. What caused this?
- What do you consider to be the most important contribution that your department has made to the organisation. What was your role?
- In your position how do you define doing a good job?
- Give me an example of when you knew that a process or operation was being done poorly. What did you do?
- Tell me about a time when you were asked to do something that you didn't think was right? What did you do?
- How do you stay attuned to potential problems? Give examples.
- What steps do you follow to study a problem before making decisions?
- Walk me through a situation in which you had to get information by asking a lot of questions of several people.
- Describe a tough or tricky situation in which you had to talk to people to get the information you needed to make an important decision or recommendation.
- Tell me about a complex problem you worked on where you had to gather a good bit of information from others before reaching any conclusions.
- Sometimes we gather information on problems that affect several stakeholders. When has that happened to you? What was the problem? Who were the stakeholders?
- Have you ever had to review current practises for problems, inconsistencies, etc? How did you go about your review? What did you learn?
- Tell me about a difficult situation in which you had to talk to people to get information that you needed before either yourself or your boss could make an important decision.
What sources of information do you use to keep aware of problems within your department?
- We have all have had to deal with a customer who has unreasonable demands. Think of a time when you had to handle unreasonable demands. What did you do?
- Tell me about a time when you handled a customer complaint effectively.
- What lesson(s) have you learned about keeping the customer satisfied? How did you learn them? Give me an example of how you have used that lesson?
- Tell me about a time when handled a complaint ineffectively. What did you learn from this?
- How do you know if your customers are satisfied? (survey results, thank you letters, etc.) Give examples
- Tell me about a difficult customer (internal or external) with whom you had to deal with. Why was he/she difficult? What did you do?
- What steps do you take to ensure customer satisfaction? Give an example of a time when you have employed this.
- Tell me about a time when you had to provide quick and thorough service for a customer's request or to deal with their problem?
What skills do you believe are important for dealing effectively with customers? Give an example of a time when you displayed these.
- Most of us have had to make quick decisions. Tell me about some of your quick decisions.
- Tell me about a time when you were very comfortable making a decision and a time when you were not comfortable.
- When have you declined to make work related decisions? Why?
- Give me an example of a good decision you made recently. What alternatives did you consider? Why was it a good decision?
- Describe a work decision that you have made that you wish that you could rethink.
- Describe the last time that you made a difficult decision on the job. What facts did you consider? How long did it take you to decide?
- Tell me about a time when you took disciplinary action against an employee. How did you decide what to do?
- How difficult is it to establish priorities in your job? Why? (Give example)
- How have you addressed important decisions affecting your career?
- What kind of decisions do you tend to make rapidly, and on which ones do you take more time on?
- Give me an example of a time when you have made up your mind too quickly?
- What is the most difficult decision you have had to make in your current position? What alternatives did you consider?
- Describe a time when you decided to involve others in making a decision. Why? To what extent did you use their input?
- What people management strategies have you successfully implemented and supported in the last 12 months?
- Are there any procedures that you find helpful in monitoring your subordinates' development? Give an example of how you have used them?
- Who is your most effective subordinate and your least effective subordinate? What are the strengths & weaknesses of each? What have you done to develop each of these subordinates?
- Tell me about some of the people that have become successful as result of your management? What was your role in their development?
- What are the major training and development needs of the people in your department? How did you identify them? What are you doing about them?
- To what extent have you developed subordinates by including them in your decision making? Why? Example.
- Give an example of a time when you failed to properly coach a subordinate? What happened?
- Have you done any on the job training? Give an example. What steps did you follow? How did you prepare for the training & how effective was it?
- Sooner or later we all fail to accurately assess an employee's strengths and developmental needs. Tell me about a time when this has happened to you.
- What techniques have you found most useful in training and developing subordinates? Give an example.
- Have you ever identified practises that were resulting in waste? What were the practises? What did you do about it?
- Occasionally we all spot opportunities to do things more efficiently. Has this ever happened to you? Give an example.
- What are some of the things that you do to ensure that your time is being used effectively?
- How do you keep track of progress on projects which you are responsible for?
- Give me an example of steps that you have taken to make your department more profitable?
- When making plans & allocating responsibilities, how do you take into account efficiency considerations?
- What kinds of financial reports do you prepare on the job? What do they contain? How often do you prepare them?
- How much involvement do you have in your organisation's financial decisions? Specifically, what is your role? What kinds of data do you use in making the decision?
- How are your financial analyses/reports used?
- What are some of the toughest financial analysis problems that you have faced in your current role?
- Take me step by step through how you prepared the budget for your unit. What information did you use in preparing the budget? What information was lacking?
- What are the biggest mistakes you have made in analysing financial data? How did you discover them?
- How have you gotten around obstacles that prevented you from completing a project? Describe the obstacle and what you did to get around it?
- Give me an example of an occasion when you had to approach several individuals for support, cooperation etc. whom you considered quite different from one another.
- Describe an attempt to sell an idea which failed. Did you try again? What approach did you take the second time?
- Which bosses have you worked the most effectively for & why?
- Describe an incident in which you disagreed with your supervisor. How was it settled?
- When have you had to against traditions or policies to accomplish a goal? Explain.
- What constraints are placed on you in performing your job? How do you cope with them?
- Describe an incident in which you took matters into your own hands although it should have been handled by your boss.
- Have you ever had to go against the general feelings or policies to accomplish a goal ? Tell me about it.
- When was the last time you disagreed with a new policy or procedure instituted by management? Why? What did you do?
- Tell me about a new policy or idea you recently implemented which was considerably different from the standard procedure. What kind of resistance, if any, did you encounter? How did you get your employees (peers) to go along with it?
- Tell me about a situation where you disagreed with your colleagues, boss, or senior managers.
- Tell me about a situation where you expressed your view even when you knew others would disagree with you?
- Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision without guidance from others.
- Have you found any ways to make your job easier or more rewarding?
- Describe some ways that you have changed your current job?
- What changes have you tried to implement in your area of responsibility? What have you done to get them under way?
- What are some of the most imaginative or innovative things you have done in your present position?
- Give me an example of a situation you had to handle in which old solutions didn't work. How did you handle it?
- What do you do differently to predecessors in the positions?
- Have participated in a reorganisation in your company? What was your role?
- Give me an example of doing more then required in your current job?
- Have you suggested any new ideas to your boss in the last six months? How did you know that they were needed?
- What have been your biggest achievements at in your current position? What steps did you take to achieve it?
- Can you think of some projects or ideas that were sold, implemented or carried out successfully primarily because of your efforts?
- Give me some examples of doing more than required in your job?
- What changes have you tried to implement in your area of responsibility? What have you done to get them under way?
- Have you ever anticipated a problem before your boss or others in the organisation did? What did you do?
- How do you obtain new prospects? Tell me about a time this worked best for you.
- What are some of the most innovate things you have done in your present position?
- Can you think of a situation you had to handle in which old situations would not work?
- What kinds of problems have people recently called on you to solve? Tell me about your contribution to solving the problem?
- Tell me about a change in your organisation which your peers would recognise as resulting principally from an innovation you developed?
- Describe a time when you abandoned traditional approaches to meet goals?
- Describe a time when you have resolved a problem with a previous history of failed solutions?
- Can you think of a time when your standard approach to problem solving didn't produce the desired solution? What did you do?
- How has your job changed? Why and how did you make these changes?
- Everyone has to bend or break the rules sometime. Can you give me some examples of when you have had to do this?
- In order to make it out in the world, people have to bend a little bit. What is the farthest you have had to bend your standards in order to succeed?
- Tell me about a situation when you anticipated others' reactions to problems? What was the situation? What did you do & what was the result?
- How did you go about establishing rapport with (customers, coworkers, people from other parts of the organisation) in your current role? Tell me about a time when you have had to do this?
- We've all had to work with someone who is very difficult to get along with. Give me an example of when this has happened to you. Why was the person difficult? How did you handle that person?
- How important is it to build relationships with clients, co-workers, managers? How do you go about doing this?
- How do you "break the ice" in a first conversation with a client , co-worker, subordinate, manager etc?
- Have you perceived any problems you caused others? Tell me about the situation?
- We have all had occasions when we have misinterpreted something that someone told us. Give me an example of when this happened to you & why you think that it occurred.
- What clues do you look for in trying to read a group or an individual? Give me an example of when you did this in a critical situation.
- Describe a time when you have you led others in solving a problem? What was the outcome?
- What techniques have you learned to manage/supervise others? How have you used these techniques? Give an example
- Describe how you set an example to other employees in your current role. How effective is this? (be specific)
- Describe a face to face meeting in which you had to lead or influence someone very thin skinned?
- Tell me about a time when you were able to guide an employee toward a task or accomplishment?
- How do you determine how much influence you'll need to use to get others to do the job right? How do you show this? Give an example.
- Describe a time when you have inspired someone to work hard to do a better job? What methods did you use?
- Tell me about one of the toughest groups which you had to get cooperation from in a meeting. What did you do?
- During a meeting you've led , have you ever noticed a person who wasn't participating? How did you react?
- Have you ever led a meeting in which someone dominated discussion? What did you do?
- What strategies have you used to communicate major new directives or changes to employees? Which strategies have worked and which have not? Tell me about a specific example.
- Describe a time when a manager was unhappy with your efforts to implement change? What approach did you use? What difficulties resulted?
- Tell me about some of the toughest groups that you have had to get cooperation from. Did you have any formal authority? What did you do?
- What are some of the most difficult one-to-one meetings you have had with other members of your company? Why were they difficult?
- Tell me about a new policy or new idea that you recently implemented which was very different from the standard procedure. How did you go about implementing this?
- How often do you attend meetings with peers? What role did you play in the last meeting?
- Have you been in a situation which you were able to have a significant effect on your organisation's business direction? What steps did you take?
- Have you ever had to discipline or correct a friend on the job? How did you handle it?
- Describe the best (worst) boss that you have ever worked work. What made them the best (worst)?
- Tell me about a time when you delegated an important task to someone. What was the result?
- What do you like the most about your current position?
- Tell me about your most satisfying experience in your current job.
- What gave you the greatest feelings of achievement in your current job. Why?
- All jobs have their frustration and problems. Describe some examples of specific job conditions, tasks, or assignments that have been dissatisfying to you.
- Give me an example of when you worked the hardest and felt the greatest sense of achievement.
- What have been the most important events or people in your own development?
- What are some recent responsibilities you have taken on? Why did you assume these responsibilities?
- What personal factors do you consider most important in evaluating yourself or your success?
- What are some of the worst communication problems that you have experienced? Examples.
- What different approaches do you use in talking with different people? How do you know that you are getting your point across
- Give me an example of a time when you had difficulty getting your point across to someone via the telephone.
- Tell me about a time when you told someone to do something and they did it wrong. Why was it done wrong?
- What is the most complex process/rules/product or situation that you have had to explain to someone over the phone?
- What is the most complex process/rules/product or situation that you have had to explain to other people?
- How much of the key information in your job comes to you orally rather than in writing? Give me some examples of situations in which you were able to extract the key bits of data that other people missed?
- Tell me about an important decision that you have made which were based largely on data you got by asking questions?
- What are some of the biggest or most demanding groups that you have made presentations to?
- Have you ever had to explain technical material to people without a technical background?
- Can you give an example of how you have used your communication skills to achieve a favourable outcome from a less than desirable situation?
- What types of scheduling have you done on your job? Tell me about some of the things that you have had to schedule?
- Tell me about a time when you have had to adjust your work schedule?
- How often is your time schedule upset by unforeseen circumstances? What did you do? Give a recent example.
- Describe a typical day.......... a typical week?
- What are some recurring problems in your area of responsibility? What have you done about them?
- When scheduling your time, how do you determine what constitutes a priority?
- What have you done to improve your manager's efficiency or organisation?
- Tell me about a time when your schedule has been upset by unforseen circumstances? What did you do?
- Tell me about some of the long and short term plans you've developed for your department?
- What type of project planning or administration did you do in your last job? Tell me about some of these projects
- Tell me about a time when you missed a deadline on a project. What were the causes? What did you do?
- What procedures do you use to organise information in your work area? Tell me about a time when the procedures worked & when they didn't work?
- Tell me about a challenging situation in which you had to arrange work schedules?
- What office systems have you established? Why did you set up these systems?
- What is your procedure for keeping track of items that require your attention? Tell me about a time when you used this procedure.
- In which of your previous jobs were you most effective? What were your strengths and areas for improvement? What did you do to improve yourself?
- Think of a time when someone criticised you and tell me how you reacted?
- What are your career objectives and what actions have you taken towards achieving them?
- What do you consider to be the biggest contribution you made to your organisation? Why?
- What has been your biggest achievement in your current position? What steps did you take to achieve it?
- What are some of the best ideas that you have ever sold to a superior or peer? What was your approach?
- What is the best idea you tried but failed to sell to a superior or peer? What was your approach? Why did it fail?
- What are some of the most difficult attempts at persuasion you have experienced? What were the issues ? Who was your audience? Give examples
- Occasionally we all find our ideas opposed. When has this happened to you? What did you do?
- Some decisions are better when not based on emotions. Tell me about a time that you helped someone avoid making an emotional decision.
- How do you know that you are doing the right thing on the job? Give me an example.
- It is very easy to get distracted from doing what is necessary to be effective. Tell me about a time when this has happened to you. What did you do about it?
- What kinds of things have you done to ensure that others were meeting their objectives?
- Tell me about a time when you have set an example for your subordinates or peers? How has it helped you meet your (their) objectives?
- Describe a recent work related situation that carried more than the usual element of risk?
- Describe some decisions that you made without all of the pertinent information. Why did you make the decision?
- What are the limits of your decision making authority on the job? Are the limits enforced? When did you last exceed the limits?
- Do you think that a large organisation discourages people from taking risks? How has this affected you?
- Describe the biggest calculated risk you have taken in your current job?
- What are some of the best ideas you ever sold to a superior? What was your approach?
- What are some of the best ideas that you ever sold to a peer?
- Describe your most satisfying experience in attempting to gain top management's support for an idea or proposal?
- How were your sales last year compared to the year before?
- Tell me about one of your toughest sales experiences? Why was it so tough?
- What have you learned about sales from your work experience?
- What kind of sales situations give you the most trouble? Why?
- Tell me about your most satisfying sales experience? Why?
- What are some of the most difficult attempts at persuasion that you have experienced? What were the issues? Who was your audience?
- Tell me about a time when you developed a sale with very little information about what the customer wanted or when they were unsure of their needs?
- Describe a sale in which you had to use a different approach because your initial attempt failed?
- Give examples of the most different sales approaches you have ever used? Why did you employ these?
- What do you do differently than other salespeople in your current role?
- How much opportunity for new ideas/approaches/innovations are there in your present position? Why?
- What percentage of your calls result in some kind of a sale? How do you feel when someone turns you down? How does that affect you?
- How far out on a limb have you gone to make a sale? Tell me about the situation?
- What did you do to recuperate when the last big sale fell through? How long did it take?
- Tell me about a sales situation when gathering data effectively was crucial.
- Walk me through the steps you followed in making one of your largest sales. Whom did you talk to & why?
- Give me an example of a time when your ideas were strongly opposed in a discussion. How did you react?
- Describe a time in the past year that you have been most upset with your performance?
- Have you perceived problems that you caused others?
- Can you describe a time when you were dealing with someone very thin skinned?
- Describe a time when you where you wished you'd acted differently with someone work. What did you do?
- What specific problems have people from other departments brought to you recently? How did you handle them?
- When dealing with a group or individuals how do you determine when you are pushing too hard?
- Tell me about people who waste your time with a lot of unnecessary problems
- When have you had to gain agreement from different groups. How have you gone about it?
- Tell me about one of the toughest groups that you have had to get cooperation from. Did you have any formal authority? What did you do?
- Different people react differently to different persuasion styles or approaches. Tell me about a time that you had to persuade different people on a single issue. How did you decide on the approach to pursue with each.
- Describe a time when you persuaded someone to do something. What was the situation? How did persuade the person?
- Think of a major sales presentation that you made. What was your approach? Explain how the sale developed?
- Describe a situation in which your first attempt to sell an idea failed. What happened next? What approach did you use the second time?
- Describe your most satisfying experience in attempting to gain upper management's support of an idea or proposal. What was the situation, and how did it turn out?
- Contrast a sale that you have made with a sale that you lost. What did you do differently in these two situations?
- Tell me about a time when you persuaded a customer to buy your organisation's products or services. How did you do it?
- Describe a reorganisation that has significantly affected you. Describe the role that you played?
- What part did you play in developing your unit's operating functions?
- Tell me about a time when you have assisted a co-worker.
- Describe some situations in which you wish that you acted differently with someone in your team/department. What happened?
- Tell me about a time when you had difficulty getting along with a co-worker. How did you deal with this?
- When dealing with team members, how do you determine if you are pushing an issue or a decision too hard? Tell me about a time when you pushed too hard?
- What was the last idea that shared with a team member? Why did you choose to share it with that person?
- Tell me about the toughest group that you have had to work with. What was it that made the group tough? What did you do?
- Tell me about a new procedure you wanted your team to use? What did you do?
- Have you ever helped a co-worker with his/her performance at work? Tell me about one of these times?
- Have you ever been in a group with an unproductive person? How did you handle this situation?
- Tell me about a time when you became frustrated or impatient when dealing with a co-worker. What did you do?
- What are some of the best ideas that you have presented to, and which were accepted by your team? What approach did you use?
- Tell me about a team member from whom it was tough to gain acceptance. What was your approach?
- What do you believe are the key skills associated with being a successful team member?
- Describe a recent problem that you have had with a team member and how you resolved it?
- Tell me about a time when you had a feeling of frustration or impatience when dealing with a manager? What was the situation?
- When was the last time that the pressure really got to you?
- What kind of job activities do you find most frustrating? How do you keep things in perspective?
- When was the last time your manager criticised the way that you handled a situation? Why? How did you react?
- What are some of the biggest obstacles you have had to overcome to get where you are today? How did you overcome them?
- What are some of your biggest disappointment in your current role. How did you cope?
- Tell me about a time when you gave your all but failed.
- How have you reacted to customers' criticism of your products or services? Specific.
- Tell me about a time when a favourable key contact left the position, and you had to start over with someone else. How did you handle the setback?
- Sometimes it is difficult to know when to quit. Describe an experience in which you were too persistent/not persistent enough. What happened?
- Tell me about a time when you persisted in overcoming objections to show how products or services me the customers' needs.
- What are the standards of success in your job? What have you done to meet these standards?
- Tell me about a time when you weren't very pleased with your performance. What did you do about it?
- Compare and contrast when you did work that was above the standard and times your work was below standard?
- Under what conditions do you work best?
- Tell me about the kinds of pressure do you feel in your job? How do you deal with it?
- What are the highest pressure situations have you been under in recent years? How did you cope?
- When did you last lose your temper ? Why? What was the result?
- How often do you find it necessary to take work home? Why?
- Give me an example of when your ideas were strongly opposed in a discussion. How did you react?
- What conditions in your current job are most frustrating to you?
- Have you ever had a feeling of frustration and impatience when dealing with customers? What was the situation?
- What are some of the most difficult reports that you have ever written? Why?
- What are your proudest writing achievements? Why?
- What kinds of writing do you have to do on the job? Who is the audience? What level of language do you use & why?
- What are your salary expectations?
- Are you considering any other offers?
- How many weeks notice do you require?
- Referees? (Must be two direct managers/supv from previous employers)
- Ask candidate if he/she has any questions.
- Inform the candidate of next stages in the process
