Interview Questions UK

You have just been through a grueling interview.  The questions were tough and some just seemed off-the-wall and some were rather innocent.  What was the interviewer really looking for?  What did she mean by those questions?  Well, you can be certain that if you were interviewed by a seasoned interviewer, each and every question had a very distinct purpose.  Listed below are some common and not-so-common questions with the potential purpose of the question.

Common questions and what the interviewer is really looking for:

Question: Tell me about yourself?
Answer: The interviewer is looking for you to talk about yourself and to reveal anything that she might not otherwise be able to ask.  For example, do you have kids?  Married? Hobbies?  Interests?  Single parent?  Let’s say the job involves shift work, the need to be at work at 7:00 every day or the flexibility to be on call?  Candidates with children are perceived to have more problems getting to work on time, miss more work because of children illnesses, school functions, etc.  Is this fair?  No.  Is this a reality for some hiring managers?  Absolutely.  So what to do.  Talk specifically about previous work, your desire to work, etc.  The only exception would be if you know for a fact you and the hiring manager have something in common that you can use to build interest with himher and that you would be a great fit.

Question: Tell me about the most difficult person you had to deal with?
Answer: The interviewer could care less about the most difficult person you had to deal with.  What she is fishing for here is your ability to get along with people.  Do not answer this one too quickly.  Answering quickly suggests you have had to deal with a log of difficulty people which really suggests that you are the difficult one.  A better approach might be to tell the interviewer that you get along with everybody and that you do not have problems with difficult people.  Assuming that that statement is true, expand on your ability to pull diverse groups of people together to complete a project

Question: If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
Answer: While the obvious answer would seem to be “this job”, you might also talk about your desire to take the next step thereby giving the interviewer the thought that you are an achiever and willing to work hard.  It always amazes me how many people that I have interviewed are stumped by this question or answer it saying a surfing job.

Question: Tell me what you liked about your last job and what you disliked
Answer:  Here is another one to be careful on.  Do not go on about all the things you disliked.  It leads the interview to think you do not like anything.  Even if your last job was really, really bad, focus on the positive aspects of the job such as the things you learned, the exposure it gave you, etc.  If you talk more about what you disliked, chances are you will say you dislike something that may be a critical part of the job you are applying for.

Question: Tell me about your favorite and least favorite manager
Answer:  Again, this is a tricky question.  If you begin to talk about the things you dislike about your previous manager, the hiring manager will believe you have a problem with authority.  Focus on the things you have learned from previous managers.  Also talk about how you and a previous manager disagreed on an approach and how you worked the issue out.

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, an experienced interviewing has a reason for each and every question. While the question may seem innocent enough, how you answer it could decide whether you get the job or not.  Always to remember to focus on the positive aspect of your past.  Focusing on the negative will give the impression that you are a negative person and probably not the best fit for the position.

There is nothing like a good hard interview question to strike fear into the heart of even the most qualified applicant. This is a great chance for both parties—the applicant to strut their stuff, and the potential employer to see if the potential employee has the mettle that it will take to perform the job in question well.

So it therefore behooves both parties to prepare well to both ask and answer these sorts of questions. But where do these “million pound” questions come from? Do they have to be or are they original? Is there a place to find and prepare for an interview question? It turns out that the answer to both of these questions is Yes! Often they are found in the same place, and now more than ever the best place to look is on the internet.

There is more information concerning interviews—how to conduct and how to survive them—on the internet than ever. The information, depending on how hard you look, can be very specific too! For instance say you are a small software development firm in silicone valley amongst giant sized competitor companies. You thrive on the pressure exerted from and the competition provided by these larger companies and your constant mission is to beat them at their own games. Well you are going to want employees to thrive under pressure right?

So the trick is to find questions that load on the pressure and get the interviewee into a situation where they feel slightly uncomfortable but should be able to reason their way through the interview question and provide an answer that shows that that is what they have done. If you search you will find websites that provide you with gobs and gobs of questions like this. Some even group them into specific areas and some also offer advise for interpreting answers and providing follow up questions and feed back.

On the other side if you are an interviewee, part of the preparation is trying to think ahead. First to the types of skills that will be needed to perform well in this job and then to the types of questions that show case these skills. The nice thing about this is that there are only so many interview questions that exist and if you do the first part of your research on the job well you should have no question finding information about classic questions that are designed to bring out certain qualities. You therefore have no excuse about not being prepared and in the same manner about not getting a great job!

Most human resource managers today are limited to providing only the basics for employment verification.  Fear of litigation nullifies anything that may be deemed subjective or, more considerably, litigious.   Conducting the formal employment verification will typically return little more than the date your candidate started employment, the date he left, and the position he held.  You will often find yourself lacking the input needed to make an informed hiring decision.  Once in awhile, the HR Manager will be adventurous and respond that your candidate was “in good standing.”
In fact, at the writing of this article, there was a radio program where the show’s commentator reinforced this principle.   The commentator admonished Human Resources Personnel that there is as much a danger in providing a positive reference as there is in providing one that is negative.   He went on to say it is important to keep all employment verifications as uniform as possible.   He suggested providing only the start date, completion date and the position held.
Is this bare bones information enough to make an informed decision on an employment candidate?   Sometimes.  When the job is simple enough and no special skills are required… yes. Then all you need to know is whether or not your candidate actually worked at his previous place of employment.    You may need to know more about an IT candidate’s technical skills, but whether or not your candidate’s last job as a pizza boy can shed any real light on his abilities is open to debate.
Because the typical employment verification yields such sparse information, more and more businesses are turning to the reference verification in order to find out more about their candidates and their respective skills.  While the reference verification can have its pros and cons, for a fair number of hiring situations it’s a smart way to go.
Reference verifications can be best used to discern the skill sets of your job candidate.  Recruiters will employ the reference check to determine if their candidates are qualified in special skills and experience.   You may call upon references to define a job candidate’s level of IT skills, or his fluency with general and industry specific software programs.   You may wish to better understand his abilities in graphic and web design, which can provide essential considerations.
As a recruiter, you may want to know more about your candidate’s networking capabilities, who he knows in his industrial sector.   If he is a sales person, you may know just how well connected he is in, say, licensing product in certain geographic regions.  For international candidates, when language capability is a concern, you can use the reference verification to help assess these abilities.
Of course, there are other questions you may ask in your reference verification process.  You may want to know more about your candidate’s management skills or style.  You need to determine if he works well with others, if he is a team player or the sort that works better off by himself.  Does he show up on time?  Is he absent frequently?  What are the areas where he can improve?
At Corra, as part of the verification process, we ask the reference to rate the employment candidate using a scale of one to ten.  Ten is the highest score.  Usually, to be considered a viable employment candidate, our clients would like to see at least a seven rating.   Seven and up is considered pretty solid.
Sometimes the reference gets carried away and barks out a ten.   Most employers will look at this as boosterish.  But there are the exceptions.  If the reference is an upper level executive and qualifies his or her statement with such phrases as “I’ve been around for umpteen years and rarely have I seen someone work as well as So and So,” the employer will take it more at face value.
In most cases, the higher level ratings are a nine or nine plus.   The reference will often qualify his rating with “Everyone has room to improve…”
Always bear in mind the reference that your job candidate supplies you, will be a favorable reference.   No candidate in his right mind would give you references that would go out of their way to sink his ship.   Sometimes the reference may not find the candidate as favorable as the candidate would like to believe.  While the reference wants to be a good person, they may also want to divulge the more negative aspects as well.  There is any number of reasons for doing so.   Sometimes they wish to give you a heads up.  Sometimes there are personal issues.   Sometimes they are just covering their butts.
The reference may not tell you directly that the candidate is tough to deal with or is someone who they would never hire again.   Yet they would like to.  So it is not the answer itself, but the way they answer that serves as the indicator.   It’s what they don’t say or their hesitation that provides the tipoff they were less than thrilled with your candidate.
Listen for the speech inflection, the hesitation, or the reference’s struggle to find the right word or term.   Sometimes they are working so hard at being diplomatic you can glean a more negative appraisal.  Sometimes, if prodded, they will tell you a little more about the downside of your candidate.   Sometimes that won’t veer from the positive appraisal, but while they don’t say it outright, there is something in the way they answer that can tell you more than they had wished.   Or, they told you exactly what they wanted to say, but with plausible deniability.
It should be noted for the rare but embarrassing occasion that when you get a reference contact information, make sure they are a legitimate source.   Either insist on the business phone number as well as their cell number, or find some way to substantiate that the reference isn’t your candidate’s cousin Larry pretending he is the former CEO of Nonexistent Enterprises ready to give your candidate a really great review.  Think it doesn’t happen?  Think again.   But then you might weigh your candidate’s penchant for duplicity against his daring and creative thinking.  Just kidding.
Here are some of the questions, you may wish to use when conducting reference verifications—
Date:
Candidate name:
Reference name:
Reference TitleCompany:
Company where they worked together:
Relation to Candidate:
Reference Phone:
Confirm Candidate’s Title and Dates of Employment:
1)    Did the candidate report directly to you?
If not, what was your working relationship?
2)    What were this person’s main responsibilities?
3)    a. What are this person’s strengths?
b. What are some areas in which this person can improve?
4)    How does this person work with others?
5)    In what ways does heshe respond to stressful (high pressure) situations?
6)    Did heshe ever have a problem with tardiness or absenteeism?
7)    What advice would you give hisher future manager in working with, and motivating this person?
8)    Would you rehire this person?  If not, why?
9)    On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being best), how would you rate this person’s overall performance?
10)    Do you have any additional comments that you feel would be helpful?
Of course there are variations upon the theme, so you can be resourceful in choosing reference questions to fit your company’s particular needs.   Be uniform in composing these questions.  Otherwise, it becomes a cumbersome process, and you can risk driving your researcher crazy.  There is also the issue of fairness and how it affects the rules governing employment law.  So be consistent.
Reference verifications can be a great tool for the pre-employment screening process. It can be an effective background check, when you use it wisely.

Marketing communications copywriter Charlie Trumpess takes a humorous look at how best to tackle that age old terror, the job interview.

Let’s face it, job interviews are about as much fun as a hot wax with no anaesthetic. After all, attempting to showcase your talents to a bunch of strangers, usually against the clock and on someone else’s turf is not a natural act. Nevertheless, if you really want the job then you have to crack the interview conundrum. Giving ‘good interview’ is all about the three Ps - preparation, presentation and positive thinking. All interviews are basically made of the same hellish stuff, so let’s start at the beginning with the introductions.

The interview introduction can be a slippery customer and one that can easily get away from you. Once you enter that chamber of horrors commonly known as the interview room, you’re on your own, never sure if you’re saying or doing the right thing. The harder you try to relax the more nervous you seem to feel. Simply stringing a coherent sentence together seems like one of the labours of Hercules. Of course the room is unbearably hot and your mouth is unusually dry so your tongue swells, cutting off the oxygen to your brain. Panic grips you. Finally, just as you’re about to turn on your heels and make an undignified dash for the nearest fire escape, the kindly interviewer extends a friendly hand and welcomes you. Now what do you do?

Fear not. Introductions don’t have to be embarrassing, distressing or tearful episodes. Introductions can be easy and fun. You simply have to approach things calmly and logically. Stop and think about it for a moment. You’re meeting someone for the first time; it’s a clean sheet, an opportunity for you to write your own ticket without preconceptions or bias getting in the way. All you have to do is arrive on time, dress smartly, check your teeth for remnants of your last meal, be yourself and make sure you’re wearing industrial strength deodorant. What could be simpler? To build up confidence you can always practice introducing yourself in front of the bathroom mirror before you actually attend any interviews. You might want to try this in the comfort of your own home rather than in the washroom of your local pizzeria, where introducing yourself to fellow patrons might be frowned upon.

Having successfully navigated the interview introductions, your next big challenge is to deal with an offer of refreshments. Something as seemingly benign as a cup of tea or coffee can wreak havoc during an interview. Having to juggle hot liquids in flimsy plastic cups while convincing a stranger of your marketing expertise or business acumen should always be avoided. Accepting or declining refreshments is something of a judgement call, as you don’t want to appear ill at ease, but remember the risks are high. Loud slurping or gulping won’t endear you to the interviewer while spilling hot chocolate down the front of your cream and oatmeal business suit is a blunder few candidates can easily recover from. So, if you find fear and anxiety has made your mouth as dry as Death Valley on the hottest day of the year simply ask for a glass of water. It’s probably your safest option.

According to certain eminent psychologists, who study such things, the first few minutes of any interview are crucial in determining the final outcome. It seems that first impressions really do count. With the preliminaries over, it’s time to tackle the main event. By this stage of the game you’ll either be brimming with confidence or desperate for the lavatory, a cigarette and a family-sized candy bar. Whatever happens you must stay focussed on the task at hand. 105 seconds is all the time you’re going to get to make the right impression. The key is not to panic. DON’T PANIC! If you’re properly prepared then nothing can go wrong. You should know exactly what questions to ask, what to say, and when to say it. Try to anticipate the questions the interviewer is likely to ask, and have your answers ready. But remember, before answering pause for a moment. It looks more natural. Keep your delivery clear, consistent, positive, short and simple; then you won’t go far wrong. And try not to get sidetracked or go off at a tangent.

However doubtful you are, take it on trust that having your highly polished, recently manicured fingernails pulled out with rusty tweezers is far worse than your average job interview. Interviewers aren’t the monsters they might first appear. They’re just ordinary people doing a difficult job. If the interviewer makes a poor decision then both you and your new employer will suffer the consequences. The best thing that you can probably do is place your trust in the interviewer’s experience while checking the chair you’re offered for chains and thumbscrews. At the end of all this torment, after saying and doing everything right, you still might not get the job. Sometimes life is fickle. In such a case, try to get some positive feedback on your interview technique and move on.

Typically, just as you start to relax and feel you’re building a rapport with your interviewer you’ll find the whole torturous process suddenly coming to an end. And it’s now, at the end of the interview that you face your biggest challenge. As your confidence levels climb it’s tempting to drop your guard and divert from your original interview strategy. Resist this impulse. Technically known as ‘end-of-interview euphoria’ you must fight the urge to say something witty or clever. In the intoxicatingly thin air of your newly found confidence the chances are that your wit and cleverness will be interpreted as glibness or even rudeness. Take it from someone who has suffered this fate; fight your urges and keep your mouth shut without you’re asked a direct question.

Maybe not the big finale you imagined or rehearsed, but safer by far to conclude your interview with a thank you, a smile and a gentle reminder of your contact details. Before you stand up to leave, especially if you’re one of that daredevil breed who recklessly accepts liquid refreshments, make sure that everything spillable is out of harm’s way. Now, all that remains for you to do is get out of there. At this last delicate stage of the proceedings it’s advisable not to run. Hazards are everywhere and tripping over the wastebasket, upsetting the coffee table or ripping the telephone line out of its wall-socket will usually go against you. Whenever possible it’s best to leave your potential new employer’s office building, fixtures and fittings just as you found them. Play by the rules and you’ll walk out of there with a new job in the bag. Congratulations. Alternatively, tomorrow’s another day and another interview.

Job searching not only include resumes and interviews, but also involves other activities to ensure that you get the job you want. An interview should never be considered as the end process of job searching. It is also important to write an interview thank you letter. You must be wondering why you should write an after-interview thank you letter. Here is a list of reasons why it is vital: Writing a thank you letter after an interview can leave a positive impression with an employer and will distinguish you from other candidates. The employer will remember you. It would be best to send the letter within 48 hours following the interview. Don’t forget to address the thank you letter to a specific individual and not just a general title. Be sure also that you spelled the name correctly and be sure that you use the right title. There is no graver sin than to reduce in rank a person of high position. Make sure also that your thank you letter is business like in appearance and should never be printed on the same paper stock as your resume. Always have someone proofread your letter before sending it to ensure that it’s flawless. Write each thank you letter separately even if the form is similar for each letter. Likewise, try to highlight what was discussed in your interview and restate your qualifications as well as other continuing interests. And if you have received and accepted a job offer, be sure that you send your new employer a thank you letter. This is to show your gratitude and it is also an excellent way of starting a positive relationship with your new employer. When writing thank you letters in response to telephone conversations and informal interviews you should remember to write clearly and briefly. And again reiterate some of the important or major points of the conversation and then express your gratitude for the assistance extended to you. In case you would like to withdraw from consideration for a position or to turn down an offer, it is best to send a polite and positive thank you letter. This leaves a good impression on your part and could open doors for future consideration if you change you mind. In situations where you are rejected, still send a thank you thanking them for the interview which they granted you. Likewise, express your continuing interest in working for their company. If you resign from your employment it would be nice to send a thank you letter to your previous employer. This type gesture may generate positive references. Sending a thank you letter reflects that you are were a grateful employee.