What Are Situational Interview Questions

Situational Questions As A Part Of Your Interview Process

As an experienced HR recruiter, you know that theres more to a recruitment strategy than just asking questions. But its important that you ask your situational questions at the right time.

If your company culture is all about sharing creativity, thoughts, feelings, and concepts no matter what, its important that you tell this to your candidate before you ask them their questions. This will help the candidate answer more truthfully because they now know whats important in your business.

Similarly, if your business has a set structure, an almost production-line way of working, this should be told as early in the interview process as possible.

Traditionally, most candidates are given time to ask questions about the position or the company in an initial interview. Give them a dedicated time to ask questions, and encourage them to ask you similar situational questions. What would it take for you to praise an entire department for going above and beyond?

Sure, its rare that a candidate would ask you such a question, but your best answer should still respond to the question as if it were asked in such a way.

So what are the most useful situational questions to throw at a candidate?

What Is Your Greatest Achievement

Correct answer:

When I was working as a sales agent at a boutique store, the business was going through a bit of a hard time. A lot of competitive stores had opened up nearby and sales were below target. I decided to try something and with the owners permission, decided to do some marketing. I opened up social media accounts for the store and did some advertising. I also got in touch with some other businesses, mainly bars and restaurants, and proposed we collaborate on some posts and help advertise each other. No matter how minimal, this appeared to have an effect. In the beginning foot traffic at the store increased a lot, while sales grew slightly. After a while, sales started consistently reaching the target. That experience is what made me decide to pursue a career in marketing.

This answer not only explains a great achievement, but it also shows initiative on the interviewees part, all while maintaining a humble tone.

Incorrect answer:

I used to work for a boutique store as a sales agent. The business wasnt going very well for them until I decided to intervene and did some marketing. That had a great result and the business was back on its feel. Who knows, they mightve even closed if I hadnt helped. I was very proud of that achievement. It made me realize my marketing skills.

Apart from not giving enough information about the situation and action taken, the interviewee sounds very self-centered and conceited.

Pro Tip:

How Would You Handle A Disagreement With Your Superior

This question revolves almost entirely around your soft skills. It requires you to demonstrate your communication and conflict-resolution abilities. You also have the chance to demonstrate that you can both respect company structure and come up with creative solutions.

Example answer: ‘A couple of years ago, I was working as a customer service agent. Our work was shift-based. At the beginning of every month, we had a meeting with our manager to discuss our shifts. However, on one occasion our manager suddenly changed our shifts halfway through the month.The sudden change disrupted my schedule and that of my colleagues.

Although my manager resisted requests to rethink his decision, I asked if I could be of any help and volunteered to act as an intermediary. This allowed me to present my concerns and those of others. I assisted my manager in amending the shifts so that the disruption was minimal. I had to compromise, but the overall change was positive for all involved.Because of this, I was given extra responsibilities for managing shifts. A year later, complaints related to scheduling had dropped by 20%.’

Don’t Miss: What Is A One Way Interview

Tell Me About How You Work Under Pressure

The interviewer is using this question to see how well you work under pressure and what strategies you have used in the past to handle the pressure. This question is especially important if you’re interviewing for a high-stress job. A great answer will give a specific example of how you managed a high-pressure situation successfully. It could also include what you would have done differently, looking back.

Example:“I had been working on a large project that my team committed to turning around for the client in 60 days. My manager came to me and said that the client wanted it back in 45 days and that we would need to speed up our work without losing momentum on our other projects. I met with our team and we reviewed the calendar. We eliminated team meetings and shifted lower-priority tasks until the end of the 45-day period to add extra hours to our workweeks. I challenged my team to complete the project in 45 days or left and as a reward promised two days of extra PTO time. Our team got the job done in 42 days.”

Examples Of Situational Questions About Decision

Example question and answer: What is usually your strategy regarding making important decisions?

For me personally, it all starts with gathering the right information and analyzing the amount of time I have to make a decision. These two elements are the most important factors I consider to substantiate my decision.

Sometimes its decisions need to be made under time pressure even if all the required information cant be gathered. In these cases, I weigh information versus time. Next, I analyze the possible outcomes and which result I will most likely get from a decision. Furthermore, I always take into account whats the best choice for my team, colleagues, and organization in general with the facts available at that time.

What interviewers look for in your answer:

Its important that you show that you have a systematic approach to making important decisions. Your goal is to demonstrate that you have a process you follow in order to come to a sound decision.

Don’t Miss: What Is A Working Interview

What Did You Like Most About Your Last Position

Tie your answer to the company’s needs. Focus on highlights of your track record at your last job and be as specific as possible.

Example:What I liked most about my last position was the opportunity to collaborate with other teams. We once worked with a client who was relying on us to solve a critical issue. After I recommended a plan for our team to resolve the issue, we took time considering the pros and cons of the solution. When we implemented it, it worked better than everyone expected. The client was very pleased.

What Are Behavioral Interview Questions

Behavioral interview questions are those that focus on how you’ve handled various situations in the workplace and reveal your character traits, abilities and skills. These questions give an interviewer an idea of how you would behave if a similar situation were to arise, the logic being that your success in the past will show success in the future.

Unlike traditional interview questions, behavior job interview techniques look for concrete examples of skills and experiences that relate to the position. Your answers to these questions should provide a brief story that illustrates your skills and strengths as an employee. For each answer, give the interviewer the background to the story briefly, specific actions you took and the results.

Related:Situational Interview Questions and Answers

Read Also: How To Set Up A Video Interview

The Importance Of Preparing For Situational Interview Questions

Your interview preparation should ensure that you are able to explain how you would deal with situations that you are likely to encounter on the job. This means that you should be able to provide a step by step explanation on the spot when youre being asked about how you would solve a certain situation.

Situational questions give the interviewer the ability to zoom in on your thought process and critical thinking abilities. The interviewer can focus on the details of the approach that you provide in your answers. This is the reason that you need to ensure that you provide the interviewer with which actions you would take and what result you would try to get in that specific situation.

Often, candidates are not really prepared to give a strong answer on the spot about how they would go about handling a situation. This is also why a strong preparation prior to your interview is important. The reason for this is that when the interviewer asks you about what actions you would take to solve a situation, its actually a great opportunity to demonstrate your suitability for the job. Situational questions allow you to explain how you can use your skills and abilities to add value to your potential future employer.

Star Interview Technique To Successfully Clarify Work Situations

Its important that you prepare answer examples from your work experience as well to help you substantiate your answers. Examples of times, you successfully used the required skills for the job help you give your answers more weight.

The most efficient and effective way to structure your answers to questions that you expect based on your research is by using the STAR interview technique.

You May Like: What Questions Do They Ask In A Phone Interview

Situational Interview Questions For Teachers

Q35.Describe a situation when you needed to take initiative.

Q36.Talk about a time when you had to work closely with someone whose personality was very different from yours.

Q37.Give me an example of a time you faced a conflict while working on a team. How did you handle that?

Q38.Describe a time when you struggled to build a relationship with someone important. How did you eventually overcome that?

Q39.Describe a time when it was especially important to make a good impression on a client. How did you go about doing so?

Q40.Give me an example of a time when you did not meet a clients expectation. What happened, and how did you attempt to rectify the situation?

Q41.Tell me about a time when you made sure a customer was pleased with your service.

Q42.Describe a time when you had to interact with a difficult client. What was the situation, and how did you handle it?

Q43.Tell me about a time you were under a lot of pressure. What was going on, and how did you get through it?

Q44.Describe a time when your team or company was undergoing some change. How did that impact you, and how did you adapt?

Q45.Tell me about the first job youve ever had. What did you do to learn the ropes?

Q46.Give me an example of a time when you had to think on your feet in order to delicately extricate yourself from a difficult or awkward situation.

Q47.Tell me about a time you had to be very strategic in order to meet all your top priorities.

What Do You Do When You Are On A Time

Time-crunches are a part of any teacher’s life. But, when you are waiting on someone else for a joint project, it can be frustrating when they do not complete their end of the bargain. How you react next is what the interviewer wants to understand. Share honestly how you navigate these kinds of rough waters.

Shane’s Answer

“I had a situation, a few years back, where I had to work on accreditation tasks for the school I was at. We were placed with a few teachers to handle the tasks. One teacher, in particular, was supposed to have their stuff in by the end of the day. As we rolled up on the end of the day, I reached out to ask how things were going. The teacher had run out of time and was not able to complete the task. I knew I had two options: allow the situation to unfold with the teacher getting in trouble or doing the work for them. I knew the administration wanted it done, but I did not feel it was fair for me to get put in that situation. Ultimately, I let the situation play out and when the work was not completed, I reached out to the adminstation to complete the missing work. They certainly were thankful that I stepped up to the plate.”

Read Also: How To Ace A Phone Screening Interview

Sample Situational Interview Questions And Answers

Two: Craft A Strong Response To The Situational Question

Its important to emphasise that you understand the issues that really concern your prospective employerand this is much easier to do if youve followed the advice in step one. You can then start your response with a phrase that identifies the soft skill youll need most to address the situation. For example:

• Thats a challenging situation, but Ive always had a lot of confidence in my communication skills, and I think theyre what Id need most.
• I always listen carefully to constructive feedback because I believe its one of the best ways for me to learn from people who have more experience than I do.
• The first thing I would do is ask for more informationin a situation like that, I think its really important to pay attention to the details before figuring out my next move.
• I endeavour not to disappoint clients, but, should it occur, Id take responsibility and aim to learn as much from the experience so that I can provide a better service in the future.

After identifying the key skills youll need, provide one or two specific examples of how youd put them into practice. Conclude your answer by highlighting what youd expect to learn from the situation, and how that might help you deal with similar challenges going forward.

We can now review a few complete answers:

Recommended Reading: What Questions Do I Ask The Interviewer

Examples Of Situational Questions About Problem

Example answer to situational questions about problem-solving skills: If you face a complex problem at work, what steps do you take to identify and resolve it?

Usually, when I face a complex problem, I start by doing research and analysis. Being able to identify the cause of the issue and understanding it fully is essential, especially when time is a factor. Depending on the complexity of the issue, I might ask team members for a brainstorming session and consulting more experienced coworkers.

Based on the outcome, I start analyzing the situation. My analytical skills and experience help me develop effective and efficient solutions. Furthermore, through analyzing a problem thoroughly, I make a distinction between effective and ineffective solutions.

What interviewers look for in your answer:

Note: Even though situational questions are hypothetical by definition, you can always refer to example situations from your work experience in which you have used your problem-solving process to come to resolve an issue. Including results you got based on your decision-making skills gives your answer more weight.

What Employers Fear About You

How well do you get along with people and influence others?

• Resolving conflict

How do you cope with stress and disappointment?

• Missing deadlines

Do you have the skills you say you do, to do the job?

• Technical abilities and knowledge of systems
• Product knowledge
• Sales abilities
• Service, management, organizational skills

Are you a self-starter and easy to manage? Do you take the initiative to solve problems and get things done?

Pearl of Wisdom: While preparing for your interview, think of times when you solved or improved one or more of the above situations. Then use this 3 step model to share your personal story in your job interview:

Also Check: How Do I Prepare For An Interview