Where Do You See Yourself In The Next 5 Years
An ambitious professional with a clear set of goals for the short, medium, and long term, is an invaluable asset to the company. This is true especially if they parallel their career growth with the company they are interviewing at.
As they grow professionally and financially, the company grows and expands too.
During the interview, confident job seekers will discuss that they seek a company with upward mobility as they help the company prosper.
Question: What Is Your Greatest Strength
Your greatest strength is something they actually need.
Dont choose something irrelevant to the job or the employer, like your skill in Sudoku .
Focus on them: You have many strengths, but pick the one they need help with the most. Is it your expertise in a particular skill or technology? Is it your ability to turn low-performing teams into high performers? Share something that makes them think they need to hire youright now.
If they often outsource or hire consultants in a key area of your expertise, youre in their sweet spot for candidates.
Tell Me About A Time You Demonstrated Leadership Skills
You dont have to have a fancy title to act like a leader or demonstrate leadership skills. Think about a time when you headed up a project, took the initiative to propose an alternate process, or helped motivate your team to get something done. Then use the STAR method to tell your interviewer a story, giving enough detail to paint a picture and making sure you spell out the result. In other words, be clear about why youre telling this particular story and connect all the dots for the interviewer.
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What Does Work/life Balance Look Like At Your Company
Are you the kind of person that doesnt mind checking emails at home or do you really want to disconnect when you leave the office? Asking this question lets candidates decide if they want to be in an always-on kind of environment. If the interviewers response indicates an overbearing workload and a messy internal processes, consider looking for a better work/life balance elsewhere.
Why Do You Want To Work At This Company
Beware of generic answers! If what you say can apply to a whole slew of other companies, or if your response makes you sound like every other candidate, youre missing an opportunity to stand out. Zhang recommends one of four strategies: Do your research and point to something that makes the company unique that really appeals to you talk about how youve watched the company grow and change since you first heard of it focus on the organizations opportunities for future growth and how you can contribute to it or share whats gotten you excited from your interactions with employees so far. Whichever route you choose, make sure to be specific. And if you cant figure out why youd want to work at the company youre interviewing with by the time youre well into the hiring process? It might be a red flag telling you that this position is not the right fit.
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Question: What Is Your Greatest Weakness
I hate the greatest weakness question. Everyone knows its a trap, and everyone knows the candidate is going to say something trite .
Focus on them: Dont pick a weakness that will disqualify you for the job, but do give a real answer.
When you give a real answer, you are being genuine. You are admitting you have some growth opportunities and are not perfect. But you can include that you already have a plan to overcome this weakness through training or practice .
Some people even insert a little humor in their answerI wish I was better at tennis. You can, too, if you feel like the interviewer has a sense of humor. But, be sure to quickly follow with a serious answer. Showing you have a lighter side is usually a good thing.
Laws That Prohibit Certain Interview Questions
As a small business owner, you must be mindful of federal and state laws against discrimination in the workplace. These laws protect both candidates and employees.
So, what are they?
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces federal laws that prohibit discrimination. These laws include the:
- Equal Pay Act of 1963
- Civil Rights Act of 1964
- Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967
- Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
- Civil Rights Act of 1991
- Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008
Another federal law that protects individuals is the:
Not all employers are required to follow each of these laws. The Civil Rights Act, ADA, and GINA only apply to employers with 15 or more employees. And, the ADEA only applies to employers with 20 or more employees. Make sure to check with your state for specifics on state discrimination laws.
You might be wondering how these laws relate to interview questions. Depending on what you ask, you may violate one of the laws prohibiting job discrimination.
The questions you cant ask in an interview could produce answers that resultor look like they resultin candidate discrimination. As an interviewer, you cannot violate workers privacy or anti-discrimination rights.
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What Is Your Vision For The Role Answer
What is your vision for the company interview answer?
- Be true to yourself and the interviewer:
- Let your answer be simple and lucid:
- Its better to prepare first hand rather than getting stuck:
- Make sure that your goals and vision are achievable by properly framing them as a short term goal and long term goal:
Questions About Next Steps
10. Whats your timeline for next steps?
This is a basic logistics question, but its useful to ask because it gives you a benchmark for when you can expect to hear something back. Otherwise, in a few days youre likely to start agonizing about whether you should have heard back about the job by now and what it means that you havent, and obsessively checking your phone to see if the employer has tried to make contact. Its much better for your quality of life if you know that youre not likely to hear anything for two weeks or four weeks or that the hiring manager is leaving the country for a month and nothing will happen until shes back, or whatever the case might be.
Plus, asking this question makes it easy for you to check in with the employer if the timeline they give you comes and goes with no word. If they tell you that they plan to make a decision in two weeks and its been three weeks, you can reasonably email them and say something like, I know you were hoping to make a decision around this time, so I wanted to check in and see if you have an updated timeline you can share. Im really interested in the position and would love to talk more with you.
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What Interview Questions Are Illegal
Off-limits interview questions center on unchangeable or highly personal aspects of a candidates identity.
Illegal interview questions include those pertaining to:
- Sex, Gender Identity, or Sexual Orientation
- Race, Color, or National Origin
- Religion
- Citizenship
If a candidate brings these topics up, then it is advisable to steer the conversation onto other subjects. A candidate may inquire about reasonable accommodations and the inclusivity of your work culture, at which point it may be pertinent to outline your organizations benefits, diversity efforts, and willingness to support underrepresented employees. However, as a rule, you should never pose questions related to these topics, and should defer these discussions if the candidate initiates them.
The legality of asking about criminal background during interviews is more complex. In most places, it is not illegal to ask candidates about criminal records, but employers may not deny applicants based solely on conviction history without conducting an individualized assessment. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission warns against placing conviction questions on job application forms. Most employers wait to ask about criminal conviction until the late stages of the interview process.
What Do You Plan To Do If
Every business faces a major challenge: technological changes, competitors entering the market, shifting economic trends. There’s rarely one of Warren Buffett’s moats protecting a small business.
So while some candidates may see your company as a stepping-stone, they still hope for growth and advancement. If they do eventually leave, they want it to be on their terms, not because you were forced out of business.
Say I’m interviewing for a position at your ski shop. Another store is opening less than a mile away: How do you plan to deal with the competition? Or you run a poultry farm : What will you do to deal with rising feed costs?
Great candidates don’t just want to know what you think they want to know what you plan to do — and how they will fit into those plans.
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Don’t Miss: What Will They Ask You In A Job Interview
Best Questions To Ask In An Interview
Come to your interview with your questions prepared. Give thought to who you’re interviewing with and what questions would be best suited for them. For example, recruiters will have the best knowledge of company culture, benefits and high-level responsibilities of the job while VPs or CEOs are best equipped for questions about strategy, vision and goals of the company. Beforehand, practice asking at least three questions that demonstrate youve thought seriously about what it would be like to do this job. Here are a few examples of questions you might ask:
Great Example Questions To Ask At The End Of An Interview
Weve prepared 14 solid explanations below for you to help kick start your creative juices as well as included why theyre good questions to ask the interviewer.
Of course, as always, these are example questions meant to help you write your own.
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What Are Your Strengths/weaknesses
This question is often seen as challenging by many candidates, even those with significant experience. However, if approached correctly it is easily possible to avoid ‘bragging’ when discussing your strengths or seeming excessively negative when talking about your perceived weaknesses.
Strengths – Based on the job description, choose three examples of traits the employer is looking for and give examples of how you have used these strengths in a work situation. Ideally, include a mixture of tangible skills, such as technical or linguistic abilities, and intangible skills, such as management experience.
Weaknesses – The best approach here is to pick a trait that you have already made positive steps to address.
Consider how you have approached your perceived weaknesses in the past and what you have done to address them
If your tech skills are not at the level they could be, state this as a weakness before telling the interviewer about training courses or time spent outside work hours you have used to improve your skills.
More Common Supervisor Interview Questions
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Why Did You Decide To Leave Your Previous/current Job
When asking this question, the interviewer wants to learn:
- Did you have a good reason for leaving your last job? The HR manager doesnt want someone that just jumps ship the moment things go bad.
Incorrect Example:
Oh, well, the company started bleeding cash and was on its way to bankruptcy.
Correct Example:
I felt like it was time – I got to a point where everything I was doing felt monotonous. I learned as much as I could at this position while delivering amazing results. It was, however, time to switch to something new.
- Did you leave on good terms? Meaning, did you go through the offboarding process, instructing your coworkers on how to take up your responsibilities? Or did you just say Adios and stopped showing up at work?
Incorrect Example:
Things started to get really boring, and the boss man was kind of mean. I totally deserve better, so I just ghosted them and now Im looking for a new company. Hi!
Correct Example:
I didnt feel like the companys values coincide with mine. The management was too controlling and micromanaging. I prefer to have some control over my work, and being able to contribute by going above and beyond my requirements.
Of course, I went through the off-boarding properly. Meaning, gave a timely resignation notice, and transferred all the essential company knowledge to my replacement.
- Did you leave voluntarily, or were you fired?
Incorrect Example:
I got fired for missing work for a week without an excuse.
Correct Example:
What Can You Do For Us That Other Candidates Can’t
Emphasize what makes you unique when you’re asked, “What can you do for us that other candidates can’t?” This will take an assessment of your experiences, skills and traits. Summarize concisely: “I have a unique combination of strong technical skills, and the ability to build strong customer relationships. This allows me to use my knowledge and break down information to be more user-friendly.”
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What Was Your Biggest Accomplishment In This Position
What They Want to Know: What are you proudest of? Was there a time something didn’t work out, but you were able to learn from it? Let the hiring manager know what you achieved, again sharing examples from your most recent job.
Im most proud of having convinced our CEO to implement an internal training and promotion program that allowed our personnel to steadily advance within our organization.
More Answers: Interview Questions: What Were Your Biggest Successes and Failures?
Why Are Manholes Round
UBS, a Swiss multinational investment bank, asks this sneakily insightful question in Operations interviews. At first glance, it seems like another funny, “loosen the candidate up” question — but, in actuality, it’s a good indicator of your candidate’s intellect.
An ideal candidate will think the question through and provide a thoughtful answer like this one — “A round manhole cover can’t fall through the round manhole opening. A square cover, on the other hand, could fit diagonally through the opening and fall through. Additionally, a circular cover fits easily, and can be removed easily, without much precision or rotating.”
This answer demonstrates your candidate’s ability to see the necessity of certain solutions, and ideally apply those same problem-solving skills to her own role.
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