Job Interview

 

 

How To Answer Job Interview Questions

Some applicants make the mistake of not answering some of their interview questions completely. This can hurt their chances of being hired, especially if a score is applied to each answer.

What was the outcome?
Although not listed in the previous section, outcome questions are often asked. For example,

Question: Explain a time when you needed to solve a problem for your company. What did you do and what was the outcome?


This answer needs three parts:

  • The situation

  • Your action

  • The results of your action (the outcome)

The following answers would not be considered good answers in an interview.

  • Answer: There was a time when we had a high rate of unscheduled absences.

    • Needs: What were your actions? What was the outcome?

  • Answer: I analyzed the likely causes of unscheduled absences which are sickness, stress, personal needs, family needs and entitlement.

    • Needs: What was the situation? What was the outcome?

The interviewer may have a document on which she must write your response. Her document may literally have a place for the situation, your action and the outcome. It would be very clear that you did not completely answer the question and it would show justification for not giving your response full credit.

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A great response would be something in the order of:

  • (Situation) There was a time when the company had a high rate of unscheduled absences. (Your action) I analyzed the most likely causes of unscheduled absences which are sickness, stress, personal needs, family needs and entitlement mentality. I found that a significant amount of unscheduled absences were due to stress and entitlement mentality. I was able to reduce stress in the workforce by giving floor supervisors additional management training that was directly related to interaction with their subordinates. And I initiated an attendance review for anyone with 4 or more unscheduled absences in a year and/or unscheduled absences in conjunction with their days off. (Result) The result was that unscheduled absences at the company were reduced by 3.9%

An answer like this brings home the point that you can analyze, problem solve and see solutions through to their conclusions. If you are asked questions that are designed to find out about a time when x occurred, or what did you do when x occurred, or what was the result your action x, or the combination of these 3 inquiries, make it your practice to state the situation, your action and the result of your action each time you answer questions like these. Remember, questions that start out ‘Tell us about a time when….’ are answerable in this way.

Answer the question before you
This sounds simple, but sometimes interviewees don’t actually answer the question that they are asked.

Question: What qualities do you look for in a boss?

Wrong Answer: My last boss was great. We got along fine. My boss and I had a great working relationship.

Good Answer: I like to work for someone who has a clear understanding of where we need to go as a team (department, company), and how to lead us there. A particular quality that I like in a boss is one in which she can recognize the talents and abilities of her subordinates and utilize them to the benefit of the team (department, company).

Simply put, pay attention to the question that you are asked so that you can respond appropriately. The first answer is wrong because it does not answer the question, ‘What qualities’? I used the term good answer as opposed to right answer because there is more than one right answer.

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Better late than never
If you go on enough interviews, it is inevitable that at some point you will be asked a question that causes you to draw a blank. It’s the question that you weren’t prepared for and/or you didn’t know existed. Don’t let the long awkward silence rattle you (although it may). If you can come up with a good response within a matter of a few seconds, fine. If not, ask the interviewer if you can think about that for a moment and continue with the other questions. At the end of the interview, the interviewer generally will go back to that question and ask you again. If she forgets, make sure that you don’t and let her know that you would like to respond to that answer now.

Although drawing a blank can throw you off of your game momentarily, the important thing is that you answer the question. Remember, your answers help to determine your possible employment. As well, your non-answers do also.

Separate yourself from the pack
If you are able, try to avoid canned answers. If you and 9 other interviewees give the same answers, you all will be as indistinguishable from each other as strands of hair. When you are asked to describe your work ethic, you may have to start off with a cookie cutter answer like:

            I am a hard worker.

That’s fine, it’s understandable. You may need to use a response such as this as a frame, but add detail to the answer and build upon the frame. You can even give an example that shows that you are a hard worker. Remember, many applicants will give generic answers such as ‘I am dedicated’ and ‘I come to work on time.’ If you state evidence that validates that these statements are true, you will give interviewers more reasons to hire you. The following are examples of some of the typical answers that interviewers will hear from interviewees. Make sure that even if these answers are incorporated into your responses, they are surrounded by additional and more specific information.

  • Why, should we hire you?

    I’m a hard worker. I’m dedicated. I’ll do the best I can.

  • Are you a team player?

    • Yes.

  • Explain how you would be an asset to this company.

    I’m a hard worker. I’m dedicated. I arrive to work on time.

  • Why did you leave your last job?

    I’d like a better salary / I’d like to get paid more.

  • Describe you work ethic.

    I’m a hard worker. I’m dedicated. I arrive to work on time. I’ll do the best I can.

  • How will you compensate for your lack of experience?

    • I'll try hard. I'll do the best I can. I'm a quick learner.