Advice on how to respond to challenging interview questions 2. How do you handle criticism and conflict, give examples from your working experience? An interview is about more than the obvious questions relating to the information on your CV and an explanation of your experience and skills. The primary reason for interviewing you face-to-face is to uncover what is not evident in your CV or through reference checking. The interviewer wants to see how you represent yourself in person; how professionally you handle yourself and how quickly and confidently you are able to give relevant responses. Most of the questions identified by our Facebook fans form part of behavioural interviewing; an interviewing technique that goes beyond traditional interviewing. It is based on the logic that past behaviour gives insight into future behaviour. Questions are pointed and probing, designed to uncover the key skills and behaviours the employer is looking for. To demonstrate let’s analyse this example: Interviewer: Have you ever disagreed with your superior and if so how did you handle it? Interpretation: The interviewer wants to uncover any or all of the following: • Your independent thinking and willingness to stand up for what you think, • Your confidence, • Your communication skills when representing a differing opinion, • Your conflict resolution skills and whether you required assistance and • Your respect for the ultimate decision. Interviewee: There was an occasion after a particularly difficult initial presentation to a potential new client that my boss wanted to discount our rates to ensure we secured the business. I strongly felt that their hard negotiations were tactical and I believed that by discounting our costs so early in the negotiations we showed a lack of confidence and conviction; something that may do us more damage than good in the process. I requested a meeting with my boss at which I challenged her thinking and convinced her to let me have another meeting in which I clearly demonstrated that our costs were justified based on the services we offered. I took responsibility for the next meeting, prepared well, presented well and successfully negotiated a deal on our original rates. Interpretation: Example showed: • Independent thinking • Self-belief • Effective communication skills • Confidence • Willingness to take on responsibility • Clear commitment to the success of the company The same thinking is then applied to the question relating to criticism and conflict. Think of various examples from your working life (and if you are applying for your first position, school or life experiences can be used) that demonstrate your strengths, times when you overcame difficulties, motivated or encouraged others, recovered from a mistake or bad experience etc. and build answers around those stories.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Jul 2013 10:58:18 +0000
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