Home About Our Blog 923|Recruitment & HR’s Top Interview Questions.

 

After having been in recruitment and HR for many years and interviewing hundreds of people for hundreds of roles, we have a pretty good understanding of what questions elicit the best responses.

 

A good interviewer should ask you behavioural questions, which require you to use the STAR model response – that is talk about the Situation, Task, Action and Result.

For example if asked how you deal with difficult customers, your best answer would be within the region of … “When I worked at XYZ company, I had a situation where …and so what I did was… Because I did that ….”

 

The most powerful thing that you can do at an interview is give solid examples – like “when I worked at …” and “ I had to” etc.

 

The weakest thing that you can do is give generalist answers like “I always have been able to calm difficult customers down” 

 

Sometimes, the answers to the question is not as important, as your thought process that created that answer. For example, if we are looking for a highly creative personality, we are looking for that creativity to show through in the answers, not the answers specifically. 

 

By the same token, tone of voice, enthusiasm and attitude displayed can be as important as the actual answer. 

 

On our E-shop, in checklist Central, we have a fabulous Checklist for you to practise which is called the Top 50 Interview Questions. We have put these together from our experience over the past ten years and we list our favourite Behavioural Questions as well as some that can really stump the interviewee.

 

The list has been created based on four criteria – 

 

Popularity – These questions have been chosen, based on popularity – that is the questions that we see most given by employers to employees. They may not be the best questions, but that does not mean that you will not be on the receiving end of them.

 

Difficulty – These are the questions that all candidates loath – however better to be prepared than not!

 

Ability to address certain criteria – If the employer is looking to delve into your personality or skill set looking for a certain characteristic; these are the types of questions that can be asked.

 

Left Field – These are those brilliant questions asked when the correctness of the answer is not the reason for asking the question, but where the way you answer the question is the vital component.

 

Of course if you need further assistance our Interview Skills sessions may be the way to go  - have a look at http://www.nine2three.com.au/interview-skills-for-jobs.asp

 

Either way, don’t hesitate to call us – we are your 923|Recruitment & HR! 1300 923 000

 

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