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Categories of Difficult Question
There is an almost infinite range of possible questions you might get asked.
Difficult questions can be divided into three main categories:
Role Related Questions: Here you have the opportunity to answer in a
way that gives you a good opportunity to mention your major strengths in
relation to the vacancy.
Personal Questions: You should frame your answer to these so that you
are providing information about your experience and skills set that are directly
relevant to the position.
Dangerous Questions: If any one of these are not answered carefully,
your application may come to an abrupt end. It is important to understand how to
answer the direct objections that the interviewer may raise.
Anticipating difficult questions and having pre-prepared answers can
significantly improve your performance and help you to stand out as a star
candidate. Understanding the rationale of how to approach them will
help you become more confident at dealing with any difficult questions.
Role Related Questions
Those which are role related give you the opportunity to answer in a way that enables
you to sell your major strengths. Here are some examples of this category of
question:
What kind of experience do you have to benefit this particular job?
This represents a golden opportunity to sell yourself but the interviewer will
be looking for an individual who is a problem solver and can 'hit the ground
running'. The answer to this lies in understanding the role when it is
first described to you and taking the trouble to ask lots of questions about
tasks involved. This opens the door for you to respond with suitable skills and
experience showing you could accept the role with confidence. In effect they are
really asking 'how much training and instruction are we going to have to give
you before you are up to speed in this role?'
What interests you most about this job?
Answering this properly requires that you fully understand the job
description, and by asking plenty of questions you should then be able to
respond with some specific explanations that show your enthusiasm. Some good
responses include: challenging, exciting, scope for learning and developing,
departmental growth, teamwork etc.
What are you looking for in your next job?
You want a role where your skills and experience can be put to best use in
contributing to the company. Answering this is all about understanding
yourself, and how this relates to the job description. Avoid an over emphasis on
what you hope the organization can do for you.
Why should we hire you?
Be careful not to answer with a broad description. Keep it brief and to the
point. Each point should be a direct link between your skills and experience and
the demands of the role. A precise answer shows that you accurately understand
the role and what you can bring to it.
Personal Questions
Those which are personal give you the opportunity to answer in a way that enables you
to provide focused information about your skills and abilities. Here are some
examples of this category of question:
Do you consider yourself a natural leader?
The ideal answer to this is 'yes', but in reality not all of us possess the
confidence required to lead. You can substitute 'natural' with either
'competent' or 'conscientious', focusing more on leading by example with good
organizational and interpersonal skills. Most professional jobs require an
element of leadership that you should be taking the trouble to cultivate,
whether it comes naturally or not.
Tell me about yourself
This can be a frustratingly open question, but it does give you an excellent
opportunity to communicate your skills and experience. Aim to keep your answer
professionally-orientated, specific to the characteristics that the interviewer
may want to hear. Although your objective is to show you've got the perfect
profile to fulfil the role, try to do so in a friendly manner so that you can
show the interviewer that you have an agreeable personality.
What are your biggest accomplishments?
Answers to this should always be job-related, impressive but also hinting that
your best work is yet to come. Don't be hesitant or vague when answering this
question. Show that you have a clear idea of your achievements to date.
Dangerous Questions
These give you the opportunity to overcome direct objections that
the interviewer may have with your application. If these are not addressed, you
will effectively rule yourself out as a serious candidate.
Here are some examples of this category of question:
What did you dislike about your last job?
Ideally you would answer 'there was nothing I disliked', although this may not
be realistic. Hiring someone who easily fits into the existing complement of
staff is very important; therefore steer clear of criticizing former colleagues
or managers. Once again, if you pay attention to the company culture when they
described the role to you, you can mention factors that would be likely to
impress them.
How long have you been looking for another position?
If you are currently unemployed and have been looking for some time, try to
minimize the 'time gap' by mentioning any other activities in which you have
been involved, such as study or charity work. If your work is of a specialist
nature and you've been determined to continue in that field, point this out
provided that it isn't at odds with the demands of the new role. A resourceful
answer here can certainly score you points, instead of putting you at a
disadvantage.
Why aren't you earning more at your this stage of your career?
This is another implied negative, which can be turned into a positive by
emphasizing your desire to gain solid experience instead of continually changing
jobs for the sake of money. This question gives you scope to ask; "How much do
you think I should be earning?" This could possibly lead to an offer.
Why have you changed jobs so frequently?
This is another question that can prove difficult. The best response can be to
blame it on your need to gain experience and grow. Emphasize that the variety of
jobs has been good experience and that you're now more mature and settled.
Questions like this can be turned around, but be careful not to dwell too much
on the subject, or over-justify yourself.
Why were you made redundant?
If you were made redundant as a result of a re-organization; then this is a
legitimate excuse that most recruiters will understand - they have probably been
involved with laying off people themselves at some time. Try to give acceptable
reasons, such as downsizing or restructuring. Try to be brief and to
matter-of-fact , encouraging the interviewer to move on.
Why were you fired?
If, however, you were fired and cannot realistically pass it off as a
redundancy, then it's advisable to be open and honest whilst minimizing the
reason for your dismissal. Try to portray the incident as 'one of those unlucky
things that happens to the best of us' and modestly explain how you've learnt
from the experience and the steps you've since taken. The objective is to put
the interviewer at ease in the hope that they won't place too much importance on
a reference check. It is however a good idea to reconcile with your former
employers and ask them to at least give you a fair reference.
Maintain Professionalism at all Times
Generally speaking, interviewers tend to believe that people behave in
interviews the same way as they do at work. Whilst this is evidently not true,
because the interview is an unusual and highly charged environment, it does
confirm that you should never become confrontational with the interviewer. The
golden rule in an interview is to never argue, but to talk them round. If you
disagree with something that your interviewer says, check your understanding
first. Ask a question or questions to clarify their meaning as this demonstrates
that you are keen to clarify the precise facts, ahead of making your point.
Whilst the interviewer is in control during an interview, this does not
mean that you should agree with everything they say. Some questions may be asked
to see how you handle disagreement and you do not want to appear weak or
characterless. When you are stating your opinion, do
so in a way that is polite and gracious. This demonstrates that you do not see
any major issue, you simply have different views. This is how the interviewer
will picture you behaving in the working environment.
Empathize with the Interviewer
It was explained earlier in the course how people like people who remind them of
themselves. This gives rise to various tactics in both verbal and non-verbal
communication. If you find yourself disagreeing with the interviewer you can
counteract the effect by expressing surprise, as if you expected to agree with
them. This reinforces the similarities between you and highlights the point of
contention as an unusual event. Just ahead of disagreeing, say that you are
surprised and reinforce this with your body language, perhaps raising your
eyebrows and looking a little perplexed.
Here are some examples of how to start this process:
‘I’m surprised, I’ve always thought that……’
‘That’s interesting, because my experience leads me to believe….’
‘Really, I know quite a few people say that, but I ….’
‘Well, it’s funny that you say that because…….’
Whilst it is good to show understanding and empathy towards the interviewer this
should never run the risk of being seen as false, or the interviewer will deduce
that you are attempting to ingratiate yourself with them.
Prepare Your Questions
It is quite acceptable to have a prepared list of questions. You should write
these in order of priority so that you ensure you ask the most important ones
first. Intelligent and unique questions can leave a positive impression on the
interviewer and help to set you apart from the other candidates. Useful
questions topics include:
1. What are the key tasks and responsibilities of the job?
2. How are performance reviews conducted?
3. The attitudes of your future line manager
4. What scope there is for promotion within the company?
5. Training and development opportunities
6. Other expectations of the employer, such as travel etc
7. Why the position has become vacant?
8. What is the largest challenge facing this section at present?
9. The decision-making process and line of authority issues
Manage Your Question Session
At the point you start asking questions, you are effectively taking charge of
the proceedings for the first time. Remember that you need to reinforce the
impression that you would be a positive addition to the organizations team, so
remain friendly and react positively to their replies. When asking your
questions don’t interrogate the interviewer. Whilst the interview is a two-way
process there is an inherent balance of power and you are in the weaker
position. Only ask questions that you think the
interviewer is capable of answering. Asking inappropriate questions can lead to
embarrassment and cause a rift between you. An example of this would be asking
detailed technical questions of an interviewer from the HR department.
Don’t ask questions that could have easily been answered by your own
research ahead of the meeting. For example, asking about the organizations
geographical offices or an overview of their product lines would be the type of
question that a bright and inquisitive candidate should know before attending
interview. You must use your judgement to decide when
to bring your questions to a close. Be aware of the time and the interviewer’s
body language - if they start shuffling, clock watching or looking uncomfortable
the time has come to wrap up quickly.
Factors Effecting Salary Negotiations
It is up to you to ensure that the employer recognizes your value and the
contribution you can make to the organization. Remember, once you accept an
offer, your salary is unlikely to change significantly until you get promoted.
The actual negotiation process depends on the following factors:
1. The goals and interests of the parties.
2. The personalities of the people involved.
3. The persuasive ability of each party.
In any negotiation, your two major objectives are:
1. To change the other party's impression of the strength of your position.
2. To change the other party's impression of the strength of their position.
Most candidates are overly concerned with the power of the employer and the
extent of the competition for the job. It is quite common for candidates to
psyche themselves into a weak position by focusing on their misconceptions of
these two critical issues.
Do Your Homework
Before going into the negotiation make sure that you've done your homework. This
will add to your confidence - an attribute that is vital when negotiating.
Assess your market value based on advice from recruiters, adverts for similar
jobs; the demand for people with your skills set, salary surveys in trade
magazines and advice from colleagues who have a similar role to yours. The
golden rule is never to be the first party to mention a figure. Sometimes this
can be difficult, but you can respond vaguely by talking about 'a package in the
region of…' The purpose of this tactic is to avoid selling yourself short.
Usually the job description will carry a salary range, but you will obviously
want to get as much as you possibly can. Once they have mentioned a figure, you
must assess whether or not it is reasonable. If so, you should aim to maximize
the package that you can secure. If it is not, you can then begin levering them
with comments such as; "How much room do we have for negotiation?", "What
benefits does that include?", or even call their bluff by saying, "I'm really
keen on the position, but I'll have to weigh it up against another offer I have
been made."
Assessing the Whole Package
If their opening offer is unacceptable then you could make comments such as
"I'll have to go away and consider if I can justify that salary to myself" or
"I'm not sure if that's a very competitive salary". This will indicate that they
should consider an immediate improvement or the negotiations may stall.
Sometimes, a surprisingly effective tactic is to look the interviewer straight
in the eye and ask, "Is that the best you can offer?" Not all remuneration is
made as payment. Some benefits do have a genuine value, while others may even
leave you out of pocket in the long-run. Be well informed about common
'sweeteners' such as company cars, share options, profit share and pensions.
Many of these are based on performance or the buoyancy of the economy.
Finally, take the time to consider and accept the right offer. Don't be
afraid to turn down an offer and move onto another interview with added
confidence. Beware of fancy titles, expectations of unpaid overtime, open
promises and so-called 'opportunities for promotion'.
Leave a Positive Final Impression
The interviewer will make it clear when the interview is over. Remember, let
them take the lead; stay seated until they stand up. However, you can start
gathering your personal items together, to avoid any awkward pauses. Avoid
taking a last drink, as this can appear a bit nervous and rushed.
Now is the time to create a positive impression, by using a parting shot
that you have committed to memory. For example you could say something like
‘It’s been a pleasure meeting you and finding out more about what you do here’.
Unless they have already made it clear you must clarify precisely what happens
next - a further interview, psychological tests, a medical, etc. You also need
to establish what timeframe they are working to. Without this information you
will be left in limbo, not knowing what happens next, or if and when to approach
them for an update. Requesting this information not
only helps you to prepare for the next phase but it also shows them that you are
professional and organized; you are demonstrating precisely the sort of approach
that they will value in a candidate.
Key Final Questions to Ask
Key questions to ask, as the interview closes, include:
1. When will I hear from you?
2. How will I be informed?
3. Do you need any more information from me?
4. Is there anyone else I should speak to?
Learn From Every Interview
You should always review your interview experience as soon as possible after the
interview. Treat every interview as a learning experience, so that you can
continue improving your performance. Ask yourself
questions such as:
Were you asked questions that caught you by surprise?
Why did these questions surprise you?
Could you have answered some questions better?
How do you think you handled the non-verbal communication aspect?
What kind of rapport did you manage to establish with the interviewer?
This approach will also help you to cope better with interview rejections, as
you will still see that you gained something positive from them. Even if you do
get the job, you will be better prepared to handle your next promotion!
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