Interview Preparation Guide: Responses to Common Job Interview Questions, Lecture notes of Logic

Download Interview Preparation Guide: Responses to Common Job Interview Questions and more Lecture notes Logic in PDF only on Docsity! Complete List of Behavioral Interview Questions Interviewing by Alex Rudloff Behavioral Interviewing, a style of interviewing that is increasing in popularity due to its effectiveness, can be an intimidating activity. We have assembled an exhaustive list of sample behavioral interview questions. This guide is intended to help job seekers and interviewers alike in their preparation for their upcoming interview. Check out our guide on how to answer behavioral interview questions, and then use this list as a "study guide" of sorts to make sure you are as prepared as possible! Complete List of Behavioral Interview Questions Adaptability Describe a major change that occurred in a job that you held. How did you adapt to this change? Tell us about a situation in which you had to adjust to changes over which you had no control. How did you handle it? Tell us about a time that you had to adapt to a difficult situation. What do you do when priorities change quickly? Give one example of when this happened. Ambition Describe a project or idea that was implemented primarily because of your efforts. What was your role? What was the outcome? Describe a time when you made a suggestion to improve the work in your organization. Give an example of an important goal that you set in the past. Tell about your success in reaching it. Give two examples of things you've done in previous jobs t hat demonstrate your willingness to work hard. How many hours a day do you put into your work? What were your study patterns at school? Tell us about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done. Tell us about a time when a job had to be completed and you were able to focus your attention and efforts to get it done. Tell us about a time when you were particularly effective on prioritizing tasks and completing a project on schedule. Tell us about the last time that you undertook a project that demanded a lot of initiative. Tell us how you keep your job knowledge current with the on going changes in the industry. There are times when we work without close supervision or support to get the job done. Tell us about a time when you found yourself in such a situation and how things turned out. What impact did you have in your last job? What is the most competitive work situation you have experienced? How did you handle it? What was the result? What is the riskiest decision you have made? What was the situation? What happened? What kinds of challenges did you face on your last job? Give an example of how you handled them. What projects have you started on your own recently? What prompted you to get started? What sorts of things have you done to become better qualified for your career? What was the best idea that you came up with in your career? How did you apply it? When you disagree with your manager, what do you do? Give an example. When you have a lot of work to do, how do you get it all done? Give an example? Analytical Thinking Describe the project or situation which best demonstrates your analytical abilities. What was your role? Developing and using a detailed procedure is often very important in a job. Tell about a time when you needed to develop and use a detailed procedure to successfully complete a project. Give a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and login in solving a problem. Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem. Give me an example of when you took a risk to achieve a goal. What was the outcome? How did you go about making the changes (step by step)? Answer in depth or detail such as "What were you thinking at that point?" or "Tell me more about meeting with that person", or "Lead me through your decision process". Relate a specific instance when you found it necessary to be precise in your in order to complete the job. Tell us about a job or setting where great precision to detail was required to complete a task. How did you handle that situation? Tell us about a time when you had to analyze information and make a recommendation. What kind of thought process did you go through? What was your reasoning behind your decision? Tell us about your experience in past jobs that required you to be especially alert to details while doing the task involved. Building Relationships Give a specific example of a time when you had to address an angry customer. What was the problem and what was the outcome? How would you asses your role in diffusing the situation? Decision Making Discuss an important decision you have made regarding a task or project at work. What factors influenced your decision? Everyone has made some poor decisions or has done something that just did not turn out right. Has this happened to you? What happened? Give an example of a time in which you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision. Give an example of a time in which you had to keep from speaking or not finish a task because you did not have enough information to come to a good decision. Give an example of a time when there was a decision to be made and procedures were not in place? Give an example of a time when you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision. Give me an example of a time when you had to keep from speaking or making a decision because you did not have enough information. How did you go about deciding what strategy to employ when dealing with a difficult customer? How do you go about developing I information to make a decision? Give an example. How do you involve your manager and/or others when you make a decision? How have you gone about making important decisions? How quickly do you make decisions? Give an example. In a current job task, what steps do you go through to ensure your decisions are correct/effective? Tell us about a time when you had to defend a decision you made even though other important people were opposed to your decision. What kind of decisions do you make rapidly? What kind takes more time? Give examples. What kinds of problems have you had coordinating technical projects? How did you solve t hem? What was your most difficult decision in the last 6 months? What made it difficult? When you have to make a highly technical decision, how do you go about doing it? Delegation Do you consider yourself a macro or micro manager? How do you delegate? How do you make the decision to delegate work? Tell us how you go about delegating work? What was the biggest mistake you have had when delegating work? The biggest success? Detail-Oriented Describe a situation where you had the option to leave the details to others or you could take care of them yourself. Do prefer to work with the "big picture" or the "details" of a situation? Give me an example of an experience that illustrates your preference. Have the jobs you held in the past required little attention, moderate attention, or a great deal of attention to detail? Give me an example of a situation that illustrates this requirement. Tell us about a difficult experience you had in working with details. Tell us about a situation where attention to detail was either important or unimportant in accomplishing an assigned task. Employee Development Tell us about a training program that you have developed or enhanced. Evaluating Alternatives Have you ever had a situation where you had a number of alternatives to choose from? How did you go about choosing one? How did you assemble the information? How did you review the information? What process did you follow to reach a conclusion? What alternatives did you develop? What are some of the major decisions you have made over the past (6, 12, 18) months? What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you? Describe one? Who made the decision? Flexibility Have you ever had a subordinate whose performance was consistently marginal? What did you do? How have you adjusted your style when it was not meeting the objectives and/or people were not responding correctly? What do you do when you are faced with an obstacle to an important project? Give an example. When you have difficulty persuading someone to your point of view, what do you do? Give an example. Follow-up and Control How did you keep track of delegated assignments? How do you evaluate the productivity/effectiveness of your subordinates? How do you get data for performance reviews? How do you keep track of what your subordinates are doing? What administrative paperwork do you have? Is it useful? Why/why not? Initiative Give me an example of when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done. Give me examples of projects/tasks you started on your own. Give some instances in which you anticipated problems and were able to influence a new direction. How did you get work assignments at your most recent employer? What changes did you develop at your most recent employer? What kinds of things really get your excited? What sorts of projects did you generate that required you to go beyond your job description? What sorts of things did you do at school that were beyond expectations? Interpersonal Skills Describe a recent unpopular decision you made and what the result was. Describe a recent unpopular decision you made and what the result was. Describe a situation in which you were able to effectively "read" another person and guide your actions by your understanding of their needs and values. Tell us about the most difficult or frustrating individual that you've ever had to work with, and how you managed to work with them. What have you done in past situations to contribute toward a teamwork environment? What have you done in the past to contribute toward a teamwork environment? Innovation Can you think of a situation where innovation was required at work? What did you do in this situation? Describe a situation when you demonstrated initiative and took action without waiting for direction. What was the outcome? Describe a time when you came up with a creative solution/idea/project/report to a problem in your past work. Describe something that you have implemented at work. What were the steps used to implement this? Describe the most creative work-related project which you have carried out. Give me an example of when you took a risk to achieve a goal. What was the outcome? Sometimes it is essential that we break out of the routine, standardized way of doing things in order to complete the task. Give an example of when you were able to successfully develop such a new approach. Tell us about a problem that you solved in a unique or unusual way. What was the outcome? Were you satisfied with it? Tell us about a suggestion you made to improve the way job processes/operations worked. What was the result? There are many jobs in which well-established methods are typically followed. Give a specific example of a time when you tried some other method to do the job. There are many jobs that require creative or innovative thinking. Give an example of when you had such a job and how you handled it. Performance Management Give an example of a time when you helped a staff member accept change and make the necessary adjustments to move forward. What were the change/transition skills that you used. Give an example of how you have been successful at empowering either a person or a group of people into accomplishing a task. How do you handle a subordinate whose work is not up to expectations? How do you coach a subordinate to develop a new skill? How do you handle performance reviews? Tell me about a difficult one. How often do you discuss a subordinate's performance with him/her? Give an example. Tell us about a specific development plan that you created and carried out with one or more of your employees. What was the specific situation? What were the components of the development plan? What was the outcome? Tell us about a time when you had to take disciplinary action with someone you supervised. Tell us about a time when you had to tell a staff member that you were dissatisfied with his or her work. Tell us about a time when you had to use your authority to get something done. Where there any negative consequences? There are times when people need extra help. Give an example of when you were able to provide that support to a person with whom you worked. What have you done to develop the skills of your staff? When do you give positive feedback to people? Tell me about the last time you did. Give an example of how you handle the need for constructive criticism with a subordinate or peer. Personal Effectiveness Give an example of a situation where others were intense but you were able to maintain your composure. It is important to maintain a positive attitude at work when you have other things on your mind. Give a specific example of when you were able to do that. Keeping others informed of your progress/actions helps them fell comfortable. Tell your methods for keeping your supervisor advised of the status on projects. Tell us about a recent job or experience that you would describe as a real learning experience? What did you learn from the job or experience? Tell us about a time when you took responsibility for an error and were held personally accountable. Tell us about a time when your supervisor criticized your work. How did you respond? Tell us about some demanding situations in which you managed to remain calm and composed. There are times when we are placed under extreme pressure on the job. Tell about a time when you were under such pressure and how you handled it. What have you done to further your own professional development in the past 5 years. When you have been made aware of, or have discovered for yourself, a problem in your work performance, what was your course of action? Can you give an example? Persuasion Describe a situation in which you were able to positively influence the actions of others in a desired direction. Describe a situation where you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way. Describe a time when you were able to convince a skeptical or resistant customer to purchase a project or utilize your services. Have you ever had to persuade a group to accept a proposal or idea? How did you go about doing it? What was the result? Have you ever had to persuade a peer or manager to accept an idea that you knew they would not like? Describe the resistance you met and how you overcame it. How do you get a peer or colleague to accept one of your ideas? In selling an idea, it is sometimes useful to use metaphors, analogies, or stories to make your point. Give a recent example of when you were able to successfully do that. Tell us about a time when you had to convince someone in authority about your ideas. How did it work out? Tell us about a time when you used facts and reason to persuade someone to accept your recommendation. Tell us about a time when you used your leadership ability to gain support for what initially had strong opposition. Tell us about a time when you were able to successfully influence another person. Planning and Organization Describe how you develop a project team's goals and project plan? How do you schedule your time? Set priorities? How do you handle doing twenty things at once? What do you do when your time schedule or project plan is upset by unforeseen circumstances? Give an example. What have you done in order to be effective with your organization and planning? Presentation How do you prepare for a presentation to a group of technical experts in your field? How would you describe your presentation style? Tell us about the most effective presentation you have made. What was the topic? What made it difficult? How did you handle it? What kinds of oral presentations have you made? How did you prepare for them? What challenges did you have? Problem Solving Describe the most difficult working relationship you've had with an individual. What specific actions did you take to improve the relationship? What was the outcome? Give me an example of a situation where you had difficulties with a team member. What, if anything, did you do to resolve the difficulties? Problems Solving Have you ever been caught unaware by a problem or obstacles that you had not foreseen? What happened? Tell us about a time when you did something completely different from the plan and/or assignment. Why? What happened? What are some of the problems you have faced; such as between business development and project leaders, between one department and another, between you and your peers? How did you recognize that they were there? When was the last time something came up in a meeting that was not covered in the plan? What did you do? What were the results of your judgment? Problem Resolution Describe a situation where you had a conflict with another individual, and how you dealt with it. What was the outcome? How do you feel about it? Describe a time in which you were faced with problems or stresses which tested your coping skills. What did you do? Describe a time when you facilitated a creative solution to a problem between two employees. Give a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem. Give an example of a problem which you faced on any job that you have had and tell how you went about solving it. Give an example of when you "went to the source" to address a conflict. Do you feel trust levels were improved as a result? Problems occur in almost all work relationships. Describe a time when you had to cope with the resentment or hostility of a subordinate or co-worker. Some problems require developing a unique approach. Tell about a time when you were able to develop a different problem-solving approach. Sometimes the only way to resolve a defense or conflict is through negotiation and compromise. Tell about a time when you were able to resolve a difficult situation by finding some common ground. Sometimes we need to remain calm on the outside when we are really upset on the inside. Give an example of a time that this happened to you. Tell us about a recent success you had with an especially difficult employee/co-worker. Tell us about a situation in which you had to separate the person from the issue when working to resolve issues. Setting Performance Standards How do you go about setting goals with subordinates? How do you involve them in this process? How do you let subordinates know what you expect of them? What performance standards do you have for your unit? How have you communicated them to your subordinates? Setting Priorities Have you ever been overloaded with work? How do you keep track of work so that it gets done on time? How do you manage your time? How do you schedule your time? When given an important assignment, how do you approach it? Sound Judgment Describe a situation when you had to exercise a significant amount of self-control. Give me an example of a time in which you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision. Give me an example of when you were able to meet the personal and professional demands in your life yet still maintained a healthy balance. Give me an example of when you were responsible for an error or mistake. What was the outcome? What, if anything, would you do differently? If you were interviewing for this position what would you be looking for in the applicants? We work with a great deal of confidential information. Describe how you would have handled sensitive information in a past work experience. What strategies would you utilize to maintain confidentiality when pressured by others? When have you had to produce results without sufficient guidelines? Give an example. Strategic Planning Describe what steps/methods you have used to define/identify a vision for your unit/position. How do you see your job relating to the overall goals of the organization? In your current or former position, what were your long and short-term goals? Tell us about a time when you anticipated the future and made changes to current responsibilities/operations to meet future needs. Stress Management How did you react when faced with constant time pressure? Give an example. People react differently when job demands are constantly changing; how do you react? What kind of events cause you stress on the job? What was the most stressful situation you have faced? How did you deal with it? Teamwork Describe a situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise or help others to compromise. What was your role? What steps did you take? What was the end result? Describe a team experience you found disappointing. What would you have done to prevent this? Describe a team experience you found rewarding. Describe the types of teams you've been involved with. What were your roles? Describe your leadership style and give an example of a situation when you successfully led a group. Give an example of how you have been successful at empowering a group of people in accomplishing a task. Give an example of how you worked effectively with people to accomplish an important result. Have you ever been a project leader? Give examples of problems you experienced and how you reacted. Have you ever been in a position where you had to lead a group of peers? How did you handle it? Have you ever participated in a task group? What was your role? How did you contribute? Please give your best example of working cooperatively as a team member to accomplish an important goal. What was the goal or objective? To what extent did you interact with others on this project? Some people work best as part of a group - others prefer the role of individual contributor. How would you describe yourself? Give an example of a situation where you felt you were most effective. Tell us about a time that you had to work on a team that did not get along. What happened? What role did you take? What was the result? Tell us about a work experience where you had to work closely with others. How did it go? How did you overcome any difficulties? Tell us about the most difficult challenge you faced in trying to work cooperatively with someone who did not share the same ideas? What was your role in achieving the work objective? Tell us about the most difficult situation you have had when leading a team. What happened and what did you do? Was it successful? Emphasize the "single" most important thing you did? Tell us about the most effective contribution you have made as part of a task group or special project team. Think about the times you have been a team leader. What could you have done to be more effective? What is the difficult part of being a member, not leader, of a team? How did you handle this? What role have you typically played as a member of a team? How did you interact with other members of the team? When is the last time you had a disagreement with a peer? How did you resolve the situation? When working on a team project have you ever had an experience where there was strong disagreement among team members? What did you do? Time Management Schedule Describe a situation that required you to do a number of things at the same time. How did you handle it? What was the result? How do you determine priorities in scheduling your time? Give an example. How do you typically plan your day to manage your time effectively? Of your current assignments, which do you consider to have required the greatest amount of effort with regard to planning/organization? How have you accomplished this assignment? How would you asses your effectiveness? Toughness On many occasions, managers have to make tough decisions. What was the most difficult one you have had to make? Tell us about setbacks you have faced. How did you deal with them? What has been your major work related disappointment? What happened and what did you do? What is the most competitive situation you have experienced? How did you handle it? What was the result? What was your major disappointment? Variety How many projects do you work on at once? Please describe. When was the last time you made a key decision on the spur of the moment? What was the reason and result? When was the last time you were in a crisis? What was the situation? How did you react? Which of your jobs had the most rapid change? How did you feel about it? Values Diversity Give a specific example of how you have helped create an environment where differences are valued, encouraged and supported. Tell us about a time that you successfully adapted to a culturally different environment. Tell us about a time when you had to adapt to a wide variety of people by accepting/understanding their perspective. Tell us about a time when you made an intentional effort to get to know someone from another culture. What have you done to further your knowledge/understanding about diversity? How have you demonstrated your learning? What have you done to support diversity in your unit?