Interviewing is stressful for the candidate. But if you are prepared for what and why the employer asks, then it’s easier in the interview to get your thoughts together and not get into trouble. This article provides a list of popular interview types and questions that may be asked.
Case interview
A case is a problem situation that the candidate is offered to solve. The employer lays an important question for him in such a task. For example, a company is looking for a position in the financial department absolutely honest person and checks this quality with the help of cases. A candidate for an interview at this company will be given a task that can be solved in several obvious ways, one of which is to cheat and tell a lie. They also try to check the level of empathy for those whose future work involves a lot of communication with clients.
Usually, the employer describes a hypothetical situation and offers the candidate to tell how he would get out of this situation. For instance:
- You have a limited budget for a mass event. What will you save on so that the quality of the event is minimally affected?
- A number of negative media publications have been published about your company. You know that everything written is true, but the leader wants a refutation. Describe the algorithm for solving this problem.
It is very difficult to understand what exactly the employer wants to know with the help of a case. It’s better not to guess, but honestly tell you how you think you can solve the problem.
Assessment center (staff assessment center)
Another comprehensive assessment method – assessment center – includes several blocks at once: tests, business games, group discussions and individual presentation of the candidate. This is a very effective evaluation method, which at the same time is time-consuming and rarely used by a limited number of employers (not every company can afford to organize such an evaluation system), by no means for any position (mainly for evaluating middle managers).
Get ready for the fact that you will have to make a small self-presentation, undergo testing, possibly participate in business games, solve problems in a team and present your decisions.
In this case, the employer evaluates the candidate immediately by a variety of parameters: he sees lively how he communicates, solves problems, what roles he plays in the team and how he builds relationships. Therefore, the best advice for preparing for such an interview is to get enough sleep, come to him in good shape and working mood.
Group interview
This method is used to quickly close a “mass” position or several vacancies at once: for example, select several call center operators or several sales consultants. The employer manages in a short time to get acquainted with all the candidates and ask them the same questions. Be polite and behave naturally – this is enough to make a good impression.
Quick Questions
Sometimes the question at the interview is confusing. For instance:
- “Why are sewer manholes round?”
- “What would you do if you reduced to the size of a coin and ended up in a mixer that will start working in a few minutes?”
- “How many yellow cars are there in the Czech Republic?”
The correct answer to these questions does not exist. The employer just wants to find out exactly how the candidate will reason. This is important for positions in which new solutions are to be proposed, rather than performing routine operations as instructed. Take a break and think over your answer. It’s important here to just speculate on a theme – say, compare the Czech population with the total number of cars and the popularity of yellow, and the like: it all depends on your imagination and sense of humor. The main thing is not to get lost and express your assumptions, even if no one knows the exact number of yellow cars in the Czech Republic.
Focus on your answers, not your employer’s thoughts
It is impossible to predict the questions and the train of thought of the employer. Maybe with a question about yellow cars in the Czech Republic he tests your knowledge of the automobile industry, and gives cases to check how coherently you express your thoughts. It is better to focus on your answers and do everything in your power to get an interesting job.
And most importantly, try to be sincere. Suppose you successfully pretend to be a completely different person in character in a desire to get this job. And then it turns out that this work (neither its functionality, nor the features of the internal culture in the company) really suits you. Was it worth it to cheat?
And remember – you also value the employer. Ask questions that are important to you. Not only about the salary and work schedule, but ask a little more about the functional itself, about how and what the company has, what features, and therefore a vacancy has opened. For some reason, many people think that this can scare away. On the contrary: recruiters and executives who conduct interviews often complain that the candidates do not ask about anything and nod everything. In fact, your questions show your interest and serious approach to choosing a job – and this is an advantage in itself.