DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE QUESTION YOU LIKE TO POSE IN JOB INTERVIEWS? YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
LISA MORRIS DIRECTOR, HAYS
My favourite interview question is, “What does grit and resilience mean to you and how have you developed these qualities in your career to date?”. I ask this to gauge whether a candidate can take on challenges, learn and persevere to achieve their goals no matter what difficulties they encounter. Employers look for new recruits who will persevere and bounce back from setbacks … who can adapt, work through challenges, learn new skills and ultimately succeed.
JUSTIN HINORA EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT, HENDER CONSULTING
I have many favourite interview questions and these are mostly selfawareness style questions. I also like to pose questions that allow candidates to address any perceived gaps in their claim, be it experience, skills or conflicts, and offer a counter argument as to why these things should not be of concern. Discussing learning experiences and understanding how others perceive them, also make for additional meaningful areas to explore.
ANDREW SULLIVAN MANAGING DIRECTOR, SULLIVAN CONSULTING
email questions to careers_qs@news.com.au
Asking candidates to tell us about their areas of improvement is a favourite question of mine. This question is about giving candidates an opportunity to demonstrate their self-awareness. There are lots of ways to answer. For example, a candidate might share what they have picked up from previous performance appraisals and how they have taken that feedback on board. It’s really a chance to reflect on their weaknesses and show their growth.
ALEXANDRA ROSSER HEAD OF ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY CONSULTING, STILLWELL MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS
“What has your research informed you about our organisation and this role?”. This is designed to determine whether the candidate has gone to the effort of conducting such research and reflecting upon it. I might also ask: “What personal qualities do you have which you believe would positively contribute to our client’s organisational culture?”. This elicits evidence of self-awareness.