Sample Interview Questions

11. How would you like your boss to be?

Answer: This is a tricky question and to this if your answer is opposite the characteristics of your interviewer then you should forget the job. So, when asked such a question give an answer which is universal (A tip: Do not drag this answer too long). The general attributes of an ideal boss would be;

• Fair/honest
• Supportive
• Helping and guiding team members in new/difficult job profile
• Mentor/coach
• Good listener
• Good communication skills
• Technically competent

12. What is your dream job?

Answer: People may choose to answer this question differently. If your conversation with your boss has taken a light casual turn, then you can add a sense of humor to this answer. If you are not sure then do not try out innovative ways of answering it. Just be simple and give points that will connect your dream job with the work profile that you are looking for. If you give a completely different description then you may loose out in the interview.

13. Why have you been unemployed so far?

Answer: This is the most unwanted question that you can ever be asked. It will be asked if they find a gap in your work experience section, especially from your last job. You can say that you did not get the profile that you have been looking for so it took time to get employed. Continue by saying that job satisfaction is as important as money for you. If you are just working for money and not enjoying the job then your performance will be affected.

14. How do you deal with situation where someone else wants all the attention and side lines others in a team?

Answer: This is a sample answer, “In these situations its better to keep cool and think logically. Loosing temper will take the matter to a worse condition. I believe that performance and quality are noticed sooner or later. One may have a very extrovert personality but at the end of the day it’s the result that matters. I believe in giving my best as a team player and as an effective employee, what matters to me, is what the company expects from me.” (A diplomatic answer like this will help you in the long run)

15. How many employees have you promoted in your career so far?

Answer: This question is asked mostly to a manager. When you answer such a question be specific and mention the reasons for your taking such decisions. If the last person you promoted was a long time back then you may be in trouble.

16. How do you handle conflicts?

Answer: Conflicts arise in every organization. It is better to answer in a way that will show your strengths indirectly as a team player. You can say that “you go to the depth of the matter and see the reason behind the conflict. If required you also conduct a one on one discussion and solve as per the situation”.

17. How to you deal with a team member who is not performing well?

Amswer: A sample answer, “I believe that sometime there are situations when a certain team member may not able to perform well. I do not rush at conclusions first. I do a one on one discussion and try to find out the reason behind the bad performance. If required, I give the training and then evaluate the results. I also seek to know if the person is having any other issues and then try to solve them accordingly”.

18. Give me an instance where you handled a person who was under-performing?

Answer: To answer this you can talk about your past experience. Be well prepared about the question before hand and answer in points. The flow of the answer is very important and this will help your interviewer understand your strategy well.

19. What is your way of motivating your team?

Answer: Do not give silly reasons here to motivate the team. If you are talking about incentives and bonus, then thats not the only factor. You can say that you talk to a person who is under performing and try to know the reason. You can also say that “not everyone can perform at the same level, so you assign work as per the ability of the person. You praise a good performer in front of all and discuss bad situations in person”.

20. What actions have you taken to bring changes to your team’s performance?

Answer: Here you can say that “you first see how the team is performing and then state each person’s performance in different situation. Traits of each performer are noted down separately and a one on one discussion is conducted with each member. Overall the problems that a team is facing are also noted down to take relevant actions”.