Human ResourcesInterview questions

Types of interview questions

Open

Questions that are designed to draw general background information from the candidate. They should generally be used as introductory or closing questions to settle the candidate into the interview or close the interview off. For example, why have you applied for this position or what development do you think you would need if you were appointed to the role?

Scenario

Questions that set out a scenario for a candidate and ask how they would deal with that scenario. For example, if you encountered a difficult customer who did not listen to what you were telling them, how would you deal with this?

Behavioural

Questions that are designed to test the past experience and behaviour of a candidate. For example, tell us a time when you have managed a successful project. Past behaviour is the most accurate predictor of future behaviour. Therefore, interview panels are encouraged to use behavioural questions during the interview.

Example interview questions

Some example interview questions are provided below. This is not an exhaustive list. Questions should be varied and adapted depending on the nature of the post being recruited. The questions asked should be relevant to the criteria and particular attention should be paid to the level of the post.

  • can you tell us why you have applied for this position?
  • how do you think your previous experience would help you to be successful in this role?
  • what personal attributes do you think you possess that would be important to this role?
  • how is your performance measured currently and what was the feedback from your last review?

  • what qualities do you think you bring to a team? Can you give an example of where you have exemplified these qualities in your current role?
  • what do you think makes a team effective and why?

  • describe a project that you have managed that has delivered significant benefits to your organisation
  • describe a project that you have managed from inception to completion and concisely outline how you approached this task
  • tell us about a project that you have managed which has not been successful. What issues did you encounter and what did you learn from it?
  • what formal project management training have you undertaken?
  • what in your experience are the strengths and weaknesses of the PRINCE II (or similar) methodology?
  • describe the most difficult project you have led or been involved in from a change management perspective. What were the challenges and what steps did you take to overcome them?

  • tell us about a time when you came up with an innovative solution to a problem
  • describe a situation where you have encountered a process that you considered to be ineffective and how you went about improving the process
  • tell us about a difficult problem you have encountered with a key client or partner. How did you resolve this problem?

  • tell us about a time when you came up with an innovative solution to a problem
  • describe a situation where you have encountered a process that you considered to be ineffective and how you went about improving the process
  • tell us about a difficult problem you have encountered with a key client or partner. How did you resolve this problem?

  • describe a situation where you have had to influence a group of stakeholders with different perspectives
  • describe a situation where you have had to use your communication skills to achieve an outcome
  • tell us about a situation where you had a difference of opinion with a colleague or client and how you managed this situation
  • what's the most difficult negotiation situation you have been in? How did you prepare for and manage the negotiation process? What was the outcome?
  • what priorities would you have in establishing links with key internal and external partners?

  • tell us about a time when you considered a customer to be making unreasonable demands of you and/or your team. How did you manage this?
  • give us an example of where you have exceeded a client’s expectations
  • what do you consider to be good customer service? Can you give us an example of where you have provided this?
  • what's the most difficult customer service challenge you’ve ever faced?

  • what's the most challenging staff management issue you've ever faced and why was it the most challenging?
  • tell us about a time when you coached a member of staff to improve their job performance. How did you go about this?
  • if you were successful what areas would you focus on to ensure a cohesive team was established?
  • can you tell us about a time when a member of staff you were managing appeared to be struggling to perform? What did you do about this?
  • one of your team appears to be having difficulty relating to another staff member and this is creating tension. What steps would you take to improve this situation?

  • describe your experience of budgetary management/administration
  • why is budgetary management essential?

  • how do you prioritise your work to ensure that you meet deadlines?
  • what steps would you take if you thought you were going to miss a deadline?
  • as the manager of a team, you will have some responsibility in ensuring that team objectives are delivered - how would you manage the workload of the team to ensure the required service is delivered?

  • if you were successful in being appointed to this role, what development needs do you think you would have?
  • what do you think your biggest challenge would be in this post?