The Top 50 interview questions and how to handle them.docx

The Top 50 interview questions and how to handle them.docx

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TheTop50interviewquestionsandhowtohandlethem

TheTop50interviewquestionsandhowtohandlethem

It’stheNewYearandourthoughtsturntogettinganewjob. Inthisarticlewehaveaskedourpanelofexpertsforthetopinterviewquestions. Wehavealsoincludedpointersonhowtodealwiththem.

Also,ifyouarerecruitingforstaffyoumayfindthatthisprovidesyouwithafewtrickyquestionstoask. 

Interviewsforaseniorcontactcentrerole

AllinterviewswillbedifferentbothinstructureandtheapproachtakenbytheinterviewerbutIhopethefollowingsuggestionsmayassistinthegenericpreparationforforthcominginterviews.Itisimportanttonotethatwhilstresearchandpreparationiscritical,youradaptabilitytotheirquestions,beingrelaxedandconfidentinyourresponsesmustalsocomethroughclearly.

Ensureyoudoyourresearch.UndertakeanumberofGooglesearchesontheorganisation,lookovertheirwebsiteandtrytoobtainasmanyindependentarticlesonthecompanyyoucangatherfromthemediaortradepresses.Looktounderstandmoreaboutyourinterviewer,looktounderstandtheirbackground.Ifyouaregoingthroughanagencyaskthemwhattheyknowoftheperson.

Almostallinterviewswillincludeacompetencybasedelement.Therearemanydifferentquestionsthattheinterviewercanusetodeterminewhetheryoupossesscertaincompetencies.However,bymatchingtheroleprofilecompetenciestospecificexamplesfromyourpastinpreparationfortheinterview,youwillbeabletocovermosteventualities.

Duringtheinterviewmaketherightfirstimpression…..

1. “Whydoyouwanttoworkhere?

”

MarkLightburn

Toanswerthisquestionyoumusthaveresearchedthecompany. Replywiththecompany’sattributesasyouseethemandhowyourqualitiesmatchthem.

Aboutyou…..

2. “Tellmeaboutyourself.”

Thisisnotaninvitationtorambleon. Ifthecontextisn’tclear,youneedtoknowmoreaboutthequestionbeforegivingananswer. Whicheverdirectionyouranswerultimatelytakes,besurethatishassomerelevancetoyourprofessionalendeavours. Youshouldalsorefertooneormoreofyourkeypersonalqualities,suchashonesty,integrity,beingateamplayer,ordetermination.

3. Whatisthebiggestchallengeyouhavefacedinworkinthepast12months?

Thisisoftenanopeningquestion,asitallowsyoutouseoneofyourstrongestexamplesandmayhelpyourelax.Totheintervieweritisalsoanindicationofwhereyournaturalfocusorachievementsmaybe–peopledevelopment,process,costreduction,changeetc.

MarkLightburn, ArtisRecruitment（www.artiscc.co.uk）

4. “Whatdoyouknowaboutthecentre/company/role?

”

Youarenotrequiredtobeanexpertontheorganisationorrole,butagenuineinterestandbasicunderstandingisexpected. Ifyouareworkingwitharecruitmentconsultantthentheyshouldbeabletoprovideyouwithextradetailsandassistwithpreparation.Inaddition,lookforandusepressreleases,corporateandsocialwebsites.Ringthecallcentretoseehowtheyhandleyourcall:

dotheyoffer‘up-sell’,‘cross-sell’,howwastheservice?

Readthejobdescriptiontoprepareforthisquestion,afewkeyfactsorsomeknowledgeshowagenuineinterestandcommercialawareness.

5. “Whydoyouwantthisjob?

”

Whilstmoremoney,shorterhoursorlessofacommuteareallpotentialfactorsforyournextrole,theyareunlikelytomakeyouthe‘standout’candidateoftheday.Knowwhatthecompanyarelookingfor,thepotentialjobavailableandalignthiswithyourcareertodate. Highlightyourrelevantexperience,goalsandaspirationsinlinewiththerole,toshowcasewhyyouarethebestpersonforthejob.

6. “Howwouldyourteam/managerdescribeyou?

”

Trytothinkabouthowyouwoulddescribeyourselfifsomeoneaskedyouforyourstrengths,thenrelatethesetowhatpeoplesayaboutyou;peers,agents,managersandstakeholders. Havethreeorfourattheready,ideallyinlinewiththeroleyouarebeinginterviewedfor. Havetheexamplesorsituationsready,incaseyourinterviewerwantstodrilldownastowhyyouthinkorbelievetheseareyourkeystrengths.

7. “Whatisyourbiggestachievement?

”

Ifpossible,thinkworkrelated.Therewillhopefullybeanumberofthingsyouaremostproudofinyourcareertodate. Thinkaboutyourkeyachievements,weretheycommercial,peopleorprocessorientated?

Whatwasthecauseandeffect?

Howwereyouinvolved,whatwasimproved,savedordeveloped?

Ifyouareshortoncareer-basedexamplesthenusepersonalachievementswhichdemonstratethecommercialskillsrequiredfortherole,suchasteamwork,commitment,empathy,determination,attentiontodetail,etc.

8. “Canyougivemeanexampleof…?

”

MichelleAnsell

Thesequestionswillmoreoftenthannotbebasedaroundtherolecompetencies. Preparationandrehearsalarekeytoansweringtheseeffectively. Youwillneedtwoorthreeinstancesofhowyoumayhave:

deliveredchange,managedconflict,improvedperformance,reducedabsence,increasedcustomersatisfaction,etc. Youneedtobeabletoclearlyandconciselycommunicatetheproblem,solutionandoutcome.

9. “Whathaveyoudonetopromotegreatcustomerservice?

”

Firstly,knowwhatyouthinkgreatcustomerservicelookslike.Lookforsituationsandexampleswhenyouhadanidea,aclient,orcustomercall,whereyoupersonallywentthatextramile.Didyouchangeaprocessorprocedure?

Orperhapsastaffmemberyoumentored,coachedoradviseddeliveredagreatcustomerservicewinorresultforyourteam,brandorbusiness.

10. “Whatarethekeyfactorswhichmakeasuccessfulcallcentre?

”

Fundamentally,ifyoulookundertheskinofthebestteamsandcallcentres,theydohavecertainthingsincommon:

clearcommunication,environment,consistency,fun,performancemanagement,leadership,engagement,incentives,etc. Thinkwhatmadeupthebestteamorcompanyyouhavebeenapartoforhaveseen.Haveexamplestobackupanystatementsforhowyouwouldplayapartin,orcreate,thisteamorenvironmentyourself.

11. “Howdoyoumanagechange?

”

Changeisanessentialpartoflifeinanycallcentreenvironment,astheindustrystrivestoachievebestpracticefortheircustomersandstakeholders. Havesomeexamplesonhowyoupersonallymanaged,or,wereaffectedbysomechange.Whatwasyourfocus,whatwereyouaimingtoachieveandhowdidyoudelivertheoutcome?

Knowwhattheproblemsencounteredwereandwhatwaslearntthroughandfollowingthetransformation.

12. “Whatwasyourreasonforleaving?

”

Whereverpossiblebepositive,evenifyourrolewasshorttermordidn’tquiteworkoutasexpectedasitwillhaveaddedextraexperience,industryorskillstoyourcareerhistory.Althoughyouarenowlookingtomoveon,acknowledgewhatyoulearnedandwhatwasonofferatthetime.Demonstrateyourgoodreasonsforthedecisionsyoumadeandthatyouunderstoodwhatwastobegained,oracknowledgewhatyouhavelearntfrompastemployerexperiences.

MichelleAnsell,DouglasJackson（www.douglas-）

13. “Givemeanexampleofhowyouhavedealtwithanunder-performingteammemberinthepast.”

Thisquestionisatypicalexampleofcompetency-basedinterviewing（CBI）inpractice.Itisthemostpopularinterviewapproach,basedonthepremisethatfutureperformancecanbepredictedbypastbehaviour.ThebestwaytoprepareforCBIsistorevisitthejobdescriptionandpersonspecificationbeforeyourinterviewandensurethatyouhavecoveredoffallbasesandcancomfortablyprovideexamplesforeachcompetency.Youmustbeabletodescribetheparticularscenario,theactionsyoutookandtheimpactithadonthebusiness.Approachthisparticularquestionbyoutliningtheprocessesyoufollowedtoinvestigateandresolvethisissue.Itisalsoimportanttoexplaintheoutcome.Forexample,youmayhavesetanagendaofrequiredactionsfollowingonfromthemeetingyouheldwiththeparticularteammember–canyoudescribewhatthatwas?

Ifyoucreatedaperformanceplanthatincludedcleartraininganddevelopmentobjectivesmakesureyousayso.Alwaysfinishbyexplaininghowtheactionyoutookimpactedonthebusiness,forexample,theteammemberstartedtomeetalltargetsandbringinmorerevenue.

14. Withintheinterviewprocessyoumayberequiredtoperformarole-play.Apopularexampleofthisisbeingaskedtorole-playanescalatedcallwithanunhappycustomer.

Itisvitaltohaveclearobjectivesbeforeinitiatingconversationwiththecustomer;whatisyourendgoal?

Ensureyouareawareoftheparameters,rulesandregulationswithinthecompany.Forexample,iftheissueisovermoney,canyourefundit?

Whatelsecanyouoffertopacifythecustomer?

Itisimportanttoremaincalm,confident,beclearandalwaysremembertoaskquestions.Theinterviewerislookingforapatientandcomposedresponse.Ifyouarestillunsureabouthowbesttoapproachrole-playscontactyourlocalrecruitmentconsultantwhoshouldbeabletoofferyouthoroughadvice.

15. “Canyougivemeanexampleofatimewhenyouhadtomotivateanddevelopateaminachallengingworkenvironment?

”

GeoffSims

Duringinterviewsdifficultorawkwardquestionscouldcomeyourway.Theintentionisnottocatchyouout,buttotesthowyouoperateunderpressure.ThisquestionisagainintheformatofCBI;remembertooutlinethespecificactionsyoutooktomotivateyourteam.Interviewerswanttoseeevidenceofhands-onexperience.Makesuretodescribeallprocessesundertaken,forexample,didyouuseincentivestomotivatetheteamordidyouimplementtrainingprogrammes?

Ifyouimprovedinternalcommunicationstohelpengagestaff,makesureyoumention