Competency Question

Adaptability and
Agility What do you do when your schedule is interrupted? Give an example of how you handle it.
People in this role will need to succeed in rapidly changing circumstances, with emerging challenges and lots of
Adaptability and ambiguity. When have you found yourself in the type of dynamic or ambiguous work situation, and how did you
Agility eventually succeed?
Adaptability and Describe a time on any job in which you were faced with stresses which tested your coping skills. What did you
Agility do?
Adaptability and Tell me a time in which you felt it was necessary to change your actions in order to respond to the needs of another
Agility person.
Adaptability and Tell us about a situation in which you had to adjust to changes over which you had no control. How did you handle
Agility it?
Adaptability and
Agility Tell us about a time when you had to adapt to a difficult situation.
Adaptability and
Agility What do you do when priorities change quickly? Give one example of when this happened.
Adaptability and Describe a time you had to meet a scheduled deadline while your work was being interrupted continuously. What
Agility was the most difficult about this and how did you handle it?
Adaptability and Tell me about a time a significant change was made within your company or organization. How did the change
Agility affect you? What did you learn from this experience?
Adaptability and
Agility Tell me about how you worked effectively under pressure.
Adaptability and
Agility Which of your jobs had the most rapid change? How did you feel about it?
Adaptability and Tell us about a time when you had to adapt to a wide variety of people by accepting or understanding their
Agility perspectives.
Adaptability and
Agility Tell me about a time when you got frustrated or irritated because something kept changing on you.
Adaptability and Describe an environment/ situation where you had to adapt to changes. How did you handle it? What was the most
Agility difficult/ enjoyable part?
Adaptability and
Agility Describe a situation in which you had to remain flexible and open minded in order to succeed at something.
Adaptability and
Agility Describe a situation in which you had to challenge adapting to a new duty, responsibility, person, or process.
Adaptability and Can you tell me about a situation in which you had to change your initial approach to a project or assignment in
Agility order to achieve your goal?
Adaptability and Tell me about some situations in your job when you had to abruptly change what you were doing. What did you
Agility do? How did it affect you?
Adaptability and Tell me about a time when you had to take on a new assignment when you were heavily involved in another one.
Agility What happened?
Adaptability and Tell me about a situation in which you had to adjust quickly to changes in organizational or departmental priorities.
Agility How did the changes affect you?
Adaptability and
Agility What do you do when priorities change quickly? Give one example of when this happened.
Adaptability and
Agility Give an example of a time when you had to change your negotiation position in order to achieve an objective.
Adaptability and Tell me about a time when you had to be flexible, adjusting to the needs of a customer, family member, or leader of
Agility your team.
Adaptability and Give me an example of how you have used your skills to adjust to varying work flows and differing assignments in
Agility the past.
Adaptability and
Agility Tell us about your worst work day ever and how you handled it.
Adaptability and Tell me about a time you have had to adjust to a new manager who had a different management style than you were
Agility used to.
Adaptability and Give an example of when you had to deal with a major change in the customer relationship practices in your
Agility workplace.
Adaptability and
Agility Give an example of a time in which you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision.
Adaptability and
Agility Give me an example of a specific occasion in which you had to conform to a policy with which you did not agree.
 Please tell me about a time when you were forced to change your day- to- day activities in light of an
Adaptability and organizational change or unexpected event at work. (Probe: How did you respond? What was the impact on your
Agility productivity?
Adaptability and Please describe a time when you sense the need for a change based on information provided by a customer or
Agility colleague. (Probe: How did you respond?)
Adaptability and Please tell me about a time when the company business goals changed and how it impacted your own business
Agility goals. (Probe: How did you align your own business goals with the new company business goals?)
Adaptability and Please tell me about a time when you didn’t agree with a business objective. (Probe: How did you respond? What
Agility was the result? What did you learn from this situation?)
Adaptability and Please describe a time when a competitor dramatically changed the landscape of the market. (Probe: What did you
Agility personally do to respond? How did you lead others to respond?)
Adaptability and
Agility Which of your jobs had the most rapid change? How did you feel about it?

Adaptability and Describe a time when you were instructed to modify or change your procedures to respond to the needs of another
Agility person. Do you feel you were able to do so successfully? Do you feel that the demand was fair? Why or why not?
Adaptability and How have you adjusted your style when it was not meeting the objectives and/ or people were not responding
Agility correctly?
Adaptability and Give me an example of a project you were working on that ended up being canceled. What did you do to change
Agility course? How did you decide to move on? How did it make you feel?
Please describe a time when you set and achieved high standards of personal performance. (Probe: What impact did
Ambition it have on business? On your peers?)
Describe a project or idea that was implemented primarily because of your efforts. What was your role? What was
Ambition the outcome?
Ambition Give two examples of things you’ve done in previous jobs that demonstrate your willingness to work hard.
Ambition How many hours a day do you put into your work? What were your study patterns at school?
Tell us about a time when a job had to be completed and you were able to focus your attention and efforts to get it
Ambition done.
There are times when we work without close supervision or support to get the job done. Tell us about a time when
Ambition you found yourself in such a situation and how things turned out.
Ambition What impact did you have in your last job?
Ambition What is the most competitive work situation you have experienced? How did you handle it? What was the result?
Ambition What projects have you started on your own recently? What prompted you to get started?
Ambition Describe a time when you set your sights too high or too low.
Ambition How would you define “success” for someone in your chosen career?
Ambition Give two examples of things youe done in previous jobs that demonstrate your willingness to work hard.
Tell us about a time when a job had to be completed and you were able to focus your attention and efforts to get it
Ambition done.
Ambition What sorts of things have you done to become better qualified for your career?
Ambition When you have a lot of work to do, how do you get it all done? Give an example.
Ambition What is the best idea you have come up with in your career? How did you apply it?
Ambition In what ways do you raise the bar for yourself and others around you?
Ambition Tell me about a time you made your job interesting when the work became repetitious.
Analytical
Thinking Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
Analytical
Thinking Tell me a time when you had to carefully analyze a situation in order to be effective in guiding your actions.
Describe a situation in which you were able to clearly frame a problem, identify and collect the necessary data, and
make recommendations for solving the problem. What was the problem? Who was impacted by the problem? What
Analytical factors or variables did you consider? What did you do? How did you evaluate your options? What was the
Thinking outcome?
Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems that were significant to the organization and developed
Analytical preventative measures. What was the potential problem? How did you identify the potential problem? What was
Thinking the potential impact on the organization? What did you do? What was the outcome?
Give us an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to gain information needed to solve a
Analytical problem. How did you analyze the information you gathered? How did you use the information to solve the
Thinking problem?
Analytical
Thinking Describe the project or situation which best demonstrates you analytical abilities. What was your role?
Analytical Developing and using a detailed procedure is often very important in a job. Tell about a time when you needed to
Thinking develop and use a detailed procedure to successfully complete a project.
Analytical
Thinking Give me an example of when you took a risk to achieve a goal. What was the outcome?
Analytical Tell us about a time when you had to analyze information and make a recommendation. What kind of thought
Thinking process did you go through? What was your reasoning behind your decision?
Analytical
Thinking Describe a project or situation that best demonstrates your analytical abilities. What was your role?
Analytical Developing and using detailed procedures is often ver importatnt in a job. Tell about a time when you needed to
Thinking develop and use a detailed procedure to successfully complete a project.
Analytical Tell me about a time that you had to review several proposals and make a recommendation. What factors did you
Thinking consider in your analysis?
Analytical Tell me about a time when you had to analyze detailed numeric or financial information. What were you looking
Thinking for and what did your analysis reveal?
Analytical Describe a complicated problem that you have had to solve at work. What did you identify as potential causes and
Thinking solutions?
Analytical Tell me about a project you have worked on that required detailed research and analysis of information before
Thinking proceeding.
Analytical Give me an example of how you have looked past the obvious when solving a problem and probed for more details
Thinking to uncover the true cause.
Analytical Describe a situation where you had to integrate information from many sources in order to make a decision. How
Thinking did you approach the situation and what decision?
Analytical Tell me about a time when you had to analyze facts quickly, define key issues, and respond immediately or develop
Thinking a plan that produced good results.
Analytical
Thinking Provide an example of when you used tools such as survey data, research or statistics to define or solve a problem.
Analytical Describe a time when you had to commit to a plan of action in an emergency. What were the details and what did
Thinking you do?
Analytical Can you tell me about a time when a slow, deliberate and methodical approach made a difference in your response
Thinking to a problem?
Analytical
Thinking Describe a time when you had to analyze a problem and generate a solution. What was the result?
Analytical
Thinking Tell me about a situation that did not work out as expected. How did you handle it and what were your next steps?
 People in this role will need to succeed in rapidly changing circumstances, with emerging challenges and lots of
Change ambiguity. When have you found yourself in the type of dynamic or ambiguous work situation, and how did you
Management eventually succeed?
Change Please describe a time when you identified a need for change within a team. (Probe: What was the issue? How did
Management you work with the team to implement the change?)
Change Tell us about an experience you have had implementing change in an organization. How did you do this? What was
Management the outcome? What were the challenges and regrets?
Tell us about a project or situation where you felt that the conventional approach would not be suitable. How did
Change you determine this? How did you derive and manage a new approach? What challenges did you face and how did
Management you address them?
Change Describe a situation where you fostered a highly motivated and productive work environment during times of
Management change. What did you do? What was the result? What challenges did you face?
Change
Management Have you ever had to introduce a policy change to your work group? How did you do it?
Change
Management Have you ever met resistance when implementing a new idea or policy to a work group? How did you do it?
Change
Management When is the last time you had to introduce a new idea or procedure to people on this job? How did you do it?
Change Give an example of a time when the scope or structure of a project changed. How did you modify your
Management plans/actions? What was the outcome?
Change What have you done to recognize or reward those on your team who have taken a positive and proactive approach
Management to change? Provide a specific example.
Change Tell me about a time when you have helped employees to gain an understanding of a change and lead them to
Management support it. Be specific.
Change
Management Many people resist change. Tell me about a change that you have resisted and why you resisted it.
Change Tell me about a time when you had to support a change that you did not necessarily agree with and how you
Management handled it.
Change What methods have you used to ensure that changes were implemented in your work area? Give me a recent
Management example.
Change Describe a situation when you initiated a change that would affect many people. How did you involve those who
Management would be affected by the change?
Commitment/ Tell me about a situation when you would have received a better grade on an assignment if you had put in more
Dedication effort.
Commitment/
Dedication Tell me about a school project that took a significant effort to complete. What did you do to complete it?
Commitment/ Describe a time when you were particularly committed to a project or task. What was it and why were you so
Dedication committed?
Commitment/
Dedication Give an example of when you worked the hardest and felt the greatest sense of achievement.
Commitment/ Tell me about the best example of a recent project on which you achieve a level of quality above and beyond
Dedication normal expectations. In what ways did you put out extra effort to achieve that level?
Commitment/
Dedication Tell me about a time when you might have gotten better results on a task or goal if you had put in more effort.
Commitment/
Dedication Give me an example of a project or task that needed extra time and effort to complete.
Commitment/ What are the standards of success in your current/ last job? What have you done to meet those standards? Give a
Dedication recent example.
Commitment/
Dedication Tell me about a time that you persisted with a project long after others would have quit.
Commitment/ Tell me about the last time that you did something because it needs to be done, even though it was not your
Dedication responsibility.
Commitment/
Dedication Tell me about the most sustained long- term effort you’ve put into completing a task.
Commitment/ Tell me about a time when you decided the effort needed to complete a project was too great and you chose to
Dedication abandon it.
Commitment/
Dedication Tell me about a goal that you set that took a long time to achieve or that you are still working towards.
Commitment/
Dedication Tell me about a situation that you had significant impact on because of your follow through.
Commitment/ Getting the job done sometimes requires persistence in the face of obstacles, such as time demands and shifting
Dedication priorities. Tell me about a time when you were very persistent in order to achieve a goal. Be specific.
Commitment/ Describe a time when you had to do a job that was particularly uninteresting. How did you keep yourself focused
Dedication and motivated to complete the task?
Commitment/
Dedication When have you seen your tenacity or resilience really pay off in a professional setting? What was the outcome?
Communication In your most recent supervisory role, how frequently did you meet with your staff?
How frequently did you meet with your customer base and what other forms did you use to keep in communication
Communication and how frequently?
Communication Relate a time in which you had to use your verbal communication skills in order to get an important point across.

Communication Describe a job experience in which you had to speak up to be sure that other people knew what you thought or felt.
Communication Describe in any job experience how developed rapport with your peers and your supervisor.
Communication Tell me about a time when you have had to utilize a system to inform your supervisor and teammates.
Communication Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone’s opinion.
Please recall your best example of simply and clearly presenting complex ideas to an individual or group. What
was the concept you were trying to get across? Who were you explaining to? What did you do to explain the idea?
Communication How did you make sure they understood it?
Tell about a time you were misunderstood. What were the circumstances? What did you do to correct it? What was
Communication the ultimate outcome?
Describe a time when you realized you needed to make an improvement in your communication skills, and how
Communication you managed it. What did you do? What was the outcome?
Describe a time when you were able to effectively communicate with a difficult or unpleasant idea to staff,
Communication stakeholders, or senior management. What was the situation? What was the outcome?
Describe what you have done to ensure that there is a clear understanding of the importance of sharing and
Communication receiving information from others. What did you do? Why was this necessary? What did this achieve?
Describe one of the most difficult communication situations you have encountered to date. How did you handle it
Communication and what was the outcome?

Communication Describe the work environment or culture and its communication style in which you experience the most success.
Tell us about a situation when you had to vary your communication approach according to the audience that you
were addressing and the type of information you were sharing. What was the situation? What did you do? What
Communication was the result?
Describe a situation when you were able to strengthen a relationship by communicating effectively. What made
Communication your communication effective?
Communication Describe a situation where you felt you had not communicated well. How did you correct the situation?
 Give me an example of a time when you were able to successfully communicate with another person, even when
Communication that individual may not have personally liked you, or vice versa.
Communication Have you ever had to “sell” an idea to your co-workers or group? How did you do it? Did they “buy” it?
Communication What would your co-workers (or staff) say is the most frustrating thing about your communication with them?
Communication What have you done to improve your verbal communication skills?
Tell us about a time when you and your current/ previous supervisor disagreed but you still found a way to get your
Communication point across.
Communication What kinds of communication situations cause you difficulty? Give an example.
How do you go about explaining a complex technical problem to a person who does not understand technical
Communication jargon? What approach do you take in communicating with people?
Communication How do you keep subordinates informed about information that affects their jobs?
Communication How do you keep your manager informed about what is being doing in your work area?
Communication Tell me about a time when you had to access the chain of command in a project issue.
Please provide details of a time when you had a miscommunication with a co-worker. Were you able to resolve
Communication issues on your own and what steps did you take to communicate this?
Describe some tough or tricky situation in which you had to talk to people to obtain information you needed to
Communication make an important decision or recommendation.
At one time or another, we have all had problems getting our point across wen talking on the telephone. Give me an
Communication example when this happened to you.
Communication Tell me about a time that you misunderstood directions. What action did you take?
What was the vision for you current/ last company or organization? How did you communicate that vision to your
Communication team?
Tell me about a situation where you encouraged a subordinate or peer to express a viewpoint that differed from
Communication yours. How did you do it? What was the result?
Conflict
Management What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? Give me an example.
Conflict Describe a situation where you had a conflict with another individual and how you dealt with it. What was the
Management outcome? How did you feel about it?
Conflict
Management Describe a time in which you facilitated a creative solution to a problem between two employees.
Conflict Give an example of when you “went to the source” to address a conflict. Do you feel trust levels were improved as
Management a result?
Conflict Problems occur in almost all work relationships. Describe a time when you had to cope with the resentment or
Management hostility of a subordinate or co-worker.
Conflict Some problems require developing a unique approach to deal with conflicts. Tell about a time when you were able
Management to develop a different problem solving approach.
Conflict Sometimes the only way to resolve a defense or conflict is through negotiation and compromise. Tell about a time
Management when you were able to resolve a difficult situation by finding some common ground.
Conflict
Management Tell us about a recent success you had with an especially difficult employee/ co-worker.
Conflict
Management Tell us about a situation in which you had to separate the person from the issue when working to resolve issues.
Conflict
Management Describe a situation where you had to use confrontation skills.
Conflict Have you ever been in a situation where you had to settle an argument between two friends (or people you know)?
Management What did you do? What was the result?
Conflict Describe a time when you took personal accountability for a conflict and initiated contact with the individuals
Management involved to explain your actions.
Conflict
Management What is your typical way of dealing with conflict?
Conflict
Management Describe a situation where you had to use conflict management skills.
Conflict Give me an example of a time when a company policy or action hurt people. What if anything, did you do to
Management mitigate the negative consequences to people?

Continuous Learning How do you keep up with what’s going on in your profession? (What do you read to keep up?)
Tell me about a time when you were involved in a major organization change (e.g., startup, turnaround,
downsizing, plant closing, merger). What was the situation? What was your role? What did you do to cope with the
Continuous Learning lack of clarity in the situation? How did it turn out?
Please give an example of a situation in which you identified a need for improvement in your organization or
department through learning. What led you to believe improvement was needed? What did you do to change the
Continuous Learning situation? What was the result of the change?

Continuous Learning Please tell me about how you built and carried out detailed personal development plans.
 What are your developmental needs? How did you determine that they were what you needed to work on? What is
Continuous Learning your plan for improvement?

Continuous Learning Give an example of a time when you learned your way out of a problem.

Continuous Learning Tell us how you keep your job knowledge current with the ongoing changes in the industry.

Continuous Learning What sorts of things have you done to become better qualified for your career?
Can you describe a time when you needed to learn new information about changing products, markets, or
Continuous Learning procedures? What did you do?

Continuous Learning What techniques have you learned to make your job easier or to make you more effective?

Continuous Learning Give me an example of when you had to learn something complex in a short period of time.

Continuous Learning What have you done to further your own professional development in the past five years?
In your previous position, what specific skills or competencies did you seek out to better yourself and help
Continuous Learning coworkers better themselves?
Tell me about a job that you held in the past where continuous learning was necessary and important. How did you
Continuous Learning continue to grow your knowledge, skills, and expertise? How did you apply new learning to your position?
Describe a time when you realized you needed additional skills or knowledge to be successful. What was your
Continuous Learning approach to gaining these skills?
Tell me about a specific situation when you did not have the knowledge or skill to complete a task or assignment.
Continuous Learning What did you do?
Describe your strength in terms of job knowledge and expertise. Tell me about a time when you used that
Continuous Learning knowledge and expertise on the job.
Tell us about a recent job or experience that you would describe as a real learning experience? What did you learn
Continuous Learning from the job or experience?
When you have been made aware of, or have discovered for yourself a problem in your work performance, what
Continuous Learning was your course of action? Can you give an example?
Please describe a time when your opinion differed from that of a customer or colleague. (Probe: How did you voice
Courage & Candor your opinion? What was the outcome?)
 Please describe a time when you had to make a difficult decision that required courage. (Probe: What factors did
Courage & Candor you consider? Why? What were the consequences of your decision?
Courage & Candor How did you inspire the trust and confidence of others?)
Please describe a time when you disagreed with a decision. (Probe: Did you make your views heard? If so, how?
Courage & Candor What was the outcome?)
Please tell me about a time when it was difficult for you to deliver difficult new at work (e.g., poor results or a
Courage & Candor pending deadline that would be missed). (Probe: What was the impact on your work group? Your credibility?)
Please tell me about a time when you didn’t know an answer and you spoke up to understand the situation. (Probe:
Courage & Candor What are some examples of when this occurred? How did you handle the situation?)
Please tell me about a time when you gave candid development feedback to an individual. (Probe: What were the
circumstances? What did you do to correct it? Were you able to do that in a way that maintained your relationship
Courage & Candor with that individual? What was the ultimate outcome?)
Please describe a time when gave feedback to your boss related to his/ her performance. (Probe: How did you
Courage & Candor approach the situation? How did they receive the feedback?)
Please describe a time when you were asked to take on a new goal or responsibility that you didn’t understand.
Courage & Candor (Probe: How did you approach the situation? What was the result?)
Please give an example of a time when you took a business risk. (Probe: How did you convince others of your
Courage & Candor decision? What was the outcome?)

Give me an example of a decision that you made in your organization that required courage. What was the tough
Courage & Candor call? What made it tough? What factors did you consider? Why? What were the consequences of your decision?
Tell me of a time when it was difficult for you to tell the truth. What was the impact on your work group? Your
Courage & Candor credibility?
Courage & Candor Describe a situation when you took a risk professionally. What was the outcome?
Courage & Candor Have you handled a difficult situation with a supervisor? How?
Tell me about a time when you disagreed with the actions or decisions of your manager or supervisor. How did you
Courage & Candor approach the situation? Was the situation resolved to your satisfaction or did nothing change?
Tell me about the most challenging or difficult conversation that you have had to have with someone. What was
Courage & Candor challenging and how did it turn out?
Courage & Candor Tell me about a situation in which you had to deal with a controversial topic at work.
Courage & Candor Describe the biggest professional risk you have taken. How did it turn out?
 Tell me about the last time you took a stand on an issue that others disagreed with. What were the merits in the
Courage & Candor other person’s viewpoints?
Courage & Candor Tell me about a decision that you have made that you knew might receive negative reactions. What happened?
Tell me about a challenge or problem you confronted head on, and one where you waited to see if the situation
Courage & Candor would change without intervention. What happened in each case and how did you decide on your approach?
Courage & Candor Tell me about a work related situation you have been I that took a lot of courage to work through. Be specific.
Courage & Candor Tell me about something you have done that stood out or was contrary to what everyone else was doing.
What was the biggest risk you had to take while at your current/ last company? Why was it risky? Why did you
Courage & Candor take it? What was the outcome?
Describe a specific example when you took responsibility for an error that your staff made. What did you do? What
Credibility was the outcome?
Tell us about a time when you took responsibility for an error and were held personally accountable. What was the
Credibility situation? What did you do? What was the outcome?
Tell us about a time when you had to give feedback to an employee who displayed a lack of respect or concern for
Credibility others in their work relationships. What did you say? What standards did you set? What was the outcome?
Think back to a time when setting a positive example had the most beneficial impact on staff. How did you
Credibility determine that a strong example was needed? What did you do? What was the effect on the staff?
Tell us about your most successful attempt to encourage others to take action and get the job done in order to meet
a commitment to an internal or external customer. What led you take action? Exactly how did you encourage others
Credibility to take action or responsibility? What was the result of your efforts?
Describe an instance when you kept a commitment to others even to your own detriment. What was the instance?
Credibility What did you do? Do you feel you did the right thing? Why or why not?
Tell me of a time when it was difficult for you to tell the truth. What was the impact on your work group? Your
Credibility credibility?
How frequently did you meet with your customer base and what other forms did you use to keep in communication
Customer Service and how frequently?
Describe how you established a partnership with an internal or external customer to help you both achieve you
Customer Service strategic business goals. What did you do? What was the outcome?
Tell us what you have done to establish a customer focused culture in your organization. What action did you take?
Customer Service What was the outcome?
Describe a situation in which you had to address a highly sensitive and complex problem for a dissatisfied
Customer Service customer. What was the problem? What did you do? What was the outcome?
 Describe a situation in which you implemented changes to business processes to improve customer satisfaction.
What did you do? Who did you involve in the business process reengineering? How did you secure and utilize
organizational resources for this effort? What constraints did you have? What challenges did you face? What was
Customer Service the outcome?
Tell me about a time you were approached by an upset customer, but in this situation you knew they were wrong.
Customer Service How did you deal with the situation?
Tell me about the internal/external customers at your current place of employment. What percent of your time
Customer Service is/was spent servicing them? Tell me about one of these instances.
Describe what skills or qualities are important for dealing effectively with customers. Give me an example of when
you used these skills. Describe a situation when you had to involve others to help solve a customer’s problem.
Customer Service What was the problem and how did others help?
On occasion, we all wish that we could change how we interact with customers. Tell me about a customer
Customer Service interaction you wish you could change. What would you do differently?
Customer Service Tell about a time when you worked with a customer who was satisfied.
Customer Service Tell about a time when you had to handle a difficult customer. Did the customer leave happier?
Customer Service Have you worked in customer service previously?
Customer Service Why do you want to work in customer service?
Customer Service Tell me about your previous work experience in customer service.
Customer Service What have you done to be a better customer service representative?
Customer Service What qualifications do you have that make you suitable for this position?
Customer Service What are the top qualities everyone who works in customer service needs to succeed?
Customer Service Why would you be a good fit for our company as a customer service representative?

Customer Service How have you handled a situation in the past where your client has changed the brief or “changed the goalposts?”
Give an example of a time when you went well out of your way to ensure a customer received the best possible
Customer Service service from you and your organization. What was their reaction?
Customer Service When have you gone out on a limb to defend a customer? What happened?
Customer Service Tell me about a time when you went out of your way to help a customer.
Customer Service Can you share an example of how you handled a difficult customer?
Customer Service What if the customer is wrong?
How do you know if your customers are satisfied with the quality of service they receive from you? Give me a
Customer Service specific example.
 Describe a time you identified an error or problem that could have had a negative impact on the customer. What did
Customer Service you do?
Tell me about a time when one of your customers was experiencing repeated problems with your company’s
Customer Service products or services. What did you do to solve that customer’s problem?
Give a specific example of a time when you had to address an angry customer. What was the problem and what
Customer Service was the outcome? How would you asses your role in diffusing the situation?
How do you go about establishing rapport with a customer? What have you done to gain their confidence? Give an
Customer Service example
Customer Service What have you done to improve relations with your customers?

Customer Service Tell me about one or two customer service related programs that you have done that you’re particularly proud of.
Tell me about a time when you were approached by an irate customer, coworker, or individual. What was your
Customer Service response?
Customer Service Tell me about a time when you made a lasting, positive impression on a customer.
When working with customers, tell me how you create an environment that helps them feel informed and cared
Customer Service for?
Describe an organization where you worked that highly valued customer satisfaction. What actions did you take to
Customer Service ensure delivering satisfaction was part of your work?
Customer Service Tell me about a time when your patience and diligence with a customer helped achieve a positive outcome.
Customer Service Tell me about a recent situation with a customer that really tested your patience.
Cross- departmental cooperation can be a challenge. Tell me about a time when you faced this challenge with an
Customer Service internal customer and what you did about it.
Customer Service Describe a time when one of your employees was not providing the best possible service. What did you do?
What have you done to model good service to your employees? Provide a specific example of when you have done
Customer Service this.
No matter how hard we try, we sometimes make a mistake, which, if left unresolved, can lead to an unsatisfied
Customer Service customer. Tell me about a time when this happened to you.
Tell me about a time when you referred clients to other services that they may not have been aware of. How did
Customer Service you become aware of these services?
People in this role will need to succeed in rapidly changing circumstances, with emerging challenges and lots of
Dealing with ambiguity. When have you found yourself in the type of dynamic or ambiguous work situation, and how did you
Ambiguity eventually succeed?
Dealing with Give us an example of a project or task that you had to accomplish without sufficient information, guidelines, or
Ambiguity direction.
Dealing with Please give me an example of when you received conflicting or unclear information about a project. (Probe: How
Ambiguity did you respond? How did you make the most of the situation?)
Dealing with Tell me about a time you have been faced with ambiguity and how you dealt with it. What did you do and what
Ambiguity was the outcome?
Dealing with
Ambiguity Give me an example of your risk- taking ability? How did you handle uncertainty?
Dealing with Give me an example of a time when you had to make a different decision with limited information? How did you
Ambiguity handle not having the total picture?
Dealing with
Ambiguity Tell me a time in which you had to not finish a task because of a lack of information. How did you handle it?
Dealing with
Ambiguity How have you helped your employees deal with change or ambiguity? Give me specific examples.
Dealing with
Ambiguity Tell me about a time when you were put in a new or different situation and didn’t know quite what to do.
Dealing with Have you ever worked in a situation where the rules and guidelines were not clear? Tell me about it. How did you
Ambiguity feel about it? How did you react?
Dealing with Describe a situation when you tried your hardest, but were unable to achieve your desired result. What did you do?
Mistakes & Failure Why were you unsuccessful?
Dealing with Describe a situation in which your results did not meet your manager’s expectations. What happened? What action
Mistakes & Failure did you take?
Dealing with
Mistakes & Failure Tell us about setbacks you have faced. How did you deal with them?
Dealing with
Mistakes & Failure What has been your major work related disappointment? What happened and what did you do?
Dealing with Describe a situation where something that you did had a negative outcome. What did you do to turn the situation
Mistakes & Failure around?
Dealing with
Mistakes & Failure Can you explain a situation where you made a mistake? What did you do about it?
Dealing with Give me an example of a time when something you tried to accomplish failed. What did you do? What did you
Mistakes & Failure learn?
Dealing with
Mistakes & Failure Tell me about a particular work related setback you have faced. How did you deal with it?
Dealing with There comes a time for everyone when he or she has to admit defeat and cannot reach a goal or complete a project.
Mistakes & Failure Tell me about a time when you experienced that.
Please tell me about a time when a decision you made failed. (Probe: What reactions did you receive from others?
Dealing with What impact did it have on your organization? What did you learn from that experience? What was the net result
Mistakes & Failure on your career or reputation?)
Dealing with Please tell me about a time when a team you were on did not achieve its results? (Probe: What did the team do to
Mistakes & Failure get back on track?)
Dealing with
Mistakes & Failure Tell me about a time when a group you led failed or did not meet expectations. What happened? What did you do?
Dealing with Describe for me a situation when you failed to meet a deadline. What things did you fail to do? What did you
Mistakes & Failure learn?
Dealing with
Mistakes & Failure Have you ever made a mistake? How did you handle it?
Dealing with Describe a situation when you tried your hardest, but were unable to achieve your desired result. What did you do?
Mistakes & Failure Why were you unsuccessful?
Dealing with
Mistakes & Failure Tell us about setbacks you have faced. How did you deal with them?
How do you delegate responsibility for an assignment? Who do you choose? What and how do you delegate, and
Delegation what do you monitor and follow up on?
Delegation Tell me about a time when you did a poor job of delegating.
Delegation Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.
Describe for me a time when you had to delegate to a person with a full workload, and how you went about doing
Delegation it.
Sometimes when we delegate, things don’t get done quite the way we would have done them. Tell me about a time
Delegation when this happened and how you handled it.
Delegation Describe how you have empowered your staff to complete tasks you have delegated. Be specific.
How have you made sure that due dates and work standards are met for work that you delegate? Give some
Delegation examples.
When assigning work to employees, how have you determined the amount of instruction to provide? Give me a
Delegation specific example when it worked well and when it didn’t.
 Tell me about a time when you delegated too much responsibility or authority to an employee who wasn’t ready for
Delegation it.
Sometimes managers have difficulty giving up control or authority when passing out duties or projects to their
Delegation team. How have you dealt with this?
Delegation How do you keep track of delegated assignments?
Describe a time you had to delegate parts of large project or assignment to some of your direct reports. How did
Delegation you decide what tasks to delegate to which people? How did the project or assignment turn out?
Decision Making Describe a decision you made that was unpopular and how you handled implementing it.
Decision Making Did you ever make a risky decision? Why? How did you handle it?
Decision Making Did you ever postpone making a decision? Why?
Decision Making Give an example of a time in which you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision.

Decision Making Describe the process you went through to make one or two of the most important decision of your professional life.
Decision Making Have you ever been the latitude to make a decision for your boss? If so, under what circumstances.
Decision Making Tell me about a difficult decision you’ve made in the last year.
Tell us about an experience in which you had a limited amount of time to make a difficult decision with significant
organizational impact? What was the decision? How did you go about making it? What factors did you consider?
Who did the decision impact? What was the outcome/ result of your decision? Were you satisfied with the result?
Decision Making Why or why not?
Give us an example of how you have involved team members, staff, and stakeholders in the decision making
Decision Making process. What was the situation? Who did you involve and why? What process did you use to gain input?
Give me an example of when you had to make a decision about something that you would have preferred having
Decision Making more information about.
Decision Making Describe a time you had to go against traditions or policies to accomplish a goal. What was the result?
Decision Making Tell me about a time when you made a bad decision. What was the result?
Discuss an important decision you have made regarding a task or project at work. What factors influenced your
Decision Making decision?
Everyone has made some poor decisions or has done something that just did not turn out right. Has this happened
Decision Making to you? What happened?
Give an example of a time in which you had to keep from speaking or not finish a task because you did not have
enough information to come to a good decision. Give an example of a time when there was a decision to be made
Decision Making and procedures were not in place?
Decision Making How did you decide what strategy to employ when dealing with a difficult customer?
Decision Making How did you go about developing information to make a decision? Give an example.
Decision Making How quickly do you usually make decisions?
Decision Making In a current job task, what steps do you go through to ensure your decisions are correct/ effective?
Tell us about a time when you had to defend a decision you made even though other important people were
Decision Making opposed to your decision.
Decision Making What kind of decisions do you make rapidly? What kind takes more time? Give examples.
Decision Making When you have to make a highly technical decision, how do you go about doing it?
Have you ever had a situation where you had a number of alternatives to choose from? How did you go about
choosing one? How did you assemble the information? How did you review the information? What process did you
Decision Making follow to reach a conclusion? What alternatives did you develop?
Decision Making What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you? Describe one.
Decision Making At which point do you find it necessary to bring others into your decision-making process? Why?
Decision Making When you recommend something to management, what approach do you usually use?
Decision Making How do you assemble relevant data to make your decisions? How do you know you have enough data?
Decision Making How much leeway do you give your employees to make decisions? How do you still maintain control?
Decision Making Give me an example of a business decision you made that you ultimately regretted. What happened?
Decision Making When, if ever, have you delayed making a decision to give more thought to the situation?
Sometimes we make decisions based on facts and logic and sometimes with our instinct or intuition. Tell me about
Decision Making a decision you made each way and why you made it that way. What were the results?
What was a challenging business decision you have recently faced? How did you decide what to do? What was the
Decision Making result?
Decision Making How did you decide where to attend school? What factors did you consider when making your decision?

Detail Oriented Describe a situation where you had the option to leave the details to others or you could take care of them yourself.
Do you prefer to work with the “big picture” or the details of a situation? Give me an example of an experience that
Detail Oriented illustrates your preference.
Have the jobs you held in the past required little attention, moderate attention, or a great deal of attention to detail?
Detail Oriented Give me an example of a situation that illustrates this.
Detail Oriented Tell us about a difficult experience you had in working with details.
Tell us about a situation where attention to detail was either important or unimportant in accomplishing an assigned
Detail Oriented task.
Detail Oriented What process do you use to check that you have the right details from a customer?
Give me an example of a time you discovered an error that had been overlooked by a colleague. What did you do
Detail Oriented what was the outcome?
Detail Oriented Tell me about a time that you were confused by a customer’s request. What steps did you take to clarify things?
Tell us about a job or setting where great precision and attention to detail was required to complete a task. How did
Detail Oriented you handle the situation?
Tell us about your experience in past jobs that required you to be especially alert to details while doing the task
Detail Oriented involved.
Detail Oriented At the same time as attention to detail is important, awareness of the big picture is crucial.
Please tell us about a time when you paid too much attention to the details and not enough to the big picture. What
Detail Oriented did you learn from this experience?
Detail Oriented Describe a situation in which you felt it necessary to be very attentive and vigilant to your environment.
Attention to details is important in this position. Please give us an example of a time where your attention to detail
Detail Oriented helped you avoid making a mistake.
Developing Others What qualities do you look for and reinforce in colleagues?
Give us an example of a time when you helped staff develop or improve their skills. How did you determine the
Developing Others development need? What did you do? What was the outcome?

Developing Others Please give me an example of how you have helped a person grow in their career or achieve a business objective.
Developing Others Provide an example of a time when you had to teach someone a new skill or procedure.
Tell us about a time when you had to coach staff on presenting sensitive or complex information in a manner that
could be easily understood. What did you do? What was the outcome? What techniques did you teach staff to use
Developing Others to confirm that the audience understood the presentation?
Tell us about what you have done to improve the knowledge, skills, and abilities of your staff. What did you do?
Developing Others What was the outcome?
Developing Others How do you coach an employee in completing a new assignment?
Developing Others What have you done to improve the skills of your subordinates?
Tell us about a specific development plan that you created and carried out with one or more of your employees.
Developing Others What was the specific situation? What were the components of the development plan? What was the outcome?
How often have you had development discussions with your employees? Walk me through a conversation you have
Developing Others had recently.
Developing Others Describe for me how you have worked with an employee to improve his or her job performance.
 Tell me about a particularly challenging employee you have worked with. What was challenging and what
Developing Others approach did you take in working with the person?
Developing Others What creative/ innovative ways have you found to reward excellent performance or results?
Tell me about a time when you had to coach someone around a sensitive topic. How did you address the situation?
Developing Others How did it work out?
Tell me about someone who has moved up or on from your area and how you encouraged and supported their
Developing Others development.
It is sometimes difficult to find the time to coach and develop your staff. Tell me about a situation in which you
Developing Others wish you had taken the time when you hadn’t?
Developing Others Have you found ways to leverage the strengths of your people? Give me one or two specific examples.
Developing Others How do you help your employees become committed to a job or to the organization?
Developing Others What sort of employee training do you think is necessary to offer?
Tell us about a specific development plan that you created and carried out with one or more of your employees.
Developing Others What was the specific situation? What were the components of the development plan? What was the outcome?
Tell us how you have encouraged and supported continuous professional development in your staff. What have you
Developing Others done? How did you secure and utilize necessary resources? What was the end result?
What initiatives have you undertaken in your previous positions that would reflect on your commitment to
Diversity diversity?
Describe a time when you were able to adapt your communication approach so that you could interact more
effectively with a person who came from a background, culture or political perspective that was very different from
your own. What did you do to find common ground? (Look for evidence of versatility, cultural sensitivity, and the
Diversity ability to see issues from another’s point of view.)
Please describe an example of when you participated on a multicultural team. (Probe: What differences did the
team encounter? What did you do to manage these differences? How did the differences impact the team,
Diversity negatively and positively?)
Please describe an example of when you sought out multiple and diverse points of view on an issue. (Probe: How
did you go about soliciting the various contrasting points of view? How did you ensure that everyone’s input was
Diversity taken into consideration?)
Please describe a time when you built a professional partnership/relationship with someone from outside your
Diversity native culture. (Probe: Was it a successful partnership/ relationship? (If none, did you not have an opportunity?)
What do you feel are the most pressing needs/concerns facing a System Administration Office today with respect
Diversity to diversity issues?
Diversity What issues do you think a system office that includes diversity of staff in its mission, needs to deal with?
Diversity What do you see as the most challenging aspect of increased diversity in this environment?
Diversity What initiatives have you taken in your previous capacities to meet such challenges?
Diversity What experience do you have in working with people of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities?
In this position, how do you think you might be able to support System Administration’s philosophy toward
Diversity diversity?
One of the responsibilities of this position is to provide leadership on affirmative action, equal employment
Diversity opportunity and diversity issues for employment and labor practices.
What are some ideas you have on how you would do this? For example, what kinds of leadership efforts are needed
Diversity to encourage a commitment to excellence through diversity?
Give us a specific example of how you have created a work environment where differences are valued, encouraged,
Diversity and supported. What did you do? What was the outcome?
Give us a specific example of how you have created a work environment that is free of sexual harassment and
Diversity discrimination. What did you do? What was the outcome?
Describe a situation when you have actively confronted indications of discrimination or prejudicial behavior. What
Diversity did you do? What was the outcome?
Diversity In your own words, describe what diversity means to you.
Give me an example of different types of individuals you have worked with and how you got along with each of
Diversity them.
What have you done to further your knowledge/ understanding about diversity? How have you demonstrated your
Diversity learning?
What measures have you taken to make someone feel comfortable in an environment that was obviously
Diversity uncomfortable with his or her presence?
Tell us about a time when you had to adapt to a wide variety of people by accepting or understanding their
Diversity perspectives.
In what ways have you modified your approach to managing your team members in order to accommodate their
Diversity differences? Provide some specific examples
One of the ways people are different is in their style of relating with each other. Give some examples of different
Diversity types of people you have worked with, and how you got along with each.
Diversity Tell me about a diversity situation that you wish you had handled differently? What happened?
Diversity Have you worked with colleagues or served customers with disabilities? How did you respond to them?
 Provide an example of what you have done in a higher educational setting to improve success for students of color
Diversity and economically disadvantaged studetns. Please provide an example of how you do this in your daily work.
Diversity What, if any, diversity training have you received? What did you get out of it?
Empowering and
Motivating Others Can you tell me a time in which you felt you were able to build motivation in your co-workers or subordinates?
Empowering and Give us an example of how you have been successful at empowering staff to accomplish the goals of the branch or
Motivating Others division. What did you do? What was the outcome?
Empowering and Tell me about a time that you inspired someone to work hard to do a good job. How did you do it? What was the
Motivating Others result?
Empowering and
Motivating Others Give an example of how you have been successful at empowering a group of people in accomplishing a task.
Empowering and There are times when people need extra help. Give an example of when you were able to provide that support to a
Motivating Others person with whom you worked.
Empowering and Describe the steps you have taken to motivate you employees. Give me some specific examples of how you did
Motivating Others this.
Empowering and Tell me about an employee that you were able to motivate and inspire to achieve his or her goals and one that no
Motivating Others matter how hard you tried, you could not inspire.
Empowering and
Motivating Others How do you deal with people whose work exceeds your expectations?
Empowering and Give us a specific example of how you have empowered your staff to make independent decisions. What did you
Motivating Others do? What was the outcome?
Empowering and Give us an example of how you have been successful at empowering staff to accomplish the goals of the branch or
Motivating Others division. What did you do? What was the outcome?
Goal Setting &
Orientation Give an example of how you set goals and achieve them.
Goal Setting &
Orientation Give me a time in which you had to set an important goal in the past and tell me about your success in reaching it.
Goal Setting &
Orientation Describe a typical day. How do you decide what to work on and what goals to accomplish?
Goal Setting &
Orientation What are your short- term goals (next 2-5 years)?
Goal Setting &
Orientation What are your long- term goals (next 7-10 years)?
Goal Setting &
Orientation Give an example of a goal you didn’t’’t meet and how you handled it.
Goal Setting &
Orientation Do you have a strategic plan? How was it developed? How did you communicate it to the rest of your staff?
Goal Setting &
Orientation How do you communicate goals to subordinates? Give an example.
Goal Setting &
Orientation How do you involve people in developing your unit’s goals? Give an example.
Goal Setting & What company plans have you developed? Which ones have you reached? How did you reach them? Which have
Orientation you missed? Why did you miss them?
Goal Setting &
Orientation What goals did you miss? Why did you miss them?
Goal Setting &
Orientation What goals have you met and what have you done to meet them?
Goal Setting &
Orientation What were your annual goals at your current employer? How did you go about developing these goals?
Goal Setting & Describe a time when you developed methods or processes for measuring the progress your department or
Orientation organization was making toward their goal.
Goal Setting & Describe a situation in which you had to translate a manager’s general directive into specific goals. Explain how
Orientation you did this and the goals you established.
Influencing Others What qualities do you look for and reinforce in colleagues?
Tell us about a specific experience of yours that illustrates your ability to influence other people through verbal
communication. Describe a situation where your interaction with others helped change their attitudes or persuade
them to follow a new course of action. (Look for evidence for clear articulate speech, and an ability to employ
Influencing Others specific persuasive communication approaches.)
Influencing Others Share an example of how you were able to motivate employees or co- workers.
Influencing Others Have you had to convince a team to work on a project they weren’t thrilled about? How did you do it?
Influencing Others Describe a situation in which you were able to positively influence the actions of others in a desired direction.
Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your
Influencing Others way. What was the situation? What did you do? What was the result?
 Give me an example of a time that you were able to get someone outside of your department/team to cooperate
Influencing Others with you on an important project/assignment.
Influencing Others Have you ever had difficulty getting others to accept your ideas? What was your approach? Did it work?
Influencing Others Describe a situation in which you were able to positively influence the actions of others in a desired direction
Describe a time when you were able to convince a skeptical or resistant customer to purchase a project or utilize
Influencing Others your services.
Influencing Others How do you get a peer or colleague to accept one of your ideas?
Influencing Others Tell us about a time when you had to convince someone in authority about your ideas. How did it work out?

Influencing Others Tell us about a time when you used your leadership ability to gain support for what initially had strong opposition.
Influencing Others How do you deal with people whose work exceeds your expectations?
Influencing Others How do you get subordinates to produce at a high level? Give an example.
Influencing Others How do you get subordinates to work at their peak potential? Give an example.
Influencing Others How do you manage cross functional teams?
Influencing Others Describe a situation in which you were able to positively influence the actions of others in a desired direction.
Initiative & Describe a time when you took the initiative to do something that needed to be done, even though it wasn’t really
Foresight your responsibility. What circumstances prompted you to act?
Initiative &
Foresight Tell me an example of time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.
Initiative &
Foresight Tell me of a time when you had to take initiative to develop an innovative project to achieve better results.
Initiative &
Foresight Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead.
Initiative & Please describe a business opportunity you identified. (Probe: How did you respond? How did you involve others?
Foresight What was the outcome?)
Initiative & Please describe an opportunity for synergy or a process improvement you identified. (Probe: How did you respond?
Foresight How did you involve others? What was the outcome?)
Please give an example of a strategy you developed for your organization. (Probe: How did you develop the
Initiative & strategy? How did you communicate it to others? How did you ensure buy in from internal and external
Foresight stakeholders?)
Initiative &
Foresight Describe a time when you made a suggestion to improve the work in your organization.
Initiative &
Foresight Tell us about the last time that you undertook a project that demanded a lot of initiative.
Initiative &
Foresight What sorts of things did you do at school that was beyond expectations?
Initiative &
Foresight Have you ever suggested new ideas to your manager? What were they and what happened?
Initiative &
Foresight Tell me the steps you have taken to improve your skills or performance. What was the result?
Initiative &
Foresight What do you differently from your peers that makes your work unique? Give me an example.
Initiative & Please describe an emerging trend in your field. (Probe: How do you identify trends? How do these trends affect
Foresight your day to day work?)

Initiative & Please describe the most significant competitive company within your industry. (Probe: How do you stay informed
Foresight about their business trends and results? How has that affected your business direction or plan of action?)
Initiative & Give me an example of a project you started in your last job without being asked to do so. How did you determine
Foresight that something needed to be done? What action did you take? What was the outcome?
Tell me about a time when you contributed extra effort to meet a deadline or handle an emergency. What was the
Initiative & situation? What led you to put in extra effort? What did you do to cope with the demands of the situation? How did
Foresight it turn out?
Initiative &
Foresight Tell us about a time when you demonstrated too much initiative.
Initiative & When you have been made aware of, or have discovered for yourself, a problem in your work performance, what
Foresight was your course of action? Can you give an example?
Initiative & Tell us about a time when you anticipated the future and made changes to current responsibilities/ operations to
Foresight meet future needs.
Initiative &
Foresight Tell me about a time when you wont (or lost) an important contract.
Initiative & Describe a situation in which you recognized a potential problem as an opportunity. What did you do? What was
Foresight the result? What, if anything, do you wish you had done differently?
Initiative & In our department we sometimes have “down time.” What would you do to utilize this time for our department or
Foresight have you done in the past?
Initiative & Tell me of an idea that you have implemented with a coworker. Give an example of how it positively affected
Foresight customers.
Initiative & What processes or techniques have you learned to make a job easier, or to be more effective? What was your
Foresight discovery process and how did you implement your idea?
Initiative &
Foresight Describe some examples of work that you have done independently or with little direction.
Initiative &
Foresight What kinds of things get you really excited?
Initiative & Describe a business opportunity you saw when working in a team. How did you react? What did you do to follow-
Foresight up?
Innovation &
Creativity Describe the most creative work related project which you have carried out.
Innovation &
Creativity Tell me of a time when you had to take initiative to develop an innovative project to achieve better results.
Innovation &
Creativity Describe the most creative way you have solved a customer’s problem.
Innovation & Describe a time when speed, innovation and creativity helped your organization through a difficult business
Creativity problem. What was your role? How did you work with others? What was the final outcome?
Innovation & Describe a time when you did not work creatively with others and focused on a difficult business problem. What
Creativity would you change to improve the situation? What was your role? How could you help others?
Sometimes in order to meet organizational goals, you must be creative in securing resources or finding new or
innovative methods of producing high quality work products or services. Tell us about a time that you were able to
Innovation & meet organizational goals by creatively securing resources or using innovative methods to produce high quality
Creativity work products or services. What was the objective? What did you do? What was the outcome?
Innovation &
Creativity Can you think of a situation where innovation was required at work? What did you do in this situation?
Innovation &
Creativity Describe a time when you came up with a creative solution/ idea/ project/ report to a problem I your past work.
Innovation & Sometimes it is essential that we break out of the routine, standardized way of doing things in order to complete the
Creativity task. Give an example of when you were able to successfully develop such a new approach.
Innovation & Tell us about a problem that you solved in a unique or unusual way. What was the outcome? Were you satisfied
Creativity with it?
Innovation &
Creativity Tell us about a suggestion you made to improve the way job processes/ operations worked. What was the result?
Innovation & There are many jobs that require creative or innovative thinking. Give an example of when you had such a job and
Creativity how you handled it.
Innovation & What innovative procedures have you developed? How did you develop them? Who was involved? Where did the
Creativity ideas come from?
Innovation &
Creativity What was the last time that you thought “outside of the box” and how did you do it?
Innovation & Unfortunately, not all our new ideas are good ones. Tell me about a time when you thought you had a good idea
Creativity and it didn’t turn out to be so good.
Innovation &
Creativity Give me an example of a time when your frustration with a product or process led to making positive changes.
Innovation & Relate an approach that you have used that is different from your normal approach to solve a problem. How did
Creativity you come up with the approach? What other options did you consider?
Innovation &
Creativity In what ways have you helped your team to become more creative or innovative. Give me some examples.
Innovation &
Creativity Give me an example of when someone brought you a new idea that was odd or unusual. What did you do?
Innovation &
Creativity When have you brought an innovative idea into your team? How was it received?
Innovation & Most companies have a formal way to get things done, and an informal way that some people discover. Tell me
Creativity about any creative or informal ways that you have found to get things done in the past.
Innovation & What time saving or cost saving ideas have you come up with in your current/ past job? What savings were realized
Creativity because of your ideas?
During tough economic times, we all know that training resources are difficult to secure and maintain. Tell us
Innovation & about a creative idea that you came up with that contributed to developing your staff. What was the idea? What did
Creativity you do? What was the outcome?
Sometimes it is essential that we break out of the routine standardized way of doing things in order to complete the
task. Give us an example of when you were able to successfully develop such a new approach. What was the
Innovation & situation? What did you do? What was the outcome? Tell us about a problem that you solved in a unique or unusual
Creativity way. What was the outcome? Where you satisfied with it?
Innovation &
Creativity Tell us about an innovative solution you developed to a non- traditional problem.
Tell us about a specific time when you identified and handled a sensitive or complex problem which challenged
fairness or ethical issues. What was the situation? How did you identify the ethical or fairness issue? What did you
do? What challenges did you encounter? What was the outcome? Were you satisfied with the outcome? Why or
Integrity why not? What would you do differently if faced with a similar situation in the future?
Tell us about how your organization has maintained compliance with relevant laws and ethical standards. How
Integrity have you contributed to this effort?
Can you give me an example of a time that you had to bend an organizational practice or policy to get your work
Integrity done more efficiently?
Have you ever been faced with a situation when the line between confidential information and public knowledge
Integrity was blurred? What did you do?
Have you ever been faced with a situation where your manager asked you to do something that you did not think
Integrity was appropriate? What did you do?
Integrity Describe a time when you were able to keep information confidential.
Integrity Give examples of how you have acted with integrity in your job/work relationship.
Integrity If you can, tell about a time when your trustworthiness was challenged. How did you react/respond?
On occasion we are confronted by dishonesty in the workplace. Tell us about such an occurrence and how you
Integrity handled it.
Integrity Tell us about a specific time when you had to handle a tough problem which challenged fairness or ethical issues.
Information you believe to be untrue or confidential has reached you through the grapevine. What actions have you
Integrity taken in the past to take care of situations such as these when communication is out of control?
How often do you believe it is necessary to withhold information from staff members who report to you? Would
you say you do this regularly, not often, or never? Under what circumstances do you limit communication in your
Integrity experience?
Integrity Tell me about a time when you were asked to do something that you didn’t think was right. What did you do?
Integrity Describe a time when you faced an ethical or values conflict in your job? Explain. How did you react?
Integrity Tell us about a specific time when you had to handle a tough problem which challenged fairness or ethical issues
Integrity Describe a time when your integrity was challenged? How did you handle it?
Integrity Tell me about a time when you experienced a loss for doing what is right. How did you react?
Integrity Tell me about a business situation when you felt honesty was inappropriate. Why? What did you do?
 Describe a situation where you saw an employee or co-worker do something you thought was inappropriate. What
Integrity did you do?
Integrity When was the last time you “broke the rules”? What was the situation and what did you do?
Tell us about how your organization has maintained compliance with relevant laws and ethical standards. How
Integrity have you contributed to this effort?
Leadership In your most recent supervisory role, how frequently did you meet with your staff?
Leadership Describe for me a job experience when you had to serve as the leader in order to accomplish a goal.
Leadership Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead.
Please give an example of when you were responsible for leading a change in the business. (Probe: What was the
Leadership reason for the change? Were you ahead or behind the market? What was your result?)
Leadership Please give an example of when you led a team through a major organizational change.
Think of a time when you had to lead through a crisis situation that required the help of other people. How did you
Leadership get organized? What did you do to get others to help you? What was the result of your efforts?
Describe a situation when you were asked to lead a project with peers or people who didn’t report to you. How did
Leadership you build trust? How did you get them to cooperate? What was the outcome?
Tell us about a time when you managed or guided a group or team effort. What was the situation? What actions did
you take? What were the biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? What steps did you take to achieve a
Leadership positive outcome? How did the group or team effort ultimately turn out?
Tell me about a time you decided to reorganize the department or work unit that you lead. Tell me about how you
Leadership proceeded with the reorganization.
Have you ever been a member of a successful team? If so, describe the role you played on the team and in its
Leadership success.
Give me an example of a time when you played a leadership role in an event, an activity, a department or work
Leadership unit, or a project. Describe how you lead the efforts. Tell me how people responded to your leadership.
If I were to ask your reporting staff or your peers to comment about your leadership style, your leadership
strengths, and your leadership weaknesses, how would they respond? What would this discussion tell me about you
Leadership as a leader?
Tell me about a time when you created agreement and shared purpose from a situation in which all parties
Leadership originally differed in opinion, approach, and objectives.
As a leader within an organization, you must often build support for goals and projects from people who do not
report to you and over whom you have no authority. Tell me about a situation in which you demonstrated that you
Leadership can build the needed support.
 What are the three most important values you demonstrate as a leader? Tell me a story that demonstrates each of
Leadership these leadership values in practice within your work place.
During your work experiences while attending college, tell me about a time when you demonstrated that you have
Leadership leadership ability and skill.
What are the most important values and ethics you demonstrate as a leader? Give us an example of these in
Leadership practice.
Leadership Name some situations in which a leader may fail. Tell us about a time when you failed as a leader.
Leadership What role does leadership play for a manager? How have you demonstrated this with your managers?
Leadership Tell us about a time when the going got really tough. How did you rally the staff and build morale?
Leadership What methods have you used to gain commitment from your team?
All leaders have to deal with conflict situations. Describe a recent disagreement or conflict you personally had to
Leadership handle.
Leadership How have you influenced employees to follow your strategic vision for the organization?
Leadership What was the most significant change you brought about in an organization?
Describe a situation which demonstrated that listening is an important aspect of leadership. What did you do? What
Leadership was the result? Why was listening important in this situation?
Have you ever been a member of a group where two of the members did not work well together? What did you do
Leadership to get them to do so?
What was the toughest group that you have had to get cooperation from? Describe how you handled it. What was
Leadership the outcome?
Leadership Describe your leadership style and give an example of a situation when you successfully lead a group.
Leadership How do you get your employees (or others) to follow you?
Leadership How do you use power or authority to get what you want don’t?
Tell me about a time when you accomplished something significant that wouldn’t have happened if you had not
Leadership been there to make it happen.
Tell me about a time when you were able to step into a situation, take charge, muster support, and achieve good
Leadership results.
Leadership Tell me about a time when you had to develop leaders under you.
Describe a leadership role of yours outside of work. Why did you commit your time to it? How did you feel about
Leadership it?
What is the toughest group that you have ever had to lead? What were the obstacles? How did you handle the
Leadership situation?
 What has been your greatest leadership achievement in a professional environment? Talk through the steps you
Leadership took to reach it.
Describe a time when you have not only been responsible for leading a team of people but for also doing the same
Leadership job as your team members? How did you juggle/ balance your time?
Leadership Give specific examples of how you have promoted your organization’s missions and values in the past.
Provide an example of a time when you took on a role of a leader in a committee or group. How did you lead the
Leadership team and what were the outcomes?
What is the most important skill of a good leader? Describe a time when you effectively used this leadership skill
Leadership on the job.
Describe a time when an employee or your supervisor gave you feedback on a leadership skill you needed to
Leadership develop. What was the skill and what did you do? What was the outcome?
In your previous roles, have you ever experienced a time when your staff did not want to take on a project or task?
Leadership Explain how you have helped them to understand how the expectation fits with your operational plan.
Please share an example of a situation where your team members disagreed with you. How did you respond? What
Leadership was the final outcome?
Leadership What goals have you set for yourself as a leader? How have you been working towards them?
Listening & Non
Verbal
Communication Give an example of a time when you made a mistake because you did not listen well to what someone had to say.
Listening & Non
Verbal How often do you have to rely on information you have gathered from others when talking to them? What kinds of
Communication problems have you had? What happened?
Listening & Non
Verbal
Communication What do you do to show people that you are listening to them?
Listening & Non
Verbal
Communication When is listening important on your job? When is listening difficult?
Listening & Non
Verbal Describe a situation in which you were able to effectively “read” others and guide your actions by your
Communication understanding of their nonverbal cues. What did you do? What was the outcome of the situation?
Listening & Non
Verbal
Communication Do you listen? Give an example of when you did or when you didn’t listen.
Listening & Non Please describe a time when you used effective listening skills and probed a customer or colleague to understand
Verbal their real needs. (Probe: How did you realize there was more to be discovered? What did you do once you had this
Communication information? What was the result?)
Listening & Non
Verbal
Communication Tell me about a time when you misunderstood directions. What action did you take?
Listening & Non
Verbal Give me examples from past experiences when you had to rely on information given to you orally to get the job
Communication done.
Listening & Non
Verbal It can be challenging trying to understand someone for whom English is not the primary language. Tell me about a
Communication time when you were interacting with such a person and how you ensured that you understood them.
Listening & Non Describe a situation where you gathered important information by being an effective listener. What was the
Verbal situation? Who was the customer? How did you determine what was needed? How did you make the partnership
Communication happen? What was the result?
Listening & Non
Verbal Give us an example of when your listening skills helped resolve a situation or issue. How did you show you were
Communication listening? What impact did your listening skills have on the outcome of the situation or issue and why?
Listening & Non
Verbal Describe a situation which demonstrated that listening is an important aspect of leadership. What did you do? What
Communication was the result? Why was listening important in this situation?
Management In your most recent supervisory role, how frequently did you meet with your staff?
Give us an example of your involvement in the workforce or succession planning efforts of your organization.
Management What was your role? What was the outcome?
Describe the process you have used to review and approve written correspondence from your staff. What steps did
Management you take? What did you look for before approving the correspondence?
What is your system for tracking progress on delegated projects for which you are responsible? Give me an
Management example.
Management Give me examples of how you monitor the satisfaction of your internal/ external customers.
Management Have you ever delegated an assignment that was not completed on time? What happened? What did you do?
Management What have you done to help your subordinates to be more productive?
Management How do you go about setting goals with subordinates? How do you involve them in this process?
Management How do you keep track of what subordinates are doing?
Management What administrative paperwork do you have? Is it useful? Why or why not?
Give an example of a time when you helped a staff member accept change and make the necessary adjustments to
Management move forward.
Tell us about a time when you had to use your authority to get something done. Were there any negative
Management consequences?
When do you give positive feedback to people? Tell me about the last time you did. Give an example of how you
Management handle the need for constructive criticism with a subordinate or peer.
Management How do you let subordinates know what you expect of them?
Management Describe your management style
Management How do you deal with an “attitude” problem?
Management How have you handled “complainers?”
Management How do you deal with an employee who needs to be disciplined? Explain your strategy.
Management How do you handle a personnel situation which might have a potential legal impact?
Management How would you deal with “politics” in a work place?
Management What would you describe as an effective staff meeting? Ineffective?
Management How do you typically get cooperation from someone in another department?
What is your experience in supervising a diverse group of employees with varied backgrounds and skills? How
Management have you ensured the best fit of employees for each job?
In your past experience or training, what have you done to build bridges between different areas of responsibilities
Management within your department?
What was the turnover rate or retention level in the last group you managed? To what do you attribute that number/
Management percent?
Describe what you have done to ensure that your people and resources have been leveraged I the best possible
Management way?
Management What makes a good superior according to you?
Management What would you term as the single most important quality that makes a good supervisor?
Management What is the motivation behind a supervisor? What is your motivation?
Management Tell us something about your interpersonal skills. Do you see them as useful in the position you have applied for?
 How can the daily goals be met? Is there anything you have in mind to motivate your workers? What would be the
Management techniques that you would use?
Management What is the opinion of the current leadership team?
Management Do you see any changes that could improve the current position?
Management What would the people whom you have supervised said about you?
Management How would you rate your management skills on a scale of 1 to 10?
Management What is the work environment in which you have had the most success?
Management Was there any time when a reporting employee over performed and exceeded their goals?
What are the factors that are crucial within an organization? Why do you think that these should be present for you
Management to work most effectively?
How have you met the coworkers, supervisors, and other reporting staff at your previous company, when you were
Management on your first day as a supervisor?

Management If your team- workers and coworkers are interviewed, what would they say are your strengths and weaknesses?
All new employees have a tough time getting to know people in the office. What is your strategy to make the
Management person welcome in the office?
Management What is the single most crucial thing that a company should possess to retain their employees?
Have you ever advised another supervisor about an errant employee or process? Was your suggestion
implemented? How successful was your idea? Can we have other examples where you have suggested other
Management supervisors?
Management What do you look for when you hire people?
People in this role will need to succeed in rapidly changing circumstances, with emerging challenges and lots of
Managing ambiguity. When have you found yourself in the type of dynamic or ambiguous work situation, and how did you
Challenges eventually succeed?
Managing
Challenges How do you handle a challenge? Give an example.
Managing
Challenges Give some examples of ways you minimize stress in your life.
Managing
Challenges Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills.
Managing
Challenges Have you handled a difficult situation? How?
Managing
Challenges Tell me about how you work effectively under pressure.
Managing
Challenges Have you ever made a mistake? How did you handle it?
Managing
Challenges Have you ever dealt with company policy you weren’t in agreement with? How?
Managing
Challenges Have you handled a difficult situation with a co-worker? How?
Managing
Challenges Have you handled a difficult situation with another department? How?
Managing
Challenges Have you handled a difficult situation with a client or vendor? How?
Managing
Challenges What do you do if you disagree with your boss?
Managing Tell me about a project/task you were involved in where you faced a major obstacle. What did you do to get around
Challenges that obstacle?
Managing Describe one of the most challenging interactions you have had with an internal/external customer. What
Challenges happened?
Managing
Challenges Tell me about a time that you faced unrealistic/unreasonable goals or expectations. How did you respond/handle it?
Managing
Challenges What kinds of challenges did you face in your last job? Give an example of how you handled them.
Managing Describe a time in which you were faced with problems or stresses which tested your coping skills. What did you
Challenges do?
Managing Sometimes we need to remain calm on the outside when we are really upset on the inside. Give an example of then
Challenges this happened to you.
Managing Have you ever dealt with a situation where communication was poor? Where there was a lack of cooperation? Lack
Challenges of trust? How did you handle these things?
Managing
Challenges What do you do when a subordinate comes to you with a challenge?
Managing Please describe a situation in which you had to overcome an obstacle in order to complete a project or task. What,
Challenges if anything, would you do differently in this situation if you had the chance?
Managing
Challenges How do you react when faced with constant time pressure? Give an example.
Managing
Challenges People react differently when job demands are constantly changing; how do you react?
Managing
Challenges What kind of events cause you stress on the job?
Managing
Challenges What was a major obstacle you were able to overcome in the past year?
Managing Tell me about a time when you had trouble completing an assignment due to a system or equipment failure that
Challenges impeded your productivity. Describe the situation and how you resolved it?
Managing Describe a situation when you were working with a client whose values and beliefs were different from you own,
Challenges and in fact were offensive to you. What did you do to assure the client received high quality service?
Managing What types of things in your work have caused stress or made you uncomfortable? What did you do when those
Challenges situations happened?
Managing Tell me about a situation where another individual lost his or her temper with you without reason. How did you
Challenges handle it? How would you describe the relationship today?
Managing
Challenges Have you ever been asked a question you couldn’t answer or been confronted in public? How did you respond?
Managing
Challenges Tell me about a time when you felt that you were treated unfairly or unethically. What did you do?
Managing How have you adjusted your style when it was not meeting the objectives and or people were not responding
Challenges correctly?
Organizational/ Job When considering a new job opportunity, what elements, such as job responsibilities, location, and hours of work,
Fit are important to you?
Organizational/ Job What do you consider to be your three greatest strengths? Give me an example of when you used each of these
Fit strengths.
Organizational/ Job
Fit What skill do you feel you need to develop the most? Why?
Organizational/ Job
Fit Describe some specific tasks or conditions you found frustrating. How did you handle them?
Organizational/ Job
Fit Describe the style of management under which you work most effectively. Why do you prefer this style?
Organizational/ Job
Fit Tell me about a time you received constructive criticism. What was it?
Organizational/ Job
Fit What types of responsibilities do you like most?
Organizational/ Job
Fit What types of responsibilities do you like least?
Organizational/ Job When you imagine yourself sitting at your desk, working hard, with a smile on your face, what type of job are you
Fit doing?
Organizational/ Job
Fit When you imagine yourself frustrated and stressed at work, what is going on?
Organizational/ Job
Fit What behaviors does your current organization value or reward? Are they important to you?
Organizational/ Job
Fit What do you like most about your current work environment?
Organizational/ Job
Fit Why or how did you choose your current location?
Organizational/ Job
Fit What makes on location more desirable to you than another?
Organizational/ Job
Fit Can you describe your dream job?
Organizational/ Job
Fit If you could change one thing about your current job, what would it be?
In an organization like UW System, it’s important to understand the complex communication channels, leadership
Organizational/ Job networks, and decision making processes. Describe a specific time when your understanding of organizational
Fit dynamics and internal structures helped you succeed in a similarly complex work environment.
Organizational/ Job
Fit How did you get work assignments at your most recent employer?
Organizational/ Job
Fit Learning your way around a large organization can be a challenge. Tell me how you have done this in the past.
Organizational/ Job Based on what you know about the position, what do you think will be some of the challenges for anyone in the
Fit position? For you personally?
 In an organization like UW System, it is important to understand the complex communication channels, leadership
Organizational/ Job networks, and decision- making processes. Describe a specific time when your understanding of organizational
Fit dynamics and internal structures helped make you succeed in a similarly complex work environment.
Organizational/ Job
Fit Describe the best work environment you’ve experienced. Why was this particular environment so positive?
Organizational/ Job Tell me about a work environment that was not idea. What was the situation? What did you do? What did you
Fit learn?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation What performance standards do you have for your unit?
Performance
Expectations & How have you dealt with an employee who was not meeting quality standards for work output? Walk me through
Evaluation what you did?
Performance
Expectations & What work standards have you established? How did you ensure that the standards are being met? Give me an
Evaluation example.
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation How have you monitored the quality of your employees work? Give me a specific example.
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation Tell me about a time when you missed a deadline. Why was the deadline missed?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation What steps have you taken to ensure customer satisfaction? Give some specific examples.
Performance
Expectations & Tell me about a time when some of the details in your work slipped through the crack. What happened and what
Evaluation did you do?
Performance
Expectations & There comes a time for everyone when you must sacrifice quality in order to meet a deadline. Tell me about a time
Evaluation when you had to cut some corners and what resulted.
Performance
Expectations & Tell me about a time when you had numerous assignments due at the same time. How would you describe the
Evaluation quality of each?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation Tell me about a project or paper you handed in that you wish had been better? Why did you hand it in that way?
Performance What standards of performance were required at your current/pas job? How have you done with meeting those
Expectations & standards? Tell me about a specific time that you met them and a time when you failed to meet the desired
Evaluation standards. What made the difference?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation We’ve all had to miss a day of work from time to time. Tell me how you have handled this in the past.
Performance
Expectations & One of the jobs of a manager is to manage performance and conduct periodic performance review. How have you
Evaluation managed employee performance in the past? What process have you used for performance feedback?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation How do you let subordinates know what you expect of them?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation What performance standards do you have for your unit? How have you communicated them with your staff?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation Have you ever had a subordinate whose performance was consistently marginal? What did you do?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation How do you evaluate the productivity/ effectiveness of your subordinates?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation How do you get data for performance reviews?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation What do you do to ensure objectivity when you evaluate the work of others?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation What sort of performance standards have you held employees to? Were they written?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation How often do you evaluate your employees?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation How do you get your employees involved in their own evaluation?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation How do you evaluate your department’s overall performance?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation When you evaluate someone’s performance verbally, what approach do you take?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation How do you plan for performance improvements?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation How do you measure performance in your area?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation Describe to me how you like to receive feedback, both positive and negative. Provide an example of each.
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation Tell me about your most memorable performance improvement discussion.
Performance
Expectations & Please describe how you receive performance feedback in your current position/ company. (Probe: How do you
Evaluation seek out feedback from others? What types of feedback do you seek from others?)
Performance
Expectations & Describe the steps that you have taken to define and communicate performance expectations to your employees.
Evaluation What were the steps? What was the outcome?
Performance
Expectations & Tell us about the process you used to set goals and objectives for your staff and branch or division. What was the
Evaluation process? How did you ensure these goals and objectives were aligned with the organization/s vision and mission?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation Tell about a time when you successfully gave feedback to a boss, subordinate or peer.
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation How often do you discuss a subordinate’s performance with him/her? Give an example.
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation Tell us about a time when you had to take disciplinary action with someone you supervised.
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation Tell us about a time when you had to tell a staff member that you were dissatisfied with his or her work.
Performance
Expectations & Tell us about methods you have used to ensure that your staff produces high quality work products and services.
Evaluation What did you do? What was the outcome? Were you satisfied with the results? Why or why not?
Performance
Expectations & Tell me about a time when your supervisor was not satisfied with the quality of your work. What actions did you
Evaluation take?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation Describe what you do to control errors in your work.
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation Describe your standards of success in your job. What have you done to meet those standards?
Performance
Expectations &
Evaluation When evaluating your direct reports performance, what factors are most important to you?
Performance
Expectations & Please give me an example of a time when you asked (and received) feedback from a direct report that was less
Evaluation than positive. What did you do with the feedback you received?
Personal Reflection
& Assessment What do you think your colleagues would say are your greatest strengths?

Personal Reflection
& Assessment What does your staff think of you?

Personal Reflection
& Assessment What ways have you found to make your job easier or more rewarding?

Personal Reflection
& Assessment Tell me about an accomplishment that you are very proud of and why it means so much to you.

Personal Reflection
& Assessment Give some examples of ways you minimize stress in your life.

Personal Reflection
& Assessment Tell me about a time when you recognized a personal development need. (What did you do to address this need?)

Personal Reflection
& Assessment What tasks have you had difficulty completing and what skills do you think you need to improve?

Personal Reflection
& Assessment If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be and why?

Personal Reflection
& Assessment If you could compare yourself with any animal, which would it be and why?

Personal Reflection
& Assessment Who do you admire most and why?

Personal Reflection
& Assessment Can you recall a time when you were less than pleased with your performance?
Personal Reflection
& Assessment If there was one area you’ve always wanted to improve upon, what would that be?

Personal Reflection
& Assessment In what ways are you trying to improve yourself?

Personal Reflection
& Assessment What was the most useful criticism you have received?

Personal Reflection What are the three most important factors that make you an effective, valued coworker in your current job? What
& Assessment would your supervisor say are the three most important factors?

Personal Reflection
& Assessment What makes you the most qualified person for this job?

Personal Reflection
& Assessment Talk about a typical day in your current job. What challenges you? What brings you the most satisfaction?

Personal Reflection
& Assessment What kinds of things get you really excited?

Personal Reflection
& Assessment Describe a time when you had to make a difficult choice between your personal and professional life.

Personal Reflection
& Assessment What type of work environment do you prefer?

Personal Reflection
& Assessment Where do you see yourself in five years?

Personal Reflection
& Assessment Give me a specific occasion in which you conformed to a policy with which you did not agree.
Personal Reflection
& Assessment Give specific examples of how you exhibit excellence (adaptability, respect or accountability, etc.) in your work.

Personal Reflection How do you determine if the work you do is a quality job? What are some ways that you have improved the quality
& Assessment of your own work?

Personal Reflection Tell me about a time when your evaluation of your performance differed from your manager’s evaluation of your
& Assessment performance. What happened?

Personal Reflection
& Assessment Give an example of a situation where others were intense but you were able to maintain your composure.

Personal Reflection
& Assessment Tell me about the manager who has most inspired or motivated you. What specifically did that individual do?

Personal Reflection Give me an example of when you were able to meet the personal and professional demands in your life yet still
& Assessment maintained a healthy balance.

Personal Reflection
& Assessment What previous job was the most satisfying and why? Provide specific examples of what made the job satisfying.

Personal Reflection What previous job was the most frustrating and why? Provide specific examples and what you did about the
& Assessment situation.
Persuasion & We don’t always get our way when there is a dispute. Describe your most satisfying/ disappointing experience
Negotiation when settling a dispute.
Persuasion & Tell me about a specific time that you had to bring a group to consensus. What process or steps did you use? How
Negotiation did it work out?
Persuasion & Tell me about a time when you had to negotiate to get what you wanted. How did you do it and what was the
Negotiation result?
Have you ever been in a situation where you had to bargain with someone? How did you feel about this? What did
Persuasion & you do? Give an example. How did you prepare for it? How did you present your position? How did you resolve
Negotiation it?
Persuasion &
Negotiation By providing an example, tell me of a situation where you had to use your ability to negotiate.
Tell us about a specific experience of yours that illustrates your ability to influence other people through verbal
communication. Describe a situation where your interaction with others helped change their attitudes or persuade
Persuasion & them to follow a new course of action. (Look for evidence for clear articulate speech, and an ability to employ
Negotiation specific persuasive communication approaches.)
Persuasion & Tell me about a time when you reached an impasse with a third party. What was the issue and what steps did you
Negotiation take to resolve the issue?
Persuasion & In what negotiations have you been involved? What was your role? How did you prepare? How did you use your
Negotiation data?
Persuasion & When negotiating with others, we often compromise on certain issues. Tell me about a time when you used strategy
Negotiation for giving in, or standing firm, on an issue to achieve the desired outcome.
Persuasion & Describe the most challenging negotiation in which you were involved. What did you do? What were the results for
Negotiation you? What were the results for the other party?
Persuasion &
Negotiation What is the most difficult part of negotiating with someone?
Persuasion & Give an example when you persuaded management to do something they were first reluctant to do. What was the
Negotiation result?
Planning & Give us an example of when you used your organizational skills in leading a major project to completion. What
Organization was the project? What did you do? What was the outcome?
Describe a time when you maintained focus and commitment to achieving important goals despite major obstacles
Planning & and frustrations. What was the situation? What were the challenges? What was the outcome? Were you satisfied
Organization with the outcome? Why or why not?
Planning & Give me an example of a time when you had to balance multiple responsibilities at once. What did you do to keep
Organization organized? How did you prioritize tasks?
Planning & Describe your system of planning and organizing your work. Give me an example of how this system helped you
Organization do your job.
Planning & Tell about a time you were responsible for planning an event and had very limited resources. How did you
Organization overcome this obstacle?
Planning &
Organization What did you do in your last job in order to be effective with your organization and planning? Be specific.
Planning &
Organization When you have a lot of work to do, how do you get it all done? Give an example.
Planning &
Organization How do you schedule your time? Set priorities? How do you handle doing twenty things at once?
Planning &
Organization What do you do when your time schedule or project plan is upset by unforeseen circumstances? Give an example.
Planning &
Organization Tell us about a time when you organized or planned an event that was very successful.
Planning &
Organization Describe the most difficult scheduling problem you have faced.
Planning &
Organization When all have been over-loaded, how do your people meet job assignments?
Planning &
Organization Could you explain some examples of multi- tasking in your current position?
Planning &
Organization What tools or habits do you use to keep organized?
Planning & Give me an example of when you were effective in dealing with the constant “emergencies” and surprises in your
Organization work environment. How did you deal with the unexpected?
Planning & What procedures have you used to organize information in your work area? Tell me about a time when the
Organization procedures worked and when they didn’t.
Planning & What types of scheduling have you done on your job? Tell me about some of the specific things that you have had
Organization to schedule.
Planning &
Organization Describe how you have organized your work or work area to ensure maximum efficiency.
Planning & Tell me about a time when you were very busy with clubs, sports, school, and or family commitments. How did
Organization you cope with it?
Planning &
Organization Give me some specific examples of how you have helped your team get more organized around their work.
Planning &
Organization Tell me about a time you wish you had spent more time planning before starting on a project. What happened?
Planning &
Organization How far in advance do you typically plan activities for yourself and your employees?
Planning &
Organization When has a project or event you organized not gone according to plan
Planning &
Organization Tell me how you have used your planning and organizational skills in the past to improve your day.
Planning & When you can’t complete your daily work due to a special cause, how do you prioritize your workload the next day
Organization to ensure the prior day’s work is not overlooked?
Planning &
Organization How many projects do you usually work on at once? Please describe.
Problem Solving Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
What were the main problems you faced in your last job? How did you deal with them? How did you go about
Problem Solving doing that? What obstacles did you face? How did you deal with them? How well did you do?
Give me an example of a time you were unsure what your internal/external customer wanted. How did you handle
Problem Solving the situation?
Tell me about a time that you had to get information by asking many questions of several people. What was the
Problem Solving result?
Tell me about a time when you were responsible for solving and important business problem. How did you know it
was a problem? What factors did you consider? What resources did you use to help you solve the problem? How
Problem Solving was it resolved?
Problem Solving Describe the biggest work- related problem you recently faced. How did you handle it?
Problem Solving Have you ever been caught unaware by a problem or obstacle that you have not foreseen? What happened?
Tell us about a time when you did something completely different from the plan and or assignment. Why? What
Problem Solving happened?

What are some of the problems you have faced, such as between business development and project leaders,
Problem Solving between one department and another, between you and your peers? How did you recognize that they were there?
When was the last time something came up in a meeting that was not covered in the plan? What did you do? What
Problem Solving were the results?
Problem Solving Tell us about a time when you identified a potential problem and resolved the situation before it became serious.

Problem Solving There is more than one way to solve a problem. Give an example from your recent work that would illustrate this.
Give me an example of a time when a company policy or action hurt people. What if anything did you do to
Problem Solving mitigate the negative consequences to people?
 What complicated problems have you had to address on your job? Describe how you identified or gained a better
Problem Solving understanding of the problem. Give examples.
Describe a time when you identified a problem with a work process or task. How did you involve others in solving
Problem Solving the problem? What was the result?
Give me an example of how anticipating, or not anticipating, the wider effect of your actions has made a difference
Problem Solving for you.
What sources of information have you used to stay aware of problems in your work area? Tell me about a situation
Problem Solving in which you used on of these sources.
Describe a time when something unexpected occurred that had to be figured out and understood. How did you first
Problem Solving find out about the situation? How did you determine exactly what the problem was?
Sometimes our instinct or common sense tells us to do something different than the facts of the situation. Tell me
Problem Solving about a time they were in conflict for you and what you did.
In many problem situations, it is tempting to jump at a solution quickly, perhaps before fully understanding the
Problem Solving situation. Tell me about a time when this happened to you. What happened?
Problem Solving Describe a time when you weren’t sure what a customer wanted. How did you handle the situation?
Problem Solving Describe a situation when you faced obstacles to reaching a goal How did you handle it?
When was the last time something came up in a meeting that was not covered in the plan? What did you do? What
Problem Solving were the results of your judgment?
Sometimes a small problem can be identified and fixed before it becomes a major problem. Give an example of
Problem Solving when you have done this and what the result was.
Describe a time when you identified an issue with a data base or reports. What did you do about it? What was the
Problem Solving outcome?
Problem Solving Give an example of a time you did not follow policies and procedures to solve a problem for your organization.
Tell me about a time you made someone upset when you were just doing what you were expected to do and what
Problem Solving the outcome was.
Problem Solving Tell me about a time when you managed an unplanned situation you were confronted with.
Problem Solving Tell about a time when you identified a problem and presented several solutions to your supervisor.
Problem Solving We all know some problems just don’t have solutions. Tell me about a problem you tried to solve but couldn’t.
Problem Solving Tell me about any experience you have had turning a problem into a success.

Problem Solving Tell me about a situation where you did not do a good job of solving a problem. How did you resolve or correct it?
 What type of approach to solving work problems seems to work best for you? Provide a specific example of when
Problem Solving you’ve used this approach.
Problem Solving What kinds of problems have you had coordinating technical projects? How did you solve them?
Problem Solving Tell me about a time when you missed an obvious solution to a problem.

Project Management When you worked on multiple projects how did you prioritize?

Project Management Tell me about a time when you delegated a project effectively.

Project Management Do you consider yourself a macro or micro manager? How do you delegate?

Project Management Describe how you developed a project team’s goals and project plan.

Project Management Have you ever been a project leader? Give examples of problems you have experienced and how you reacted.
Select recent projects that you helped manage and describe the resources you had to allocate (time, money, people,
Project Management equipment, etc.)
Describe the biggest project you have had to manage in your department from beginning to end. How did you
Project Management coordinate activities and monitor the progress?
What barriers or challenges have you run into on a project? What did you do about them? Think of a recent project,
Project Management how did you determine the best sequence of activities?
Occasionally, we all miss a due date on a project? Tell me about a time when this happened for you or your team.
Project Management What were the consequences?
Tell me about a project that you managed that did not go well (pas due, over budget, etc.). What happened? What
Project Management have you learned from that experience?

Project Management Walk me through how you decided to break down and accomplish your last project. Why did you do it that way?
What kind of system have you used for keeping track of the progress team members are making on a project? Tell
Project Management me about ways it worked well and ways it did not.

Project Management Tell us about a time when you influenced the outcome of a project by taking a leadership role.

Project Management Using a specific example of a project, tell how you kept those involved informed of the progress.
 Describe a time when you led a complex project. What was your approach to managing the project? Provide
Project Management specific actions and outcomes.
Give us an example of how you have developed a project team’s goal and project plan. What was the project? What
did you do? What role did the team have? What were the key elements of the project plan? What was the outcome?
Project Management What were the challenges in developing the team’s goals and the project plan?
Relationships Describe in any job experience how you developed rapport with your peers and your supervisor.
Relationships Describe a job experience when you successfully communicated with someone that did not personally like you.
Please describe a time when you built a professional relationship outside of your own team. How did you gain that
Relationships person’s trust? (Probe: How did you leverage that relationship?)
Please describe a time when you faced your most difficult challenge in working with someone else. (Probe: What
were the factors that made it difficult to work together? What did you do to improve your working relationship?
Relationships What was the result?)
Please describe a group situation in which you realized that some person or persons were not being fully included.
(Probe: How did you know they didn’t feel included? Were you able to help correct that situation? How would you
Relationships facilitate inclusion if you saw that happening again?)
What was the most successful relationship you ever had with a customer or colleague? (Probe: Why was it
Relationships successful? What did you do to make it successful?)
Please describe a time when a customer or colleague became frustrated or upset with you. (Probe: How did you
Relationships discover the individual was frustrated or upset with you? What steps did you take to rebuild your relationship?)
Please describe a time when you built a professional partnership/relationship with someone from outside your
Relationships native culture. (Probe: Was it a successful partnership/ relationship? (If none, did you not have an opportunity?)
When you have entered a new workplace in the past, describe how you have gone about meeting and developing
Relationships relationships with your new coworkers, supervisors, and reporting staff.
Relationships What do you do if you disagree with a co-worker?
It is very important to build good relationships at work, but sometimes it doesn’t always work. If you can, tell us
Relationships about a time when you were not able to build a successful relationship with a difficult person.
Relationships Tell us about a time when you built rapport quickly with someone under difficult conditions.
What, in your opinion, are the key ingredients in guiding and maintaining successful business relationships? Give
Relationships examples of how you made these work.
Sometimes it’s important to disagree with others- including people who hold considerable influence. Tell us about
a time when you were able to disagree with a supervisor or some other “person in power,” and how you were able
Relationships to maintain a positive relationship regardless of the disagreement
Relationships Tell me about a time when, looking back, you wished you would have tried harder to improve a work relationship.
Occasionally, other people’s work priorities conflict with our own. Tell me about a time when you faced this
Relationships situation and how you handled working with this person.
Relationships Tell me the steps you have taken to build partnerships with other departments that you have worked with.
We don’t always work with people we’d consider ethical or honest. Tell me about a time when another employee
Relationships did something that you thought was inappropriate? What did you do?
Sometimes it is difficult to understand each person’s responsibility in a work partnership. Tell me how you have
Relationships worked with a partner to clarify what each party would do.

Describe a time when you had to build a collaborative relationship in order to deliver a project successfully. What
Relationships was the situation? Who did you collaborate with and why? What was the outcome? What were the challenges?
Responsibility Tell me an example of time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.
Responsibility Have you ever been the latitude to make a decision for your boss? If so, under what circumstances.
Please describe a time when you had to lead through changing circumstances that required the help of other people.
Responsibility (Probe: What did you do to get others to help you? What was the result of our efforts?)

Please describe a situation in which you had to overcome and obstacle in order to complete a project or task.
Results Orientation (Probe: How did you go about overcoming the obstacle? What was the outcome? What would you do differently?)
Tell me about a time when you missed a business or project deadline. (Probe: What caused you to miss the
Results Orientation deadline? When did you recognize you would miss the deadline? What did you do about it?)
Results Orientation What are the main challenges you face in your current role? (Probe: How do you deal with them?)
Please describe a time when you had to drive a specific business goal by leading others? (Probe: How did you set
Results Orientation the direction for others?)
Please describe a time when you were asked to take on a new project in addition to your current workload. (Probe:
What was the effect on your other responsibilities? How did you manage your expanded workload? Were you
Results Orientation satisfied with your results?)
Please give an example of when you expanded your business. (Probe: How did you do this? What was the impact
Results Orientation on your base business?)
Please tell me about when you contributed extra effort to meet a deadline or handle an unexpected situation?
(Probe: What led you to contribute the extra effort? What did you do to cope with the demands of the situation?
Results Orientation What was the end result?)
 Please tell about a time when you delivered on a business strategy. (Probe: How did you plan and execute the
Results Orientation strategy?)
Results Orientation Tell me about a time when you have been forced to change day- to- day activities in light of new strategic issues.
Tell me about a time where your knowledge of a specific office procedure enabled you to identify a potential
problem and develop a strategy to address it. What in your knowledge base enabled you to detect the potential
Results Orientation problem?

This job will entail managing multiple priorities and meeting important deadlines. Give us an example of a
situation where you’ve experienced similar demands, and describe the specific personal strategies you found most
Setting Priorities & effective in succeeding in that role. (Look for specific skills/techniques in dealing with multiple/ conflicting
Time Management priorities, including the willingness to seek help/ guidance from others).
Setting Priorities &
Time Management When you worked on multiple projects how did you prioritize?
Setting Priorities &
Time Management How did you handle meeting a tight deadline?
Setting Priorities &
Time Management What process do you use to establish priorities?
Setting Priorities &
Time Management By providing an example, tell me when you have had to handle a variety of assignments. Describe the results.
Setting Priorities &
Time Management Describe a typical day. How do you decide what to work on and what goals to accomplish?
Setting Priorities & Describe for me a situation when you failed to meet a deadline. What things did you fail to do? What did you
Time Management learn?
Setting Priorities &
Time Management Tell me about a time when you had too many things to do and you were required to prioritize your tasks.
Setting Priorities &
Time Management Tell us about a time when you were particularly effective in prioritizing tasks and completing a project on schedule.
Setting Priorities & Give examples of your experience in handling multiple functions or responsibilities with varying priorities, tasks,
Time Management and deadlines. How were you able to successfully meet business objectives
Setting Priorities & Give us an example of a situation where there were competing priorities. What actions did you take? What were the
Time Management results?
Setting Priorities &
Time Management Have you ever been overloaded with work? How do you keep track of work so that it gets done on time?
Setting Priorities &
Time Management How do you manage your time?
Setting Priorities &
Time Management How do you schedule your time?
Setting Priorities &
Time Management When given an important assignment, how do you approach it?
Setting Priorities & This position requires you to work flexible hours, weekends, and holidays. Tell me about a time you were
Time Management scheduled to work and it interfered with you plans. How did you handle it?
Sound Judgement Describe a situation when you had to exercise a significant amount of self-control.
Give me an example of when you were responsible for an error or mistake. What was the outcome? What, if
Sound Judgement anything, would you do differently?
Sound Judgement If you were interviewing for this position what would you be looking for in applicants?
We work with a great deal of confidential information. Describe how you would have handled sensitive
information in a past work experience. What strategies would you utilize to maintain confidentiality when
Sound Judgement pressured by others?
Sound Judgement When have you had to produce results without sufficient guidelines? Give an example.
Tell me about a time when you had to be very analytical and focused in a situation that was personally sensitive
Sound Judgement and emotional.
Sound Judgement Describe a time when you used good judgment in solving a problem.
Give me an example of a time when you reached a decision by reviewing facts, information at hand and available
Sound Judgement options. What was the situation and what did you decide?
Strategic Thinking Tell me a time when you had to carefully analyze a situation in order to be effective in guiding your actions.
Strategic Thinking Give me an example on any job in which you faced a problem and tell me how you went about solving it.
Strategic Thinking Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventative measures.

Please describe a time when you created a long term strategic plan. (Probe: How did you determine the business
Strategic Thinking direction and desired outcome? How did new or evolving technology or current trends affect your planning?)

Give us an example of when you had to communicate the organization’s vision and strategic plan with conviction,
translate the organization’s strategy into meaningful plans for the future and connect them to the employee’s daily
Strategic Thinking work. What was the situation? What did you do? How did you involve your staff or team? What was the outcome?
 Describe a time when you had to significantly modify work policies to align them with new strategic directives.
Strategic Thinking What was the situation? What did you do? What was the outcome?
Strategic Thinking Describe an experience in which you had to pull together resources which are not under your control.

Even when dealing with complex problems, it’s important to use common sense. Give us an example of when you
realized that an “analytic” or data driven” approach might not work, and how a more “emotional” or common
sense” approach might be better. What led you to employ such an approach, and how did that help you succeed?
(Look for evidence that the candidate can go beyond a basic presentation of data/facts and effectively communicate
Strategic Thinking with a wider audience, citing anecdotes and using more effective persuasive appeals.)
Strategic Thinking Describe what steps/methods you have used to define/ identify a vision for your unit/ position.
Strategic Thinking How do you see your job relating to the overall goals of the organization?
Strategic Thinking Tell me about a time when you used your political savvy to push a program through that you really believed in.
Describe a specific situation in which you worked as a member of a team, and highlight the aspects of that situation
Teamwork that demonstrate your ability to help a team achieve its shared goals.
Teamwork What did you do in your last job to contribute toward a teamwork environment? Be specific.
Teamwork When working on a team, what role do you usually take? Why?
Tell me a time when you were on a team and one of your teammates was not pulling his/ her weight. How did you
Teamwork handle it?
Please describe a time when you identified a need for change within a team. (Probe: What was the issue? How did
Teamwork you work with the team to implement the change?)
Please give me your best example of working cooperatively as a team member to accomplish an important goal.
(Probe: What was the goal or objective? What was your role in achieving this objective? What did you do to try to
Teamwork keep the team working well together?)
Teamwork Give specific examples of how and where you have used tea skills to address a business problem.
Sometimes working cooperatively with other people can be very difficult. Please describe a time when you faced
your most difficult challenges in working with someone else. What circumstances brought you into contact with the
person? How did the other person make it difficult to cooperate? What did you do to try to work with this person?
Teamwork What was the result?
Give a specific example of a time when you had to put your team goals ahead of your personal goals. How did you
Teamwork approach the “we” and the “me” issues? What was the ultimate outcome?
Tell me about the most effective team you have worked with. What made them effective? What role did you play in
Teamwork the team?
Teamwork By providing an example, how did you handle a time where others on your team were negative?
 Have you ever been a member of a group where two of the members did not work well together? What did you do
Teamwork to get them to do so?
What was the toughest group that you have had to get cooperation from? Describe how you handled it. What was
Teamwork the outcome?
Describe a situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise or help others to compromise. What was your
Teamwork role? What steps did you take? What was the end result?
Teamwork Describe a team experience you found disappointing. What would you have done to prevent this?
Teamwork Describe a team experience you found rewarding.
Teamwork Describe the different types of teams you’ve been involved with. What were your roles?
Teamwork Give an example of how you worked effectively with people to accomplish an important result.
Teamwork Have you ever participated in a task group? What was your role?
Describe a time when you were required to work with a co-worker that did not want to share the work and how you
Teamwork resolved the conflict.
Some people work best as part of a group, and others prefer the role of individual contributor. How would you
Teamwork describe yourself? Give an example of a situation where you felt you were most effective.
Teamwork What is the most difficult part of being a member, not a leader, of a team? How did you handle this?
Tell me about a team experience when a team member repeatedly left work incomplete. How did you deal with the
Teamwork issue?
Teamwork Describe how you were able to contribute to successful multidisciplinary team.
Give an example of a team decision that you were involved in. What did you do to help the team reach the
Teamwork decision?
Tell me about a time when willingness to share your knowledge significantly enhanced an outcome or decision for
Teamwork the team.
Describe a time when you worked with others and found a solution better than anyone in the group imagined going
Teamwork in. What happened in the team? What was your role? How did it turn out?
Please tell me about a time when you lost the trust of a customer or colleague. (Probe: What did you do to rebuild
Trust that trust? (If no occasions of lost trust, what is your primary method for building and maintaining trust?)
Tell us about a specific time when you identified and handled a sensitive or complex problem which challenged
fairness or ethical issues. What was the situation? How did you identify the ethical or fairness issue? What did you
do? What challenges did you encounter? What was the outcome? Were you satisfied with the outcome? Why or
Trust why not? What would you do differently if faced with a similar situation in the future?
 Tell me about a time when you were needed to be trusted by someone you didn’t know well. How did you
Trust accomplish this?
Written Co Trust requires personal accountability. Can you tell about a time when you chose to trust someone?
Trust What was the outcome?
Trust How do you develop trust and loyalty in your employees?
Trust What are the three factors that are the most important for a team to work effectively?
Written
Communication When you have to write letters, how do you usually get started?
Written
Communication How do you keep track of incoming and outgoing correspondence?
Written
Communication What do you see as the difference in writing strategy for a report vs. memo vs. a letter?
Written Tell us about a time in which you had to use your written communication skills in order to get an important point
Communication across.
Written
Communication What are the most challenging documents you have done? What kinds of proposals have you written?
Written
Communication How have you persuaded people through a document you prepared?
Written Describe the process you have used to review and approve written correspondence from your staff. What steps did
Communication you take? What did you look for before approving the correspondence?
Written
Communication What kinds of writing have you done? How do you prepare written communications?
Conveying complex messages in writing may require the creative use of graphics and other visual aids. Provide us
with an example of when you mentored staff on effectively conveying complex ideas in writing in an accurate,
Written clear, and concise manner that could be easily understood by the audience. What was the situation? What did you
Communication do? What was the outcome?
Written
Communication What has been your worst experience in sending out a formal letter or written communication?
Written Have you ever written sales proposals for customers? Tell me about the best one you ever wrote. Why is it the
Communication best? How did you know?
Written What types of forms do you regularly complete on the job? Tell me about a difficult or important form that you
Communication have completed.
Written
Communication What type of formal correspondence have you authored? Tell me about one you are proud of.
Written We have all had the experience of sending out a memo that required specific action and then found out people
Communication didn’t get the message we intended. Can you share an experience like that that happened to you?
Written
Communication What technical writing have you done? Describe a project in detail for me.
Written
Communication What types of papers did you have to write for school? Provide some specific examples.
 OPENING QUESTIONS
Tell us a little about your current position and the tasks you do and skills you use that would set you above other candidates for this
position.
Can you give us some examples of regular routines (tasks that require you complete the same steps) in your current position? Do
you like working from routines or do you find yourself getting bored? Can you give us some examples of when your routine was
disturbed and how you reacted?
Why did you apply to this job?
What makes you the best qualified person for this job
What do you know about our company?
Tell me why you chose (name of career) as your profession?
What do you like most about (name of profession)? What do you like least? What do you find the most challenging?
Tell us a bit about your work background, and then give us a description of how you think it relates to our current opening.
What are your qualifications in your area of expertise? What skills do you have that make you the best candidate for this position?
Include any special training you have had (on-the-job, college, continuing education, seminars, reading, etc.) and related work
experience.
What skill sets do you think you would bring to this position?
Tell me about your present or last job. Why did you choose it? Why did you/ do you want to leave?
What was your primary contribution/achievement in your last or current position? Biggest challenge?
What are your short- term and long- term career goals?
What are some positive aspects of your last employment/employer? What are some negative aspects?
After learning about this opportunity, what made you take the next step and apply for the job?
What would you have liked to do more of in your last position? What held you back?
Would you please describe your interest in becoming (title of position)?
Tell me about your normal experiences during a typical day in your current position.
In your current job, what is your usual schedule? How many hours do you work and when do you work them?
What sizes of organizations have you worked in?
What industries have you worked in?
What qualities and skills do you think a successful (name of career) professional should have? Which of these qualities and skills
you named do you have?
Tell me about two work accomplishments that were very successful or of which you are the most proud.
What college courses or experiences have prepared you for the position you are applying for with us?
What three things are most important to you in a position?
What was the best job you ever had? What was the worst? Why?
What do you think makes a “good” organization? What makes a company described as “one of the best in the business” or “best
places to work” by a community?
Describe the ideal job from your perspective.
Describe what you would say if asked to talk about yourself in a group of 15 work colleagues.
What is the best book you’ve read in the last year? Please take a minute and tell us what you liked about it.
What is your interpretation of “success”?
Describe an ideal work environment or “the perfect job.”
What appeals most ot you about this position? Least?
What aspects about this position would cause you to consider leaving your current position
What three characteristics best describe you?
What traits do you value most in others?
What professional accomplishment has given you the most satisfaction?
What areas of this position's responsibilites are you most qualified for? Least qualified for?
 CLOSING QUESTIONS
Describe what you see as your strengths related to this job/position. Describe what you see as your weaknesses related to this
job/position.
If we offer you this position, what contributions would you expect to make during the first three months on the job?
Why should we hire you?
If the position required it, would you be willing to travel?
If the position required it, would you be willing to relocate?
If you were offered this position, when would you be available to start?
If you are the successful applicant, how would you expect to be different after a year in this position?
Now that you have learned about our company and the position you are applying for, what hesitations or reluctance would you
have in accepting this job if we offer it to you?
Tell me anything else you would like us to know about you that will aid us in making our decision.
What questions would you like to ask me?
Are there any programs, policies, or actions of (name of company/organization) that you have heard of with which you have
concerns or differences?
How will your work performance enhance (name of company/organization) in this industry as it is today?
Is there anything else you would like to tell me about yourself and your experience?
How do I rate as an interviewer?
If you were interviewing for this position what would you be looking for in the applicant?
What were you prepared to tell us that we did not ask?
What will your references tell us about you?