How To Successfully Navigate Those Tricky Interview Questions

The shortage of skills has forced many hiring managers to adopt a more in-depth hiring process to ensure that they find the right candidates. In the past, many managers treated the interview process as just another ‘to-do’ item on their checklist. If you look around today, you will notice that this has changed and the most successful companies have a very strong emphasis on the hiring process.

The success of a business is in the hands of the employees. They take hundreds, if not thousands, of individual actions on the company’s behalf every day. It is understandable then, that one of the most important tasks of any leader is to ensure that the hiring process is in itself highly effective.

The feedback from job seekers in the past year is that they were often faced with much harder interview questions than they expected. Preparation is key. As a job seeker, you need to know that the bar is set high, especially at the executive level and if you want to succeed in any interview, you need to be able to provide good answers to some of these tricky interview questions.

How long will it take you to add real value to our company?
It’s important to be realistic in the answer to this question. Remember to not make promises you can’t keep in the interview especially not knowing the full situation with a specific job. (It might have been vacant for a couple of months, with work piling up.) It’s best to admit that there will be a learning curve to get up to speed in the new position. List your main skills and how these will be directly applicable if you get the job. Ensure you can back your claims with achievements from your previous jobs, preferably examples with measurable results.

What is your vision for your career in the next five years?
Predicting the future is impossible, but communicating a vision for your career is essential. Interviewers are asking this question, as they want to know that you're not just applying for jobs randomly and taking whatever you can get. It’s important to do your research in terms of the company and the career path they could possibly offer you including the position above the one you are applying for. The response you want to give is that you are ambitious and would like to move up in the company and not just take the next job offer that comes along.

Why should we hire you for this job, what sets you apart from the other applicants?
This is your chance to wow them with your highlight reel. Your answer should summarize the top three or four best reasons to hire you. Tell them which of your abilities and experiences will enhance the company and how having you onboard would benefit everyone at the workplace. Explain the context, and give concrete examples or details to support the qualities you claim to have. Most important, understand the top requirements of the job and articulate how you would be the best candidate.

What was the most difficult part of your past jobs?
Your answer will not only reveal you are not afraid to admit when you are faced with a challenge, but also says a lot about your ability to handle stressful or difficult situations. This is your opportunity to turn a negative into a positive because the ability to acknowledge a mistake is often seen as a sign of maturity and leadership.

What are you most proud of in your career?
Many candidates are caught off guard with this question as oftentimes they haven’t spent any time thinking about it. The worst thing you can do is say you don’t know or hesitate in answering this. You need to consider your answer carefully as the accomplishments you’re proudest of will tell your interviewer about what’s important to you and therefore what kind of environment you will thrive in. It should be a tangible event that you can pinpoint and measure, it’s no good giving a vague response. Be sure to think about this one ahead of the interview to be prepared with a confident answer.

If you are currently a job seeker and need some assistance in job hunting, we can help.  Communicate Recruitment is a recruitment agency with specialist consultants that will assist you in finding an exciting new job, whether it’s Finance jobs, IT jobs, Engineering jobs, Freight jobs or Supply Chain jobs. Check out our vacancy page and apply now.

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