02 89 1 3 www.PassMyInterview.com www.PassMyInterview.com Welcome to your guide… :0 21 GREAT ANSWERS TO ID TOUGH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS rd er Get more guides, books and training courses at the website www.How2Become.com. O Copyright © PassMyInterview.com. All Rights Reserved. For personal use only. 21 ANSWERS TO TOUGH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS www.PassMyInterview.com Q1. Tell me about yourself? Sample Answer: I am loyal, hard-working, professional and conscientious and, having studied the job description for this role in detail, I feel the attributes I possess are a strong match. Whilst at work, I am someone who takes pride in delivering each task to a high standard and I achieve this by working closely with other people within the team. I also make sure I obtain a clear brief from my manager or supervisor as to what they want to me to achieve whilst working in the role I am employed. If successful, I am looking forward to learning the role quickly and getting to know as much about your products and services, so I can start contributing 02 89 1 3 and making a positive impact within the organization. Q2. Why do you want to work for our company? Sample Answer: Having researched your company you are clearly a leader within the industry and I feel I :0 would be able to excel within the role and put all of my skills, qualities and experience to good use. Whilst studying your company online, it is clear to see you have strong and ID exciting plans for the future and I would like to be a part of your journey through the role I er am being interviewed for today. Finally, it is also clear that you support your employees, so they can excel within their roles. There’s lots of positive comments online about your O on my CV/resume. rd company and, if I am successful at interview, I would feel quite proud to have your name Q3. When have you provided excellent customer service? Sample Answer: Whilst working in a previous role, I received a call from an unhappy customer. The lady was clearly upset, and she started to complain about the poor service she had received from our company. It was my job to make sure I listened to the customer in order to get to the bottom of the complaining, resolve it quickly to the satisfaction of the customer and to also prevent it from happening again. I asked the lady to tell me in detail what had happened. 21 ANSWERS TO TOUGH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS www.PassMyInterview.com Whilst she was talking, I listened carefully and took notes. Then, once she had time to explain the problem, I apologised to her and explained what I was going to do in order to put the situation right. Basically, the customer had ordered a product from our website and she had been sent the wrong goods. I immediately dispatched the correct goods on a fast track delivery service and also refund the initial payment due to the inconvenience caused. The end result was the customer was extremely satisfied with the service I provided, and she went on to leave a positive review online. Q4. Why do you want to leave your job? 02 89 1 3 Sample Answer: My employer has been fantastic, and I have had a great time whilst there and I have learned a huge amount whilst working alongside some great people. However, I feel it is time to move on and work for an organization like yours who has exciting plans for the future. I also :0 want to work somewhere where my skills are put to the test. I have gained so many invaluable experiences whilst I have been there, and I will leave my organization on positive ID terms. rd Sample Answer: er Q5. What’s your biggest weakness? O I don’t have many weaknesses, but there is one I have been aware of for some time, and that’s the fact that I find it hard to say no to people. In the past, I have literally taken on so many tasks that I get a bit overwhelmed, and I’ve been learning to take on fewer tasks to make sure they are all done to the right standard. Having said that, from an employer’s perspective, I think my weakness is attractive because I will always do a good job for you and I will be the first person to put my hand up if you need a volunteer! Q6. Tell me about a time when you demonstrated strong customer service skills? Sample Answer: 21 ANSWERS TO TOUGH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS www.PassMyInterview.com In a previous job, I was managing a project for a very important client who brought in a lot of revenue for the business. He was a particularly difficult client to work with, but I knew it was important to provide outstanding client/customer service at all times because it was in the best interests of the business. During one particular project, he brought forward the deadline significantly and this meant I needed to work late into the evening each night in order to get things completed, and to also respond to his many email requests. During one particular evening, between the hours of 19:00 hours and 23:00 hours, I responded to 32 email requests directly from the client which were relating to the project. At all times whilst 02 89 1 was required to deliver the best possible service I could. 3 dealing with the client I was professional, courteous and I went above and beyond what Q7. Tell me about a time when you managed multiple tasks all at once? Sample Answer: :0 In my previous job, I had a situation one day where the Managing Director required multiple tasks to be completed within a very short time frame. A situation occurred whereby a key ID member of staff was off sick, so somebody needed to step up and get the work done in super-fast time. The tasks involved: organizing an important meeting for the following day; er taking notes and recording minutes for another meeting that afternoon and also collating rd sales data for the next day’s meeting and briefing my Managing Director. I set about creating O a plan for each task based on the priority and importance. The following days meeting was organized first of all. I booked the meeting room, sent out invitations and created the meeting agenda. I then planned for the meeting that afternoon by reading the meeting notes from the previous meeting to make sure I was fully briefed and aware of the action points and agenda. Following the meeting, I wrote up my notes before starting work on the collation of sales data. It became apparent that I would not finish the collation of data in time for 5pm, so I briefed my manager that I would stay late and send over the figures as soon as they were ready. He was happy with my suggested resolution. By 5:45pm I had completed the 21 ANSWERS TO TOUGH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS www.PassMyInterview.com work and went in to brief my manager. He thanked me for my hard work and was impressed with my organization and planning abilities. Q8. What’s your biggest achievement in life so far and why? Sample Answer: It would have to be my A-Level results and how I improved throughout the two year study period. To be honest with you, some people didn’t expect me to do particularly well in a couple of the subjects, but I knew that if I worked hard, dedicated quality time to study, and also immersed myself in the subject, I could do well. My results have had such a 02 89 1 3 positive impact on my attitude to work and study in general, and I now have the self-belief that I can go a long way and achieve my long-term career plans. Q9. Explain a situation you were in when you handled a customer complaint? :0 Sample Answer: Recently, we received a complaint via email from a customer who had ordered some goods ID from our website that ended up being faulty. I immediately took control of the situation and contacted the customer by both email and telephone to explain I would be the point of er contact for the complaint. The customer was clearly angry and upset at the situation. I rd listened to their concerns and demonstrated empathy during the call. I managed to O persuade the customer to give me the opportunity to resolve the situation for them, which they agreed to. After I had got to the bottom of the situation, I apologized to the customer and detailed very clearly the steps I was going to take in order to resolve it. I asked our warehouse team to dispatch the new goods on a priority delivery service and arranged for a courier to also pick up the faulty goods to save the customer having to do it themselves. I then arranged to call the customer the day after the goods were delivered to check they were happy with the service and goods they had received. When I spoke to the lady on the phone, she thanked me for sorting out the problem quickly and to her satisfaction. 21 ANSWERS TO TOUGH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS www.PassMyInterview.com Whenever dealing with customers, or potentially problematic situations, I can be relied upon to sort things out quickly and will always take responsibility for a situation. Q10. What are your strengths? Sample Answer: I believe I have a number of key strengths and qualities that would be highly useful within this role. To begin with, I am highly organized and can plan tasks effectively in order to make sure they are successful. I also have the ability to work alone as well as part of a team. I am a strong communicator, both face-to-face and via email. I set myself high 02 89 1 3 standards and feel I can be a positive role model for your company. Finally, one of my key strengths is that I can be relied upon to deliver my work to a very high standard. I fully understand it is important for you to employ an admin assistant who can be left alone to get on with their work and deliver the tasks you need doing. I feel strongly that if you employ :0 me within this role, I will work hard to perform my duties competently and professionally at ID all times. Q11. What would you do if you didn’t get on with someone in your team? er Sample Answer: rd Although I have never found myself in this type of situation, I feel I could handle it maturely O and professionally. I understand that sometimes we can’t get on with everyone, but I would always try my best to be friendly, professionally and helpful with anyone I worked with. If there was someone I didn’t get on with, I would first of all go out of my way to try and make friends as this would be beneficial to the team environment. I would also look at my own actions to see if I were doing anything that was potentially contributing to the situation. If I had tried absolutely everything, and we still didn’t get on, I would always be friendly and professional as the goals and aims of the organization must always come first. Q12. Tell me about a time when you worked as part of a team? 21 ANSWERS TO TOUGH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS www.PassMyInterview.com Sample Answer: In my previous job I volunteered to work with 5 other members to complete a difficult project that had fallen by the wayside due to a contractor going out of business. The task required all 5 of us to work closely together to integrate a new software system with the client’s website. We only had four days to complete the task in accordance with the specification and the client’s requirements. Time was of the essence and we needed to work hard to get everything done to a professional standard. We started out by reading the client brief carefully and then I decided to take the lead and allocate specific tasks based on each team members capabilities and area of expertise. We then set timescales for each team member 02 89 1 3 to reach, which would ensure the task got completed in time. Throughout the four-day working period, we all supported each other as and when required in order to motivate each other through regular communication. The end result was the project was completed on :0 time and to a high standard, much to the satisfaction of the client. Q13. When did you have to complete a difficult task whilst under pressure? ID Sample Answer: In my current role as customer service representative, I am required to work under pressure er on a daily basis. Recently, I was presented with a situation where two members of staff had rd gone sick leaving me with only three other staff members to manage the shop during a busy O Saturday. During the morning we were due to take a stock delivery which meant that I had to perform many tasks without taking a break. During the day I dealt with two customer complaints, took delivery of the stock, served customers whilst others took their break and also dealt with a fire alarm actuation. I am often required to perform under pressure and thrive in such conditions. I always adapt well to situations like these and ensure that I still maintain a high level of professionalism at all times. Q14. Describe a stressful situation at work and how you handled it? Sample Answer: 21 ANSWERS TO TOUGH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS www.PassMyInterview.com One particular day at work, a client called me directly and started shouting abuse at me down the telephone. She was complaining that she’d been charged twice for some work we had carried out for her. After she had the time to vent her frustrations, I set about resolving the situation for her. I logged on to our computer system, identified the error and refunded back the second payment straight away. I then apologized and explained that the error had been unintentional, which she accepted. Whenever there are stressful situations at work, I feel I am at my best. I always remain resilient during stressful situations and focus on what I want to achieve. Dealing with stress at work is all part and parcel of everyday life and I 02 89 1 3 would always be determined to see things through to a successful resolution. Q15. When have you shown flexibility at work? Sample Answer: In my previous role as a sales assistant in a small electronics shop, I frequently worked at :0 the checkout. On occasion, we would have customers entering the shop minutes before closing time. Sometimes, these customers would quickly find the item they were looking for, ID purchase it, and leave. In some cases, customers were less aware of our opening and closing times, and would therefore take their time in the shop. While the shop was meant er to close, I would make sure not to rush the customers, since it was important that they had rd the most comfortable experience possible. Often, this meant that I wouldn’t close the shop O until five or ten minutes past closing time. However, I made sure that stock checks and other procedures were carried out with the utmost care. I did this to ensure that, not only were customer experiences as pleasant as possible, but also to maintain safety and security in the shop once it had closed. Q16. Describe a time when you worked alone on a project or task for a long period of time? Sample Answer: 21 ANSWERS TO TOUGH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS www.PassMyInterview.com In my last job I was seconded for a 4-week period to the data capturing office as an important job needed to be done for the company and they felt I was the right person to undertake the task. Basically, the business had received an information request from the official auditing office. The request was for sensitive company data that needed to be delivered within 28 days. I listened carefully to the brief and took notes. I then sat in an office, on my own, for literally 5 days a week for the 28-day period carefully and meticulously collecting the data. I actually quite enjoyed working on my own and found it easier to concentrate when there were no other distractions around me. The job required me to concentrate intently all day, carefully dissecting the information needed before collating it 02 89 1 3 into an excel spreadsheet. At the end of each day, I would create a back-up of my work as I did not want to lose it because I was working towards a strict deadline. If the deadline was missed, the company would have been fined a large sum of money. At the end of the 28day period I managed to successfully complete the task to the satisfaction of my senior :0 managers. I can be relied upon to work along, and concentrate intently for long periods of ID time if required. Q17. What was the last piece of professional development you undertook? er Sample Answer: rd I actually studied an online customer care course through the website Udemy.com. I wanted O to brush up on my customer service skills before applying for this job and I learned some useful modern-day techniques for improving customer service and also upselling when the opportunity arises. I see personal development as an important aspect of my role and would always take onboard feedback relating to my performance in a positive way as I like to continually develop in my work. Q18. Tell me about a time when you overcame conflict in a team? Sample Answer: 21 ANSWERS TO TOUGH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS www.PassMyInterview.com Whilst working within a team there were two work colleagues who clearly did not like each other. Their dislike for each other was, in my opinion, starting to have a negative impact on team performance, and so I decided to step in and resolve the conflict for the sake of the organization. I asked both of them to meet me in private one afternoon and I explained to them in a confident manner that I had serious concerns about their constant bickering and apparent dislike for each other. I gave them both two specific examples where I felt their actions were having a negative impact on the team’s performance, and if they didn’t take responsibility for resolving it quickly, I would talk to my manager about the issues. I then suggested a way forward that involved them both speaking openly and honestly about how 02 89 1 3 they both felt and stated I would mediate the meeting to help seek a resolution. We agreed to hold the meeting there and then, and after an few initial uncomfortable moments and discussions, they eventually both agreed to put their differences behind them and move forward in a harmonious manner for the benefit of the team. Finally, I suggested to them they :0 should seek to work together on a project in order to build up a rapport and strong working relationship, to which they both agreed to. Six months later, you would not have been able to ID tell they previously had issues and they worked very well together on various company er projects and tasks. O Sample Answer: rd Q19. Where do you see yourself in 5 years' time? In five years’ time, I see myself progressing within the company to the point where not only am not only well-respected in the role, but I’ve also taken on further responsibilities. I believe that, in five years’ time, I will have proven myself as an invaluable member of the team. I would also take great pleasure in assisting the training and development of newer colleagues who occupy a similar role. Q20. What are your salary expectations? Sample Answer: 21 ANSWERS TO TOUGH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS www.PassMyInterview.com Having conducted some research online, I understand the average salary of leader within this industry is £18,000 to 25,000. Whilst I do believe I am worth the higher band of salary, I understand that I have a responsibility to prove to you I can excel within this role. On that basis, I feel a fair salary would be £21,000 and I feel confident you would be impressed with my strong work ethics and performance based on the salary. NOTE: The salary range indicated within the above response is an estimate. Please ensure you carry out your own research from within you own industry based on the salary 02 89 1 Q21. Do you have questions for the panel? 3 of your chosen role. QUESTION – Who is your greatest competitor and how could I help you in this role to better them? QUESTION – What are the plans for the company over the next few years? :0 QUESTION – If I am successful today at interview, what is the first thing you would need to ID me to concentrate on in the role? How to Use These Interview Questions and Answers: er These interview questions and answers are intended to guide you in your preparation for rd your job interview. These questions have been picked by the PassMyInterview team interview. O because we believe that they are the best representative of what you will face in your The sample answers in this resource are collated from years of experience and research in the recruitment sector. The answers confidently display the appropriate qualities and competencies that the interviewer expects from successful candidates. 21 ANSWERS TO TOUGH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS www.PassMyInterview.com Read the sample answers carefully, and take note of what skills and competencies they demonstrate. You might notice that, when the question asks for examples, the answer uses the STAR method to construct the response: Situation. Start off your response to the interview question by explaining what the ‘situation’ was and who was involved. Task. Once you have detailed the situation, explain what the ‘task’ was, or what needed to be 02 89 1 3 done. Action. Now explain what ‘action’ you took, and what action others took. Also explain why you took this particular course of action. :0 Result. Explain to the panel what you would do differently if the same situation arose again. It is ID good to be reflective at the end of your responses. This demonstrates a level of maturity and it rd er will also show the panel that you are willing to learn from every experience. O In order to get the best possible results, apply this system to your own examples and experiences in working life. These sample answers are intended to inspire you to create your own responses to the questions. Disclaimer: PassMyInterview is not responsible for anyone failing any part of any selection process as a result of the information contained within this resource. PassMyInterview and their authors cannot accept any responsibility for any errors or omissions within this resource, however caused. No responsibility for loss or damage occasioned by any person acting, or refraining 21 ANSWERS TO TOUGH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS www.PassMyInterview.com from action, as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by PassMyInterview. Get more guides, books and training courses at the website www.How2Become.com. O rd er ID :0 02 89 1 3 Copyright © PassMyInterview.com. All Rights Reserved. For personal use only. 21 ANSWERS TO TOUGH INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
