30 Tricky interview questions & recommended answers (Pt. 3)

A job interview can be a very daunting task, especially when you’re unprepared for it. In parts one and two, we shared twenty interview questions that a respondent is likely to encounter with some difficulty. Part three shares the final batch of ten questions and provides probable answers.

21. How do you feel about taking instructions from your superiors?

This is a very valid question from any potential employer. If you have a boss who is delegating work to you, they will want to know that you are able to deal with their requests and execute them in the manner dictated.

A helpful answer could be “I am very comfortable with taking direction from my superiors. It provides me with clarity and feedback that enables me to do my work well. No team can work properly unless they respect rank and authority at various levels. This includes taking instructions from various superiors.”

22. If you were appointed, how soon would you expect to be promoted?

While promotion may be a desirable thing, you should consider your answer to this question carefully. If you answer “I’d expect promotion within 12 months of being appointed” you allocate a timescale which may not be acceptable to your future employer. They may not be intending to promote you for the first couple of years and may feel that you would become despondent and leave if you didn’t achieve your goal.

In all honesty the right kind of answer to this question is going to be something like “My focus is on getting a good start and maintaining consistently flawless performance levels.

I would love to prove myself to the company in terms of my ability, leadership skills and the experience that I bring to the business. I feel that promotion is a reward, not a right and as with all rewards, I am a great believer that you have to earn them. ” 23. How have you managed to attend this interview during office hours? If you are attending an interview at a time when you would normally be expected to be at work, your potential employer would want to know what type of excuse you have come up with to your existing employer. Really this is a question of honesty and the reality is that you would most likely not have asked your existing boss for time off to attend an interview for another job.

A good answer would be “I have taken a day off to take part in this interview” or alternatively you could say “I asked my employer if I could take a day of unpaid leave because I had a personal issue I needed to deal with. I preferred to take that action as I don’t find it fair to my company to attend this interview whilst they are paying me.”

24. Having read the job description what areas of this job appeal to you the least?

At no point in your interview do you want to indicate that there is anything at all that you don’t fancy doing in this new job. As much as possible opt for a simple answer like “Having reviewed the job summary and description, I have to say that I can’t find anything that doesn’t appeal to me in this job at all.”

Another possible answer is to indicate that you are generally comfortable with and enthusiastic about the various roles. You may then deliberately highlight the one you love the most. Even if you find something about the job less appealing, find a way of putting a positive spin on it or simply avoid mentioning it.

25. Have you attended other interviews in addition to this one? This is a question that you can manipulate to your advantage. If the interviewer thinks that one of their competitors is after you, it makes you a much better catch to them. Depending on your value, giving an impression that you are being sought after by other firms and have been interviewed is likely to make you a far more attractive prospect.

The obvious downside to this answer is that it could communicate the notion of an unstable candidate involved in an indiscriminate search or hunt for the job.

26. What do you think about Oscar Pistorious, Religious Extremism, Ebola or some other socio-political issue?

The idea behind this question is for your interviewer to see if you take an interest in what goes on in the world around you, current affairs and so on.

Your answer is likely to give your interviewer an insight into your values and your outlook on life. What you need to do is show the interviewer that you have the ability to see and recognise all sides of a debate; that you don’t see things simply in black and white.

At the same time, you need to show that you are open-minded enough to form your own opinion on a subject. This type of question can be particularly relevant to certain industries. For example, if you are applying to work for an oil company you may be asked your opinion on pollution and the rights of local communities in mining enclaves.

27. How well do you work within a team environment? Teamwork is very important to an employer. A properly functioning team will create a happy workplace and smooth, efficient production regardless of the product or service involved. Everyone has a different approach to team building so you will need to tailor the answer to this question to your own approach. Perhaps you could offer an answer like “I really enjoy working as a member of a team. There is a feeling of comradeship in that we are all working towards the same goal. When we meet our objective we all benefit from the feeling of success”.

28. What do you think of your existing company? Your standard response to a question such as this should be that you have really enjoyed working for your current company and that you are thankful for the opportunities, training and career progression that they have afforded you to date. You could mention that they would be sad to see you go but it is something you have adequately sensitized them about over the past two years.

29. How much would you be expecting to earn? This is a question most interviewers would insist on you answering. If you rush to mention a salary figure, you may be setting a low mark that you may find it difficult to negotiate around. If you commit to a salary at this stage you won’t be able to negotiate later on and if you ask for too much they will think they can’t afford you. If you don’t know what level of salary the position on offer pays, you can do some research on that.

An appropriate answer to this interview question might be “I am interested in discussing the holistic package of benefits and not just the salary.” A sure way to do this would be to carefully shop around to know how much other industry players pay and use that as a guide to ask for a specific range.

In doing that, you may give a minimum but never give a maximum salary. For example, do not ask for between GH¢1,500 and GH¢2,000. Instead, say you would like a starting salary of not less than GH¢1,500.

30. I have a bottle of juice here – sell it to me!

This is an interesting question and a regular nomination for sales jobs. Indeed many employers will ask you to do this even if you aren’t applying for a job that involves selling. The reason behind this is to see if you can sell the benefits of the bottle of juice but the whole experience that comes with consuming it including health benefits, fun etc. It is all about the bigger picture.

Another possible reason for a question like this is to check out your public speaking and corporate presentation skills. If you are able to clearly outline and confidently articulate the benefits of the fruit juice, you are likely to impress your interviewer.

A few things to avoid • Don’t cross Your Arms. It makes you look defensive and sometimes even confrontational.

• Avoid sitting on the edge of your seat or rocking on the seat. It tells the whole world that you are nervous and does not help your cause.

• Never mess with your face or play with your jewellery or hair during the interview. It distracts the interviewer(s) and gives an impression that you are disorganized.

• Under no circumstance must you interrupt when being asked a question. If your interviewer is asking a question and halfway through you wish to make a comment, don’t interrupt unless you really think that it is very, very appropriate. It is bad manners. Ideally wait for the question to be fully delivered to you and give your answer; even if it means saying to your interviewer “Can I just go back on the point you made in a previous question?” It is really difficult in this instance where you feel you want to pass a comment on something you really feel passionate about but you have to try and control yourself. Nobody likes being interrupted.

• Do not give monosyllabic or one-word answers unless the question requires one or you are specifically asked to. The interview is supposed to be a conversation and you make it very difficult for the interviewer when you keep dropping one-word answers and staring back at them. On the other hand, this does not mean going on and on after only one question. If you are a good listener, you will discern what the interviewer is looking for and be able to give a good answer with one or two relevant examples and that should do. Answering questions in a precise and confident manner communicates a sense of professionalism.

• Don’t panic if you don’t know the answer to a particular question.

Interviewers sometimes throw in a question they know you are unlikely to be able to answer. Their objective in such a situation is to observe your composure and how you handle pressure or stress. They want to know how you would react to real life situations where you do not have the answers.

When a question takes you off guard, calmly smile and say something like “I wonder why I did not anticipate this kind of question. If you gave me the opportunity I could check it out and get back to you with an appropriate answer.” Or smile and say “Gosh! Can I possibly request for a change of question?”

Compare this with breaking into sweat or panicking and fumbling with words or worse still cursing under your breath as people sometimes do. What an answer like this would do is to communicate a sense of calmness and self control and that can only be helpful to your cause. The End.

* Albert & Comfort Ocran are Management Consultants, Executive Coaches and Authors of several personal development books including the bestseller, “Career Starter Pack” and the latest “Speak Like A Pro.” E-mail: albert@legacyandlegacy.com.gh or comfort@legacyandlegacy.com.gh.