Business Studies

magine you received a promotion and were going to interview candidates to replace you in your previous role. What are 3 experience-based situational interview questions you might ask each candidate? What would you expect to learn about the candidate from his or her response to each question?

Week 4 Discussion

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Experience-Based Situational Interview Questions

Experience-based situational interview questions are non-hypothetical interview questions that ask a candidate to recall a situation that they found themselves in in the past and explain how they managed it or overcame the challenges that they faced. They require candidates to refer to past work experiences to describe their actions and the outcome of those actions. The interviewer aims to scope how the candidate reacts to situations in the workplace. The responses that the candidate provides predict how they will handle similar situations in the workplace and whether they are suitable to take on certain challenges posed by the job that they have applied for (Pulakos & Schmitt, 1995). The following are some of the experience-based situational interview questions that I would ask candidates applying for a job that I previously held:

Think about an instance when you were assigned a task that you had never done before. How did you approach the task?

The purpose of this question would be to assess the problem-solving skills of each of the candidates and to identify whether they can approach new or unfamiliar tasks intelligently. The candidates would encounter a steep learning curve and a period of adjustment by starting the new job. Their ability to solve problems intelligently is one of the important skills necessary for the job.

Recall a situation when you disagreed with a co-worker on how to complete a task or how to achieve the best results on a project. How did you resolve that situation?

The ability to work with people with different opinions or thoughts and conflict resolution skills are essential skills for every job. By asking this question, I would assess the conflict resolution skills of the candidates as well as their ability to accommodate colleagues with different opinions and ideas. I would be able to assess whether the candidates have encountered conflict and whether they were able to achieve a positive outcome out of the situation.

When assigned several time-sensitive projects and you realize that you would not be able to complete all of them in time, how do you go about the situation?

By asking this question, I will assess whether the candidate is flexible and how best they can manage a heavy workload efficiently and intelligently. I will also assess how best they can prioritize their workload and how whether they can communicate effectively with their manager on how to improve tough situations.

References

Pulakos, E. D., & Schmitt, N. (1995). Experience‐based and situational interview questions: Studies of validity. Personnel Psychology, 48(2), 289-308.

TABLE 6.2 (Examples of Experience- Based and Future-Oriented Situational interview items)

Experience-Based

Motivating employees

Think about an instance whine you had to motivate an employee to perform a task that he or she disliked but that you needed to have done. How did you handle that situation?

Resolving Conflict

What was the biggest difference of opinion you ever had with a co-worker? Who did you resolve that situation?

Overcoming resistance to Change

What was the hardest change you ever had to bring about in a past job, and what did you do to get the people around you to change their thoughts or behaviors?

Future-oriented

Motivating employees

Suppose you were working with an employee who you knew greatly disliked performing a particular task. You needed to get this task completed, however, and this person was the only one available to do it. What would you do to motivate that person?

Resolving conflicts

Imagine that you and a co-worker disagree about the best way to handle an absenteeism problem with another member of your team. How would you resolve that situation?

Overcoming resistance to change

Suppose you had an idea for a change in work procedures that would enhance quality, but some members of your work group were hesitant to make the change. What would you do in that situation?