Job interviews are not only meant for the interviewer to test a candidate’s skills and capabilities but it also serves as a chance for the interviewer to have an idea about what it would be like to work with such a candidate.
Situational interview questions, also known as behavioral questions, are questions intended to evaluate a potential candidate’s quick-thinking skills.
Most interviewers ask situational questions to have an idea of how a potential employee would react to a particular situation and possible solutions they would provide.
Here are some situational questions you can ask candidates during an interview;
- How would you handle criticism from a superior?
This question enables you to assess a candidate’s ability to accept constructive feedback and their mistakes. You should look out for candidates that demonstrate emotional maturity and are open to learning new things.
Watch out for candidates who admitted their past mistakes but didn’t dwell on them, and showed their ability to adjust their work style while considering the feedback, rather than becoming defensive about it.
- What would you do if you were asked to complete a task you’ve never done before?
This question enables you to assess your candidate’s willingness to accept challenges that would help their career development. The candidate’s reply should show that they are willing to take on challenges unaided.
- How would you handle a situation where your team ignored a new idea you introduced?
In this situation, look out for responses that show the candidate knows that not everyone would welcome a new idea while demonstrating their ability to influence and implement new ideas. The candidates should show that while it’s normal to be frustrated in that situation, they can solve the problem by introducing a step by step solution that would be easily understood and accepted by the rest of their team.
- How did you handle a situation where you had to explain something to a frustrated coworker or client and what was their response?
This question serves as an opportunity to test the candidate’s interpersonal and communication skills. This is where they show their efforts and the results(the result doesn’t have to be positive) they got from such persuasion.
- What would you do if you were almost done with a project on a tight deadline when you realize you’d made a mistake back at the beginning that required you to start over?
It is important to note that this question is not to show how perfect a candidate is but to show how the candidate responded when they made a mistake that required them to restart a project. You would want to note those that look at mistakes as an opportunity to learn and the route they took in managing such situations.