Questions in the interview, which have it in itself and what is intended with it

26. April 2020 - Bodo Kuhnhenn

Questions in the interview, which have it in itself and what is intended with it

Isn't this job a little out of your league? With such a question company representatives want to put pressure on applicants. Now it is important to remain calm and confidently list your own strengths and experiences.

With tricky trick questions and subtle personality tests, bosses and HR managers like to put their applicants under pressure.

Often the following applies: the higher the desired position, the more absurd the approach.
What are you most afraid of? What is your greatest strength - and what is your greatest weakness?
Or: If you were a superhero, what superpower would you have?
It's questions like these that drive job applicants to despair in interviews. Because there is no one correct answer.

With such trick questions, company bosses and HR managers put their applicants to the test. The good thing is that you can prepare yourself and even prepare something.

But the most important thing is the basic attitude that a job interview is always an interview at eye level, in which two parties check whether they can imagine working together.

With this basic attitude you can then go into the interview as relaxed and well rested as possible.

Questions:

1. would you rather be feared or respected?
There is no right answer. The purpose is to identify the leadership style of the applicant.

2. why are you here today?

It is always surprising how many selfish motives come up. Often applicants who are not too concerned about themselves perform better.

3. What is your biggest dream in life?
Are there higher goals for the applicant? Is there a red thread running through this?

4. how do you treat your subordinates?
There are companies that treat the taxi driver, assistants, receptionists - anyone that candidates have dealt with on the way to the interview, according to their experience with the candidates. Goal: To look not only into the brain, but also into the heart of the candidate.

5. what is your favourite Monopoly possession - and why?
It is hoped to gain insights or conclusions about how the candidates think about risks and opportunities.

6. tell me about how you once failed.
This is about dealing with failure. Falling down, getting up and carrying on, or complaining and blaming everyone else? Tell me what you learned from that?

7. what was your biggest mistake - and what did you learn from it?
This is about dealing with failure. Falling down, getting up and carrying on, or wailing and all the others are to blame? Do you report what you have learned from it?

8. What did you want to be when you were seven or eight years old?
Childhood dreams are particularly suitable as an introduction to conversation. More in the category of small talk or warm-up.

9. the wine exam
The CEO invites them to dinner, hands them the wine list, has them make recommendations and analyses their reaction: Do the candidates know about it? Do they convincingly present the connoisseur? Or do they ask for help? A convincing reaction - in whatever direction - is already half the battle.

10. passions and interests
One should only speak of passions and interests if this is really the case.
A board of directors was concerned with the passions of the candidates. One of them claimed to be an enthusiastic singer. The board unceremoniously asked him to sing. And was subsequently enthusiastic himself.