Job interview

Biography-related questions ask about actual events and thus
– provide concrete examples for the applicant’s behavioural patterns,
– give an impression of how the applicant usually approaches certain problems and
– prevent the applicant from simply providing examples of social conventions or textbook knowledge instead of examples of authentic behaviour.

Ability to respond to conflict appropriately:
“There are certain situations in which it is very difficult to please everyone involved. Please describe one such situation that you experienced with customers or colleagues.”

Teamworking skills:
“When did you last work in a team?”
“Which role did you take on? What went well? What went less well?”

These questions are based on the assumption that the expressed intentions are closely related to actual actions at a later time.

Applicants are asked how they would act in certain situations:
“What would you do, if...?”
The answers are then evaluated based on a prepared list of possible answers.

“An employee has been out sick for two weeks with back pain. You are on your way to an important appointment. On the way, you pass through a new housing complex and see that this same employee is helping carry a heating element into an unfinished building. What would you do?”

– stay authentic.

– explain a successful strategy or positive perspective for addressing a weakness (successful strategy: “I have lost track of all the tasks related to a certain project before; since then I always create an overview for myself and make a plan for the related tasks”; positive perspective: “I am often too nervous to speak English, although I am good at it. In order to overcome this nervousness, I asked my British roommate, if we could speak only English together and he agreed.”)

– But... : “I do need quite a while to wake up in the morning, BUT I am very productive in the evening...”

– If possible, please provide examples for strengths.

– Why do you think this job is right for you?
– Why should we choose you for the job?
– Why is our company your first choice?
– What are your strengths and weaknesses?
– What was your greatest success and your biggest failure?
– Where do you see yourself in five years?
– Which five adjectives would you use to describe yourself?
– What questions do you have for us?

Why is a tennis ball covered in felt? How often do the hands of a clock overlap in a 24-hour period? How many diapers are sold in Germany each year?
These kinds of questions are meant to test your ability to work under stress. How do you react when faced with a complex task?
Knowing the right answer is less important than how you approach the problem and look for a solution.

Tips:
– Try to think unconventionally.
– Ask what is behind the question.
– Look for an unusual solution.

Important: It is not about finding the right solution but rather the appropriate strategy.

Only questions related to the applicant’s suitability for the position are allowed in job interviews. If you are asked objectionable questions anyway, it may also be just to test your personal boundaries. Whatever the case may be, just respond in a friendly and self-confident manner, without necessarily answering such questions. You may also lie.

– questions about your relationships or family
– questions about your health
– questions about your sexual orientation
– questions about membership in a union, political party or religious organisation
– questions about your financial situation
– questions about why you left your previous jobs
– questions about previous salaries
– questions about a criminal record

For certain types of jobs, however, some of these questions are allowed, for example, whether childcare providers have a criminal record.