Interview Preparation for Situational Based Interview Questions
Situational Based Interview Questions
In this section you will learn
What situational-based interview questions are
What the most effective way to answer them is using the 4 rules system
Situational interview questions, also sometimes referred to as scenario-based interview questions, are unusual in that they present an interesting challenge when they are encountered in an interview. Commonly found in many interview types, situational interview questions are constructed to help interviewers understand what actions and decisions you would make in hypothetical workplace scenarios
Situational interview questions present a ‘what if’ scenario, in that a circumstance is put to you, and you need to tell the interviewer how you would respond in that instance. These can pose an interesting challenge for a couple of different reasons. Firstly, it’s more difficult to rehearse for a situational based interview question than it is for other interview question types as there’s no way to predict what situation might be put to you beforehand. On top of this, when answering these types of questions you simply have to answer based on how you think you would respond, and while that’s normally regarded as an advantage because you don’t have to rack your brains for detailed explanations of a time you have achieved a target, or dealt with a challenging situation that sounds highly impressive to the interviewer, it means your answer is almost always intuitively based as its determined by your response to the specific situation you are being presented with, which again, means it’s not something you can easily rehearse for beforehand
Another facet of situational based interview questions is that they are heavily open-ended. Because of this, a secondary challenge associated with them is that it can be difficult to figure out what the interviewer is looking for and where to go with your answer
While on the face of it, situational-based interview questions usually seem easier to answer than other types of interview questions, they nevertheless present their own set of challenges.
To begin with, although they are normally not as important as any competency or behavioural based questions asked in an interview, when encountered, situational interview questions are still very significant and will have a greater impact on how the interviewer scores you on their assessment sheet than routine interview questions do
Explaining the actions you would take is the most straightforward part of any situational based answer. As long as your response sounds sensible in the situation the interviewer is describing, it is likely your answer will be at least partially successful. However, whenever you encounter a situational interview question in an interview, know that your interviewer will be looking for more than this. That’s why you’ll need to go further and explain the rationale behind why you would take the actions you would. This is where you will score the real points in any situational based interview answer.
Situationally based interview questions do have a unique benefit in that they provide a great opportunity for you to showcase the traits and qualities that comprise various aspects of your character. Although you will have no way of knowing what specific competencies or qualities your interviewer will be looking for in your answer, going in-depth and explaining your rationale in a way that exhibits varying redeeming sides of your personality is not only the best way to impress them with your character, but the likelihood is that something you say will probably fit with what your interviewer is assessing you on which will help you maximise the points you score on that specific question. To this end, the best advice is to keep what you’ve memorized from the job description in mind when trying to explain the rationale behind the decisions you’ve made
The interviewer will be looking for you to exhibit at least 2 or 3 different qualities or competencies in your answer. These will vary considerably depending on the role being applied for but will include things like teamwork, adaptability, and customer focus to name but a few. As an interviewee, the hardest part of answering a situational based interview question is working out what direction to take your answer in once you’ve stated how you would initially respond, because you will need to try and align your answer with what the interviewer is looking for. Again, to this end, the best advice we can give is to orientate your answer as much as possible to the qualities sought after in the job description
Situational questions are found in many different types of interview formats such as the structured, semi-structured, behavioural, and panel interview types
The difference with these types of questions over other questions found in an interview is that they are almost always exclusively intuitively based. While on the face of it this does tend to make them easier to answer, and while they do also give you a great platform from which to present formative aspects of your character due to the opportunity you’ll get to explain the rationale that forms the basis of your decision making, they also pose their own set of challenges too. To begin with, situational based interview questions can’t easily be rehearsed for, which is why they are not emphasized in other sections of this website, on top of this, they can be tricky too. As situational questions are almost always open-ended, it can be unclear by their nature as to what the interviewer is looking for in your answer (which is why you are advised to stick to the job description as much as possible when explaining the basis for your rationale). Be aware that sometimes the interviewer may also use an answer you have given in a previous situational based interview question to probe you on other responses you give in later questions during the interview as well
When considering how to approach situational based interview questions, there are 4 basic rules you should use whenever answering them. This is referred to as the 4 rules system:
The first rule is to answer honestly. Not only is this the easiest way to answer any situationally based interview question, but it usually makes your answer more impactful so it comes across as more authentic
The second rule is to use common sense. Ask yourself if your response seems appropriate for the situation your interviewer is describing, and does it reflect on yourself in a positive way?
The third rule is to be clear about the course of action you would take. Many situational questions can pose a dilemma, so sometimes a clear line of action is not always easy to decide upon. However, if you want to make a good impression and score top points on your interviewer’s scorecard, in any situational based interview question it is important to be clear about the course of action you would take! Sometimes when candidates are uncertain about what to say, they will deliberately be vague about the answers they give. Leaving the interviewer uncertain about any answer is always a bad idea being that it’s their job to evaluate your responses as it will simply leave them uncertain about your overall eligibility as a candidate
Take time to think about the question – if you need more time, slowly talk back over the points in the scenario the interviewer has presented as if preparing the basis for your answer – this will buy you time as you think about your response
The fourth rule is to always go into detail. Telling the interviewer how you would respond is always the first part of any situationally based answer. However, this by itself is not enough, and if you want to get maximum points in a situational based question you always need to go into detail and explain the rationale behind why you would take the actions you’ve described
Using these simple and straightforward rules should ensure you will always give an answer that is both impressive and highly effective any time you encounter a situationally based question in an interview
EXAMPLES OF SITUATIONAL BASED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Question
What would you do if you were working to a tight deadline on a project you were responsible for and you found a mistake that no one else noticed? You know the mistake is small and won’t impact the overall customer experience if you start the project as planned, but if you stop to correct it, it will delay the start of the project, and it is very important the project starts on time. How would you handle this situation?
What the interviewer might be looking for
*Here the interviewer has presented you with a dilemma where it is difficult to know how to respond. With this particular question, it is likely the interviewer is looking for someone who exhibits honest traits and a good work ethic. However, with many situational based interview questions, especially ones that pose a dilemma where outlining an immediate course of action is difficult, you often have to read between the lines. Because the interviewer is also probably looking for someone with strong problem-solving abilities, someone who can manage unforeseen problems, as well as someone who also knows how to go through the proper channels
One of the problems with situational based interview questions is that it can be hard to interpret what the interviewer is looking for in your answer. On top of this, while some situational based questions will seem straightforward, others will present a dilemma that makes it difficult for you to decide what actions you would take to deal with or resolve a given situation in the first place, and these are both things that can make situational based interview questions quite awkward to deal with.
Situational interview questions are designed to give an interviewer insight into your thinking and character, and they do so quite effectively. While they can seem easier to answer, matching your tone and response to that of your interviewer is actually very difficult in a situational interview question, which is why you are always advised to answer them honestly. Not only do they count for more than routine interview questions, but the interviewer might also revisit a previous answer you’ve given to a situational based interview question with additional probing questions elsewhere in the interview and cross-reference your responses, and it’s for reasons like these that great care needs to be taken when answering situational based questions in an interview.
On the plus side, the insight these questions are designed to give your interviewer is a two-way street and you should take full advantage of this. Use the open-ended nature of any situational question to give the interviewer an insight into your qualities and character when explaining the rationale behind the decisions you’d make
Example
‘The course of action I would take would be based around a careful evaluation of the situation itself. In the workplace, it is important to be flexible as well as to be able to think quickly and adapt to situations as they unfold. In this particular circumstance, we have established that the mistake is small and that even if uncorrected the project would still be able to start on time. With this being said, I believe it’s always very important to carry out one’s job duties with honesty and integrity. This is something that is of upmost importance to me not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because for me I feel doing so has a hugely positive impact on the quality of my work. However, these qualities also need to work in harmony with producing the required results and getting things completed on time. Because of this, I believe the correct course of action would be to proceed with the project as planned and get it started on time. However, what I would also do is go through the proper channels and bring it to the attention of my immediate superior. Not only do I feel this would a sensible course of action just to get some additional input and see if they had any alternative recommendations. But this would also be the right thing to do for the purposes of disclosure, because it would be important to bring an issue like this to a higher-ups attention. With these things in mind, the course of action I’d be looking to take would be not only to start the project on time, but to also then put on a disclaimer regarding the mistake so it was fully disclosed to the public. From there, it could then be worked on retrospectively. This way not only would our project get completed on time, but both the business and its customers would also get to enjoy the benefits from it, and would thusly also be aware of it as well, which I believe would be a win win situation for everybody’.