How can situational interview questions help employers hire talent?
With more employers looking to hire on a skills-first basis, situational interview questions can help them discern what soft skills a candidate might have. Not only that, they can also help employers find out how they would apply these skills in practice. For example, a candidate may claim they have strong problem-solving skills, but situational interview questions helps to put this to the test. By assessing how they’d handle a situation relevant to the role they’re interviewing for, you can see whether they would be a good fit for the team. In the next section, we will look at 10 situational interview questions you could use.
10 situational interview questions
Below are ten example situational interview questions to consider asking potential candidates and what these may reveal.
1. Can you tell me about a time you handled a difficult customer?
The goal of this question is to assess how a candidate might resolve conflict with customers. Employers might look out for candidates who demonstrate active listening skills, the ability to respond to customer complaints and knowing which team member to report conflicts to.
2. A customer is having difficulty buying an event ticket via your company website. How would you help them to purchase it?
The goal of this question is to find out how good a candidate is at troubleshooting and thinking on the spot. In a response, look out for evidence that the candidate can clearly communicate a solution, demonstrates empathy skills and a thorough approach to problem-solving.
3. Imagine you have an important project deadline coming up, but you are given some last-minute work to do by your manager. How would you handle the situation?
This situational question helps you to identify a candidate’s time management and project management skills. A strong candidate might demonstrate how they would delegate responsibilities to colleagues, how they would prioritise certain tasks and how they would manage project resources in this type of situation.
4. A customer has an accident in the shop and is injured. They also knock over several items which causes a mess. How do you handle this?
The goal of this question is to find out how a candidate handles emergency situations. A good answer should demonstrate an understanding of customer safety, how the candidate would go about reporting incidents, the steps they take to recognise and prevent hazards and safe working practices.
5. Imagine a colleague is increasingly stressed about finishing their tasks and asks you for help. What do you do?
This question helps recruiters to understand a candidate’s approach to teamwork. A good team player typically demonstrates a proven ability to build strong working relationships, a positive and encouraging attitude and an ability to see the big picture.
6. Your manager asks you to take on a new task that you’ve never done before. How would you go about this?
Use this situational question to find out whether the candidate is a fast learner and takes a flexible approach to responsibilities. A strong answer here might include how the candidate stays calm in the face of new situations, how they would go about asking for help and the ability to conduct their own research.
7. Explain a time you handled a disagreement with your manager.
The goal of this question is to understand how a candidate handles conflict with an authority figure. An effective response should demonstrate the candidate’s capability to engage in constructive criticism, maintain professionalism and think independently while still showing respect for hierarchical structures.
8. How would you handle bullying and harassment in the workplace?
The goal of this question is to find out how a colleague reports instances of harassment and bullying. A strong candidate typically understands how to raise this type of issue and who to report it to, how to make a report of an incident and demonstrates empathy skills.
9. How have you handled a major change to the way you work?
The purpose of this question is to identify how a candidate is might handle change and adapt to new situations. In an answer, look for their potential to learn new skills if their job responsibilities change, an understanding of how to help other colleagues adapt to change and the ability to plan ahead and maintain a forward-thinking perspective.
10. How would you approach asking for help on a task?
The purpose of this question is to find out how a candidate approaches asking for help. Strong candidates usually demonstrate the ability to ask open-ended questions, knowledge of whom to ask for help when stuck on a task and have a proactive understanding of how to conduct online research.
How to create your own situational questions for interviews
Situational interview questions are versatile and applicable across various job titles and industries. However, depending on the specific requirements of the role you are looking to fill, you might find it beneficial to tailor these questions according to your organisation’s needs.
As highlighted in our guide to skills-based hiring, the recruitment landscape often faces what is termed the ‘unqualified applicant overload crisis’, where recruiters are faced with a high volume of candidates who do not meet job requirements. Situational interview questions can be an effective tool in such scenarios, not only to narrow down the candidates during the CV screening process but also to evaluate how candidates apply their skills in practical contexts.
Below are some key best practices to consider when writing your questions:
Start with the job description
Start by reviewing the job description thoroughly. Identify key skills required for the role and develop questions that allow you to assess these skills effectively. This approach ensures that your questions are directly aligned with the needs of the position, thereby supporting your skills-based hiring strategy.
Consult your team
Engage with your team to gather insights about challenges they have faced that may be relevant to the role in question. Drawing on real scenarios can provide a better understanding of how a candidate might perform in your team.
Consider company policies and industry best practices
Employees often rely on company policies and best practices when making decisions and responding to challenging situations. Situational interview questions can help you evaluate whether candidates are familiar with HR policies and standards.
Remember to keep questions inclusive
As you craft your situational interview questions, keep inclusivity in mind. Use neutral language that doesn’t make assumptions about gender, race, ethnicity and other characteristics.
When formulating questions, it’s important to maintain inclusivity. Opt for neutral language that avoids assumptions about a candidate’s gender, race, ethnicity or other personal characteristics. Our guide to diversity and inclusion recommends:
- Using inclusive language
- Broadening qualifications to focus on essential skills rather than specific credentials
- Concluding with a statement emphasising the business’s commitment to diversity and inclusion
We also found that using a skills test can be a great way to boost diversity and inclusion, as it allows recruiters to evaluate candidates on the basis of their skills rather than their other characteristics. like these can help widen your talent pool.
Additionally, consider incorporating a skills test into the interview process, as this enables recruiters to evaluate candidates based on their abilities and ensure fair hiring practices, contributing to a more diverse and inclusive selection process.
Situational interview questions FAQs
In this next section, we look at some commonly asked situational interview FAQs.
What are situational interview questions?
Situational interview questions, also called scenario-based or hypothetical questions, are a type of interview question where the interviewer asks the candidate what they would do in a hypothetical situation. These questions usually begin with ‘What would you do if…?’ or ‘How would you handle a situation where…?’
How are situational interview questions different from other interview questions?
Situational questions for interviews ask about hypothetical situations the candidate might encounter on the job. On the other hand, behavioural interview questions ask candidates to describe how they dealt with issues they experienced in the past.
Technical interview questions focus specifically on the candidate’s technical skills and knowledge relevant to the job. They might involve problem-solving questions that relate directly to the technical duties the position entails, including creativity and analytical skills.
How can situational or scenario-based interview questions help in your hiring process?
Situational questions are especially useful for evaluating candidates for entry-level positions where past work experience may be limited or non-existent. They also provide insights into a candidate’s potential to adapt to new challenges, their innate problem-solving abilities and how they might approach future tasks, such as learning new digital skills or adapting to organisational change.
How do you create a situational questions interview evaluation form?
To ensure objectivity in responses to situational questions, consider implementing a structured evaluation form:
- Define specific criteria that reflect the qualities and responses important for the role. For example, criteria might include ‘demonstrates critical thinking’, ‘shows adaptability’ or ‘suggests effective conflict resolution strategies’.
- Use a consistent scoring system, such as a scale from one to five to help maintain fairness and consistency in evaluating different candidates.
Situational interview questions can effectively gauge a candidate’s soft skills and how they might use them in a work scenario. Employers should always ensure this method is inclusive and aligned with fair hiring practices to avoid bias and promote diversity in the workplace.
