Do you want to know what situational interview questions are? If yes, explore this piece for information on the same.

Situational Interview Questions

Situational interviews are referred to as behavioral interviews. The aspects of doing any kind of job are diverse because several situations form a part and parcel of a single job.  Apart from all the usual questions, the interviewer, at times, also provides situations pertaining to every position and the candidate needs to answer all the questions satisfactorily in order to pass the interview. A good answer to any situational interview question must explain the action taken by the person, the result that the person was expecting to achieve and the lesson learnt after presenting the action. By presenting situations in the interview, the main aim of the interviewer is to determine your analytical thinking skills and your approach towards problem solving. Communication is a major aspect of all jobs and so, situational interview questions also test you from this angle. Other angles can include the exploration of your interpersonal skills and your ability to be non-judgmental when making decisions. To get to know a few situational interview questions, read on.
 
Sample Situational Interview Questions And Answers
 
Situation #1
What move will you make when you notice that one of your subordinates or team members is not doing his/her work as per expectations? 

Answer: The reason for this situation can be the lack of understanding of the task given to the person. Therefore, the superior needs to work out a solution instead of having unrealistic expectations. 

Situation #2
Your colleague takes you into confidence and says that he/she would be quitting the job and just abscond after taking the salary, what will you do? 

Answer: I would advice my colleague to be honest and follow work ethics. I would tell the person in question that it is always better to inform and quit as his/her sudden absence could affect the productivity of the workplace. 

Situation #3
How would you handle a situation where you might meet a lot of resistance from peers, superiors and subordinates while introducing a new idea or policy?
 
Answer: Change always brings along a lot of reluctance so the best idea is to be prepared for it. I would do a thorough groundwork and find out all the possible reasons that could be a cause of concern with respect to this change. Post this, addressing all the parties in a common forum and attending to their queries and concerns would be the best way to go about it. But the one thing that I will bear in mind is that the people resisting change might have valid reasons and, in such cases, I will not shy away from making necessary adjustments to the idea or policy.
 
Situation #4
What would your reaction be if a recommendation you made gets strongly turned down by everybody?

Answer: If the recommendation has been strongly turned down then I would review it again and look for the possible reasons of such resistance. Later, of course, I would present it in a new light by giving concrete examples and support it to the best of my abilities. However, if the resistance continues (and with good reason) then I will let go of the idea and move on to better ideas. 

Situation #5
What if, due to some personal or professional reasons, you fail to fulfill your target before the deadline?

Answer: Such a situation doesn’t arise unless one fails to properly plan out one’s work. But, due to unavoidable circumstances, if I do reach this stage, then I would approach my boss, explain him the situation and the hurdles and request for an extension. Considering that I believe in regularly updating my seniors regarding a project’s progress, I would have all the timely guidance I need and even after that if the deadline isn’t met then I am sure that my boss would understand. 

Situation #6
How will you manage an employee who finds it difficult to get along with the team?

Answer: Every individual is different and deserves his/her own space to get along with people. A thorough discussion with the individual and his/her team members would give me insights on the reasons of the disconnect and then depending upon the reasons, a decision to talk to the team or the individual can be taken.

In most interviews, job seekers come across situational questions that determine their suitability for the job. It is therefore important for you to be prepared to face such questions while attending an interview.


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