Need a quick recap of the most important situational interview questions asked in job interviews? Then you’ve come to the right place

Most of the situational questions asked in interviews leave most of us participants groaning in disappointment because of their abstract nature. However, there are many others who have the answers to common situational questions ready in a matter of seconds and have a smile on their face when they know they will ace the interview. This is not just blind confidence. Answering the most important situational questions can quickly become the easiest part of the interview, precisely because there is no one-size-fits-all answer to them.

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The best situational interview questions at a glance

Answering situational questions can be very easy once you understand that you just need to understand the principle behind the question. First of all, what are situational questions? These questions involve hypothetical situations in which the person has to give an explanation of how they would behave or react under the given circumstances.

Some of these questions may relate to real-life situations that the respondent has never encountered before. However, the respondent must put themselves in the example situation and briefly describe their answer.

Most of the time, these questions relate directly to the person’s job description or the work environment they want to enter, so they don’t have to deal with outlandish problems like defending the world from a descending meteor. This makes the questions easier to answer by drawing on past experience or strategizing for problems you might realistically encounter.

Why are situational questions used in interviews?

Before we start listing some of the most important situational interview questions, it can be very helpful to understand the purpose of these questions.

• They examine the candidate’s decision-making ability and ability to think through a problem
• The questions help assess the person’s conversational skills and ability to explain things succinctly.
• They help the interviewer understand the candidate as an individual and how his or her experiences have shaped him or her.
• Interviewers have the opportunity to test whether the skills mentioned in the resume are reflected in the person’s thinking and reasoning.
• They help the interviewer understand whether the candidate fits into the company culture.

What is the difference between situational and behavioral interview questions?

Very often we confuse situational interview questions with behavioral interview questions as both aim to achieve similar goals. Behavioral interview questions focus on past experiences that the candidate has had and overcome. They focus on problems that have already occurred to understand their mindset and approach to the experiences. “Can you give me an example of a time you received negative feedback and how you responded to it?” is a behavioral interview question as it requires the employee to remind the employer of a past experience.

Situational interview questions focus on hypothetical, real-life experiences that the candidate may or may not have had before, but are still relevant to how they work. These questions are focused on the future and how the person plans to develop in the next few years. “If you happen to receive negative feedback from a manager you disagree with, what will you do?” is a situational interview question because the respondent may never have been in such a situation before, but still needs to explain how they would respond to negative feedback.

Behavioral questions can help the interviewer understand your mistakes and successes and show how you’ve evolved since then, while situational questions bring your growth mindset and future-oriented thinking to the forefront of the conversation. Both provide the interviewer with important information and show them how you would fit into their company.

What are some common situational interview questions?

Answering situational questions is relatively easy if you have some time to think about your answers. Unfortunately, you have very little time to think about your answer during an interview, so it’s helpful to prepare in advance.

It’s nearly impossible to predict every single question that might be asked, but many of them are similar and can be answered if you have a more readily available supply of answers to choose from. By practicing your answers to the most important situational interview questions, you will have the confidence to answer anything the interviewer asks you.

• How would you resolve a conflict between two subordinates?
• Imagine you have a new teammate who doesn’t participate in any project discussions and never gives feedback. How would you work with him?
• If you had to talk to an employee about a sensitive topic, how would you approach the situation?
• Where do you think your career will be in five years?
• Imagine you were entrusted with managing a project where the client was not cooperating. How would you proceed?
• If you had to take on leadership positions later on, do you think you would be able to cope with it?
• What would you do next if you disagree with a manager’s decision?
• If you made a serious mistake at work, how would you go about correcting it?
• What will you do next if you think you can’t meet a deadline?
• If your suggestion was rejected by your superiors, how would you react?
• How would you proceed if you received corrective feedback on a task you were very confident about?
• How would you communicate bad news to your team?
• Imagine you are assigned to a new team and have to work with a client who refuses to take on their share of the work. What would you do next?
• If you were assigned multiple tasks, how would you prioritize them?
• What insights do you expect to gain by taking on this role?
• What do you think will be the biggest area of ​​growth if you take this job?
• Imagine having to meet with a client instead of working behind a desk as usual. Do you think you can cope?

These are some of the best and most commonly used situational questions. They can give you an idea of ​​the areas that are usually explored in the interviews.

Even if you practice answering situational questions without an interview looming and no plans to change jobs, you can gain a better understanding of yourself. The answers will paint a clearer picture of who you are, what is important to you, and what qualities are a priority for you.