Page 130 - You're Hired! Interview Answers

interviewer: Can you tell me about a time when you PeoPLe-BaSed QueStionS examPLe inteRview anSweRS
had to ‘sell’ an idea or new concept to a group of people?

(This example is one that is frequently asked as a part of structured
interviews).

7 Poor answer:

“There was a time when the team I was supervising in the call centre were

very resistant to a new shift pattern that was being introduced. It didn’t affect
their overall hours but the start and finish times were slightly different – only by
half an hour. Call centre staff are notorious for being picky about any change in
routine and I knew there would be a lot of moaning. What I did was to get them
all together in their shift teams and let them sound off before I explained that
this change applied to everyone and that they would soon get used to it. It took

a couple of weeks but they soon settled in to the new routine.”

Not much sign of emotional intelligence or interpersonal sensitivity here!
A particular problem with this answer (amongst many) is the tone used to
describe people and their feelings. Phrases like – ‘I let them sound off’ and ‘a
lot of moaning’ do not sound respectful or sensitive to their issues. ‘Notorious
for being picky’ also sends out the wrong signal, suggesting that all staff are
the same and that it is OK to stereotype them. In short, the answer again
provides negative evidence about people skills. Remember – a people question
demands a people-based answer. This answer is very task focused – it doesn’t
tell the interviewer much about how you sell ideas or influence people; in fact,
it sends out a message that the person is somewhat insensitive.

3 Better answer:

“When I was supervising the call centre team, the need arose to change the

shift pattern to bring it in line with other sections. I could see that this would
need discussing with the team because it might have an impact on their
domestic arrangements, pick-up times and so on. Once the memo explaining
the change had come through from HR, I spoke to everyone in turn, picking
them up during their breaks. I wanted to hear of any concerns from them
personally – better than doing it in a group where some people might be
nervous about speaking up. There were some worries, but I tried to reassure

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