Page 139 - You're Hired! Interview Answers

PeoPLe-BaSed QueStionS examPLe inteRview anSweRS As we noted in earlier sections, you will need to judge the level and scope of
your answers, based on the interview situation you find yourself in. In general,
however, mid-level managerial interviewers will expect to see that your people
skills extend beyond your personal social skills, to include topics such as:

n cross-team communication
n succession planning
n developing talent
n building and harnessing the right skills
n influencing, persuading and selling.

Our final example looks at a question that explores people skills in the context
of a customer-facing, selling situation.

interviewer: Can you tell me about a time when you had
to deal with a difficult conversation or a complaint from a
customer?

7 Poor answer:

“Well obviously we work hard to avoid this kind of situation arising but

occasionally we do have to sort out a customer problem. There was an issue
on the Leeds project when it became clear that we were not going to meet the
delivery deadline for the new phone system – not our fault, our suppliers had
made a mistake. When the customer called I insisted on taking it because I
knew it would be a tricky conversation. Sure enough, she was livid. I had to let
her sound off for about 5 minutes – she was being completely unreasonable –

before I could get a word in.”

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