Which of the following is an example of an experience-based situational interview

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One could argue that interviews are the most important stage in the hiring process. Up to that point, you really don’t know much about the candidates you’re considering. You’ve only seen their resume and possibly had a quick phone or video interview with them.

Now you get to sit in the same room with your candidates and talk to them face-to-face. You have the opportunity to really get to know them and learn what they can do. You’ll likely walk out of the room after each interview knowing whether or not the candidate is the person you’re looking for.

Successful interviews are all about asking the right questions

The better your interview questions are, the more you’ll learn about your candidates. That may sound obvious but there are many interviewers who expect candidates to just come out and say why they’re great. But it’s the interviewer who needs to take the lead.

Even if you’re new to interviewing candidates, you’ll likely already have a few questions related to the role in mind. You can also mix in some situational and behavioral questions to get to know candidates even better.

• Situational interview questions present the candidate with a hypothetical situation and ask them how they would handle it. “What would you do if…”
• Behavioral interview questions ask the candidate to recall a past experience and describe how they did handle in. “Tell me about a time in a past job when…”

The definitions above may sound like different ways to ask the same questions. That’s partly true but situational and behavioral interview questions can each bring out unique answers.

The advantages of situational interview questions

Situational questions can be a curve ball for candidates. They force them to think about how they would handle the challenges associated with the role. Experienced interviewees have go-to answers for common job interview questions. But situational questions force them to go off script and critically think about situations they’ll encounter, if hired.

Asking these questions not only gives you an idea of how candidates will handle the specifics of the role. On a deeper level, you get insight into what they value or what they overlook. Here are some examples of situational interview questions you can ask:

• Tell me how you would deal with an upset customer?
• How would you pitch our product/service?
• Let’s say you have multiple assignments from different managers. How do you prioritize?
• How would you handle an unproductive subordinate?
• What changes would you make if you ran our company or department?

The advantages of behavioral questions

Behavioral questions give you a good idea of what candidates have excelled and struggled with in the past. Situational questions allow them to craft their perfect response to your made up scenario but behavioral questions force them to share real experiences.

Many people who favor behavioral interview questions believe the way a candidate worked in the past signifies how they’ll work in the future. That makes sense but these questions also help you learn what personal problems a candidate is working on improving. For example, a common behavioral interview question is, “Tell me about a mistake you made in the past and what you learned from the experience.” Here are some more you can ask:

• Share a time you identified a problem in your company and how you resolved it?
• What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
• Describe a time you weren’t happy with your work and why.
• Tell me about the best boss you’ve worked for?
• Tell me about a time you disagreed with a manager and how you handled it?

Ask the right interview questions to get the answers you need

Situational and behavioral interview questions are most effective when they directly relate to the role you’re hiring for. Asking the sample interview questions in this guide can’t hurt but we recommend you use them as inspiration when forming your own questions. Know what the role requires so you can ask the candidate about real and hypothetical scenarios that help you learn if they’re the person for the job.

Even though situational interview questions usually come as a surprise, it doesn’t mean you can’t get ready for ‘em! As Ben Franklin said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” 

Good answers to situational interviews are an awesome opportunity to shine above the rest—so, here are 20 top situational interview questions, plus the right/wrong way to answer them.

This guide will give you:

• 20 top situational interview questions and answers, with right and wrong examples.
• How to prep for the top interview questions for hypothetical situations.
• A formula to ace the toughest scenario interview questions.
• How to figure out which situational questions you’ll face.

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Looking for more interview helps? See:

• Common Phone Interview Questions
• Best Zoom Interview Tips
• Manager Interview Questions
• Illegal Interview Questions
• Common Second Interview Questions
• Questions to Ask in an Informational Interview
• Best Questions to Ask at the End of an Interview

Now—

1

How to Answer Situational Interview Questions

Before we view the top situational interview questions and answers, here’s a tip:

To answer situation-based interview questions, use the problem–solution–benefit formula.

Your answer should contain:

1. A problem you faced
2. Your solution
3. The benefit to your employer.

Do that, and you’ll fit the job like you were shrink-wrapped on.

Example Situational Interview Question

Tell me about a time you had to collaborate with a coworker who was difficult to work with.

See the difference? It’s the same scenario interview questions. The employer would walk barefoot over a mile of thumbtacks to hire applicant #1.

Pro Tip: Use this style for problem solving interview questions and answers too. Unless it’s a specific programming problem, find achievements in your past that match the question.

Ready to turn the tables on the interviewer? After your the difficult situation interview questions, ask your own. See our guide: 65+ Best Questions to Ask an Interviewer & Land Top Jobs [Proven Tips]

2

20 Common Situational Interview Questions

As promised, here are 20 great “tell me about a time” questions.

They’re organized by a CareerBuilder Study of 2,138 hiring managers. The survey looked at the top 10 qualities employers love most.

These situational interview questions and answers judge your strength within those qualities.

Make sure to personalize your own response to match your personal achievements.

This difficult situation interview question looks at your work ethic.

Here's how to answer "Tell me about a time when" questions:

1. Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for work.

Remember, problem, solution, benefit.

See the difference?

The next of our scenario-based situational interview questions gets at dependability.

2. Tell me about a time you had to choose something else over doing a good job.

Problem/solution/benefit. That scenario question answer shows a legitimate reason, a solution, and a benefit.

Most employers look for employers with a positive attitude. This hypothetical situation question gauges yours.

3. Describe a situation where you weren’t satisfied with your job. What could have made it better?

That applicant just got the job. Answering situational interview questions like that shows initiative.

See the problem? No effort or result.

4. Tell me about a time you reached a big goal at work. How did you reach it?

That’s not a terrible scenarios questions answer, but it lacks detail. Plus, see how the first example adds additional benefit? That’s interview gold.

Which of the situational interviews questions answers below do you like best?

5. Describe a situation where you saw a problem and took steps to fix it.

See the difference? Scenario-based interview questions are looking for a benefit.

How to Prepare for a Situational Interview

Have answers ready for scenario-oriented situational interview questions about the most important soft skills. Based on research, they are:

Looking for situational interview questions for managers? Focus on the managerial skills shown in our guide: Manager Resume: Sample and Complete Guide [20+ Examples]

Are you team-oriented? The three collaboration interview questions below try to find out.

6. Tell me about a time you had to collaborate with a coworker who was tough to please.

Employers love to hire applicants who have unique abilities, as in example #1 above.

7. Tell me about a time you had to work with an important customer or a difficult manager.

Which of the scenario interview questions answers below would you rather give? Which one has more benefit?

What’s better, an employee who grows through adversity, or one who hides from it?

8. Describe a situation where you had to make a good impression on a customer. How did you do it?

Prep for situational-based interview questions like this by digging for achievements.

The second of those situational interview questions answers is like cooked spaghetti. Can you find a win in your past like #1?

The scenario-based interview questions below measure your time management. About 57% of hiring managers list that as a must.

9. Tell me about a time your workload was very heavy.

This is one of those scenarios questions that judge prioritization skills. Spot the difference in these answers:

Delegation shows both dedication and time management. Working overtime? Just dedication.

10. Tell me about a long-running project you handled. How did you manage your time to meet your deadlines?

Don’t forget the benefit. Interview situational questions are always digging for your value.

Next up, answers to situational interview questions about a jammed to-do list.

11. Describe a time when you had too many to do items on your list. How did you solve the problem?

What was your biggest time management achievement? Have it ready for your situational job interview.

How to Answer Situational Interview Questions About Job-Specific Skills

The scenarios interview questions in this guide cover general soft skills. You’ll also face questions about specific job skills.

1. Identify the skills you need. They’re listed in the job ad.
2. Come up with a time you used each skill.
3. Identify the problem and how you used the skill to solve it.
4. Figure out a measure for how the company benefited. List dollars saved, revenue earned, time saved, customer satisfaction increased, etc.

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12. Describe a situation where you used Photoshop to complete a project

Example Job Specific Situational Interview Question and Answer

Which of those two graphic designers would you hire?

These next situational interview questions get at your problem-solving skills. More than half the hiring managers surveyed count that as a key requirement.

13. Tell me about a tough challenge you faced. How did you solve it?

It’s not just “how you handled it,” it’s, “how did your idea help?”

Some behavioral and situational interview questions are booby-trapped. Make sure you find the benefit in this one:

14. Describe your biggest work failure. How did you handle it?

You want the silver lining to be bigger than the cloud. Which of the situation questions answers above works best?

More than 56% of hiring managers require effective communication skills. The next group of situational job interview questions judges yours.

15. Tell me about a time you made a great presentation.

Facing situational-based interview questions like this means knowing if the employer prefers PowerPoint, Keynote, or plain old public speaking skills.

Some answers to situational interview questions reveal hidden facts about you. Which of the two applicants above seems more ethical?

Here are three more scenario-based interview questions.

16. Tell me about a time you used written communication skills.

That first one shows a workplace hero. The second probably wakes up tired every morning.

Our next situation questions and answers focus on communication and interpersonal skills.

17. Describe a situation where you needed information from a coworker who was slow to respond. What did you do?

There’s nothing wrong with answering situational interview questions like that second example. However, the first answer shows valuable interpersonal skills.

The next of our scenario interview questions gets at your persuasion skills.

18. Tell me about a time you had to persuade someone to see your side of things.

That last example proves persuasiveness. The first also shows measurable results plus communication skills.

Pro Tip: All hypothetical questions are a chance to share achievements. “Well actually I faced that situation and excelled,” beats “I would assess the situation and act accordingly” any day.

The next of our situational interview questions looks at flexibility. How do you adjust to change? 51% of hiring managers want to know.

19. Tell me about a situation when your job went through big changes. How did you adjust? 

Can you see the benefit in example #1? That scenario question unearthed a super-employee.

Next on our list of situations questions and answers: confidence.

20. Tell me about your proudest professional accomplishment.

Sometimes answering situational questions for interviews means knowing when to stop.

21. Describe a situation where your boss was 100% wrong. What did you do?

Are you confident enough to step up to the boss? Do you have the grace to accept when she says “no” regardless?

Again, problem, solution, benefit to the company.

Pro Tip: Does preparing for situational behavioral interview questions and answers sound hard? You only have to do it once for any number of interviews.

That’s that in terms of situational interview questions. Time to prepare for the rest.

Start with:

• Common Job Interview Questions and Best Answers

Next, move on to behavioral questions:

• STAR Method for Acing Behavioral Interview Questions

Finally, move on to specific answers:

• How to Describe Your Current Job Responsibilities
• Tell Me About Yourself
• What Are Your Strengths?
• What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
• What Is Your Management Style?
• Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?
• Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?
• Why Do You Want to Work Here?
• Why Should We Hire You?

Want dozens of other tips to take your interview performance to pro level? See our guide: 50+ Successful Interview Tips, Advice & Guidelines

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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Key Takeaway

Here’s a recap of situational interview questions and answers:

• Prepare for situational questions in advance. Identify the key requirements in the job ad. Then find achievements in your past that match.
• Answer hypothetical interview questions with a problem you faced, a solution you came up with, and a benefit to the company.
• Get ready for scenario questions around popular soft skills like dependability, work ethic, and collaboration.
• Expect scenarios interview questions about job-specific skills shown in the job ad.

Do you have questions about how to answer situational interview questions? Did you think of key situation-based interview questions we missed? Give us a shout in the comments! Let's get the conversation rolling.