KILLER WAYS TO ANSWER THESE SIMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
What motivates you? What gets you up in the morning? What makes you uncomfortable?
These are all simple interview questions that a company will ask you to establish if you would fit in. Even the best companies to work for have cultures that some might find difficult to work in so these questions are really important, for both you and the interviewer.
While you might still be asked the generic ‘what do you know about our company’ questions, these are specifically asked to help the interviewers understand more about you and your limits. If you say that loud environments make you uncomfortable, a call centre might not be the best environment for you to be in. It’s things like this that will help both you and the interviewer understand each other better.
Make sure you answer these questions honestly. The last thing you want to do is lie and find that one month in you’re having to hand in your notice as you can’t work in the environment. Employers want to make sure they’re hiring the right person for the job and you want to make sure that you’ll have a job you enjoy.
See below our list of company fit interview questions with guidance on how to answer them.
What motivates you?
Money!
Let’s not lie, everyone is motivated by money but this is not the answer interviewers are looking for. Really think about what motivates you on a daily basis to answer the question effectively. You might enjoy making a difference or being busy, whatever you enjoy try to pick motivations that align with the company or job you’re applying to.
What gets you up in the morning?
Most people use their phone alarms to wake up in the morning, that’s no secret. However, what is a secret is what gets you up in the morning. Do you wake up enthused and ready to start your day? Or does coffee get you up? Whatever it is, showing that you’re genuinely excited to start your day can show that you keep going through good and bad times.
Would you work holidays/weekends?
Sometimes, employers will ask this question to see if you’re a dedicated staff member who’s willing to go the extra mile. However, keep in mind that being willing to work holidays and weekends doesn’t mean that you’re a better employee than someone who won’t work these. You can be honest about your willingness to work overtime so long as your positive about your ability to get the job done within your working hours.
TOP TIP: Most jobs that require holiday or weekend work will state this in the job description. If a company throws this question into the ring at interview, feel free to ask if they regularly work holidays and weekends. If a company regularly works these and doesn’t state it on the application form, you might want to think about if you really want to work there.
What are your co-worker pet peeves?
We all have co-workers who never return the pens we lend them. Yes this is a pet peeve, no this is not a pet peeve to use to answer this question. You could mention that you get annoyed with colleagues who do the bare minimum, constantly turn up late or have frequent unexplained absences. Use this question to your advantage to show your work ethic and values.
Would you work 40+ hours a week?
You might’ve applied for a job that is contracted at 40 hours. If this is the case, then your answer to this question should be yes. You can make it clear that 40 hour weeks would be difficult for you by saying yes but that there might need to be some flexibility with hours some weeks due to commitments outside of work.
If the job was advertised as less than 40 hours, you absolutely can say no to this. However, if you do say no, it’s best to have a reason why you wouldn’t. You can say that you would plan your workload to be completed during your contracted hours or that you would evaluate your hours on weekly basis, depending on your workload.
What makes you uncomfortable?
We know this is common sense, but don’t say that speaking to people makes you uncomfortable if you’re being interviewed for an Optical Assistant role, which is customer facing. Pick something more general that you’d be able to get mentoring or experience of to overcome.
Being uncomfortable isn’t always a bad thing and you can show that in your interview. If you know when you first do something it makes you uncomfortable, say it. Use an example from your previous work, such as using the system make me uncomfortable until I felt confident with it and now I have no issues at all.
While this won’t be detrimental to your job, it’ll show that you know you have flaws and you’re honest about them. It’ll also give the interviewers an idea of where you’ll need support, should you be offered the job.
What do you like the most and least about working in this industry?
This question can give interviewers a lot of information about you and your passion for the role. Answering honestly will give them an idea of your personality and what you enjoy the most, meaning that they would have an idea of your skill set before they see you in action.
When applying for an optical assistant job, you could say that you love how busy and different every day is. You could also mention that you dislike how rude and unkind customers can be but know that they’re few and far between and are part of working the OA role.
The best places to work are often the places that suit your personality and values. Answering these questions truthfully will ensure that you find the company that is right for you and you can see yourself staying with to develop your career further.
TOP TIP: How do I know if a company is legit? Use Companies House to see if you can find company information.