Companies come up with tricky questions to gauge candidates' abilities and preparedness . AnumehaChaturvedi looks at some typical issues that are raised , and gets some perspectives on how young leaders can handle them
Chief, human resources, ING Vysya Bank
QUESTION: Which strategic high-impact changes would you implement in your business and why?
APPROACH: The question gives a good perspective on the leader's depth of understanding, strategic thinking and change orientation. The candidate should adopt a pragmatic approach on changes worth implementing . She should also do a thorough analysis of advantages and disadvantages of the suggested changes before putting her point across.
QUESTION: How do you plan to cope with learning opportunities of the assignment?
APPROACH: Every change is bound to have a learning curve and will teach one things one does not already know. Leaders should be honest and realistic about what they hope to learn from the new assignment and their expectations from the role, instead of pretending to be fully ready for it.
Ritu Singh Verma
Regional director, HR, South Asia, Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels and Resorts
QUESTION: Take me through a situation where you had to adjust to a colleague's working style to deliver a project
APPROACH: Typically, candidates tell how they could not get along with a colleague and had to escalate matters to make things work, but we do not want that. The leader should emphasise how he handled the colleague by leveraging his or her positive points to deliver the project, which is the larger goal.
QUESTION: Give us an example of a goal you set and how you achieved it. How did you overcome the obstacles?
APPROACH: It is important for a leader to have a well-thought-out , realistic plan and be aware of the deadlocks he might face. There is also a follow-up question: 'Which are the goals you did not achieve?' Leaders should be honest here, and focus on why they did not work and what they learnt from them instead of getting defensive by blaming their failure on others.
Chief administrative officer & head, global knowledge network, JP Morgan India
QUESTION: Illustrate how you displayed exceptional teamwork in your professional environment to achieve a goal
APPROACH: At JP Morgan, we view teamwork as a non-negotiable attribute while interviewing candidates. We expect the candidate to be able to display a 'we' as opposed to an 'I' attitude in her answer. The key element to watch out for is how she is able to garner support, collaborate and channelise key skill sets and strengths within her team to achieve business objectives.
QUESTION: Can you make decisions when you don't have all the information and where there's more than one right answer?
APPROACH: We will evaluate the candidate's ability to think and see through the maze, and adopt a 'can do' and solutionsbased approach to work. In the real world, there are bound to be situations where we may not readily have all the information but need to make a decision in the given circumstances to meet business objectives.
It takes a fair amount of tact and composure to win gruelling interview battles. Two young leaders recall the trickiest questions they have faced so far and how they tackled them.
Director, marketing, Sapient India
QUESTION: Ever been in a situation where you didn't have enough work?
APPROACH: I emphasised how I used that time effectively, by investing in personal growth through training programmes and by creating a good balance between personal and professional life. Most importantly, I explained how I utilised that time to create a vision for myself and my team.
Executive vice president and head, Delhi operations, Bates Asia
QUESTION: How will you attract, motivate and retain talent, when we don't pay youngsters well?
APPROACH: I said I would be upfront with young professionals about the pros and cons of choosing a creative field like advertising. Like every creative profession, the payment structures are top-heavy. Just like the products they sell, they too must make the journey from being a commodity to a brand.