Potential Interview Questions
Please keep in mind questions should be relevant to the job specifications (refer to job
description).
Introductory
1. Please provide a review of your background and your career to date and tell us
why you are interested in this position.
2. Tell me a little bit about yourself and why you are interested in this position.
3. What certifications, skills, and/or experiences do you possess that would help
you be successful in this role?
4. To date, what professional achievement(s) are you most proud of and why?
Organization/Prioritization
1. Tell me about a time when you had to juggle several projects at the same time.
How did you organize your time? What was the result?
2. Tell me about a project that you planned. How did you organize and schedule the
tasks?
3. Give an example of a time when you delegated an important task successfully.
4. How do you manage your time and energy when you have multiple things to do
at once?
5. Please discuss your ability to manage multiple projects, set priorities, and meet
deadlines within a fast-paced environment.
6. Can you describe a time when you had multiple responsibilities with multiple
stakeholders and competing agenda? How did handle the situation? What was
the outcome and what did you learn?
7. Tell me about a time when you had to juggle several projects at the same time,
involving multiple constituents across the organization. How did you manage
your time and communicate effectively?
Adaptability
1. Tell me about a time when you were asked to do something you had never done
before. How did you react? What did you learn?
2. Describe a time when you felt stressed or overwhelmed. How did you handle it?
3. Describe a situation in which you embraced a new system, process, technology,
or idea at work. What did you learn?
4. Recall a time when you were assigned a task outside of your job description.
How did you handle the situation? What was the outcome?
5. Tell me about the biggest change that you have had to deal with in your career.
How did you adapt to that change?
6. Tell me about a time when you had to adjust to a colleague’s working style in
order to complete a project or achieve your objectives.
Updated June 4, 2021
7. Recall a time when your manager was unavailable when a problem arose. How
did you handle the situation? With whom did you consult?
Diversity and Inclusion
1. Can you tell me of a time when you changed a process or procedure to make
your department or organization more inclusive?
2. Will you please share with us a time when you interacted with an individual or
group with a background, perspective, or experience different than yours? What
did you do to be respectful of their identity during your interaction? What was
challenging and what did you learn?
3. What do you do that helps you understand the perspective of others?
4. How has your experience and background prepared you to be effective in an
environment that values inclusion and diversity?
5. What is your approach to understanding the perspectives of colleagues from
different backgrounds?
6. Please share an example of how you try to establish a sense of inclusion and
belonging within your team?
7. What do you see as the most challenging aspect of working in a diverse
environment? What steps have you taken to meet this challenge?
8. Describe a time where differences in background made communication
challenging. How did you handle this situation?
9. Please share an example that demonstrates your respect for people and their
differences. What did you learn?
10. How important is diversity to you and what value does it bring?
11. What are some ways that you try to make sure everyone feels included at work?
12. What are you doing to support your own growth in the Equity, Diversity, and
Inclusion area?
a. How have you committed yourself to understanding and aiding in the
pursuit of equity and inclusion?
13. What are some specific things you want to do in the next year to further your
development in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work?
14. Describe a time where a project or decision you made was enhanced by
including diverse perspectives.
15. How would you advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with colleagues who
don’t understand its importance?
16. What steps have you taken to incorporate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the
hiring process (and workplace)?
Collaboration/Communication
1. Give an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get
along with. How did you handle interactions with that person?
2. Tell me about a time when you were communicating with someone and they did
not understand you. What did you do?
Updated June 4, 2021
3. Tell me about one of your favorite experiences working with a team and your
contribution.
4. Describe the best partner or supervisor with whom you’ve worked. What part of
their managing style appealed to you?
5. Describe a supervisor’s management style that created a positive work
environment for you as well as a management style that you found difficult to
work with.
6. Please discuss your personal work style and the types of environments you have
worked in; what did you like or dislike about those environments?
7. What does your ideal team look like? How have you contributed to your current
team's effectiveness and success?
8. Please provide an example of when you had to work with a colleague or
customer who was difficult to work with. Please discuss in detail how you
handled the situation including what strategies or approaches you employed to
ensure a continuing professional work environment.
9. Share an experience in which your attention to detail and thoroughness had an
impact on your last position/company.
Leadership
1. Tell me about the last time something significant didn’t go according to plan at
work. What was your role? What was the outcome?
2. Describe a situation where you needed to persuade someone to see things your
way. What steps did you take? What were the results?
3. Give me an example of a time when you felt you led by example. What did you
do and how did others react?
4. Have you ever had to sell an idea to your co-workers or group? How did you do
it? What were the results?
5. Please describe a situation where you had to resolve a multi-faceted problem.
What was the situation, how did you handle it, and what was the outcome?
Management
1. Describe your role as a manager and your management style.
2. Describe a strategic initiative that you facilitated and its challenges and outcome.
3. What is your philosophy on managing staff? How do motivate and keep your
team inspired?
4. What is the largest team you have led/managed? What were the challenges and
successes?
5. Tell us about a time when you played a key role in a process improvement or
change management initiative.
Updated June 4, 2021
Executive Level
1. How do you approach the development of relationships with faculty, CEO’s and
senior executives?
2. What other committees/projects have you been involved in outside of your core
responsibilities?
3. How do you define leadership and what makes you a good leader?
4. Describe a situation in which you had to manage multiple stakeholder agendas to
accomplish a goal.
The questions included in this document were sourced from previous Spark Hire Videos, online
resources and the LinkedIn article ’30 Behavioral Interview Questions’ to Identify High-Potential
Candidates.
Updated June 4, 2021
