Preparing for an interview is tough. What questions will you be asked? What are the interviewers looking for in the answers?
To help you prepare for your next interview, we asked DCC* Endorsed Employers what their go-to interview questions were, and the reasons behind them. After all, who better to ask than the interviewers themselves? Here’s what they told us.
Question #1
“Tell me about a time when you achieved superior outcomes by incorporating diverse perspectives?”
– Linda Chrysoglou, Talent Acquisition Specialist, Optus
In a changing environment like Optus, it is essential our business encourages new angles, learnings, experiences, thought processes and capabilities that can be transferable and add a different dimension to our approach. To stay on top of our industry, we foster an environment where our employees can bring a simplified yet creative way in tackling any challenges.
Question #2
“How would you describe your personal brand and how would you bring this to life in this role?”
– Anne Constantinou, Recruitment Director, Accenture
I use this question as it provides people the opportunity to take a moment to self-reflect. I believe that it is important that an individual demonstrates a strong sense of self-awareness. Understanding an individual’s strengths and priorities helps us appreciate if there is an alignment to team goals whilst also ensuring we have the ability to satisfy their aspirations. This allows us to achieve optimal team performance and employee satisfaction.
Question #3
“Out of all the job roles and industries, you could have chosen, what has motivated you to go down this particular path?”
– Juhi McInerney, HR Business Partner Residential Aged Care, Mercy
At Mercy Health, we are proud of our holistic Model of Care where we believe care encompasses every aspect of physical, social, emotional and spiritual well-being. Caring for the elderly and vulnerable members of our community requires a unique set of individuals that require patience, empathy and compassion. This question is vital in finding out the candidate’s true motivations which help us to ensure they are aligned with our organizational values but most importantly, the right person to care for our residents
Question #4
“Commonwealth Bank’s 5 values (accountability, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and service) are an integral part of the way that we work. Which value resonates with you the most and how would you incorporate it into your way of working?”
– Deb Howcroft, Executive General Manager of Organisational Development, CBA
Across our organization we do great things for our customers every day. Sometimes, situations will arise that don’t fit perfectly within a policy or a process. In these situations, our values are the principles that guide our behavior and decisions.
Question #5
“Walk me through a recent day at work that left you feeling energized.”
– Joe Salvati, Head of Partner Solutions, Xero
Strengths based interviewing, when done effectively, enables candidates to show their true colors and open up about the type of work that will keep them engaged.
Question #6 
“When have you taken a new or innovative approach to achieve a desired outcome? Describe the situation, your approach and whether it was effective.”
– Shelly Rule, National Resourcing Manager at Ashurst
This question is aligned to one of our core values – innovation. The answers to this question give a lot of insight in to the candidate’s willingness to test and promote new ideas, and potentially how they think about potential improvements to the way we work with clients.
Question #7
“What excites you about working at Schneider Electric?”
Dean Summlar – HR Business Leader, Schneider Electric
I love it when people get to show their enthusiasm in an interview. It is a great opportunity for me to assess the kind of energy they will bring energy to the business. Hearing about what excites a candidate also helps me understand more about their values and strengths as there are often real synergies. It might seem like a simple question, but it sparks an interesting conversation that reveals a lot about how a candidate will fit into the culture of our business which is one of my primary objectives when meeting candidates.
Question #8
“Tell me about what you would need from Colin Biggers & Paisley in order to be successful in your role?”
Tori Luxford, Talent Acquisition Specialist, Colin Biggers and Paisley
With this question, what we’re looking for is an indication of the qualities we like to see in the people we know will be and have been, successful at Colin Biggers & Paisley. Qualities including ambition, loyalty, motivation, innovation, flexibility and a sense of community are important to us. People who exhibit these qualities thrive in are supported in, and connect and engage with our environment. They are given the opportunity for both career progression and personal growth and help make our business into the success it is today.
Question #9
“Can you describe a time when you disagreed with an idea expressed by a member of your team. Why did you disagree and how did you communicate your opinion to the relevant individual?”
Nicholas Fantis, Manager, Communications and Security, Infrastructure Services, Clayton Utz
This question focuses on the idea that teams capable of innovating need diversity of thought. Answers to this question can give insight into how information and perspectives are shared, leading to better decision-making and problem solving. It can also provide into how the candidate anticipates alternative viewpoints, and how they might prepare for these conversations.
Question #10
“Why do you think diversity in the workplace is important? And what are ways in which you go about fostering/supporting it?”
Kristy Ecimovic, Senior Manager, Integrated Quality & Improvement Manager, Boeing
Why have I chosen this question- I am a strong believer in diversity in the workplace as I am of the view that having a diverse team enhances the breadth and depth of the teams thinking and ultimately their collective innovative capability.
Bonus Question #11
“Describe actions you have taken to attract and select diverse talent.”
Zoe Armstrong, Clinical Research Director, MSD
*This article references Diversity City Careers or DCC. This is what WORK180 was known as when we first launched back in 2015. You can find out more about our story here.