What will you do in this position? Interview questions. "Are you happy in your marriage?"

“How long are you going to work in our company?” — this question is asked by almost all HR-specialists at the interview. The most interesting thing is that the recruiters themselves do not agree on the significance of this issue. After all, they all know perfectly well that at the interview, the future employee says what they want to hear. Most often, this question is asked in order to force to find the “correct” wording.

In order to find it, here are some tips:

There is no need to give exact dates

If you say without batting an eye, 2 years 4 months and one week”, then the HR specialist will immediately ask: “Why so many?”. Answer " five years» You will also have to argue and dedicate the recruiter to your professional plans, if you have them. Otherwise, he will think that you just read in a book that 5 years is the optimal period of work in the company. If, for example, you like the work schedule offered by this company, because you will have time to pick up the child from kindergarten, and you would like to sit here until the children go to school, and then look for something more interesting and profitable, then you don't have to talk about it at the interview. It is also unlikely that you will have much chance of getting a job if you honestly report that you will quit in May, because they are used to spending the summer on an archaeological expedition.

It is allowed to be smart

It is believed that in the first three months a person adapts to a new job, after another three months he begins his development in the company, and only after six months does a full-fledged return begin. Therefore, it is not profitable for a company to hire a person for six months. And a decent answer: It's hard to predict for a long time. I believe that I need a year in order to prove myself in this position. And then we'll see what the company can offer me».

You can refuse to answer this question

In this case, you need to explain that too many factors influence your desire and ability to work for the company. Name these factors, setting the right priorities: professional and career growth, financial compensation, corporate culture and its alignment with your personal aspirations, etc. Alternatively: “ I am interested in your company and would like to work with you for a long time. But not everything depends on my desire and diligence. Let's see what I can give to the company, what kind of career and professional development I will have».

An interview is a very exciting and responsible event for every applicant. After all, how you show yourself in an interview with an employer depends on its outcome and result, as well as the successful receipt of the desired position. Interview questions can be completely different. Most candidates now usually prepare for interviews and actively gather information about the vacancy, study the company in which the interview will be and the questions asked at the interview.

Especially for you, we have services that will help you successfully find a job.

Based on their many years of practical experience in the field of recruitment and complex work with applicants, our specialists have prepared questions to be asked during a job interview. We have tried to highlight the most common interview questions. These questions have been used for many years by HR professionals in various fields.
You will learn about what questions are asked at the interview to applicants and how best to answer them. Job interview questions are constantly updated. We suggest that you get acquainted with the most basic ones so that you can successfully pass the interview.

The most common interview questions

Question 1. Tell us a little about yourself.
Every interview starts with this question. It is necessary to pay attention to important points: what education did you get, where did you start
development of your career. Give this story no more than 2-3 minutes, dwelling in detail on your functionality. More often use such phrases as "our company", "our department under my leadership" and so on.

Question 2. Tell us what you did at your last job.
Tell us about the responsibilities and achievements that you had in the process of working in a previous company. Do not talk too much, only the most important and to the point.

Question 3. What made you interested in the vacancy of our company?
The purpose of this question is whether you know well the information about the company you came to for an interview. You can say that you have heard a lot about the company, how it is developing dynamically at the moment, and your professional experience can help it in implementing plans for further development.

Question 4. Why did you leave your previous job?

Briefly state the main reason for looking for a job. For example, this is the inconvenience of the location, lack of professional growth, change of leadership. Never scold or criticize your former leader and team, no matter how bad he is.

Question 5. What do you expect from the new job?
All applicants expect stability from a new job, this is the most important thing to say. If you dream of career growth and professional development, mention this in a dialogue with the employer. You can also note that you are waiting for an interesting and diverse work that will allow you to develop.

Question 6. What do you know about our company?

Before you go for an interview, study the information about the company. How many years it has existed, how many, whether it has branches and representative offices in Russian cities. Tell us everything you managed to learn about this company, only the most important and relevant.

Question 7. How do you imagine your first working day at a new job?

This question, in fact, is not as simple as it seems. According to experts, this question is needed to find out who you are: a "process worker" or a "resultant." "Process workers" are those who easily work with papers and documents, these are secretaries , office managers, accountants.
"Results" focused on getting results. These professionals include sales managers, sales managers, personnel managers.

Question 8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
This question needs to be answered in a streamlined way, for example, you would like to eventually take a more responsible and serious position, to have extended functionality. Never say that you have plans to start your own business or start your own company.

Question 9. What attracts you to this position?

The answer must be reasoned and serious, such answers as "desire to apply your experience", "work of a market leader", "the opportunity to realize your professional skills in a new field for yourself" are possible.

Question 10. What is important for you in your work?
Tell us about what kind of work you would like to get, what working conditions are optimal for you. Is the workplace, the atmosphere in the team, social guarantees, etc. important for you?

Question 11. What kind of team is optimal for you?
Actually, this is not such a question as it seems. Very often, a candidate asks a clarifying question to a recruiter about what he means. You can answer like this: "For me, the team is optimal, where there is mutual assistance, help and support. For me, the opinion of my manager about my work and a favorable atmosphere within the department are important."

Question 12. Tell me about three successes and three failures in your professional life.
Of course, you are a living person and tend to make mistakes, tell us about the 3 most significant mistakes. Mention how, with experience, you realized that you could have done differently or avoided these mistakes. Tell us also about the brightest achievements in your professional career. This question has other modifications. You may also be asked if you have made mistakes in your work. This question must be answered in the affirmative. Yes, you have made mistakes, and with experience you try not to make them again.

Question 13. Tell me about your main strengths/weaknesses.
First you need to name your qualities that will help you effectively cope with this work. Never be direct about your weaknesses. Build your answer better in such a way as to slightly shift the emphasis: mentioning your shortcomings, supplement your answer with positive qualities that compensate for it.

Question 14. Why do you think that we should make a choice in favor of your candidacy?
Describe your advantages, emphasize your relevant work experience and your desire to develop, professionalism, ability to perform your work efficiently and in a short time.

Question 15. How long do you plan to stay in this position without career advancement?
This question must be answered honestly, depending on what you expect from this organization. Any company is ready to consider a working employee for another, higher position, in 2 years.

Question 16. What do you do in your free time?
Tell us about your hobbies, how you spend your days off, how you relax. Tell us that you like to read professional literature and are fond of active sports. This option is a win-win for any interview.

Question 17. What was the last book you read?
You may be asked about the last book you read or about the book you are currently reading. Or about your musical tastes, for example.
It's better that you answer right away. This question is aimed at finding out the general level of development and the desire for self-development of the candidate. If you name one professional book and another artistic one, it will only be a plus for you.

Question 19. When can you start work?

If you need time to think about the employer's offer, say so. Let your employer know if you need to work 2 weeks at your last job. If you like the offer, you can say that you are ready to start working at any time.

Question 20. What questions do you have?

You should definitely ask questions to the interviewer. Ask about your responsibilities, the job itself, the number of employees in the department. The question of career growth should be asked carefully, perhaps the position does not imply this or there is no career growth opportunity in the company. Learn about motivation, social package, normalization of the working day. You must be sure that when you start working, you will not be disappointed in this company.

There are many sample interview questions. We really hope that our article on what questions are asked in a job interview will help you prepare for your upcoming interview. You will learn how to answer interview questions and what you should pay special attention to.
We recommend preparing for each interview and studying the information about the vacancy and the company,
to which you have been invited.

Each of us at the interview can be confused by different questions. And before moving on to the most common, let's start with a general recommendation. If you feel uncomfortable and the question you have been asked seems too personal or completely unrelated to a particular position, clarify why you are being asked - find out the motives. Perhaps for a potential employer, it is really important for some reason. As a rule, after explanations, it is already easier for candidates to answer the question. And remember that you can always end the interview. If the interviewer's approach seems unacceptable to you, it may not be your company. It is up to you to decide where the boundaries of your personal space lie.

1. How long do you plan to work in our company?

It is best to answer that you are committed to long-term cooperation and changing your place of work every year is not included in your plans. In the context of this question, you can clarify what the career ladder looks like in a company, this will help you better understand the prospects for development and growth within a particular company.

So, for example, one of the applicants answered such a question that at the previous stages of the interview he found out what the career ladder in the company looks like, and based on the information received, he told how he sees his future. And this means that the candidate has collected information about the company, thereby showing a proactive approach, and is committed to long-term cooperation.

2. What is your current income level?

Many find this question uncomfortable. In general, you can choose not to respond to it by referring to the privacy policy that exists in your company. But this may lead the interviewer to think that you are overestimating your expected income. You can answer it in a veiled way: orient yourself according to your expectations when moving to a new place, and note that it is, for example, 10-15-20% higher than your current level.

You can always find the right wording, which, on the one hand, will not be a direct answer to the question, on the other hand, will guide you according to your salary expectations. For example, you can refer to the fact that you analyzed the market and found out what the average salary of specialists in your position is. Summing up, say that you would be satisfied with such a figure.

3. Tell us about your boss

Answer this question carefully, regardless of your relationship with your boss. Try to give constructive feedback, speaking about professional, not personal qualities. In general, I recommend avoiding excessive negativity in interviews regarding the manager, colleagues, and clients. It certainly won't work for you.

So, once in an interview, a candidate told horrors about his current leader in great detail and for a long time. He described what intrigues his boss was plotting, as he saw him as a competitor. According to the candidate, the envious boss deliberately did not let the ideas and projects of his subordinate pass through and turned the team against him. But, firstly, he spent about 10 minutes talking about his leader: believe me, this is a lot in the interview format. Secondly, he was not aware that the interviewer knew his boss well and was also aware of this situation, which strongly disagreed with the candidate's version.

4. Do you want to take my place/position?

The question is provocative. On the one hand, if you answer that you don’t want to, you may seem unambitious. And this quality is important and critical for some positions. On the other hand, answering directly “yes” is also dangerous. After all, you do not know for sure for what purpose a potential leader asks you this question. I recommend that you answer carefully, for example, yes, your position is interesting, and I would like to take it in N years; I do not think that we will have a conflict of interest, since by this time you will already occupy a clearly higher role.

Most recently, I was looking for a senior lawyer for a large company. At one stage, the head of the legal department asked the candidate if he wants to grow within this company to the head. The candidate wanted to, but was embarrassed to voice it, as he was afraid that the current leader might regard this as a desire to sit him down. The candidate was turned down: it turned out that the manager planned to leave this company in the near future and was looking for a senior lawyer with a subsequent transition to his role, so candidates who were not ready to take such a position and did not have such ambition did not suit him.

5. Tell us about your parents/family

In one of the interviews, the CEO of the client company asked the best candidate (a 30-year-old young man) a question about who he lives with. The candidate honestly answered that he lives with his parents. The general was surprised and asked why he, who positions himself as an adult and independent person, lives at the age of 30 with his parents.

The candidate reacted with humor, said that he himself often asks himself this question, and somehow laughed it off. The important thing is that he did not become annoyed and succumb to provocation. By the way, as a result, the choice was stopped on him. Humor and healthy irony - that, as it turned out, was what the general expected from our candidates, and not individual apartments and mortgages, as it might seem at first glance.

We talked about how to competently build your answer to the question: “Why should we take you?” However, employers also like to ask: "Why do you want to work with us?" R Head of Career Services HeadHunter Marina Hadina will tell you how to prepare for this issue .

The response strategy is to first evaluate what distinguishes this proposal from the others (content of tasks, period of company development, corporate policy, complexity of tasks, etc., including location).

Here are some examples of answers to such questions:

1. I have a serious mathematical education, I like to implement such research. I had a similar experience at NN. I will gladly return to such work, but at a new level.

2. This job is the perfect continuation of my professional career. There is a good combination of different areas of activity here. (specify which ones) in which I just have experience in different periods of my career (transfer). This is a unique opportunity to use what is available to the maximum and benefit the company.

3. This is not the only opportunity I am considering, but your company is the only place where my qualifications will be in full demand. In particular, as an HR manager, I have special knowledge in the field of mass recruitment, and it is in your company that this will be so in demand. In addition, the task implies the need to organize remote recruitment management. This will be a growth area for me. This is the kind of work I look forward to every morning.

4. I am interested in this particular vacancy, because it most closely matches my experience, combining both sales and marketing. As I mentioned, in my last job, I achieved an increase in sales in a new channel for the company by more than 25%. In addition, the team of professionals with whom I have to work made a great impression on me.

5. I have a clear understanding that your company is a company where I can do a lot of useful things right now. We discussed plans to launch new lines of business in the coming year. I want to be part of the team during this period of growth.

6. I will not hide my interest in this position with you (e.g. accountant), because firstly, this work is 99% familiar to me, which will allow me to quickly understand and start working, and secondly, I will be as motivated as possible, because The office of the company is not far from me. It is a great success to get a combination of an interesting job and work close to home.

It is important to know that modern recruiters, along with the professional qualities of employees, really appreciate such a thing as loyalty. Other things being equal, your sincere interest in the company can work in your favor and set you apart from the rest of the candidates. Especially for such purposes, HeadHunter has a service: with the help of it, you can always make yourself known to the company of your dreams.

Good luck with your interviews!

Instruction for the applicant

the site interviewed applicants and found out which questions they consider the most uncomfortable. It turned out that the most difficult thing is to talk about your shortcomings and imagine your professional future - that way in five years. Let's figure out how to answer the tricky questions of recruiters.

The most inconvenient questions for applicants (according to the site survey)

1. Tell us about yourself...

It is believed that with the help of this question you can find out about the priorities of the candidate in life: people first of all talk about what worries them more. Olga Bezumova, recruiting manager at the Planet Kadrat recruitment agency, says that the employer is primarily interested in your education and work experience and is not interested in hearing about hobbies. Elena Volkova, head of the recruiting company ABC Consulting, advises to tell a little about everything: both about education and about hobbies. According to Yulia Tartakovskaya, HR manager of the Vokrug Sveta group of companies, such a question needs to be specified: specify what exactly to tell about, about your professional experience or about something personal.

2. Tell us about your shortcomings...

The question is no longer original. In response, you can show your sense of humor, but it is better to answer neutrally. “Of course, I have shortcomings, but they do not affect the work in any way,” advises Olga Bezumova. And do not give out real shortcomings under any pretext.

3. Tell us about your achievements...

Test of self-esteem and prudence. Tell us that you increased sales, successfully implemented a project, improved your skills, and received a gold cup. The main thing is not to overdo it. Of course, not everyone can boast of super achievements. If the above is not about you, say that in the previous place you mastered a new computer program or increased the level of a foreign language - this is also not bad.

4. Why did you leave your previous job?

The employer wants to know what did not suit you at the previous job and what do you expect from the new one. Tell the truth. But keep in mind that it is highly undesirable to refer to a bad relationship with a former boss or colleagues. One more but: before referring to the lack of career growth and the routine in the old place, make sure that everything is in order with career growth and interesting tasks in the new company. It is better to talk about the desire to get more in the last place, as if by the way, they say, money is not the only reason for my employment. For some reason, many employers like to think that all good employees work rather for an idea.

5. What salary are you applying for? (Name the desired minimum and maximum salary)

In other words, can the company buy you and keep you for a while. Feel free to name the amount, which is 10-15% higher than the previous salary. “The maximum is 30%,” adds Elena Volkova.

6. Where do you see yourself in five years?

The question can be very uncomfortable if you are currently applying for one position, and in the future you see yourself as someone completely different. Or you have no idea what you will be doing at least in a year. And you imagine and answer at least to yourself. Well, for personnel officers, the ideal answer would be that you want to continue working on the same path, grow as a professional and move up the career ladder (a little).

7. What do you know about our company?

The question is difficult only for the lazy. You need to know at least a minimum about the company, at least check out its website.

8. Why do you want to work with us?

Usually this is a continuation of the question “about our company” - an attempt to completely confuse the candidate and draw out of him some secret reason for employment. It is better to keep silent about money at first. Start from afar - flatter a little: the company has been on the market for many years, and this indicates stability (this is exactly what you need), the company is a revolutionary in the market (this is exactly what you need), it is interesting to work in such and such an area, suits the position, responsibilities , the location of the office is convenient and the like.

9. How long do you plan to work with us?

That is, what are your goals, motives and how sincere are you. “In order to answer the question, I have to work a little and understand whether the team likes me, whether I have to solve interesting tasks, whether the atmosphere in the team is close to me. If you like everything, then our cooperation will be long and mutually beneficial,” Yulia Tartakovskaya offers the answer.

10. How do you handle heavy workloads?

Most likely you are being prepared for processing. Ask a counter question: “What, processing is possible? How many hours? How many times a month? If everything suits you, confidently say that you are ready for “large production loads”.