Every one of us is different. We have different strengths, different weaknesses; some of us are more team orientated, some of us prefer to take more of a leadership role; some of us are risk takers, others more cautious, and so on. Understanding what makes a person "tick" by applying psychometric testing, can go a long way towards determining how well a potential candidate might fit within an organisation, and how suitable they may be for a specific position within that organisation. There are many types of psychometric tests that can be done. The majority involve both cognitive and personality assessments, and can be tailored specifically to the particular position. It is also important to note that personality tests do not consist of questions which have correct answers assigned to them. What they show are personality traits that are designed to provide a deeper understanding of the candidate, as opposed to a "gut feel" that may be formed in an interview process, or a biased assessment from a previous employer. Implementing both cognitive and personality testing complements and increases the validity of the assessment process. At the end of the day, there are only three questions the employer really has to answer during the selection process: • First, do you have the right skills and experience? • Second, do you have the required enthusiasm and motivation? • Finally, are you going to fit in, in terms of your personality, attitude and general work style? If the answer to any one of these questions is "no", the chances are that person is going to struggle down the line to fulfil their role within an organisation. Psychometric testing is a way of applying a level of objectivity to the process. While psychometric testing cannot predict, and never has predicted, "performance", it is a very useful tool that more and more companies are using. In America, for example, psychometric testing is now used by over 80% of the Fortune 500 companies in the USA and by over 75% of the Times Top 100 companies in the UK. Most employers will probably not make a selection decision based solely on psychometric testing alone. However, what psychometric testing can reveal are core competencies of potential candidates that reduce the margin of error in the selection process.

Open-Ended Job Interview Questions The one thing to keep in mind with an open-ended question is that you need to give the interviewer more than a yes or no answer. If you do the research beforehand, you will be in a position to adequately open-ended question. Closed-Ended Job Interview Questions There are times when an interviewer will need to know a specific piece of information and only require a brief response. My tip is to always answer the question directly in a brief, but complete sentence - never just in a one word answer. Examples Q: Have you finished your bachelor degree? A: Yes I did - I have a Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in Finance, from the University of XYZ. Q: How many years of experience do you have as a truck driver? A: This is my 6th year as a qualified truck driver with company XYZ. Q: Are you proficient in using Microsoft Excel? A: I am an advanced Microsoft Excel user and am also proficient in all Microsoft programs including Word and PowerPoint.

"Past behaviour is a better predictor of future behaviour" It is estimated that 80% of the interview is made up of behavioural questions. In order to understand how to answer behaviour questions we need to first define what a behavioural question is. This type of interviewing is based on the philosophy that your past actions and behaviours will be a good indicator of your future behaviours. Therefore, how you acted to certain circumstances in your previous job is a reliable indicator of how you will act in your new job. As there are literally thousands of behaviour type questions, you can best prepare for this type of questioning by researching the culture of the company to get an understanding of the behavioural traits that are essential to working at that particular organisation. Behavioural questions differ to standard interview questions as they focus more on experiences, behaviours, knowledge, skills and abilities. Rather than the standard question of "Do you have leadership skills" a behavioural question is more likely to be "Give me an example of your previous role when you displayed leadership abilities." As the interviewer has already determined which skills are necessary for the role it is important that you are prepared for these questions. The best way to begin studying for these questions is to look at the job description! The list of skills that they require are the skills they will more than likely focus on. When the job description mentions they require a person with good teamwork skills or negotiation skills, it is more than likely that this will be turned into a behavioural question to see if you really do possess these skills. In good news, behavioural questions are not to be feared. When prepared properly, these questions can be easily answered. How to Answer Behaviour Job Interview Questions The best way to answer a behavioural question is to use the STAR Format. S ituation The interviewer wants you to present a recent challenge and situation in which you found yourself. T ask What did you have to achieve? The interviewer will be looking to see what you were trying to achieve from the situation. A ction What did you do? The interviewer will be looking for information on what you did, why you did it and what were the alternatives. R esults What were the outcomes of your actions? What did you achieve through your actions and did you meet your objectives. What did you learn from this experience and have you used this learning since?

• Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation and how you overcame the situation • Tell me about a difficult decision you've made in the last year • Give an example of a time when a project you were on failed • Provide an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead • Tell me about a situation where you have had to speak with an unhappy customer • Give me an example of a time when you motivated others and how this led to a positive outcome • Give an example of a goal you set and how you reached it • Describe a decision you made that was unpopular with your co-workers and how you handled this • Describe a situation in which you were able to use negotiation to successfully change a person's opinion • Describe an instance when you had to think on your feet to make a split second decision • Describe a situation where you knew your boss wrong - how did you handle it? • Give an example of a time when you used good judgment in solving a problem • Describe a major change or adjustment to your job and your reactions to the change • Describe a situation where the situation changed and you forced to adjust to the changes - how did you handle this adjustment? • Describe a time when you were able to effectively communicate an error to your supervisor • Tell me about a time when you encountered conflict in the workplace and how you handled the conflict? • What was your most difficult decision in the last 6 months? What made it difficult? • Provide an example of when you had to go above and beyond your normal duties in order to get the job done • Describe a time when you put the needs of your workmates before your own when completing a task • Tell me about a time when your knowledge or skills significantly enhanced an outcome or decision • Provide an example of a problem you had with a co-worker or boss and how you resolved it • Give an example of a pressure situation you faced and how you reacted to the pressure • Provide an example of a time when you felt you were able to motivate • Describe a situation when you were able to have a positive influence on others • Describe a time when you did not put in 100% into your job or performance and what you did about it • Tell me about a time when you had to solve a problem with very little guidance or direction • Tell me about a time when you were successful in a team environment? • Tell us about a time that you were able to adapt to a culturally different environment • Give an example of a situation that you have gone out of your way to make someone feel comfortable in the working environment • Tell us about the most effective contribution you have made as part of a task group or special project team • Describe a team experience you found rewarding • Describe a team experience you found disappointing • What was the most stressful situation you have faced? How did you deal with it? • Have you ever had difficulty getting others to accept your ideas? What was your approach? • Have you ever had to deal with conflicting deadlines? How did you decide which task to complete? • Explain a complex problem you recently encountered • What have you done in the past to contribute toward a teamwork environment? • Provide an example of an annoying or unpopular co-worker and how you deal with that person • Tell me about a time when you went overtime on a deadline • Describe a time where you were wrong in your decision making - what did you do to fix it • Describe a time where you had to delegate tasks • Provide an example where you were unsure what to do but afraid to ask for guidance • Give an example of when you had to use different management styles for different people • Provide an example of how you were able to promote morale • What is the biggest contribution you made in your current role? • What are you most proud of in your working career? • Have you ever had to "go the extra mile" for a customer? What did you do? • When was the last time a supervisor gave you constructive criticism - how did you react? • Discuss a setback you have overcome in the last 12 months • Give me an example of a time when you felt that someone wasn't being honest with you in the workplace and how confronted it

When you first enter the interview, the opening question is always designed to introduce yourself so you feel comfortable in the surroundings before the questions become more specific. Generally speaking, "ice breaking questions" are broad, yet they can be so important with how they impact the rest of your interview. Just like in a sports game, the opening minutes of the game are not where the game can be won, but where it can potentially be lost. The same goes for the interview - you are not going to get the job because of the answer you provide, but you can lose the job with your answer. Although the ice breaking question will be a general question about yourself or how your day is going, remember this is the hiring manager's first impression of you. Giving off the wrong first impression can severely affect the outcome of the interview. Examples • Tell me a little about yourself... • Were there any problems finding our office today? • Have you visited our location before? • If there is a major sporting event like the Olympics going on the hiring manager may ask something along the lines of "Have you been following the Olympics?" • Would you like some coffee or a glass of water? • Are you enjoying this weather? • Why have you applied for this role? (Trickier ice breaker question) The most important aspect of answering an ice breaking question is to build early rapport with the interviewer. As I mentioned, you are not going to get the job just because you answer the ice breaking question in a brilliant way, but answering the question the wrong way can give off the wrong first impression. Tips Keep the answer related to the question and be brief and polite. This is not the time to tell the interviewer your life story Use proper English - If you are asked how you are doing the correct answer would be "Very well thank you, and how are you? or "Fine thank you, how are you today?" - Using slang or lazy English can create an unprofessional or even careless impression. How to blow the ice breaking question A colleague of mine was interviewing candidates for a new role. As a polite introduction he would ask the candidate if they found the company building ok. Most of the candidates smiled and said yes to this question. One candidate, however, told the interviewer how it took him a long time to find the building and how his train was late. He rambled on for 2 minutes about the difficulty in finding the building. Before the interview had formally even begun he had already created a negative impression on the interviewer. He had lost the job before the interview had even started.