Interview questions on Business Analysis

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 

1. What is a good requirement?

2. How will you handle difficult users?

3. What are the challenges you encountered during the project?

4. What is difference between BRD and FRS?

5. What are the components of BRD? Uses cases are included in BRD?

6. What are the tools you have used to document user stories? How will

the changes in the requirement effect the user stories which are

already documented?

7. Give me an example o0f middleware?

8. Give me an example how you used sequence diagram?

9. Can you explain the process flow of your latest project?

10. What is regression testing?

11. What are UATs? What is your approach towards UATs?

12. What kind of data modeling tools you have used?

13. What are the components of activity diagram?

14. Explain the process of using Quality Center while doing testing?

15. What is unit testing?

16. How will you write a use case? What is included in exceptions/how

will you document exceptions? Give an example

17. What is a trade filter?

18. What are your consideration while developing the UI? What was your

contribution on the UI development?

19. What is your best project and why?

20. What are your additional responsibilities as PM?

21.What is a custodian bank?

22. What is equity, bond, and commodities?

23. What is corporate action?

24. What is global custodian and sub custodian? Why will you have a

global custodian?

25. What is SWIFT mt 595?

Common Business Analysis Interview Questions

If you have received that long awaited call for an interview, you surely are hoping to put your best foot forward at the interview in hopes of landing that business analysis job.  Preparing for the interview is very important.  There are many ways to prepared for an interview.  One of the best ways is rehearsing common business analysis interview questions that may be asked in the interview.
Though you never really know what is going to be asked in an interview, you may be surprised at how many interview questions are normally asked in interviews.  Having some of the questions prepared may help you feel more at ease when you step into that business analysis interview.
Common business analysis interview questions that you may want to prepare for include:

• What strengths do you feel you bring to the job?
• What are your weaknesses and how do you overcome them in the workplace?
• What situation have you had in your past experiences where you had to make a tough decision and what was the outcome?
• How do you handle low morale in the workplace?
• How do you deal with low performance on your team?
• What do you feel you bring to our team if we were to bring you onboard?

Though there are literally an endless number of questions that one could ask in a business analysis interview, thinking through some of these commonly asked questions may help you prepare for your interview.  Having given some thought to these questions may even make you better prepared to think through and answer intelligently any other questions that may come your way.

7 More Business Analysis Resources:

• How to Conduct a Business Analysis Interview As a business analyst, you will need to conduct interviews from time to time.  If you find yourself ready to do an interview for a position you have open with your company, you ...
• How to Ace Your Business Analysis Interview Getting the business analysis interview is your first step to getting a business analysis job. Shining in your interview is in your best interest in order to be considered for the job. If ...
• Acing Your Business Analysis Phone Interview In today's job market, it is more common than ever to be asked to complete a phone interview.  Whether you are searching for your first business analysis job, or looking for your next ...
• Using Mock Interviews to Prepare for Your Business Analysis Interview When preparing for your business analysis job interview, a great way to get prepared is by doing mock interview. Mock interview give you a chance to practice professional responses, body language and non-verbal ...
• There’s More to Your Business Analysis Interview Than Questions When preparing for your business analysis interview, it is easy to focus on preparing for particular common interview questions and forget that there is more to the interview than just answering questions. One of ...
• How to Prepare for Your Business Analysis Interview So you got the call to come in for the interview.  Now is the hard part – getting prepared.  Preparing for your interview is an important step toward getting your next business analysis ...
• Following Up Your Business Analysis Job Interview Preparing for your business analysis job interview can take time and preparation.  Once you are through the interview you may feel like your work is done.  However, if you are truly hoping to ...

Weird Interview Questions They Ask

Some other weird interview questions that were reported:

• "What does a college dorm look like in 10 years?" (Microsoft).
• "So why do you think you are a genius?" (Proctor & Gamble).
• "What do you think about this [Pepsi] can?" – (Ernst & Young).
• "If you have two sand-glass timers, one with 7 minutes worth of sand and another with 4 minutes worth of sand, how do you use both to precisely time 12 minutes?" – (JPMorgan Chase).

With the job market increasingly competitive, for young people especially -- just 48.8 percent of Americans between the ages of 16 to 24 were employed as of last July -- tough, almost-impossible-to-answer questions have become increasingly common, says Scott Dobroski, a spokesman for Glassdoor. "Employers don't expect you to have an answer," he says. "They want to see how you react and respond."

So when asked by a Google recruiter about that school bus, ask follow-up questions, suggests Dobroski. Is it a long school bus or short bus? "The top companies are looking for critical thinking skills," he says. And if you get past the grueling interview, you can find some pretty great rewards. Google, for instance, was rated the best internship and was among the highest paid.

Best Companies To Intern For

Below are the top 10, including salary information (when available). Using former interns' ratings, Glassdoor ranked the companies on a 5-point scale for both the general internship experience and the difficulty of the interview process. (1.0 = very dissatisfied, 3.0 = OK, 5.0 = very satisfied).

1. Google
Company Rating: 4.3
Interview Difficulty Rating: 3.3
Avg. Monthly Pay: $6,463 (Software Engineering Intern); $3,444 (Engineering Intern)

2. Microsoft
Company Rating: 4.2
Interview Difficulty: 3.2
Job Title: Research Intern
Average Monthly Base Pay: $6,746 (Research Intern); $5,539 (Software Development Engineer Intern); $5,323 (Program Manager Intern)

3. Qualcomm
Company Rating: 4.2
Interview Difficulty: 3.1
Job Title: Engineering Intern
Average Monthly Base Pay: $4,520 (Engineering Inter); $4,516 (General Intern)

4. MTV
Company Rating: 4.1
Interview Difficulty: 2.4
Job Title: Intern
Average Monthly Base Pay: n/a

5. State Farm
Company Rating: 4.1
Interview Difficulty: 2.7
Job Title: Intern
Average Monthly Base Pay: $2,377

Business graduate program interview questions

Stew Leonard Jr. ’76 learned the primary lesson about job interviews many years ago. He would sit in on various interviews with his father, Stew Leonard, who founded Stew Leonard’s grocery store chain in Connecticut in 1969.

“Afterwards he’d say, ‘Stew, did you notice how that candidate did their homework on Stew Leonard’s? That was impressive,” recalls Leonard Jr., who became president and CEO in 1991.
Anyone who has participated in a job interview agrees: The most important preparation for the applicant is to learn as much as possible about the company.

“Sometimes a potential candidate will show up and I’ll ask them, ‘Did you walk through the store?’ They would say, ‘No.’ That makes my interview very short. Why would I want to hire someone who shows little interest in our company?’’ says Leonard Jr.

At his interview with Thomson Reuters, the financial data company, Tim Rourke ’06 remembers, “I asked if the company was facing pressure from free financial data providers such as Google Finance and Yahoo! Finance. They thought this was an excellent question and responded that while they realize data is becoming more of a commodity that the level of data sold by our company will never be available on a free basis.”

Rourke, an account manager for Thomson Reuters, says, “To demonstrate to the interviewer an intimate knowledge of the company and how you can contribute is what will make an applicant stand out.”

He now sits across the table interviewing applicants and offers a second key quality: a smile.
“Walk into the room tall, smile, and have a firm handshake,” says Rourke. “I am always most impressed by people who look me in the eye and smile. I can’t stress the smile part enough because if you look too serious it can also come across the wrong way.”

Good social skills are vital in any organization, says John Baumann ’72, managing director and institutional regional client group head for JP Morgan Asset Management. What impresses him as he interviews a student or recent graduate?

“Someone who smiles, is enthusiastic, and shows confidence with humility. Good social/people skills, meaning they ask good questions, listen intently, and they make the interview more than just about them,” Baumann says.

To prepare for an interview, he says, “Do some practice interviews, on camera, to watch and listen to yourself.”

Michael Mattiello ’04, who works in global wealth management for Merrill Lynch, interviews primarily candidates for internships. “Three things that stand out are persistence, a clear goal, and adding life to their resume. All make my job much easier,” he says.

He stresses that “the student who follows up relentlessly will stand out.”

Sending a resume is not enough:

Mastering the Case Job Interview

If you're a business-school student -- at the undergraduate or MBA level -- chances are you already know something about how to handle a very specialized kind of job interview -- the case interview. Many business-school courses revolve around case analysis, and many business students have become pros at picking business cases apart. Still, the thought of doing so within a tight time-frame (usually 15-20 minutes) in the already highly pressured situation of a job interview can be daunting -- if not downright terrifying.

The case interview is employed primarily by management-consulting firms, as well as investment-banking companies, and is increasingly being used by other types of corporations as at least part of the job-interviewing process. Some firms use case interviews only for MBA-level job candidates, while others use them for undergraduates, as well.
Business students who are not totally comfortable with case analysis and liberal-arts students with little or no exposure to the case method can take comfort in knowing that a vast collection of resources is available, both on and off the Internet, to tell you everything you need to know to succeed in a case interview. We'd be foolish to try to reinvent any of that great resource material, so the purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of the case-interview process. We then provide a sampling of excellent resources to help you delve further into this tricky interviewing mode. Perhaps most helpful are the resources provided by companies who actually conduct case interviews. There's nothing like going to the source when you want to know what your interview will be like.
To invoke a definition of the case interview offered by MIT's Careers Handbook, it's an interview in which "you are introduced to a business dilemma facing a particular company. You are asked to analyze the situation, identify key business issues, and discuss how you would address the problems involved."
Case interviews are designed to scrutinize the skills that are especially important in management consulting and related fields: quantitative skills, analytical skills, problem-solving ability, communications skills, creativity, flexibility, the ability to think quickly under pressure, listening skills, business acumen, keen insight, interpersonal skills, the ability to synthesize findings, professional demeanor, and powers of persuasion.
Above all, the firm will be looking for someone who can do the real work at hand. Management-consulting companies, for example, want to know that you are the kind of person who can make a good impression on clients. Describing a presentation on case interviewing given at Columbia University by representatives of McKinsey and Company, Jim Oh notes that consulting firms value case interviews because "there is no right background for consulting. Consulting requires working in unfamiliar territories, thinking on your feet, and performing in situations where you never have enough time."

Iq business group interview questions

Laurie Puhn knows just what to say. The Harvard lawyer, couples mediator and best-selling author of Fight Less, Love More: 5-Minute Con­­versations to Change Your Re­­la­­tionship without Blowing Up or Giv­­ing In, recently crafted a survey to gauge your communication IQ.

Do you know how to win people over by saying the right thing? Find out.

1.  Your friend Mike has been looking for a new job as an ex­­ecutive assistant for the past two months. He tells you that when his last interviewer asked him why he is leaving his current job, he ex­­plained that the work isn’t interesting. You think the answer makes him look bad to an in­­terviewer. Do you: 

a.  Say, “Mike, you shouldn’t say that in an interview. It leaves room for misinterpretation and makes you look bad.”

b.  Ask, “Mike, would you like my opinion about how you might want to answer that question?”

c.  Keep quiet, say nothing and let it go. You’ll just upset him.

2.  Your colleague Joe tells you that Susan, another admin, put together a fantastic presentation that morning. Later that day, you see Susan in the office cafeteria. You:

a.  Don’t say anything to her.

b.  Say, “Hi, Susan, how are you doing?” You don’t want to be a gossip, so you avoid mentioning the presentation.

c.  Say, “Hi, Susan, Joe told me that you put together a fantastic presentation this morning!”

3.  You have plans with your friend Tom for dinner on Wednesday night. The day before, you are talking to another friend, Steve, who met Tom once. Steve asks you if you want to get together for dinner Wednesday night. You: 

a.  Say, “I have dinner plans with my friend Tom for Wednesday night. Why don’t you join us?”

b.  Make an excuse and say, “I have to work late tomorrow, so I can’t meet you for dinner.” You don’t want him to feel excluded.

c.  Say, “I have plans tomorrow night. Let’s get to­­gether another night.”

Good Answers To Interview Questions

Here Are Some Good Answers To Interview Questions

1. Tell us something about yourself?

Most people provide a very generic answer to this question by delving too many details about their personal life such as place of birth, details about other family members, religion or political view. The interviewer is not interested in knowing any of this. Instead, you should provide a very brief overview of your education level, places where you previously worked, years of experience along with the departments and your position at your present or former workplace.

2. What is your greatest strength and weakness?

While mentioning your strength, make sure that you correlate it to the position that you held at former or present workplace. For example, if you've been in sales department then you might mention that you love giving people what they want along with having an aggressive attitude to selling which helped you in increasing the sales figures at your former organization.

When it comes to narrating your weaknesses, don't fall into the trap of getting negative about yourself. Understand that everybody has flaws and the interviewer knows that you're not an exception. Simply state some of your weaknesses and the various steps you might have taken for overcoming them.

3. Why do you want to work for us?

The best approach to answer this question would be to research the company before the interview. In addition to doing online research, do try to get in contact with someone who's already working for them. Through this meeting, you can acquaint yourself with the core values of their workplace and the company at large. Also conduct similar research about their competitors and try to gauge the supplemental growth opportunities which you might get by working for this company.

You must not provide any self serving reason, at any point, such as "I need to work for a higher package" even if that's the real reason as to why you want to work for them!

4. Why are you leaving your current job? Or why you left your last job?

A right hand rule of thumb to remember here is to never badmouth about your current or former workplace. This might give a notion that you're a difficult employee to handle. In case you're jobless then don't tell the sobbing story of how you got fired in your last job even if that's the real thing which happened. In case you simply have to tell that you got fired (I can think of no reason why would that be) then provide some "intelligent" reason for the same, such as you got fired due to downsizing, they wanted to post you to some place you didn't wanted to go etc. Never ever give bad performance the reason as to why you got fired even if that's the real culprit.

Keep your response positive at all times and mention the growth opportunities being offered in the interviewer's company which were missing at your former workplace. Also mention that you want to take up additional responsibilities in the organization so as to contribute towards the overall growth of the company.

5. Do you consider yourself a team player or an individual performer?

Honesty would be the best strategy here. No matter you consider yourself a team player or an individual performer, augment your claims by providing relevant examples from your former or current job responsibilities. A better approach would be to say that you can work in a team or even individually based on the requirements of your job responsibilities.

I hope the above good answers to interview questions will help you in your next interview. Make sure you tailor each answer based on your unique position rather than remembering them by heart from some online resource. Good luck!

Common Interview Questions and Answers

1. Can you tell me about yourself?
   This is the most hated and most common question in interview history. Typically asked at the beginning of the job interview, this question gives the interviewer an opportunity to gain knowledge about you and your capabilities.
   
   When you answer, offer a summary of your personality, skills, experience, and work history. Do not mention your knitting hobby or your pet iguana. Try to stick with facts that will demonstrate why you are the person for the job.
   
2. Why do you want to work here?
   Even if it is true, do not answer with: Because I really need a job and you were hiring. If you did any research prior to the interview, you can answer this question. Utilize what you know about the company. Tell the interviewer why you admire the company, their practices, or their product.
   
   If all else fails, make a connection between the job description and your abilities. Tell the interviewer why you are compatible with their company.
   
3. Why should we hire you?
   This is one of the most important questions that you will be asked, and you need to make sure that you have a very good answer. Try to be as specific as possible. Explain in detail: why you would make a good employee, why you are the right fit for the job, and what sets you apart from other applicants. Point out your achievements, accomplishments, and applicable experience.
   
4. Why did you leave your last job?
   This is actually more of a test than a question. The interviewer wants to see what pushes your buttons. Your answer should be as honest as possible, but whatever you do, try not to sound bitter, angry, or violent. And most importantly, do not badmouth your former company, boss, or co-workers.
   
5. Where do you see yourself in five years?
   Why do interviewers continue to ask this question? Because- it shows them how motivated you are and it offers insight into your professional intentions. Instead of telling the interviewer that you would like to be sailing in the Bahamas, try offering information about your professional goals as the relate to your job or industry.

Sample Grad School Interview Questions

Questions often asked by the interviewer:

• Tell me about yourself.
• What factors influenced you to go to graduate school?
• Why are you interested in our graduate program?
• What skills and personal characteristics make you a good candidate for this graduate program?
• What do you hope to gain from our graduate program?
• How do you see this program fitting into your career goals?
• What is your greatest strength? What is one of your weaknesses?
• What are your goals for the next five years? 10 years?
• How do you feel your undergraduate studies have prepared you for this program?
• Describe your past work/volunteer experiences and how what you have learned from them will help you in graduate school.
• Describe your past research experiences and how they will help you in graduate school.
• What recent professional articles or books have you read?
• What problems do you expect to face while attending graduate school? How will you handle these?
• What contributions do you plan to make to the field?
• What do you believe to be the major trends in your intended career field at this time?
• What do you think about _________ (current event)?
• What do you think is the most important development in the field over the past 25 years, and why?
• We are looking at many other candidates for this graduate program; what sets you apart from the other candidates?
• What do you do in your spare time? Do you have any hobbies or outside interests?
• Tell me about a major accomplishment and how you achieved it.
• Give an example of an ethical dilemma you faced and explain how you resolved it.
• Tell me about a situation in which you took initiative.
• Tell me about a time you assumed a leadership role.
• Tell me how you handle stress.
• Tell me about a time you had a number of assignments due. How did you make sure you completed all of them on time and did a good job?
• Tell me about a time you were confronted by a fellow student, co-worker, or a customer. How did you handle it to resolve the conflict?

Business grad school interview questions

This Round 1 candidate for HBS shows that it’s never too late to share your MBA admissions interview experience!  The Clear Admit Wiki is a running repository for MBA applicants to post their experiences with the admissions process.  This Round 1 candidate shared the following questions from an HBS adcom member:

“Started off with small talk: When did you arrive? What have you done since? etc
She explained that she had read my entire file and that the interview process would not allow for any questions afterwards.

1. What is something outside of the curriculum that you really enjoyed at [COLLEGE]?
2. Why did you decide on [FIRST JOB]?
3. How did you secure [FIRST JOB]?
4. [Numerous job specific follow-ups]
5. What do you think has made you so successful?
6. What is the work environment in your current job like?
7. What are your specific responsibilities?
8. When did you decide to get an MBA?
9. Why do you want to go to Wall Street?
10. What experiences outside the curriculum are you looking forward to at HBS?
11. In your professional experience, what was your biggest accomplishment?
12. What would you say is the biggest difference between the two jobs you’ve had?
13. What’s your leadership style?
14. What is the latest book you’ve read?
15. Is there anything you wanted me to ask you that I didn’t?”

To see more MBA admissions interview reports, check out the Clear Admit Wiki – a free resource with hundreds of real, documented interview experiences from b-school applicants. Also, if you’d like to help your fellow applicants by adding your experiences, please send us your interview field report and we’ll post it to the wiki. Finally, if you’d like even more helpful hints and detailed analysis on how to ace your interview, check out our line of Interview Guides, which demystify the most common questions asked by the leading programs and offer step-by-step guidance for a successful interview.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the Clear Admit Wiki and best of luck to those still undergoing admissions interviews!

Business graduate school interview questions

Answer Suggestions for Tough Interview Questions

• What can I do for you?
  
  Employers really don't want a straight answer to this question. They know you want a job. Suggested responses, therefore, should tell employers they gain something by employing you. Answers such as, "Actually, I'm here to offer you something—loyal and efficient work", or ,"I think the question is what I can do for you. I'm here to talk about your need for an expert driver", are good.

• Why don't you tell me something about yourself?
  
  Be prepared to talk about your unique qualities. Wind up with something that relates to the job. An example: "I'm a native of Jones County, raised here and educated at Jones Community College. I have a large number of friends who are loyal to me because I get along with almost any type of person. I've met many of my friends while working as a volunteer in the Habitat for Humanity effort in my community, and my experiences there are among the reasons I'd be an excellent construction worker for your company, Mr. (or Ms.) Builder."

• What kind of work are you looking for?
  
  Be as specific as you can with this particular employer. The best answer to this question will be found in the job description you obtained prior to the job interview. (You can repeat the duties listed for the position for which you're interviewing.) Other answers that suggest you want to grow and learn or want to demonstrate your good work ethic would be "I want a job in which I'll be able to produce for the company and grow along with it", or, "I want a job where showing up on time and working hard is compensated by a fair wage."

• What do you do best?
  
  This question demands that you praise yourself—something a lot of us are uncomfortable doing. As you prepare for the job interview, think through some of your recent successes you can use to give a good answer to this question. It's best if they relate to ways you improved the current business, generated new business, or saved the company money.

Business graduate school interview questions

 Much like the undergraduate application process, there probably won’t be any interview requirements for graduate school admission (though interviews are required by most medical schools and some business schools). However, this doesn’t mean you can’t schedule an interview if you really want the opportunity to sell yourself.

If you think an interview will sway the graduate admission team of the school you’re longing to attend, by all means call the school and request one! There’s a good chance your request will be granted.

Graduate school admissions: Take the professional approach to interviews

Required or not, an interview for graduate school admissions resembles a professional interview for a job. If you know how to look the look, walk the walk, and talk the talk, you’ll be that much more appealing to the graduate admission committee. Make the most of this opportunity and leave a great impression by following some simple advice:

• Prior to interviewing, get to know the professors at the school you’re considering. If the school is far away, find out who the big players are, make some phone calls, and get your name out there.
• Do your homework on the program you’re interviewing for so you can respond to and ask questions intelligently.
• Write your personal essay before you have your interview -- it will help you respond to issues that may come up.
• Prepare like you would for a job interview and be ready to discuss your professional goals, areas of interest, and motivation for graduate study.
• Be prepared to answer questions in a way that demonstrates how you solve problems and articulate your ideas.
• Keep in mind that interviewers are probably more interested in your character than how much you know.
• Ask questions that matter to you and give the interviewer insight into your personality and priorities. Don’t ask questions that can be answered in the school’s literature.
• Be sure you are dressed properly. That means dressing as if you are going to a professional interview.
• Present yourself as positively as possible. Talk about your strengths, not your weaknesses.

Graduate school admissions: A final word on interviews

Interviews are generally not part of the graduate school application process, though they are often associated with the graduate school requirements for medical and business schools. Even if an interview is not required, though, it can be a perfect opportunity to "sell" yourself to the school, and stand out from the pack.
Remember -- most of the time, the people interviewing you are more interested in hearing how you think, rather than what you think. Controversial questions or hypothetical questions may be tossed your way. Don’t stray too far from what you know and remember what it is they’re trying to draw out, and you’ll do great!

Business interview questions answers

A refresher for EBC graduates and advice for anyone else interested in interviewing for an English teaching job abroad.

Initially when you interview always state that you are available for work until the end of the school year. Schools are looking to keep teacher replacement to a minimum. Be dynamic and SMARTLY DRESSED, most language schools want a teacher with a friendly, outgoing personality. If you are teaching private classes to children, you'll have to meet the parents first and they can be even more demanding than language schools.

The following is a checklist of things to ask when you go for your interview:

• What type of age range and social groups will I teach to? You'll find that the age range and social groups that schools will expect you to teach to vary on a school-by-school basis. If you are hired to teach a specific set of students, for example: you are hired to teach primary school children aged 5 to 11, you'll know beforehand what type of students you'll have to teach. If not, you'll have to find out at the interview.
• Do you also teach Business English classes? Any language school has the possibility of teaching Business English, some do and some don't. If your preference is to teach Business English or you do NOT want to teach Business English, then make it clear from the start so that you don't waste your time. Please note that many language schools classify Business English as teaching English in an office or another type of business environment, not ESP (English for Specific Purposes).
• What is your class cancellation policy? Most companies have a 24 hour policy. If the student cancels at least 24 hours before the class, it gets rescheduled. If it's cancelled less than 24 hours, you usually get paid and the class is written off. The last thing you need is to suffer because a student didn't show up.
• Do I have to turn in a timesheet/attendance sheet? If the school insists that you get the client to sign time sheets – DO IT – if not and there is a dispute, the client will win and you will not get paid. If you turn up for a class and the student fails to show, find someone who can sign your timesheet (or any other documentation) that can prove you showed up and the student didn't. If you don't, you run the risk of not being paid.
• How and how often will I get paid? Payment frequency depends on the country you work in. When you are paid you may need a bank account as payment is often done by bank transfer or cheque. Cash payment is not unheard of but cheques and transfers are much more common payment methods. 
• Where is the job and how much travel is involved? This is important from a purely financial point of view. Imagine that you have to travel for an hour, teach for one hour and then take yet another hour to get to your next class. You just got paid for one hour's work but took up 3 hours of your teaching time. In these cases, ask if more hours can be added. If not, it's usually not worth accepting the class.
• How big are the classes? Big classes (10+) are hard to teach unless they are in a state school (K to 18).
• Are the classes arranged by level? If they aren't, you may have problems because mixed ability classes progress slowly, if it all. If the students are expected to improve, you may run into difficulties.
• Am I taking over an existing class? If the answer is yes, then also ask, “May I speak to the previous teacher?” If the previous teacher is no longer around, ask about where the class had got to. You need to know this in order to avoid repeating work that has already been done or planning a class that is beyond your students skill level.
• Do you or the student(s) provide all the learning material (books, photocopies, etc.)? It's important that you know this because if you are told that you have to pay for text books and photocopies, then forget the job. Text books are usually quite expensive. You should only provide material at your own cost if you REALLY want to.

Common Purchasing Management Interview Questions

If you have received that long awaited call for an interview, you surely are hoping to put your best foot forward at the interview in hopes of landing that purchasing management job.  Preparing for the interview is very important.  There are many ways to prepared for an interview.  One of the best ways is rehearsing common purchasing management interview questions that may be asked in the interview.
Though you never really know what is going to be asked in an interview, you may be surprised at how many interview questions are normally asked in interviews.  Having some of the questions prepared may help you feel more at ease when you step into that purchasing management interview.
Common purchasing management interview questions that you may want to prepare for include:

• What strengths do you feel you bring to the job?
• What are your weaknesses and how do you overcome them in the workplace?
• What situation have you had in your past experiences where you had to make a tough decision and what was the outcome?
• How do you handle low morale in the workplace?
• How do you deal with low performance on your team?
• What do you feel you bring to our team if we were to bring you onboard?

Though there are literally an endless number of questions that one could ask in a purchasing management interview, thinking through some of these commonly asked questions may help you prepare for your interview.  Having given some thought to these questions may even make you better prepared to think through and answer intelligently any other questions that may come your way.

More Purchasing Management Videos & Articles:

• How to Conduct a Purchasing Management Interview As a purchasing manager, you will need to conduct interviews from time to time.  If you find yourself ready to do an interview for a position you have open with your company, you ...
• How to Ace Your Purchasing Management Interview Getting the purchasing management interview is your first step to getting a purchasing management job. Shining in your interview is in your best interest in order to be considered for the job. If ...
• Acing Your Purchasing Management Phone Interview In today's job market, it is more common than ever to be asked to complete a phone interview.  Whether you are searching for your first purchasing management job, or looking for your next ...
• There’s More to Your Purchasing Management Interview Than Questions When preparing for your purchasing management interview, it is easy to focus on preparing for particular common interview questions and forget that there is more to the interview than just answering questions. One of ...
• 3 Things Not to Do in Your Purchasing Management Interview Making sure you are at the top of your interview game is imperative to getting your next purchasing management job.  It is important to know what to do in an interview but it ...
• Using Mock Interviews to Prepare for Your Purchasing Management Interview When preparing for your purchasing management job interview, a great way to get prepared is by doing mock interview. Mock interview give you a chance to practice professional responses, body language and non-verbal ...
• Following Up Your Purchasing Management Job Interview Preparing for your purchasing management job interview can take time and preparation.  Once you are through the interview you may feel like your work is done.  However, if you are truly hoping to ...

Business english job interview questions

Before you begin, the interviewer asks, How are you?

It is a good idea to observe your interviewer carefully. If the person looks serious and/or tired, reply with "Very well, thank you." Use a light smile, be calm, relaxing and intelligent throughout the interview. If the interviewer looks  upbeat and pleasant in attitude, you can say, "I'm doing great, thank you." Throughout the interview, demonstrate positive energy with alert interest and occasional humor.

Everyone is different, and people have different needs depending on how the day is going. Serious or worn-down people often think of excitement as play-acting, and upbeat, happy people often see seriousness as negativity.  You want to be aware of the moment and present yourself accordingly.

1. Do you have any questions before we begin?

Use this as an opportunity to give a complement to the company. Say something like this: "I'm grateful to be here because I know that ______________ is an excellent company. What kind of work experience are you looking for?" Then you can apply your experiences to the answer you receive.

2. Tell me about yourself.

Describe yourself for about 2 minutes. Keep your answer focused on your work experience and your successes. Finish your answer by stating your future goals and how these fit with the job position.

3.  Tell me about  your strengths and your weaknesses.

List your strengths and go into detail on each one. List  weaknesses you have had in the past and how you have learned and changed. Try to create balance. Do not state 5 strengths and 1 weakness. State 2-3 strengths and 2-3 weakness, but do make the weaknesses cause you to look positive ultimately. Make sure none of your weaknesses are "red flags." Overly personal weaknesses could cause you to seem depressed, or bringing excessive attention to your lack of experience could cause you to seem unmotivated.

4. Why are you interested in this position?

Here you want to give a very detailed answer--showing your knowledge of the company.

Job Interview Questions to Ask

When the screening of the candidates is done, you will bring the top two or three in for an interview. What questions should you ask them? What answers should you be looking for? How will you know which one to hire? Whether you work for a large company with a Human Resources department and volumes of procedures or are a small business owner with a few employees, the types of questions you want to ask are the same.

The Questions to Ask

You want to ask the kind of questions that, in increasing order of importance, tell you 1) whether the person has the skills to do the job, 2) how they function under pressure, and 3) how well they will fit into the team.

Can They Do the Job

These are perhaps the easiest questions. You have seen the person's resume so you know they claim to have the necessary skills. Ask a few questions to verify what they claim.

• "I see you managed the payroll for three subsidiaries. What was the most difficult part of integrating all of them?"
• "When you were the Marketing Manager for ABC company what were the steps you took when planning the annual marketing budget?"
• "I see you program in (whatever language). How would you link an indexed field variable to display on mouseover?"

Notice these questions ask how or what. They can not be answered yes or no. Listen to the answer to see how quickly they answer, how complete/correct their answer is, and whether they actually answer what you asked or go off to something with which they are more familiar.

How Well Do They Function Under Pressure

This may be the area where most managers have trouble asking good questions, but they are more important than the job competency questions above. We are reluctant to be the "bad guy", to put someone under pressure. However, there are very few jobs, and certainly none that report to you, that don't place the employee under stress from time to time. Anybody can do well in calm times. You want people who can function well when things get confusing or difficult. To identify which candidate will perform best under pressure, ask tough, stressful questions.

• "What makes you think you are better for this job than all the other candidates?"
• "Tell me about a stressful situation that occurred repeatedly on your last job and how you handled it."
• "Which co-worker at your last job did you get along with least well? What did you do about it?"

26 Exit Interview Questions to Ask

Losing a valuable employee can be a setback, and many managers are left wondering if they could have prevented it. Certainly there are cases where an employee sees a better opportunity elsewhere, and it would be disappointing to realize that those needs could have been fulfilled in his or her current employment. But in some situations the departing employee’s role in the organization, potential for advancement, compensation, or opinion of leadership/direction of the company have no relevance in the decision-making process. An employee may just desire a change of scenery, a new challenge, or a chance to take the skills he or she has learned and start a new business.

There are so many reasons an employee might move on that it’s up to managers to glean whatever information they can before allowing that person to walk out the door. If mistakes were made along the way, managers should want to investigate the truth and not shy away from criticism. Even if leadership style was part of the problem, it’s impossible to make improvements while remaining oblivious to the issues.

One way managers can learn from the situation is to perform exit interviews. In the article Perform Exit Interviews: Exit Interview Questions, Susan M. Heathfield of About.com provides a list of 26 different questions managers can use to help maximize the quality of their feedback:

1. Why have you decided to leave the company?

2. Have you shared your concerns with anyone in the company prior to deciding to leave?

3. Was a single event responsible for your decision to leave?

4. What does your new company offer that encouraged you to accept their offer and leave this company?

5. What do you value about the company?

6. What did you dislike about the company?

7. The quality of supervision is important to most people at work. Are you satisfied with the way you were supervised?

8. Is there anything we can do to improve our management style and skill?

9. What are your views about management and leadership, in general, in the company?

10. What did you like most about your job?

11. What did you dislike about your job? What would you change about your job?

12. Do you feel you had the resources and support necessary to accomplish your job? If not, what was missing?

13. We try to be an employee-oriented company in which employees experience positive morale and motivation. What is your experience of employee morale and motivation in the company?

14. Were your job responsibilities characterized correctly during the interview process and orientation?

15. Did you have clear goals and know what was expected of you in your job?

16. Did you receive adequate feedback about your performance day-to-day and in the performance development planning process?

17. Did you clearly understand and feel a part of the accomplishment of the company mission and goals?

18. Describe your experience of the company’s commitment to quality and customer service.

19. Did the management of the company care about and help you accomplish your personal and professional development and career goals?

20. What would you recommend to help us create a better workplace?

Commonly Asked Business Etiquette Questions

Commonly Asked Business Etiquette Questions: The Job Interview


1.  Should I use an honorific when addressing my interviewer?

Always initiate a greeting or conversation using an honorific and the interviewer’s last name.  If the interviewer requests that you address him or her by their first name, by all means do so but until that time err on the side of caution.

2.  How much should I talk during an interview?

While you don’t want to monopolize the entire interview with needless banter, it’s important to come across as approachable and confident. Make initial small talk but be prepared to answer job related questions with a succinct and confident response.  Do research on the company and write out a draft of potential conversation topics that you will be ready to discuss when asked “Do you have any other questions?”.  It’s important to always have a question ready rather than answering with “No, I think you’ve covered everything.”

3.  If I am sick, should I warn the interviewer of my illness and not shake hands?

If you are well enough to make the interview, you are certainly well enough to shake hands.  It is inappropriate to refuse to give, or receive, a handshake.

4.  Should a woman interviewee stand up for a man interviewer?  

Yes, always. Standing shows respect and courtesy for the other person.

5.  Should a woman interviewer stand up for a man interviewee?  

Yes, always.  In business both men and women stand up for a greeting and farewell.

6.  Should I initiate a double fisted handshake to show goodwill? 

Absolutely not. A double fisted shake is used for close family and friends. It comes across as too familiar or patronizing when you are in a job interview or meeting someone for the first time.

7.  As a man, should I give a woman a lighter handshake than I would a male counterpart?  

A man who gives a woman, or another man, a light handshake sends a message that can be interpreted as weak or insecure.  While your handshake should not be as firm or uncomfortable as a vice grip with either gender, a firm, but not overpowering handshake is a sign of respect both men and women.

Business etiquette and the job interview

There is a lot of advice around that’s intended to make you feel more relaxed about job interviews. Many people say you should just treat an interview as a business meeting. But what if you’ve never been in a business meeting? 

As a student or recent graduate, it’s likely that you don’t have much, or any, experience of business meetings, so what should you expect?

Business etiquette

Most business etiquette is based on common sense and good manners – which means that some of these tips will sound obvious. There’s no mystique about this: generally, it’s about behaviour that shows you respect the other people and want to make them feel comfortable.

• Dress professionally.
• Be punctual: turn up on time or a bit earlier.
• Shake hands when invited to do so.
• Expect some small talk before getting down to business. This helps create rapport between people who have not met before.
• Business meetings generally have a chair – someone who leads the discussion, ensures that the agenda is covered, and signals when the meeting is over. At a job interview, this may not be explicit but you will notice the HR manager or someone else on the interview panel take this role. Be particularly aware of what this person is saying.
• Wait for someone to stop speaking before you reply; don’t interrupt. Answer thoughtfully and make eye contact with the person who’s talking.
• Don’t swear, and avoid slang as much as possible: it may not be understood by all present and can sound unprofessional.
• Avoid making jokes: these are best avoided with people you don’t know as they can misfire. They may also suggest that you are not taking the meeting seriously.
• Give your full attention to the meeting. Turn your phone off (and if you’ve forgotten, don’t answer it in the middle of the interview!). It’s acceptable to take a drink of water, though, if it is offered, and it’s also OK to take notes.
• At the end of the meeting, thank people for their time.

Business + exit interview questions

About Employee Exit Interview Surveys

Employee exit interviews are an important part of HR management and monitoring employee retention and satisfaction. It is important to understand why an employee leaves and what information you can use to avoid future employee losses. Avoidable losses result from employee job dissatisfaction, employees not feeling valued, poor management practices, the lack of advancement opportunity, and sometimes personal harassment by or conflict with a co-worker or manager. Another purpose of exit interviews is to help employers avoid litigation caused by illegal activities or disgruntled employees.
Employee exit interviews can change the climate of the organization by changing management style, making changes that reflect employee opinions and creating value recognition programs where needed. One key to increasing the employee’s opinion of the organization is in the management of expectations. Realistic job expectations are important and management should focus on creating proper expectations.

General Measures of Employee Exit Interview Surveys

• Job responsibilities and performance
• Employee job orientation and training
• Mentoring programs
• Working conditions
• Opportunities for skill development career advancement
• Training and development programs
• Supervision and management
• Work satisfaction
• Workload distribution and schedule flexibility
• Salary
• Benefits
• Organizational culture
• Organizational and work group communication

Employee exit interviews should focus on retention by identifying why the employee is leaving and if the company’s level of performance or the employees’ unfulfilled expectations are at issue. Employment environments with low levels of employee retention reflect low levels of job satisfaction and come at a great cost to the organization. Not only is it expensive to hire and then train new employees, but poor employment environments can have a negative impact on productivity and morale.
Effective employee exit interviews are an opportunity to diagnose and improve performance within the company.

Results of Employee Exit Interview Surveys

• Improving employee retention and reducing turnover.
• Increasing company objectivity by having employee exit interviews handled by a fair and non-partisan third-party.
• Benchmarking against industry and company norms for the exit interview survey items.
• Comparing exit interview scores against the overall Employee Satisfaction Tracking Survey to determine if employee satisfaction impacts turnover rates.
• Tracking trends in employee exit interview satisfaction to measure improvements made.

How to increase response rates

Generally, only about one-third of employees leaving an organization complete an exit interview. There are several ways you can try to increase response rates. You can try to increase response rates by using multi-mode approaches, especially online since online respondents tend to be more frank and likely to provide related experiences. Another way is to keep employee exit interview questions simple and short, focusing on evaluations of different job components and identification of needed changes. It is important to realize that questions about feelings and emotions are particularly difficult, especially if the employee has been terminated from the job. You should tell respondents that since their comments and evaluations are important, the HR director will evaluate them. If respondents make suggestions, send a note thanking them for their honesty and report on implementations that are based on their recommendations. You can also audit your exit interview process to see where improvements need to be made.
Approximately three months after the completion of the employee exit interview survey, consider sending a Job Comparison Questionnaire that contains questions related to current employment status and a comparison of their new job with their previous job with your organization.

Technical interviews for graduate engineering jobs

CVs and qualifications only go a small way to providing employers with information about a candidate. A technical interview gives an employer the opportunity to probe more deeply and draw out experience and knowledge that indicates how well the person will match with the role the employer has in mind. It’s also an opportunity to ask some competence-based questions to make sure the candidate really does have the experience and background they claim on their CV.

What form do technical interviews take?

This depends on the employer. In the interviews I have been involved with, we try to test general technical competence and the basic understanding of engineering principles. We often start by asking a candidate to talk about a familiar subject, for example, their final-year project. As an interviewer, I find this rewarding. I’ve recently had insights into areas of technology I previously knew nothing about. These discussions are also valuable because the interviewer can gauge how well the candidate explains technical concepts with which they are familiar, but the audience is not.
We also ask basic questions relevant to our business environment. For example, being in the energy industry, we might ask candidates to give some examples of problems faced by the UK in terms of energy supply. We might prompt the candidate if they are struggling or ask them more specific questions on a particular aspect. This leads on to more detailed questions where we try to see how a candidate applies their engineering background to something they may not be immediately familiar with.

What other things might a candidate face?

One of my favourite techniques is to bring with me an engineering drawing of one of our products and ask the candidate to try to explain the basic components and operation around the drawing.
This is not as daunting as it sounds and it really shows what level of detailed understanding the candidate has. Candidates often expect a totally verbal interview and some struggle with this, especially candidates with a relatively practical background. These engineers often relate immediately to drawings as the universal ‘engineering language’ and seize an unrolled drawing like a drowning man seizes a life raft. It provides a different focus and it can completely change the course of the interview.
One word of caution here: unroll large engineering drawings with care. I once had a candidate who accidentally hit me on the head with a roll of paper in his enthusiasm to get to grips with the drawing!

Do technical interviewers only look for the right answers?

Showing a basic understanding of technical concepts and being able to apply these in a practical way to problems or situations is more important. If we feel that the graduate can work things out for themselves, then that’s usually worth a lot more than someone who knows a lot technically but has little flexibility or enthusiasm to get involved with new areas. A good candidate might use sketches when explaining concepts and will ask the interviewer questions to guide themselves in the right direction and keep on topic.

How can a candidate make a recovery if they get stumped?

Pause, perhaps ask the interviewers some clarifying questions, and try to work things out from first principles. Don’t waffle. It’s better to say that you don’t know, or that you haven’t come across this type of issue in your studies, and ask some more questions to help gain a greater understanding of the original question.

What are your tips for success?

You need to have researched the employer’s business, types of product, customers, etc. Avoid jargon and acronyms. When you talk about experiences and achievements, concentrate on your personal contribution. The interviewer really wants to know what role you played. Bring an open mind and listen as much as you talk. There is nothing more annoying than a candidate who won’t shut up and doesn’t answer the questions because they haven’t listened!

Business Excellence Model Expert

What about your years of experience?

I have been working in the business excellence field since 1993.

2- If we ask you to recommend to our readers ONE advice to follow in their own career, what you recommend ?

Never be satisfied.

3- During your years of experience , what was the most common non value add activity you find in most companies in different fields ?

Poor communication.

4- Achievinf business excellence is not easy  , there are so many ways , MBNQA , EFQM , Lean Six Sigma , TQM , etc… . In your opinion , what is the most effective  way , and how should a company achieve excellence ?

Kaizen is the most effective way. Companies should use the creativity of their people to find and solve problems. First it is necessary to set balanced targets and to make an environment where it is okay to expose problems.

5- During your years of consulting , I'm sure you faced a hopeless business case ( a company that can't be improved ) unless there is a  major change . What was the case, and how did you solve the problem ?

The only hopeless cases are when a company has no sales or completely runs out of cash and credit to fund their business. All other problems can be solved if you don’t give up.

6- If you become a CEO of  a 500 fortune company  ( Toyota for example ) , what will be your 1st decision , and why?

My first decision would be to study the current situation carefully, listen to customers, listen to the employees and understand where are the gaps.

Asking the Interviewer Questions

There is one question that you will definitely be asked in any job interview, a question for which you should always prepare a response. That is: “Do you have any questions for me?”

In this Business English Podcast lesson, we will focus on how to deal with this question. We’ll talk about what interviewers expect from you and we’ll emphasize the importance of preparation. We’ll also study how you can use this opportunity to “interview the interviewer” – that is, to find out 
whether the company is a good fit for you. Meanwhile, we’ll talk about how, for the interviewer, this is a chance to put your company in the best possible light.

In the listening, we will return to Yala Santos’ interview. Remember, she is an HR specialist at a manufacturing company who is interviewing for an HR manager position in a business unit of a fast moving consumer goods company, Fun Beverages International.

Listening Questions:
 
1) What is Yala’s first question for the interviewer?
2) How does the interviewer respond?
3) Yala’s second question is a little tougher – what does she ask?

Read the following answers by a candidate in a job interview to two different questions from an interviewer on 'Why do you want to work for us?' and 'What makes you suitable for this position?'. Focus on the words/phrases in BOLD and think about their meaning. 

Interviewer:

'Why do you want to work for us?'

Candidate:

'Well, first of all, I have been impressed with everything I have read and heard, from both the interview and what colleagues and friends have told me. Your company has a very good reputation in the industry. Not only for its products, but also its working culture. From what I have heard here, it is a company that recognises and rewards talent. And I believe that in such an environment I will thrive. Your company is also a market leader in the industry. And with what you have told me about the planned expansion and diversification of the company, I feel that it provides people who have the right motivation and ambition, the opportunity to excel and progress.'

Interviewer:

'So, what makes you suitable for this position?'

Candidate:

'I feel I possess all the requirements and experience for the position. First of all, I have worked for over 5 years in a similar position, where I have exceeded all my targets year after year. Also, I am fully up to speed with all the industry standards and work practices that you use here. So, if I was selected for the vacancy, I could hit the ground running. I am also very adaptive and can pick up things very quickly. As I showed when the company I am currently working for, was bought out 3 years ago.'

'On a personal level, I feel I have the determination or drive which is fundamental for a position like this. This has been demonstrated with the promotions I have achieved throughout my career. In addition, having worked in the same company for over 5 years, it shows that I am committed. I also have the soft skills which a manager needs to have with both the people who report to him and clients. For example, I am an excellent communicator, but I can also listen.'

Interview Questions for Shel Horowitz

Questions About Low-Cost, High-Impact Marketing
 
1. How can people market more effectively? What techniques can they use? 

2. What are some of your favorite marketing strategies? 

3. Tell us about some of your low-cost marketing successes. 

4. Is it true that you can reach 80 million people for free on the Internet? 

5. You actually suggest that business owners can get PAID to do their own marketing. How could that be? 

6. You talk in your book about marketing by becoming an expert. How can someone do this? 

7. You also talk about client-centered marketing. What do you mean by that? 

8. When you started Accurate Writing & More, how much did you originally spend on marketing? 

9. How do you market the business now? 

10. How did you learn so much about marketing by running a résumé and career service firm? 

11. Why do people need to do marketing? 

12. What's wrong with the traditional approach? 

13. How do new technologies affect marketing? 

14. Why do you say that many businesses waste money on ineffective marketing? What would be a better approach? 

15. Do businesses need to spend money on advertising? 

16. What led you to write Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World 

17. What else have you written? 

18. How can people order your books? 

Interview Questions: Business Focus
 
1. You say that market share is irrelevant to most businesses. If that's true, why do so many companies try to stab each other in the back? 

2. How and why should businesses seek alliances with their competitors? 

3. But what if my competitors don't act that way? They'll try to take advantage! 

4. You've identified three keys to business success. What are they? 

5. We hear a lot about outstanding customer service and empowered employees?but it doesn't always hold up on a close look. How and why should companies do better with these groups? 

6. Can you give examples of well-known companies that thrive by being nice? 

7. It's easy to be honest in good times. What about in a crisis? 

8. Please explain about "biological marketing." 

9. Does cooperative, ethical marketing cost more? 

10. Tell us about this international movement you've started, to find 25,000 business leaders who'll pledge to be ethical. 

11. How did you get so many powerful endorsements--Jack Canfield, Mark Joyner, Jay Conrad Levinson, and over 70 others? 

12. How can people get your book, Principled Profit?

10 Simple Rules For Conducting Ethics Investigations

Ethics investigations can be quite complex and fraught with potential risks. Taking care with them will allow the company to avoid pitfalls in both a legal and human sense. Conduct investigations discreetly and carefully by planning the entire process. Determine who you should talk with initially, prepare the questions and approach you will take with potential witnesses or suspected parties and be open enough to add other potential witnesses, add questions or change approaches based on interview answers. Asking appropriate questions will get the best results.

1. Get help - At ethics program setup or whenever you need them, determine subject matter experts that you can use to help in an ethics investigation. Especially when something is outside your area of expertise, you will need assistance to understand principles, procedures, capabilities, etc. Example: if you are an HR expert but the investigation will involve going over complex financial reports, get the help of an accounting expert. Obtain an agreement (in writing) from the expert that they are to keep all matters of the investigation confidential including whether or not there even is an investigation.
   
2. Ask open-ended questions - When interviewing potential witnesses or suspected parties, ask questions that will get them talking. Asking yes or no questions will get yes or no answers. To get better, more useable information, ask open ended questions such as, "Tell me about your relationship with the rest of your team members" or "What more can you tell me about what you saw" or "What else should I know about John Doe here at work".
   
3. Do not put words in the interviewee's mouth - Asking a witness, "Did you see Bob put his hand on Gretchen?" presupposes that something actually happened and uses your words instead of theirs to describe something. In an investigation, the interviewer is not the witness so do not allow yourself to get involved in "pre-answering" the questions. A better way to ask for this same information might be, "What, if anything, did you see happen when Bob and Gretchen were in the stock room?" or "What happened yesterday around 3PM".
   
4. Don't stop asking questions too early - Keep asking questions until you are assured you have as much useable information as you can get, and do not stop the investigation too early. If you believe there is something important that someone can tell you, keep asking questions that will get those answers until you are sure you have done as much as you can (in other words don't waste time at dead ends either). Another great question is to ask, "Is there anything else you can provide me that would help me in this investigation?" This would allow a witness to produce documents, other witnesses, or other corroborating evidence of suspected incidents.
   
5. Do not give a witness any indication that you do not believe their story - Witnesses want you to believe their story whether it is true or not. Do not give them an excuse to stop talking by indicating you do not believe their story. Any sign that you do not believe a witness or that you discount their story will give that witness an excuse to cease cooperating. In other words, badly handling a witness can make them dry up and you will get nothing further from them.
   
6. Report facts only, not opinions - When writing the report after an interview, write only what the person said and be sure to report only facts the person witnessed. Including the witness' opinions or what they heard from someone else can get you into trouble both in trying to determine what really happened and if the witness or the suspected party legally challenges your final decision. The more you write opinions, anyone's opinions including your own, will create even more legal landmines. Writing the facts is critical to an ethical investigation.
   
7. Verify statements as discreetly as possible - Whatever a witness tells you about what they saw or heard, attempt to verify it as discreetly as possible. Look at entry logs, sign-in logs, computer reports, other witness' statements or anything that will help you corroborate statements.
   
8. Look under every rock and in every crevice - Do not be bashful about examining any legitimate resource for information. Of course, ahead of time, you must have a clear policy stating what the company may search on company premises and what it will not search. Then you must stick to that policy. Look in computer files and email, check in desks, or store rooms, check voice mail and phone records, and review video surveillance tapes to find whatever you need to investigate a report of an ethics violation. Be prepared, because some of this can get legally sticky. Check with your in-house counsel about what is legal in your state and what is not, but look everywhere that is legitimate.
   
9. Never, never, never play "Good Cop, Bad Cop" - or any game for that matter. This type of thing is simply Hollywood drama. It has nothing to do with conducting real investigations. An investigator's best tool is his or her relationship with the interviewee and playing games destroys any chance of establishing a rapport with them. Leave this stuff to the movies and TV where it belongs.
   
10. Never lie to anyone about what you know or do not know - Lying to a witness can be just as bad as playing other types of games with them, for it can destroy a solid relationship. If they ask how, who or why someone delivered a report or what someone else said, simply state that you cannot reveal anything about the investigation.

Interview Questions for a Business Systems Manager

1. Managerial Style & Experience

   • During many interviews, the topic of management style is raised. An entry level employee may be asked what type of managerial style they work well under or a manager may be questioned on the type of management style they exhibit. For a Business Systems Manager, the interviewer will usually ask the candidate to describe their managerial style. These types of questions help the organization identify if the candidate's managerial style coincides with the business's objectives, ethics and employees.
     

   Strengths & Weaknesses

   • Undoubtedly, most interviewers question the Business Systems Manager candidate on their strengths and weaknesses and how they will be used (or improved) to benefit the hiring company. To prepare, the interviewee should prepare a list of three to five areas they deem themselves to be strongly proficient and list a couple of reason why these are their strengths. This listing will help the candidate communicate their skills and their unique attributes that will make them effective employees.
     
   • Sponsored Links
     

     • Supply Chain Analytics
       Learn How IBM Can Improve Your Supply Chain. Free Case Study.
       www.IBM.com/supply_chain_analytics

   Work History and Job Specifics

   • Hiring organizations are interested in candidates' past work experience, such as the number of years in which they have worked for the industry, as well as in their proficiency in specific skills required for the job. Interviewers are looking for an employee to give specific and pertinent examples from prior job experience so that they can assess the candidate's decision making abilities and industry knowledge. Fictional scenarios may be constructed and the candidate expected to describe how they would react to the situation as well. This gives interviewees with less experience the opportunity to discuss future situations they will encounter.
     

   Preparedness and Etiquette

   • Proper organization, etiquette, and preparedness can assist interviewees in making a positive impression on potential employers. Even if a candidate for a Business Systems Manager answers all questions quickly and thoroughly, making an etiquette mistake may cost them the job. It is important to show up to the interview at least five minutes early and turn of any phone or other device that may ring unexpectedly. Additionally, a sturdy handshake, eye contact and good posture are good ways to exhibit confidence and credibility.