Business ethics interview questions

Personal Responsibility -- When Does It Start?

It's easy to blame business leaders for corporate transgressions. We stand up and take notice when our retirement accounts are affected, after all. But when should personal responsibility start? In the 2008 Junior Achievement/Deloitte Teen Ethics Survey, 79 percent of teens surveyed said they felt prepared to make ethical decisions when they enter the workforce. However, 38 percent said it is sometimes necessary to cheat, steal, lie or behave violently to succeed. These results would make anyone wonder if, as adults, these students will make the right decisions when they face ethical challenges on the job.

It used to be that making decisions in business was pretty simple. All you had to do was ask yourself, "Is this legal? Is this against company policy? Can I sleep at night if I do it?" Then business got more complicated, with the competition to succeed becoming more intense. The gray areas surrounding decisions expanded. Many leaders are now torn between company profits and doing the right thing. They are also torn between doing what is right for the company long-term and what is good for their careers in the short-term.
What Can Ethical Leaders Do?

Ethical business leaders will have to take some immediate steps to show employees and stockholders they are honest and determined to do their best for the organization. Each leader must model high ethical standards. In addition, here are 10 more steps you can take right now.

• Assess your personal morals. What you do in your personal life permeates your business affairs and the lives of your children. Be a good role model.
• Review your company's ethics. Make it clear what is and is not acceptable.
• Establish your mission statement and your company's core values. High ethical standards are based on integrity, honor, honesty and fairness to all.
• Communicate the mission and core values to every employee and customer through your words and actions.
• Create an ethics policy that clearly states the company's philosophy and consequences for not following the policy. The Society for Human Resource Management has published some business ethics guidelines (log-in required).
• Implement business ethics training.
• Tighten your accounting practices as well as your conflict-of-interest policy.
• Establish an ethics panel that will review business ethics violations and questionable decisions. This group can take pressure off employees during decision making.
• Include ethics in your performance evaluations to ensure employees are held accountable for their actions.
• Watch out for any employee who is out to make a name for himself. It is often the superstar who is the one pushing the envelope.

No Magic Potion

The University of Missouri has many well-known graduates; two of the more noted are Sam Walton of Wal-Mart and Kenneth Lay of Enron. Their different paths to success remind us that there is no magic formula for keeping your employees honest. As Elizabeth Dole told the Duke University class of 2000, "In the final analysis, it is your moral compass that counts far more than any bank balance, any resume, and yes, any diploma."

Business executive interview questions

• Which management style or philosophy describes you best: authoritarian or participative?

• In what ways have you been fiscally responsible to a company or organization without stifling  innovative ideas that could possibly increase profits?

• Describe a situation where you had to become a mediator for two or more employees that you supervised. What was the outcome? And, what measures did you take to ensure the issue(s) wouldn’t arise again in the future?

• What is the most demanding aspect of being a part of administration and/or upper management?

• Share with us how you would boost morale amongst your staff to extract the best possible effort they can present as individuals and as a team.

After asking each question, allow the interviewee anywhere between 1-2 minutes to respond.
Notice any behavioural signs in their responses that appear or come across as passive, aggressive, assertive or submissive. Also take notice of the non-verbal responses he or she exhibits as you ask each question. Although their answers are important, non-verbal communication can reveal just as much.

Cognitive interview questions for executives can reveal thoughts, emotions, ideologies, and values that the interviewee may otherwise try to suppress. This method can also help to eliminate questions that might be easily misinterpreted.

There are two popular methods used while conducting cognitive interviews. First, you can ask the interviewee a question, let him/her respond, and follow up with another question that you had intended to ask, no matter what their answer was. You can continue this pattern until you feel that you have arrived at the “true” thoughts or answers that the interviewee has, as opposed to the premeditated or politically correct answers that they intended giving.

Second, you can solicit unedited responses by asking open ended questions that can allow for a more extensive answer. As the person who is being interviewed continues to talk, more can be revealed about their true thoughts or opinions pertaining to the question asked.

This method of cognitive interviewing can be difficult if the facilitator does not know how to “rein in” the interviewee once they have heard a response that is sufficient for them.

Although these techniques are found to be highly effective, it is important to find a balance when using both the behavioural interview questions for executives and the cognitive interview questions method as a facilitator.

Business executive interview questions

Interviewing can be a tedious and stressful time. Which questions should you ask, which ones are appropriate? Are you going to pick the right person for the position? Below is a list of the top 14 interview questions hiring managers find most effective. These inquiries range from basic to complex and give descriptions of what the question accomplishes. Some of the questions are very straight forward and some are tricky ones that bring out the candidate's personality and behavior without directly asking them.

What circumstance brings you here today?

This is one of the best opening questions ever. This open ended question surprises many candidates. If they do not respond quickly, just sit quietly and wait for the response. Some candidates reveal problems with their current employer, potential insubordination, and both positive or negative character traits.

How would your best friend describe you?

In most cases, the response to this question indicates how the candidate wants you to feel they are perceived by friends. Take notes on the response and then ask, "May I call your best friend and see how they describe you?" You may or may not be interested in talking to the best friend. However, the response and body language after the follow-up question can indicate if you received a truthful response. I suggest asking this question near the beginning of the interview. It helps you get truthful responses for the rest of your time with the candidate.

What would you say are your 2 greatest weaknesses?

This question reveals the candidate's ability to identify the need for personal improvement. The best responses include a plan on how the candidate is addressing the weakness. Some candidates also do an effective job turning their weakness into a positive, which indicates the candidate has good alternative thinking or good sales skills. Watch out for candidates who are unaware or will not admit that they have weaknesses.

How do you alleviate stress?

Every job has stress. So if someone says they are not stressed or claim to not do anything about it, then they are either lying or they do not know how to control it. Look for positive activities or hobbies, rather than substance use or dangerous activities as stress relievers.

What are your short and long term goals?

The response to this question usually reveals if the candidate has personal or professional goals. If they do not have a quick response, it may indicate they do not plan ahead. I especially like responses which indicate drive, planning and good work/life balance. You may also need to ask for more details about certain goals to gain insight into whether or not the employee intends to stay for awhile or just gain a little experience and move on. Consider asking the follow-up question, "What are 3 goals that you have achieved in the past year?"

What type of work environment do you prefer?

When choosing potential employees, it is helpful to know what type of environment in which they prefer to work. If the company is very professional and usually quiet, someone who likes a loud, casual environment might not be the best fit. It is sometimes good to hire someone who does not fit the mold, but it is usually best to hire people who fit your work environment.

What is your typical way of dealing with conflict?

As with stress, conflicts are something we deal with frequently. Conflicts may range from differences with a supervisor, to differing lunch preferences. Most employers look for someone who can deal with an issue without getting frustrated. Either ask for a real-life example or build a hypothetical scenario and ask how they would handle the conflict. Some managers, who prefer a more confrontational interview style, intentionally create conflict and stress in the interview to see how the candidate responds.

Business education interview questions

An article on Forbes.com says there are only three true job interview questions: 1) Can you do the job?, 2) Will you love the job?, and 3) Can we tolerate working with you?  These questions boil down the essential questions for executive interviews. I think they are also valuable questions for students to consider as they progress through their education.

1)     Can you do the job? Are you learning the skills you need to be a successful graphic designer? Are you really working as hard as you can to be successful? Or are you floating through thinking that the degree will open the doors for you? In truth it’s your portfolio that will get you in the door. I cannot remember one design job interview where I was asked about my college degree. My portfolio showed everything, what I was capable of doing and where my limitations were. Work hard in every class, those projects are the basis for the best portfolio you can put together.

2)     Will you love the job? Do you really enjoy doing the projects, reading assignments, doing any homework? Do you get excited about the next challenge or do you cringe at the thought? Remember that you chose this career and you may be doing this or similar work for the rest of your life. Get excited about each and every project, the mundane, the most difficult and everything in between.

3)     Can we tolerate working with you? How do you get along with your classmates and teachers? Are you argumentative or are you open to criticism? Do you look forward to seeing everyone and working side by side with them? Are you friendly, courteous, likeable? This is probably the most important trait you can possess. Friendly, outgoing people can learn new skills, adapt to job requirements; jerks don’t even know they’re jerks.

Below is the link to a Forbes.com article about job
interview questions.

Sample interview questions for teaching candidates

Not every interviewer will ask you every one of these questions.  However, if you are prepared to address these questions, you will leave the impression that you were prepared for your job interview, even if additional questions take you by surprise. 

Key to good responses: Give specific examples to illustrate and back up what you say about yourself. 

Don't just speak in vague, general terms. 
 
• Why did you decide to become a teacher?

• Have you ever taken care of someone? Did you enjoy it?

• Do you consider yourself a risk taker? (Give an example to back up your answer.)

• Are you a positive and energetic person? (Give an example to back up your answer.)

• If a student said she thought you were the worst teacher she ever had, how would you react and what would you say?

• If I were your principal and we were setting goals for next year, what would they be?

• What is the last book you read?

• Have you ever considered publishing a book?

• Some people say you should demand respect. Do you agree or disagree?

• Tell me about yourself.

• How would you rank these in importance and why? Planning, discipline, methods, evaluation.

• If a student came to you and said, "None of the other students like me," what would you tell him/her?

• Are you an empathetic person? Give an example.

• How can you tell that a person is a good listener?

• Are you an objective person? Give an example.

• What do you want to do with your life?
 
• How do you feel if a student does not meet a deadline?

• It is the first day of class, you are writing something on the board and a paper wad hits you in the back, what would you do?  Later the same day, if all the students drop their pencils, what do you do?

• What was the most frustrating thing that happened to you as a student teacher?

• What was the best thing?

• Do you believe you should build rapport with students?  If yes, how?

• How do you give your students recognition?  Do you think a student can have too much recognition?

• How do you encourage students to learn?  Can a student be forced to learn?

• How do you handle a child who seems gifted, but is a discipline problem?

• How do you prefer to use computers in the classroom?

• How do you present a new word to a class?

Common interview questions for this type of sales job. 

What do you consider to be the most important requirements for this job?

Expect pharmaceutical interview questions that explore your knowledge and understanding of this job. Do your homework on the company and the position to make sure you can answer this question properly. You need to have a clear picture of what this job involves and what is expected from the person who does it. The more you can relate what you are currently doing to these job requirements the more suitable you will appear. Get as much detail as possible on the employment opportunity, the company and its products and parallel your experience to this. The company website is a good place to start. 

What do you consider the most challenging aspect of a pharmaceutical sales job?

Be candid about what you have found to be the most difficult aspect of pharmaceutical sales and then clearly describe how you have successfully managed this challenge. A common difficulty is getting enough time with health care professionals to properly discuss your products. Detail how you have used your initiative and problem-solving skills to effectively deal with this and get sufficient access to the customer.

How do you research a product? 

This question is exploring your ability and motivation to be fully informed about your products. Keeping current with product data is essential to the job. Detail the resources you use to stay current and informed.Below are the core competencies identified for success in pharmaceutical or medical sales. Expect behavioral questions that explore these competencies or behaviors. Use the Behavioral Interview Guide to familiarize yourself with this type of interview before preparing specific answers to these behavioral pharmaceutical sales interview questions. 

Persuasiveness 

Give me an example of when you managed to get a physician to switch to your product.
Expect questions that investigate your sales ability. Highlight how you found out what influenced the physician's choice of products and how you used a combination of appropriate tools to convince him or her to change to your product. Show how you used your persuasive skills, your knowledge and understanding of the product and of the physician's needs to change the perception of a product.

Business development officer interview questions

You should begin with getting to know the candidate so here is the flow:

1. Tell me something about yourself and your family. (this will give you a good idea of his upbringing)

2. Ask him more about the education and why he/she chose this course.

3. Ask him about his previous experience with all the other companies and what was the learning experience from each and how it made him/her better.

4. What is the current role in the existing company? What has been his experience. Why is this person leaving. (money should be most common reason).

5. what was his relationship with the managers and senior staff in the existing organisation.

6. Talk about achievements in the existing organisation. What more is he looking which he is not getting now because of which he/she wants to change the job.

7. do they understand the role for which they have applied?? If yes how would they handle this profile. Ask every step and then the reason for this. This is important because you don't want to waste money on a new comer.

8. what is the existing CTC. Ask for proof. Where to they see themselves in the next few years with your company (be prepared for bullshit because this is what you are going to get).

9. Ask them to sell you something like a service or the same product that they have been selling in the existing company. If he cant sell this to you how do you expect this person to develop your business as a manager himself.

Hope i was able to help. do let me know what happened.