Pre-interview testing
Pre-interview testing may include job-specific examination for skills such as keyboard speed and accuracy, MS Office proficiency and written exercises.
Interview testing - STAR format
During our interview, panel members will ask competency-based behavioural questions. Please answer using the STAR format.
New to STAR? It’s an acronym for four key concepts or steps. Use each step to answer behavioral-based interview questions. A fuller answer is provided by using all four steps.
- (S) Situation: Describe when you did a job or faced a challenge at work. It is important to be as specific as possible. Try to use past work experience and avoid general statements
- (T) Task: Follow up with explaining your responsibility or role to the situation
- (A) Action: Describe how you completed the task or met the challenge
- (R) Result: Finish by explaining the results from your actions
Examples of STAR Interview Questions and Answers
Example Question 1: Tell me about a time you had to complete a task with a tight deadline. Describe the situation and explain how you did it.
Sample Answer: While I typically like to plan my work in stages and complete it piece by piece, I can also achieve high-quality results under tight deadlines. Once, at a former company, an employee left days before a fast-approaching project deadline. I was asked to take responsibility for it.
There was only a few days to learn and complete the project. I created a Task Force and delegated work, and we all completed the assignment with a day to spare. In fact, I believe I thrive when working under tight deadlines.
Example Question 2: What do you do when a team member refuses to complete his or her quota of work?
Sample Answer 2: When there are team conflicts or issues, I always try my best to step up as team leader. I think my communication skills make me an effective leader and moderator.
For example, one time, when I was working on a team project, two of the team members got into an argument, refusing to complete their assignments. They were both dissatisfied with their workloads, so I arranged a team meeting where we reallocated all the work with all the team members.
This made everyone happier and more productive. Our project ended successfully too.
Example Question 3: Tell me about a time you showed initiative on the job.
Sample Answer 3: Last winter, I was acting as an account coordinator, supporting the account executive for a major client at an ad agency. The account executive had an accident and was sidelined three weeks before a major campaign pitch.
I volunteered to fill in and develop the presentation by coordinating the creative and media teams’ work. I called an emergency meeting and facilitated a discussion about ad scenarios, media plans, and the roles of various team members in relation to the presentation.
I was able to achieve a consensus on two priority ad concepts that we had to pitch, along with related media strategies. I drew up a minute-by-minute plan of how we would present the pitch that was warmly received by the team based on our discussions.
The client loved our plan and adopted the campaign. I was promoted to account executive six months later.