Any situational questions such as, how do you manage conflicting priorities, handling stressful deadlines, most challenging project, working with a difficult employee etc.

If possible, it is always best to give an example from your previous experience:
✓ State the situation that occurred
✓ Explain what you did to resolve/handle the situation
✓ If applicable describe how your solution improved the outcome

What are your salary expectations?

This is a little tricky. Some managers ask some don’t. If asked, your first response should be to
defer it to the recruiter and say I’m comfortable with communicating that through ‘Dave’ my
recruiter.

If pressed for a number, you definitely should first emphasize other motivating factors such as
career growth, the company etc., but with that should come some indication of your salary
expectations.

Best to give a range within or same as being offered going too high on the outset might price
you out but going too low might be short changing yourself. The final number can be negotiated
later but keep in mind it shouldn’t be much higher than advertised. If your expectation is well
over the range being offered you should not be applying for the position.

You are not obligated to state your current compensation but if asked it is acceptable to say I’d
like to keep that confidential, you’re well within your rights to do so.

Why do you want to leave your current job?

Keep it positive. It should be about career growth, the hiring company. DO NOT say you want a
higher salary or negative things about your current company and/or boss.

Why should we hire you?

Refer back to the job description and say, ‘my understanding is that you are looking for
someone that has strong experience in ‘xyz etc.’ and this is what I’ve done for the past ‘x’ years
at ‘ABC company’. Add any accomplishments or examples how you exceeded expectations or
over delivered on expectations and how you could do the same with this position.
Add any addition personal passion you have for your industry and give examples that
demonstrate that passion.

Do you have any questions for me?

You should have some questions around the position i.e., career progression/growth, what are
your expectations.

A great question to ask is, ‘if you were to hire me, what would I have done/accomplished to
receive a favourable performance review after year one? ‘This is a great question because it
plants a seed in the hiring manager’s mind of him/her envisioning you being on the team.

DO NOT ask about compensation, vacation that can be communicated through the offer
negotiation process.

At the close of the interview…

If you like what you hear and want to move forward let them
know.

John, I really think this a great opportunity for me to grow and also be a strong contributor to
the team. What are the next steps?

Tips for a virtual interview

a. Make sure you are in a quiet space and won’t be interrupted. If you have others at home
leave a note on the door that you are in a meeting. Your background should be fairly
neutral. It would be preferable not to use digital backgrounds as the image usually gets
distorted a little and creates a strange perception.

b. Dress appropriately. Typically business casual is an accepted dress code unless you are
interviewing for a tech startup and ripped jeans and a t-shirt is the norm.

c. If you haven’t already, do a systems check to ensure your camera and mic is working
properly.

d. During the meeting, try to focus as much as you can on the camera so it appears that you
are making eye contact. When you look at the pic of the person on the screen it will appear
to them that you are looking down/away. It is human nature to want/need to look at the
other person to get a sense of their facial expressions, body language etc. so take a few
peeks here and there at the person while listening/talking but give more focus to the
camera. If possible try a practice run with a friend.

e. It is quite common for the sound to break up. If this occurs just politely let the other party
know and ask politely to please repeat the question.

Dave Menzel

About the author:

Dave is an independent talent acquisition consultant who has been working from his home office for the past several years. He has been working in the recruitment field successfully for the past 12 years, recruiting for small and large businesses like INVIVO Communications, Questrade, IG Wealth, , Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire among others.

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