1. What qualities do you look for in a boss?
Remain optimistic and do not be too specific. Good attributes include moral character, honesty, and intelligence since managers usually believe they possess these qualities.
2. How well do you know our company?
Well, a developed company that is gradually building their reputation in the competitive world.
3. How much are you willing to sacrifice to be successful at work At OMERS?
With anything comes sacrifice. The questions is how much of it are you willing to sacrifice with regards to work life balance, stress, etc?
4. What five words would be describe you as OMERS?
The hiring manager requests this of you because she wants to know more about your individual personality. This list can reveal a lot to her about who you are and how you might fit into the workplace. Your answer also gives the manager an indication of your self-perception, which is a good indicator of the type of employee you will be.
5. What is your philosophy towards work?
This is typically a straightforward question that merits a straightforward answer. Do you have strong worth ethic? Will you do whatever it takes to make sure the job gets done? Just say so in your response. Keep it short, direct and positive.
6. What role are you ready to take in a group?
Ideally, you want to take on the role you're interviewing for, but you want to be flexible with your responsibilities At OMERS if there are any changes.
7. How did you hear about the position At OMERS?
Another seemingly innocuous interview question, this is actually a perfect opportunity to stand out and show your passion for and connection to the company and for job At OMERS. For example, if you found out about the gig through a friend or professional contact, name drop that person, then share why you were so excited about it. If you discovered the company through an event or article, share that. Even if you found the listing through a random job board, share what, specifically, caught your eye about the role.
8. Can you tell me a little about yourself?
This question seems simple, so many people fail to prepare for it, but it's crucial. Here's the deal: Don't give your complete employment (or personal) history At OMERS. Instead give a pitch-one that's concise and compelling and that shows exactly why you're the right fit for the job. Start off with the 2-3 specific accomplishments or experiences that you most want the interviewer to know about, then wrap up talking about how that prior experience has positioned you for this specific role.
9. How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?
The first thing you should do is discuss experience you have the interviewer is unfamiliar with. Once that is detailed, tell the person conducting the interview that you are able to learn new tasks and information in a reasonable period of time and possess a strong work ethic. However, only state this if you can live up to these expectations.
10. What is the most irritating thing you've experienced about your co-workers?
This question is designed to find out if you get along well on team, with other and whether or not you'll be a fit with the interviewer's organization. It's a trap. Think real hard but fail to come up anything that irritated you about your co-workers. A short positive response is best.
11. What motivates you at the work place?
Keep your answer simple, direct and positive. Some good answers may be the ability to achieve, recognition or challenging assignments.
12. Explain what are your strengths At OMERS?
Bad Answer: Candidate is unprepared for question or only gives generic answers.
This is the most common job interview question - everybody should be expecting it. If they don't seem prepared, or give a fairly stock answer, it's probably a bad sign.
Good answer: The consensus is to go for quality, not quantity here. Candidates should give a short list of strengths, and back each one up with examples that illustrate the strength. Also, they should explain how these strengths will be useful in the job you're applying for, and use this question to say something interesting about themselves.
13. Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?
Bad Answer: A generic or uninspired answer. Also, answers that show that this career/company is just a temporary stop for them.
Good answer: One that shows the candidate has thought about this question, has plans, and that those plans align with the job and a career path that is possible in the company. You want to see that this candidate is a good long term investment.
14. What are your strengths At OMERS?
This is one of the most common questions you will be asked. Give an answer relevant to the skills and qualities relevant to the position you are applying to. The interviewer is trying to find if your strengths match the job. For example, if you are applying for a job At OMERS where accuracy is an important issue, one of your strengths could be that you have an eye for detail. It may useful to find different words to describe similar attributes and qualities in order to avoid repetition.
15. How long do you want to work for us if we hire you?
Here being specific is probably not the best approach. You may consider responding, “I hope a very long time.” Or “As long as we're both happy with my performance.”
16. What do you think about Teamwork?
I enjoy teamwork and am used to shift work. I think I would adapt well to the role. I am looking for new challenges At OMERS and I know I would learn a lot as cabin crew, not just about people and places, but skills like first aid too, how can I help others with in my limits.
Example stories could be a class project, an internal meeting presentation, or a customer facing presentation.
18. What is your personal mission statement?
Is it to conquer the world? Is it to become a CEO? Is it to give back to the community? Is it to inspire others? Define your statement by stating a clear vision of how you want to make an impact on the world with your work.
19. Do you have any blind spots?
This question is often meant to trick candidates since acknowledgment of blind spots would indicate they were aware of them. Also, do not disclose bad habits or other personal concerns. Let the interviewer find out about your personal flaws through the course of the interview without directly stating these flaws.
20. How does your present position differ from past ones?
Describe the difference with regards to responsibilities, culture, team, career opportunity, and the work itself.
21. Why do you want to leave your current company At OMERS?
Bad Answer: Complaining about or blaming their former job, boss or colleagues. Also, having no good reason.
Good answer: One that focuses on the positives about why the job they're applying for offers them better learning or career opportunities, chances for advancement, aligns more closely to their long term goals, or is a better fit for them.
22. Tell us something about yourself?
Bad Answer: Candidates who ramble on about themselves without regard for information that will actually help the interviewer make a decision, or candidates who actually provide information showing they are unfit for the job.
Good answer: An answer that gives the interviewer a glimpse of the candidate's personality, without veering away from providing information that relates to the job. Answers should be positive, and not generic.
23. What type of people do you not work well with?
Be very careful answering this question as most organization employ professionals with an array of personalities and characteristics. You don't want to give the impression that you're going to have problems working with anyone currently employed at the organization. If you through out anything trivial you're going to look like a whiner. Only disloyalty to the organization or lawbreaking should be on your list of personal characteristics of people you can't work with.
Ideally you want to able to type quickly, have the ability to effectively use Microsoft Office, and more importantly be able to quickly adapt to computer / technology skills. More and more it's become an integral part of work. If the job doesn't require technology skills - then this question shouldn't be asked!
25. How do you feel about taking on repetitive tasks At OMERS?
This answer depends on whether or not the job has a lot of repetitive tasks with no variation. If it does, then you would need to be okay with the idea of doing the same task over and over again. If you feel you can offer more than repetitive work, then describe how you would be able to do so.
26. What type of personalities do you work best with and why?
Think of which personalities you work best with (do you like outgoing, collaborative, personable working relationships and so forth?)
27. Was there a person in your career who really made a difference?
If you can't think of one, you need to get a mentor QUICKLY! Mentors can come in the form of peers, family members, co-workers, management / leaders at a company and so on.
28. How well do you multi-task?
Multi-tasking is an important part of most jobs. You want to show that you're good at it but not overwhelmed with it. So discuss just a few things you can multi-task well on - for example: "I'm good at multi tasking between work email and working on projects At OMERS and the reason it because I'm good at prioritizing my work emails.
29. How would you estimate the weight of the Chrysler building?
This is a process guesstimate where the interviewer wants to know if you know what to ask. First, you would find out the dimensions of the building (height, weight, depth). This will allow you to determine the volume of the building. Does it taper at the top? (Yes.) Then, you need to estimate the composition of the Chrysler building. Is it mostly steel? Concrete? How much would those components weigh per square inch? Remember the extra step: find out whether you're considering the building totally empty or with office furniture, people, etc. If you're including the contents, you might have to add 20 percent or so to the building's weight.
30. Why do you feel you will excel at rhis job?
This question presents an excellent opportunity for you to discuss your education, qualifications and personal traits. You might say something like “I studied property management as well as behavior during my college years and I have two years' experience in real estate.
I can gauge the homes or apartments in which clients will be interested based solely upon the needs of their families. Finally, my organizational skills will allow me to schedule appointments or showings confidently and arrive for them punctually.” This shows your interviewer that you have all of the skills necessary to become successful not only for yourself, but also for your employer.
31. Do you have the ability to articulate a vision and to get others involved to carry it out?
If yes, then share an example of how you've done so at work or college. If not, then discuss how you would do so. Example: "I would first understand the goals of the staff members and then I would align those to the goals of the project / company. Then I would articulate the vision of that alignment and ask them to participate. From there, we would delegate tasks among the team and then follow up on a date and time to ensure follow through on the tasks. Lastly, we would review the results together."
32. How do you imagine a typical day of an employee in our company At OMERS?
Just do not say that you imagine to only walk and watch what people do. Rather try to show them your attention to details and proactive attitude to job. Mention that you would try to observe the problems, weaknesses as well as opportunities to improve the results and take measures according to it.
33. How do you stay up to date with industry?
Discuss how you stay up to date by reading industry specific sites, magazines, and Google / yahoo news. Also make sure you stay up to date by reading the current news on the company's website.
34. In what areas do you think you will need guidance?
Think about what you need to learn going into the job. Skill sets, industry knowledge, relationship building, team dynamics. Which areas are ones you're lacking?
35. What are your thoughts on social media for this role?
Without a doubt, social media is becoming more and more pervasive in our jobs. You should stress that social media is not appropriate for personal use at work. However, if the company embraces social media in certain departments (for example marketing), then you may want to discuss how you could use it for work (as long as it applies to your role).
36. What differentiates this company from other competitors?
Be positive and nice about their competitors but also discuss how they are better than them and why they are the best choice for the customer. For example: "Company XYZ has a good product, but I truly believe your company has a 3-5 year vision for your customer that aligns to their business needs."
37. How important is a positive attitude to you?
Incredibly important. I believe a positive attitude is the foundation of being successful - it's contagious in the workplace, with our customers, and ultimately it's the difference maker.
38. Describe what a bad work environment would look like to you At OMERS?
There could be a multitude of things to discuss here: Business ethics (wrongdoing), inconsiderate teammates, non-supportive management, a product that does not do what you're promising customers and so forth.
39. How open are you to relocation?
If you're not, then say you're not. Don't lie about it just to get the job. There's no point if you won't move for the job anyway and lying is unethical. If you are open to relocation At OMERS, let them know which areas you'd be willing to relocate to.
40. How would you impact the company?
Consider first the role that you're applying for and then think of 3 ways where you could potentially impact the company's bottom line and top line. Then consider how you impact the company in a creative manner (how do you help productivity, the development of new products, marketing etc - of course this part is specific to the role you're applying for)
41. What negative thing would your last boss say about you?
"He/She wouldn't say anything bad, but he/she may point out I could improve in a certain area, and I've taken steps to become better at those skills"
42. How do you define arrogance? Are you arrogant?
Arrogance is having an attitude of superiority beyond reason. Confidence is believing in yourself without being cocky. You should not be arrogant.
43. What is your greatest strength? How does it help you At OMERS?
One of my greatest strengths, and that I am a diligent worker... I care about the work getting done.. I am always willing to help others in the team.. Being patient helps me not jump to conclusions... Patience helps me stay calm when I have to work under pressure.. Being a diligent worker.. It ensures that the team has the same goals in accomplishing certain things.
44. What's a time you disagreed with a decision that was made at work?
Everyone disagrees with the boss from time to time, but in asking this interview question At OMERS, hiring managers want to know that you can do so in a productive, professional way. “You don't want to tell the story about the time when you disagreed but your boss was being a jerk and you just gave in to keep the peace. And you don't want to tell the one where you realized you were wrong,”. Tell the one where your actions made a positive difference on the outcome of the situation, whether it was a work-related outcome or a more effective and productive working relationship.
45. How did you find out about this job At OMERS? What do you know about the job?
Possible ways to find out about the job:
Online website listing, friend, professional referral, mentor, career fairs, networking events. You should know about the roles and responsibilities of the job and what they're looking for. Make sure you read up on that online beforehand or ask the person that referred you.
46. What does "collaboration with teammates" mean to you?
Drinking at the water cooler together is not the best example. Think of how you can collaborate with teammates to generate new ideas, to create initiatives to impact the business' success for the better (specifically in the department that you're applying for). For example, if you're applying to marketing, collaboration could mean discussing new ways of social media advertising to reach an audience of over a million people to strengthen the brand awareness of the company.
47. How do you handle conflicts with people you supervise?
At first place, you try to avoid conflicts if you can. But once it happens and there's no way to avoid it, you try to understand the point of view of the other person and find the solution good for everyone. But you always keep the authority of your position.
Do the following steps:
☛ 1. Turn ON two switches, and leave one OFF.
☛ 2. Wait a few minutes.
☛ 3. Turn one switch from ON to OFF. One is now ON and two are OFF
☛ 4. Enter the room. - If the light is ON, it is controlled by the switch you left ON. - If the light bulb is OFF, touch it. If it is warm it is controlled by the switch you turned ON and OFF. If it is cold, it is controlled by the switch you never turned on.
49. What types of personalities do you work with best?
In the past, I have found it difficult to work with others who see themselves as better than others, who can take criticism, and who refuse to work with others. I have found it challenging to work with them b/c I am a team oriented person who feels the importance of working together over the needs of the individual especially in a learning environment.
50. What features of your previous jobs have you disliked?
It's easy to talk about what you liked about your job in an interview, but you need to be careful when responding to questions about the downsides of your last position. When you're asked at a job interview about what you didn't like about your previous job, try not to be too negative. You don't want the interviewer to think that you'll speak negatively about this job or the company should you eventually decide to move on after they have hired you.
51. Are you planning to continue your studies and training At OMERS?
If asked about plans for continued education, companies typically look for applicants to tie independent goals with the aims of the employer. Interviewers consistently want to see motivation to learn and improve. Continuing education shows such desires, especially when potentials display interests in academia potentially benefiting the company.
Answering in terms of “I plan on continuing my studies in the technology field,” when offered a question from a technology firm makes sense. Tailor answers about continued studies specific to desired job fields. Show interest in the industry and a desire to work long-term in said industry. Keep answers short and to the point, avoiding diatribes causing candidates to appear insincere.
52. How many square feet of pizza are eaten in the United States each month?
This is a classic guesstimate question where you need to think aloud. And so first off you round the U.S. population to 300 million people (it's actually about 315 million but rounding will be much easier and your interviewer will not score you lower for rounding). Then estimate how many people eat pizza. A decent educated guess is two out of every three people, or 200 million. Now let's say the average pizza-eating person eats pizza twice a month, and eats two slices at a time. That's four slices a month. If the average slice of pizza is perhaps six inches at the base and 10 inches long, then the slice is 30 square inches of pizza. So, four pizza slices would be 120 square inches (30 times 4).
Since one square foot equals 144 square inches (12 times 12), let's assume that each person who eats pizza eats one square foot per month. Since there are 200 million pizza-eating Americans, 200 million square feet of pizza are consumed in the U.S. each month. To summarize: 300 million people in America, 200 million eat pizza, average slice of pizza is six inches at the base and 10 inches long or 30 square inches, average American eats four slices of pizza a month, four pieces times 30 square inches equals 120 square inches (one square foot is 144 square inches), so let's assume one square foot per person, and thus one square foot times 200 million people equals 200 million square feet of pizza a month.
53. What is your desired salary At OMERS?
Bad Answer: Candidates who are unable to answer the question, or give an answer that is far above market. Shows that they have not done research on the market rate, or have unreasonable expectations.
Good answer: A number or range that falls within the market rate and matches their level of mastery of skills required to do the job.
54. Explain me about a time when you reached a goal within a tight deadline?
I work well under pressure to meet deadlines without jeopardizing the quality of my work. I have always worked in a fast pace environment where we are constantly under pressure to achieve best results within a time frame.
55. How do you keep each member of the team involved and motivated?
Many managers mistakenly think that money is the prime motivator for their employees. However, according to surveys by several different companies, money is consistently ranked five or lower by most employees. So if money is not the best way to motivate your team, what is?
Employees' three most important issues according to employees are:
☛ Respect
☛ A sense of accomplishment
☛ Recognition
56. What was the biggest professional risk you have taken and what was the outcome?
First discuss how you weighed the pros and cons of the risk and the results you'd believe you could achieve. Then discuss the action plan you put into place for it and outline that step by step. Then discuss the outcome and if it wasn't optimal talk about what you would do differently in hindsight.
57. What does "thinking outside the box" mean to you?
It means not doing things exactly the same way as everyone else. You've got to challenge the status quo and bring something new to the business.
58. Do you like to start personal relationships with other employees?
Well, the right answer is yes and no. Good personal relations can improve the overall performance of a team. But on the other hand, you should not let your emotions to affect your decisions in work.
59. Does your boss know you're here today?
Usually, you probably haven't told your boss for obvious reasons. So it's ok to say that they do not. You don't want to upset the balance at your current job after all and nothing is guaranteed in an interview. The interviewer should understand this stance.
60. What do you think is your greatest weakness?
Don't say anything that could eliminate you from consideration for the job. For instance, "I'm slow in adapting to change" is not a wise answer, since change is par for the course in most work environments. Avoid calling attention to any weakness that's one of the critical qualities the hiring manager is looking for. And don't try the old "I'm a workaholic," or "I'm a perfectionist.
61. What aspect of supervision do you find the most difficult?
Managing different personalities and keeping them focused on the goal at hand.
62. How would you observe the level of motivation of your subordinates?
Choosing the right metrics and comparing productivity of everyone on daily basis is a good answer, doesn't matter in which company you apply for a supervisory role.
63. What do you know about this department?
One good way to find out about the department is to try to "informally" interview the existing employees over coffee (outside of the office) if possible. It's hard if you don't have any connections there, but if you do a great way to learn about it. Other than that, it's often hard to learn about the department so you can turn the table back on them by asking questions to learn about it.
64. How would your friends describe you?
My friends would probably say that I'm extremely persistent – I've never been afraid to keep going back until I get what I want. When I worked as a program developer, recruiting keynote speakers for a major tech conference, I got one rejection after another – this was just the nature of the job. But I really wanted the big players – so I wouldn't take no for an answer. I kept going back to them every time there was a new company on board, or some new value proposition. Eventually, many of them actually said "yes" – the program turned out to be so great that we doubled our attendees from the year before. A lot of people might have given up after the first rejection, but it's just not in my nature. If I know something is possible, I have to keep trying until I get it.
65. How do you plan to go by an example for your subordinates?
Sticking to the rules by yourself, working hard and not mind participating on basic tasks is a good answer.
66. Tell me one thing about yourself you wouldn't want me to know?
Talk about a trait that you would consider a weakness. No need to talk about your deepest darkest secrets here.
67. What are your salary expectations At OMERS?
This question is like a loaded gun, tricky and dangerous if you're not sure what you are doing. It's not uncommon for people to end up talking salary before really selling their skills, but knowledge is power as this is a negotiation after all. Again, this is an area where doing your research will be helpful as you will have an understanding of average salary.
One approach is asking the interviewer about the salary range, but to avoid the question entirely, you can respond that money isn't a key factor and you're goal is to advance in your career. However, if you have a minimum figure in mind and you believe you're able to get it, you may find it worth trying.
68. Have you got any questions?
This is your final opportunity to persuade the interviewer that you are the right candidate for the job. Now is not the time to ask questions about holidays, pay or pensions – all these things can be asked later when you get an offer of employment. Now is the time to ask about any reservations that the interviewer may have about your suitability for the role. You will then give yourself one last chance to persuade the interviewer that you are the right candidate for the job.
Example Thank you. I think we have covered everything. Before we finish the interview I would like to take the opportunity to ask if you have any reservations about my suitability for this role?
69. How do you evaluate your ability to handle conflict?
I pride myself on being a good problem solver. Through my previous job and management positions I have faced numerous conflicts in different situations, and my experiences have helped me to hone my issue resolution skills. I believe that it is important to get to and address the root of the issue, in a respectable manner.
70. Describe a typical work week for this position At OMERS?
Interviewers expect a candidate for employment to discuss what they do while they are working in detail. Before you answer, consider the position At OMERS you are applying for and how your current or past positions relate to it. The more you can connect your past experience with the job opening, the more successful you will be at answering the questions.
71. Do you work well under pressure?
Yes.. When it comes down to the wire, the best thing I can to remain focused, have some flexibility, and understand priorities.. Giving them attention in the order they are needed.
72. What does quality work mean to you?
Quality work to be is about doing work to the require or set standard, which is very important when it comes to warehouse operations.
73. How would you rate your communication and interpersonal skills for this job At OMERS?
These are important for support workers. But they differ from the communication skills of a CEO or a desktop support technician. Communication must be adapted to the special ways and needs of the clients. Workers must be able to not only understand and help their clients, but must project empathy and be a warm, humane presence in their lives.
74. Do you think you have enough experience At OMERS?
If you do not have the experience they need, you need to show the employer that you have the skills, qualities and knowledge that will make you equal to people with experience but not necessary the skills. It is also good to add how quick you can pick up the routine of a new job role.
