Depending on where you live and the local laws, these are questions that are not considered to be legal interview questions but not actually be illegal to ask. An example of an unethical question would be one that asks you to divulge secret or confidential information about your current employer.

This might be a legal interview question but it’s one that simply shouldn’t be asked.

Another example of an unethical question would be one that asks you to do something that would benefit the company you are interviewing with and in exchange for doing it, would result in you getting the job. I’ve actually heard of companies who use a recruiter to find staff but then tell the job candidate that they will hire them under the table by cutting the recruiter out of the deal in order to not have to pay the recruiter!

Would you want to work for a company that treats people like this?

Probably not.

Another example of an unethical question would be one that isn’t actually unethical to ask but describes an unethical situation that you might face in your career and asks how you’d respond to the situation.

For example, I’ve heard the following question asked in an interview and the goal of asking the question was to gauge how the interviewee dealt with a hypothetical unethical dilemma that was posed to them:

Imagine that you have a chance to increase sales in your company by a significant amount of money by securing a very valuable contract that is worth $2 million. In order to gain this $2 million contract through, the person you are negotiating with has suggested that an under the table (ie. illegal or unethical) payment needs to be paid.

How would you respond?

In other words, would you accept the terms and make an under the table payment or would you walk away and refuse to make the payment but lose out on the $2 million contract in the process, perhaps to a major competitor?

A third way to handle the problem is probably the most effective and correct way to answer the question: keep negotiating until everything is above the table!

In other words, negotiate until everything is above-board and legal.

True, this would be an ideal result but remember this is just a hypothetical question and the interviewer would most likely be assessing your credibility and ethics to see how you deal with unscrupulous people.

The last thing a company wants to do is hire someone who does things “the wrong way!”

By: Carl Mueller

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Did you know that just by showing a strong resume or a CV to any interviewer nowadays does not exactly guarantee landing you the job. You may even be able to answer all the targeted interview questions correctly, but you will still be nowhere near in receiving and signing the appointment letter if your body language is sending the wrong signals and messages throughout the interview.

This may come as a surprise to many, but statistics has shown that words only managed to contribute 35% of the message being sent across, while the tone of your voice and body language have a commanding 65% of what’s being communicated.

Just by observing your body language alone, an experienced interviewer can already access to the nature of your characteristics. They can tell whether you are a confident person or not, if you are the open and friendly type or the shy and quiet type, if you are a team player or a solo loner, or even if you are being honest and truthful or not. During the period of questions and answers, the interviewer will not only pay attention to what you say, but also observe intensely the way you say it. They will then look for all those answers, reactions and responses from you that match their qualifications for the position offered.

Regardless of whether you open your mouth or not, body language will inform the interviewer of your inner feelings. You will definitely not be able to get on their good side if you are without the knowledge or awareness of your negative attributes from your actions. Signals and gestures such as uneasiness, apprehension, weariness, dullness, dishonesty, and the lack of integrity will in fact project a bad image of you and will cost you the job application.

The importance of body language during the first four to five minutes of the encounter cannot be over-emphasized. Within this short period of time, a strong and lasting impression will be formed which can radically affect the outcome of the meeting. As a sign of respect and politeness, always wait for the interviewer to offer his or hand first before you extend yours for the handshake. While maintaining eye contact, grip and shake the hand firmly, but do not squeeze. Basically, the best results for inspiring confidence are produced with a firm positive handshake. In the contrast, weak and limp handshakes will only transmit a half hearted message that will only undermine and weaken an otherwise positive situation.

Be seated only after you have been asked to do so by the interviewer. At the same time, be mindful of your surroundings and avoid having to face a bright and shining window, as this will cause you to have difficulties in maintaining a positive eye contact. Remember not to be afraid to ask or request politely for a change of seating if you do not have an option or choice in avoiding the glare from the sunlight.

To start off on the right direction, you will have to position yourself in a confident and comfortable manner and totally avoid projecting any negative body language habits. Make sure that you always have room to move and reposition yourself if you happen to become restless or stiff. Meanwhile, secure yourself in a comfortably seated upright position to ensure that no part of your body is under any strain or stress, especially coming from the neck area.

Raise your head to the same eye-level as the interviewer to show an expression of interest, at the same time you may relax your shoulders but not to the extent of slumping to the seat. Place your hands loosely on your lap or put them on the armrest of your chair. By doing so, you can at any time use hand movements to support what you are saying to strengthen your commentaries, and make the conversation more interesting. With hand gestures supporting your words, the interviewer will look at you as confident and comfortable with the progress of the interview. Do bear in mind not to get over excited and resulting in overdoing the gestures and movements in exaggeration, as this will only project an unpleasant form suggesting apprehension or aggression.

Listed below are all the important and effective body language gestures and signals that you must always be mindful of during interviews:

Using the Power of Your Voice Successfully

* Project confidence and enthusiasm through the firmness of your voice.

* Don’t pinch your voice too high. High-pitch voices are tough on the years and they will make you sound like a whining child.

* Avoid gabbling or mumbling excitedly, for nobody trust a fast talker.

* Do vary your tone and dynamics as you go along the conversation, but avoid speaking too loudly or too softly.

* Speak slightly slower than normal to generate a calm and steady presence, but don’t overdo it.

* Always pause before beginning the next sentence to avoid instinctively reacting and having the wrong things coming out from your mouth.

* Control the range of your tones when speaking to avoid a dull and weary monotone.

Negative Body Language Actions and Habits to Be Avoided

* A fixed and unfocused stare shows that either you’re day dreaming or your mind is somewhere else.

* Hesitating or looking away before or during when you’re speaking suggests that you’re unsure of what you’re saying.

* Touching your face or your mouth constantly when speaking indicates that you’re dishonest or hiding something.

* Doodling on paper shows you’re not paying attention and also not interested.

* Tapping your foot continuously is annoying, distracting, and a sure sign of boredom.

* Folded or crossing arms suggests rejection and unwillingness to listen.

* Constant fidgeting indicates restlessness and boredom.

Positive Postures and Gestures

* Attentive: Nodding, smiling

* Listening: Verbal acknowledgment, nodding, head tilted, constant eye contact

* Responsive/keenness: Open arms, leaning forward, nodding

Negative Postures and Gestures

* Lying/Deception: Glancing around, face touching, eyes averted, hands over mouth, shifting uncomfortably in your seat

* Aggression: Clenched fists, hands chopping down, grinding teeth, finger pointing, leaning too far forward

* Bored: Doodling, slumped posture, foot tapping

Winning Signals for a Successful Interview

* The starting point of managing and mastering your subconscious body language is to adopt an open, honest and confident attitude at all times.

* When you’re seated, don’t fidget if you’re feeling uncomfortable. Adjust your position slightly and sit up straight to maintain an alert position.

* If and when you’re challenged with a difficult question, stay calm and be mindful of your negative body language habits before answering. Avoid rushing into an unsteady expression.

* Observe and mirror the interviewer’s gestures. When they laugh, laugh with them, when they lean forward to emphasize a point, lean forward to show your attention. Postural and gestural echoing brings about togetherness and you will receive a more open response.

* Relax yourself to instill a calm and comfortable appearance. Do not hurry through the interview, just flow with the pace and let the interviewer set the speed.

* Maintain a consistent and attentive eye contact but remind yourself to avert your gaze from time to time to avoid staring.

* The expression of a smile can create positive emotional responses. It’ll reestablish your pleasant nature and enthusiasm, but be mindful of over-delivering senselessly.

Body posture and gesture are vital ingredients during job interviews. Our emotions and inner feelings are easily communicated to the interviewer through our ****** expressions, tone of our speech, and also our eye language. Make sure you sound confident and positive at all times by conversing in a steady, clear and controlled voice that can easily be heard and understood. Thin and weak voices seem to lack the vital energy and do not inspire confidence in others.

What you really want to do here is to focus and use your body language to define your skills, qualities and values in maximizing your potential to the interviewer.

Before the actual day of the interview, take some time to practice and rehearse with a family member or a friend using the role-play method. Remember that practice makes perfect. When you’re well prepared, you can secure half of the job before even entering the room.

One final thing that you must always remember, as this is the most important aspect of any job interview. Be punctual and arrive on time. Being late is more or less saying goodbye to the interview before it even has a chance to begin. No company will be interested in employing a person who is lack of professionalism and corporate ethics. It is much better to be early by one hour than to be late by just a single minute.

By: Brandon Lindall

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Not all questions you are asked in an interview will be logical ones that are directly related to the job itself.

Remember, we all have a different personality and some hiring managers you speak with might be a bit unconventional.

Some questions are asked just to gauge your reaction to them!

Some individual hiring managers and some companies might ask legal interview questions that could be described as trick questions or stress questions that are used to test your ability to think on your feet and to test your reasoning skills.

Here are a few such questions that I’ve heard asked during some interviews:

Describe yourself in 5 words. Yikes. How can you summarize yourself in five words? Think of five words that properly describe you, highlight your character and that would be of benefit to the company and to the job such as: organized, intuitive, ethical, trustworthy, honest, professional, fair, enterprising, entrepreneurial, focused, etc.

Take your pick.

What hobbies do you have? Don’t include your hobbies and personal interests in your resume. In an interview setting, this is when mentioning your hobbies might have some merit. If you are an avid guitar player and see that the interviewer has a picture of themselves playing a guitar, this might be a good opportunity to casually mention your common interest in the guitar. People hire people that they like and if you can establish a commonality with the interviewer, it can only help you.

What is your greatest achievement outside of work? If you have a family, perhaps your greatest achievement is raising your kids. Perhaps it’s the time you donate to a special charity. It might be getting your university degree. Think of an achievement that highlights your personality and indicates a balanced life outside work.

What magazines do you read? Maybe you don’t read much at all! In this case, focus on things that you do read: newspapers, books, e-books, etc. If you do any reading that is work-related, mention it.

What tv shows do you watch? Do you watch shows that are business-related or that apply to your industry or work? If not, try to think of a show or two that won’t make it look like you spend all your free time on the couch.

Do you think I’m a good interviewer? If it will help you get the job, yes! I have actually heard this question asked before. Perhaps the interviewer was looking for positive reinforcement. Give it to them, just don’t kiss their ****.

Tell me about your family. This might be considered a borderline legal interview question depending on where you live. I’ve been asked this question before and it just seemed to me that interviewer was generally interested to learn more about my family, nothing more. They might be family-oriented themselves especially if they work for a family-run company.

Sell me this pencil. I actually had this question asked of me during an interview. I was interviewing for a sales position and I had to “sell” the pencil to the interviewer. FYI, my answer to this question was to offer the pencil to them for free to try for one week with the intention of returning after one week to see if they liked the pencil enough to buy it…

There are three people on a desert island and there is one boat, one bag of nails and a roll of tape….. In other words, they give you a situational question that appears to have nothing to do with the job you are interviewing for but appears to be testing your perception and reasoning abilities.

Not all interview questions you are asked will be directly related to the job. Not all interviewers are skilled either so you never know what questions you will be asked.

The best thing you can do is try your best to properly prepare for questions you might be asked and to not allow yourself to be caught off guard.

By: Carl Mueller

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Job seekers usually ask themselves what interview questions to bring when preparing for their interview. These may be a crucial part in giving the impression that they are interested in the job position and well-informed about the company. Ask intelligent questions.

Take note that an interview is a two-way process. Employers often allow the applicants the time to ask few questions during an interview. Be prepared with some questions of your own that you feel will help you better understand the job, the company, their policies, compensation terms and other necessary details.

Make sure it is associated to the job, company, to what the interviewee offer the company when considering what interview questions to prepare. You could write it down on a sheet of paper of remember it. It could be your guide during the interview. You could revise it as you go along, depending on how the conversation turned out.

What Particular Questions to Ask

A particular job and industry will greatly help the applicants decide what interview questions to ask the individual they are meeting with when talking about the job. So, the following are some good queries to prepare which will help the applicants make a short list together.

Interview Questions To Ask About the Job

The applicants may ask about the qualities of the perfect candidate for the job position, the usual workday for the position, the special skills this position needs, and the special skills would the perfect candidate must have.

The interviewee may also ask about the people he will be working with and the people he will be handling if applicable. He may also ask if the position is newly created or just looking for a replacement, how his performance on the work be measured, and how much travel time he would need to reach the office.

They may also ask about the better things did by the company than its competitors, the goals of the department they will be working in, the company goals, and the reason why the group was matched into the company’s organizational structure.

The applicants may also know the things about the company’s biggest challenge, its competitive advantage, and the interviewer’s most want about the company.

Interview Questions to Ask the Hiring Manager

The applicants may also ask about the specific objectives made for the position in the first 6 months or 12 months, challenges he could expect to fulfill these and which were stated in the first question, and ask suggestions about making this role easier in the future.

The applicants may also ask if the company give employee training and what are the rules of the company on continuing education.

Interview Questions to Ask Before Leaving the Interview

And lastly, the applicants may also clarify if there are some questions that need to be answered about the background and qualification for the job position, if there are questions need further clarification, any concerns about interviewee’s suitability for the job position, qualities of the applicant compared with other candidates, and knowing what is the next step in the interview process.

Keep track of the flow of conversation because you might ask a question that has been previously answered during your dialogue. Try not to be redundant because it usually annoys the employer. It also reflects on your listening skill and attentiveness.

By: David Urmann

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A lot of attention is paid to skills for job candidates including how to act, dress, the right questions to ask – and not to ask. Less attention is given to the right kinds of questions for hiring managers to ask. While it is usually clear what the hiring manager SHOULD NOT AND CAN NOT ask, little notice is given to the right key questions. One of the most important things any executive or manager can do is to hire the best people. As resume is only part of the story. Asking and getting responses to tough and probing questions is essential to eliminating the wrong candidates and identifying the right ones.

TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND? Resume in hand, this is an opportunity to screen the candidate even if you or human resources has already done so over the phone. The key is two fold. First, to insure that what is of interest in the resume is addressed by the candidate. Second, to observe the candidate’s poise, presence, tone, self-confidence, manner and body language. How would this person come across to your boss, your boss’s boss and to your top customers?

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR EDUCATION? A chance to see if what jumped out (or did not) to you is highlighted by the candidate. Is the story consistent? A follow-on question if a younger candidate can be about favorite course and why or least favorite course and why. This is another chance to evaluate demeanor, tone and body language.

WHY ARE YOU INTERESTED IN XYZ COMPANY? This is an opportunity to see if the candidate did their homework about the company. If they are serious, they will tell clearly and concisely about the elements of the company that appeal to them enough to want to work there. If they are vague in response to this question, it is not a good sign about how serious they are about the position.

WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST STRENGTHS? While this question has been asked for years, it speaks volumes about what is important to the candidate and what the candidate thinks is important to the Company AKA the hiring manager. This question can trigger some much exaggerated body language and eye contact.

WHAT IS AN AREA OF DEVELOPMENT FOR YOU? This is a variation on the STRENGTHS question. This is often less comfortable. People like to talk about their strengths, not their weaknesses. That makes this question all the more important and telling to the hiring manager. The key here is candor, professionalism and composure on the part of the candidate.

READ THE JOB DESCRIPTION (do not paraphrase).

WHY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THE IDEAL CANDIDATE FOR THIS POSITION? There is a happy medium between boasting and modesty. That is what the hiring manager is looking for here. It is also another opportunity for the candidate to recap their skills and experience and relate them specifically to the open position. Look for two or three key points in response to this question.

WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE IN FIVE YEARS? This can be a killer question. I know, I was way too honest on this one in my youth. The proper answer should be honest, thoughtful, realistic and to the benefit of the company. If the candidate wants a free education and then go on their own or to be the CEO or to be lying on the beach, that’s the end of the interview.

IF YOU WERE IN THIS JOB TOMORROW, WHAT ARE THE FIRST THINGS YOU WOULD DO AND IN WHAT PRIORITY? This tells the hiring manager whether the candidate has some understanding of the Company’s mission, vision and values. It tells whether they understand the basic functions related to the job. It also gives the candidate an opportunity to show off their initiative while at the same time testing their sense of workplace reality.

WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR ME? This can be the most telling question of all. It again gives the candidate an opportunity to show what they know about the Company. It is open and allow for probing and creative questions. It also let you know what is important to the candidate – such as “when can I start taking vacation?” (WRONG question!).

WHEN CAN YOU START? Even if you do not make a job offer (which is RARELY done during the interview), it is always important to know the job candidate’s availability, whether they are currently working, whether they have another job in the wings or are just fishing.

While the questions a hiring manager can and should ask a job candidate are nearly endless, the right questions are essential. By asking these questions every time, the hiring manager will get better at interviewing and will ultimately hire the best candidates for each job.

By: George F Franks III

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