Nonprofit – Photographer

Position Name: Photographer

Interviewer

Candidate Name

Interview Date

Introductory Questions

– Interviewer(s) share name, role, tenure, and hand business cards for thank you messages
– Share a brief overview of the company
– Give Candidate the Job Description, highlight Job Purpose, Schedule/Travel, Major Challenges & Key Decisions, and Physical Requirements

Tell us about yourself.

What type of environment do you thrive in? What type of management style do you enjoy most?

What are your short and long-term professional goals?

What do you know about our organization?

Transitional & Verification Questions

– Clarify any unclear information from resume or application
– Verify availability for work hours and schedule, start date, and other important details

What interests you about this role?

What interests you about working for us?

Are you able to perform the essential functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation?

Behavioral / Situational Questions

– Ask job related questions, based on skills and competencies needed for the role
– Ask open ended questions that allow candidates to tell a story about a specific example
– Ask 5-10 questions based on the role and how much time you have (~3-4 minutes per question)
– Listen for recent examples, details, consistency, the candidate’s role in the story, and teamwork
– Take notes and ask clarifying questions as follow-ups. Follow up questions may include:
– Tell us more about the action you took and the outcome.
– What did you say at that point?
– How did you react to that situation?
– Explain your role in more detail.
– Tell me in detail what steps you took.
– And what was the result?
– Describe the obstacles you faced in getting it done.
– What other options did you consider?
– Why do you think you reacted as you did?
– How do you think others felt about your actions at the time?
– Were you satisfied with the outcome of your actions?
– If the same or a similar situation presented itself, what would you do differently?

Describe a time when you anticipated potential problems and developed preventive measures.

Situation:

Action:

Response:

Describe a time when you overcame a major obstacle.

Situation:

Action:

Response:

Describe a situation in which you had to get started on something but didn’t know what to do.

Situation:

Action:

Response:

Describe a situation in which you had to get started on something but didn’t know what to do.

Situation:

Action:

Response:

Technical Questions

– Ask job related questions, based on skills and competencies needed for the role
– Ask open ended questions that allow candidates to tell a story about a specific example
– Ask 5-10 questions based on the role and how much time you have (~3-4 minutes per question)
– Listen for recent examples, details, consistency, the candidate’s role in the story, and teamwork
– Take notes and ask clarifying questions as follow-ups

List your top 3 technical skills.

Collaboration

Describe a high-pressure work situation and how you handled it. Tell me what happened, who was involved and what you did in terms of problem solving.

Describe an example where you enlisted active participation of others to solve a problem.

Adaptability

What is the most difficult or frustrating part of constant change for you? How have you coped with it?

Tell me about a time when you faced a significant challenge working with people from a different department? What actions did you take?

Creativity/Innovation

What is the most innovative thing you have done in the last six months? Why did you go this direction? What was the driving business need?

Emotional Intelligence

What do you do when you think someone is not listening to you? Give me an example of a time when that happened.

What sort of impression do you think you have made with your executive-level management team? Why do you say that?

Integrity

Describe a time where you had to challenge assumptions or take a position. What was the outcome?

Discuss a time when your integrity was challenged. How did you handle it?

What do you do when your manager directs you to do something that you know is against company policy and practices?

Leadership

How are you more self-aware now than earlier in your career? Are there certain tools you use to help in your leadership self-awareness?

Give me an example of a piece of constructive feedback you received about your leadership style. How did you respond?

Does a situation come to mind where you had to step in and take charge? Describe your role and how you influenced the outcome

What makes you an effective leader? Why do you think people want to work for you?

Planning & Organization

How do you manage a project? What are the various elements used?

How do you assure that you do not get so caught up in “task” that you lose the big picture?

Tell me about a time when a coworker did not report to work and you had to take on extra duties to help out in that absence. How did you plan your day? What did you do?

Describe a situation that didn’t go as planned. What would you have done differently?

Relationship Building

Tell us about a customer relationship that was challenging to establish and maintain. How did you resolve the situation?

Give a specific example of a time when you had to address an angry customer.  What was the problem and what was the outcome?  How would you asses your role in diffusing the situation?

Tell about a time when you built rapport quickly with someone under difficult conditions.

Candidate’s Questions

– Be sure to leave time for their questions, generally 1-3
– Paint a positive but honest view of the pros and cons of the work and culture

Notes

Closing Questions

– Describe where you are in the process, next steps, and when they can expect to hear back
– Ask if they have any final remarks

What is one thing I should know about you that I haven’t asked?

What could you bring to this position that other candidates could not?

Interviewer Assesment

Enter your overall assessment about the candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and fit for this position.

Would you recommend this candidate advance in the process?