Questions To Expect: People Skills

Interviewers, inevitably, seek the ideal candidate. To become this perfect hire, put yourself in the mind of the interviewer. Take a good look at yourself. What does this person look like? How does this person dress, and carry him or herself? Which qualities does this interviewee demonstrate in his or her answers? Increasingly, interviewers will ask behavioral questions -- questions that seek to understand you through the prism of your past behavior and accomplishments. Here's a look at some questions you might receive. These questions are designed to get you talking about your people skills.

The importance of people skills

By its very nature, the interview reveals how a person interacts with others. In some jobs, this ability plays a much larger role than in others. If the position requires working with beakers of rattlesnake venom in a phoneless warehouse deep in the Mojave Desert, people skills may not come into play. If, on the other hand, the position involves selling rattlesnake venom for pharmaceutical purposes or working in the customer services office of Rattlesnake Venom Inc., people skills will be of paramount importance. The ability to establish a long term, trusting relationship with customers builds and maintains success. So your ability to deal with people in the best interests of the company, including people no one else wants to deal with, can be a coveted quality.

1. What do you like most about working with others? What least?

2. A customer calls in to complain about the product, demanding a discount. You suspect they aren't telling the truth. What do you do?

3. What does the word "service" mean to you?

4. What are willing to do to make a client happy? Where do you draw the line?

5. Describe some of your strategies for dealing with difficult people.