Stress Interviews Part 1 - What To Expect?
For a moment you thought “Oh, Great, I’m sure to get the job as I am able to answer the questions and the interviewer seems very pleased!”
Then came this question out of nowhere: “How do you think you can improve the design of this car?”
“What? But this is a totally irrelevant question” you thought and while you fumble for an answer, you must be thinking, “What on earth is wrong with him? Why would he ask me such an absurd question?
Well, unaware to you, you have just been asked a “stress question” deliberately.
These are the types of questions included in what we call Stress Interviews and it’s becoming more and more commonly used.
The purpose of stress interviews is aimed to test a candidate’s temperament and what better way to do than to put the candidate on the defensive.
Stress interviews are based on the premise that stressful situations bring out the true worth of a person and the candidate who performs well under pressure in the interview is likely to perform similarly on the job.
Approaches to stress interviews may involve the use of any of the following tactics:
1. Unexpected Behavior
Here the interviewer may try to catch you off guard by asking you the same questions repeatedly, pretending they do not seem to hear your answer. Very often, candidate will tend to feel offended or annoyed.
2. Brainteasers or Puzzle Interviews:
Puzzle questions are becoming more popular. You are not expected to know the actual answers to questions like “How much does all the ice in a hockey rink weigh?” but you are expected to explain how you would find out.
3. Painful or Aggressive Questions:
Even a mild-mannered interviewer can put you on the spot by asking a question uncomfortable questions like “Why were you fired?” or “Why did you score such low marks in your examination which tend to put you under pressure.
4. Aggressive Attitude or Behavior:
Some interviewers may adopt a show-me attitude in their words, facial expression, body language, and behavior. You’re supposed to believe their behavior is your fault hence making you feel bad in return.
5. Case Interviews:
Briefly, you are presented an open-ended business situation — usually a dilemma or set of hard choices — and required to describe a path toward a solution. The case interview tests your knowledge of relevant business issues, quantitative and analytical skills, ability to prioritize and anticipate problems, and communication skills.
The reasons why more and more companies are using these interviews are because it gets results. It gives the interviewer a realistic sense of the candidate’s response to difficult situations, which would not be possible through a standard set of questions.
The best way to handle a stress interview is to anticipate and prepare thoroughly for it, so that responding becomes natural. Part 2 of this article will show you “How to Handle Stress Interviews” Make sure you check it out.
Lynette has written numerous articles and research papers on Stress management. She owns a website on “Stress Management” which covers in details on all aspect of stress including types of stress, causes of stress, symptoms of stress and most importantly tips on how to reduce stress to stay healthy.
Tags: interview, job stress, questions., Stress interviews
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