TOP70 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

in Shared Services

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 Starters
1. Tell me about yourself:
The most typical starter question. You need to have a short statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does
not sound rehearsed. Limit it mostly to work-related items. Talk about things you have achieved and jobs you have
held that relate to the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest back and work up to the present.

2. What experience do you have in this field?

Speak about specific roles you had that relate to the position you are applying for. If you do not have such
experience, get as close as you can.

3. What do you know about this company?

You need to do some research on the organization before the interview. Find out what they do, where they are and
what their strategy is. Also good to read some current challenges, opportunities in the industry. Where? Google it.

4. Why do you want to work for us?

When doing the research on the company before the interview, put down some thoughts for this question. Good to
have these related to your goals. Be honest and try to make it a bit personal.

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5. Do you know anyone who works here?
Be aware of the policy on relatives working for the organization. This can affect your answer even though they asked
about friends not relatives. Be careful to mention a friend only if they are well thought of.

6. Why did you leave your last job?

Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a major problem with management and never speak
about issues with supervisors, co-workers or the organization. If you do, you will be the one looking bad. Keep
smiling and talk about leaving for a positive reason such as an opportunity, a chance to do something special or
other forward-looking reasons.

7. How long would you expect to work for us if hired?

Specifics here are not good. Something like this should work: Id like it to be as long as we both feel Im doing a good
job.

8. Would you be willing to relocate if required?

You should be clear on this with your family prior to the interview if you think there is a chance it may come up. Do
not say yes just to get the job if the real answer is no. Be honest at this point and save yourself future grief.

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9. Are you willing to travel 50 70% of your time?
This is up to you. Be totally honest, its better if it turns out sooner than later that you dont want this.

10. Are you willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends?

This is up to you. Be totally honest, its better if it turns out sooner than later that you dont want this.

11. Are you applying for other jobs?

Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focus on this job and what you can do for this
organization. Anything else is a distraction.

12. What kind of salary do you need?

Be honest, do a little research on www.sscheroes.com beforehand to make sure that you are in the right range.
Dont forget most of these companies do not overpay, neither underpay the market.

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 Competency Based Questions
13. What do your colleagues usually say about you?
Prepare with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a paraphrase will work. John Smith, my
colleague in XYZ company always said I was very helpful for him in resolving his IT issues etc Do not exaggerate.

14. Do you consider yourself successful?

The answer is always yes and a brief explanation why. A good explanation is that you have set goals, and you have
met some and are on track to achieve the others.

15. What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?
Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive
self-improvement. Have some good ones handy to mention.

16. Are you a team player?

You are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have example situations and stories ready. Specifics that show you
often perform for the good of the team rather than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not
brag, just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point for a shared services job as you mostly work in teams.

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17. Provide a situation in which you asked a lot of questions of several people to get the
information you needed to make an effective decision. How did you know what to ask?
Never say to such situation-type questions, you have never been in a situation like this. Of course you have been, just
think a little harder, prepare with a few stories and if you cannot remember, just make one up. For this one, you can
for example say that you researched the topic on the Internet and prepared a questionnaire based on that.

18. Describe the most complex problem you have recently been asked to solve. What did
you do? What alternatives did you consider?
This is a questions asked very often. Prepare with an example which is complex indeed, it will be difficult to make one
up right on the spot.

19. We all make decisions that turn out to be mistakes. Describe a work decision you regret
making.
Dont say you have never made any, it sounds unbelievable, everybody makes mistakes. Come up with a rather
simple and short story.

20. Sometimes we have to make decisions very quickly. Tell me about a time when you
made decisions too quickly. What happened?
You can say 2 examples here, one successful and one failure. Try to keep it related to work.

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21. Describe a time when you went above and beyond your job requirement to achieve an
objective. What did you do? What happened?
Now this is a great question to show how committed you are. Come up with a great story. Answering this question
right can win the interview for you.

22. Have you ever taken steps to make your job easier / more efficient / more
productive? Give me an example.
Productivity, efficiency and making things simpler is a key activity on all SSCs. Its good if you have examples of
situations when you achieved something in this area.

23. Sometimes there is not enough time to do everything possible to exceed or even meet
customers expectations. Tell me about a customer situation when you did not make the
extra effort because you did not have time.
You can come up with an example which did not cause a serious issue and talk about that you constantly work on
your time management to improve further.

24. Describe a situation in which you identified a problem and took action to correct it rather
than wait for someone else to do so.
This is about problem-solving skills and customer focus. Tell an example related to customer issues that you fixed.

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25. What is your philosophy towards work?
The interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here. Do you have strong feelings that the job gets
done? Yes. Thats the type of answer that works best here. Short and positive, showing a benefit to the organization.

26. If you had enough money to retire right now, would you?
Answer yes if you would. But since you need to work, this is the type of work you prefer. Do not say yes if you do not
mean it.

27. Have you ever been asked to leave a position?

If you have not, say no. If you have, be honest, brief and avoid saying negative things about the people or
organization involved.

28. Explain how you would be an asset to this organization

You should seem to be anxious for this question. It gives you a chance to highlight your best points as they relate to
the position being discussed. Give a little advance thought to this relationship.

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29. Tell me about a suggestion you have made to make things better at your previous
workplace
Have a good one ready. Be sure and use a suggestion that was accepted and was then considered successful. One
related to the type of work applied for is a real plus.

30. What irritates you about co-workers?

This is a trap question. Think real hard but fail to come up with anything that irritates you. A short statement that you
seem to get along with folks is in general is the good answer.

31. What is your greatest strength?

Numerous answers are good, just stay positive. A few good examples: Your ability to prioritize, Your problem-solving
skills, Your ability to work under pressure, Your ability to focus on projects, Your professional expertise, Your leadership
skills, Your positive attitude. Your ability to work in teams etc.

32. Tell me about your dream job.

Stay away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you are applying for, you might loose credibility. If
you say another job, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with this position if hired. The best is to say
something generic like: A job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute and cant wait to get to work.

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33. Why do you think you would do well at this job?
Give several reasons and include skills, experience and interest.

34. What kind of person would you refuse to work with?

Do not be trivial. It would take disloyalty to the organization, violence or law-breaking to get you to object. Minor
objections will label you as a whiner.

35. What is more important to you: the money or the work?

Money is always important, but the work is the most important. There is no better answer.

36. What would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is?
There are numerous good possibilities: Loyalty, Energy, Positive attitude, Leadership, Team player, Expertise,
Initiative, Patience, Hard work, Creativity, Problem solver

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37. Tell me about a problem you had with a supervisor
Biggest trap of all. This is a test to see if you will speak ill of your boss. If you fall for it and tell about a problem with a
former boss, you may well below the interview right there. Stay positive and develop a poor memory about any
trouble with a supervisor.

38. What has disappointed you about a job?

Dont get trivial or negative. Safe areas are few but can include: Not enough of a challenge. You were laid off in a
reduction, Company did not win a contract, which would have given you more responsibility.

39. Tell me about your ability to work under pressure.

You may say that you thrive under certain types of pressure. Give an example that relates to the type of position
applied for.

40. Do your skills match this job or another job more closely?
Probably this one. Do not give fuel to the suspicion that you may want another job more than this one.

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41. What motivates you to do your best on the job?
This is a personal trait that only you can say, but good examples are: Challenge, Achievement, Recognition

42. How would you know you were successful on this job?
Several ways are good measures: You set high standards for yourself and meet them. Your outcomes are a success.
Your boss tells you that you are successful etc.

43. Are you willing to put the interests of the organization ahead of your own?
This is a straight loyalty and dedication question. Do not worry about the deep ethical and philosophical implications.
Just say yes.

44. What have you learned from mistakes on the job?

Here you have to come up with something or you strain credibility. Make it small, well intentioned mistake with a
positive lesson learned. An example would be working too far ahead of colleagues on a project and
thus throwing coordination off.

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45. Do you have any blind spots?
Tricky question. If you know about blind spots, they are no longer blind spots. Do not reveal any personal areas of
concern here. Let them do their own discovery on your bad points. Do not hand it to them.

46. If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for?
Be careful to mention traits that are needed and that you have.

47. Do you think you are overqualified for this position?

Regardless of your qualifications, state that you are very well qualified for the position.

48. How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?

First, if you have experience that the interviewer does not know about, bring that up: Then, point out (if true) that you
are a hard working quick learner.

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49. What qualities do you look for in a boss?
Be generic and positive. Safe qualities are knowledgeable, a sense of humor, fair, loyal to subordinates and holder of
high standards. All bosses think they have these traits.

50. Tell me about a time when you helped to resolve a dispute between others.
Pick a specific incident. Concentrate on your problem solving technique and not the dispute you settled.

51. What position do you prefer on a team working on a project?

Be honest. If you are comfortable in different roles, point that out.

52. Describe your work ethic.

Emphasize benefits to the organization. Things like, determination to get the job done and work hard but enjoy your
work are good.

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53. What has been your biggest professional disappointment?
Be sure that you refer to something that was beyond your control. Show acceptance and no negative feelings.

54. Tell me about the most fun you have had on the job.
Talk about having fun by accomplishing something for the organization.

55. Within the interview process you may be required to perform a role-play. A popular
example of this is being asked to role-play an escalated call with an unhappy customer.
It is vital to have clear objectives before initiating conversation with the customer; what is your end goal? Ensure you
are aware of the parameters, rules and regulations within the company. For example, if the issue is over money, can
you refund it? What else can you offer to pacify the customer? It is important to remain calm, confident, be clear
and always remember to ask questions. The interviewer is looking for a patient and composed response. If you are
still unsure about how best to approach role-plays contact your local recruitment consultant who should be able to
offer you thorough advice.

56. What you like about shared service centers?

You should prepare with a positive answer beforehand. You can mention the atmosphere, multinational
environment, challenging roles, benefits, the opportunities to grow. Finally the above average compensation and
benefit packages as well, but dont mention this one first.

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 Leadership Questions
57. Describe your management style.
Try to avoid labels. Some of the more common labels, like progressive, salesman or commander, can have several
meanings. The situational style is safe, because it says you will manage according to the situation, instead of one size
fits all. Lead by example is also a good phrase to mention in this part of the interview.

58. Have you ever had to fire anyone? How did you feel about that?
This is serious. Do not make light of it or in any way seem like you like to fire people. At the same time, you will do it
when it is the right thing to do. When it comes to the organization versus the individual who has created a harmful
situation, you will protect the organization. Remember firing is not the same as layoff or reduction in force.

59. Give me an example of how you have dealt with an under-performing team member in
the past.
This is a very important one again. It happens often that someone performs less than expected. The best answer is if
you say that you sit down with the individual and try to understand what the problem is. Is it a skill question or a
will question. You can mention the skill-will matrix.

60. Tell me about a time when you needed to build up a team from scratch
Be honest if you have never done it, but try to come up with examples when you helped someone doing that.

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61. Do you know what KPI means? Can you mention an example when you have improved it
or when you have failed it?
Of course you know (KPI = Key Performance Indicator which measures customer service levels or team
performance). Either example should end in a positive way and you may say that you constantly measure KPIs and
work on improvements.

62. How would you manage a team that needs to handle a fluctuating demand?
Dont say that hire and fire whenever it is needed, try to come up with alternative solutions such trainings, helping
other teams, working for other companies in the less challenging periods.

63. Can you explain how a really good customer service looks like?
The best answer is: When the customer gets exactly what, when, how and where he or she wants it. You can of
course go into further details about how you would exceed or teach your team to exceed expectations.

64. What do you know about SSC employees? What is the difference compared to other
multinational companies?
Do some research on the industry specifics (Y-generation, average age: 25-35, fast growth, looking for fast career
opportunities, fun, this is the first workplace for many of them etc)

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65. Can you give me an example of a time when you had to motivate and develop a team in
a challenging work environment?
This question is (again) in the format of competency-based interviewing, so remember to outline the specific actions
you took to motivate your team, as interviewers want to see evidence of hands-on experience.

66. How do you plan daily and weekly activities for the team?
They want to hear things like how you hold team meetings to discuss the week ahead and allocate time slots and
deadlines for various projects.

67. What do you look for in people that you hire?

Good answers are: motivation (will) and knowledge (skill). It is also good if you mention the eagerness to learn and
develop and fit into the existing team.

68. How do you develop morale in the people who report to you?
Come up with more ideas that you tried and explain successful stories how it improved team spirit in the shared
services team.

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 The Closing Jolly Jokers
69. Do you have any questions for me?
Always have some questions prepared. Questions prepared where you will be an asset to the organization are good.
E:g.: How soon will I be able to be productive? What type of projects will I be able to assist on?

70. Why should we hire you?

Point out how your assets meet what the organization needs. Do not mention any other candidates to make a
comparison.

We wish you the best of luck!

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