Freese and Nichols Interview Preparation Guide

Download PDF

There was a time when I was told I had to get rid of 20% of my people. I had to determine which persons I needed the most by determining who could do what. I had to put aside personal feelings so that I could keep a working crew to handle he same workload with less people.

Here are two great sample answers that might help get you started:

☛ I am an extremely organized person, so I tend to be able to get my work done at work. However, if the need arose I would not be against taking work home. I try not to make it a habit, since I do value my free time. I do realize though that the work we do is important, and sometimes you have to do what needs to be done.
☛ I do not shy away from taking work home with me. I know that meeting deadlines and doing outstanding work sometimes means taking a bit of it home. I do not have a problem doing that when the need arises.
☛ Make sure to give an honest answer. Lying about taking work home may turn out badly for you if it is required and you do not do it.

While discussing this, be sure to stress specific examples of what you bring to the company. Good qualities include resolve to fulfill job responsibilities, optimism, and a desire to be as efficient as possible while at work.

We all have difficult decisions in our lives. Show how you were able to arrive at it and then how you decisively acted.

Bad Answer: Candidates who ramble on about themselves without regard for information that will actually help the interviewer make a decision, or candidates who actually provide information showing they are unfit for the job.

Good answer: An answer that gives the interviewer a glimpse of the candidate's personality, without veering away from providing information that relates to the job. Answers should be positive, and not generic.

This question can be tricky because you need to show your worth In Freese and Nichols without sounding cocky or arrogant. Research the business ahead of time and become familiar with its mission and values. Take the time to figure out how your personal qualities fit the needs of the business and use that fit to provide your answer.

There may be several good answers. Some include: you're able to set realistic, yet aggressive goals that push you and you're able to achieve them, you go the extra mile on all projects, client satisfaction is high, your boss is elated at your performance on all projects, etc.

Conflict resolution, problem solving, communication and coping under pressure are transferable skills desired by many employers In Freese and Nichols.
Answering this question right can help you demonstrate all of these traits.
☛ Use real-life examples from your previous roles that you are comfortable explaining
☛ Choose an example that demonstrates the role you played in resolving the situation clearly
☛ Remain professional at all times – you need to demonstrate that you can keep a cool head and know how to communicate with people

The best managers are strong but flexible, and that's exactly what you want to show off in your answer. (Think something like, “While every situation and every team member requires a bit of a different strategy, I tend to approach my employee relationships as a coach...”) Then, share a couple of your best managerial moments, like when you grew your team from five to 15 or coached an underperforming employee to become the company's top employee.

Keep your answer simple, direct and positive. Some good answers may be the ability to achieve, recognition or challenging assignments.

When discussing a professional disappointment, make sure to discuss a scenario you could not control. Be positive about the experience and accept personal responsibility where applicable.

Show that you set great goals and the process and steps you took to achieve it. Details really matter here.

This question is trap. It is meant to see whether or not you'll speak poorly of an employer. No one wants to hire someone who's going to speak poorly of them down the road. Stay upbeat and positive - and most of all don't say anything negative about a previous employer.

In many scenarios, you will not have all the information needed. The key is to make the best possible decision based on what you deem to be a sufficient amount of information.

Report it to the leaders within the company. True leaders understand business ethics are important to the company's longevity

You always want to make sure that you're pretty familiar with the company that you're interviewing with. Nothing looks worse than a candidate who knows nothing about the company they say they're interested in working for. Find out everything you can about the company, its culture and its goals. You will also want to know how the company is positioned in its market as well as who its major competitors are.

This question seems simple, so many people fail to prepare for it, but it's crucial. Here's the deal: Don't give your complete employment (or personal) history In Freese and Nichols. Instead give a pitch—one that’s concise and compelling and that shows exactly why you’re the right fit for the job. Start off with the 2-3 specific accomplishments or experiences that you most want the interviewer to know about, then wrap up talking about how that prior experience has positioned you for this specific role.

When answering this question, we recommends being accurate (share your true strengths, not those you think the interviewer wants to hear); relevant (choose your strengths that are most targeted to this particular position In Freese and Nichols); and specific (for example, instead of “people skills,” choose “persuasive communication” or “relationship building”). Then, follow up with an example of how you've demonstrated these traits in a professional setting.

This question is often meant to trick candidates since acknowledgment of blind spots would indicate they were aware of them. Also, do not disclose bad habits or other personal concerns. Let the interviewer find out about your personal flaws through the course of the interview without directly stating these flaws.

I’ve been honing my skills In Freese and Nichols for a few years now and, first and foremost, I’m looking for a position where I can continue to exercise those skills. Ideally the same things that this position has to offer. Be specific.

Try to avoid specific classifications, whatever it may be. Organizations usually prefer managers who can adapt their skills to different situations.

Situational interviews In Freese and Nichols are similar to behavioral interview questions - but they are focused on the future, and ask hypothetical questions, whereas behavioral interview questions look at the past.

The advantage is that employers can put all candidates in the same hypothetical situations, and compare their answers.


1. What would you do if you made a strong recommendation in a meeting, but your colleagues decided against it?

2. How you would handle it if your team resisted a new idea or policy you introduced?

3. How would you handle it if the priorities for a project you were working on were suddenly changed?

4. What would you do if the work of an employee you managed didn't meet expectations?

5. What would you do if an important task was not up to standard, but the deadline to complete it had passed?

6. What steps would you take to make an important decision on the job In Freese and Nichols?

7. How would you handle a colleague you were unable to form a positive relationship with?

8. What would you do if you disagreed with the way a manager wanted you to handle a problem?

9. What would you do if you were assigned to work with a difficult client In Freese and Nichols?

10. What would you do if you worked hard on a solution to a problem, and your solution was criticized by your team?

11. How would you handle working closely with a colleague who was very different from you?

12. You're working on a key project that you can't complete, because you're waiting on work from a colleague. What do you do?

13. You realize that an early mistake in a project is going to put you behind deadline. What do you do?

No one likes to answer this question because it requires a very delicate balance. You simply can’t lie and say you don’t have one; you can’t trick the interviewer by offering up a personal weakness In Freese and Nichols that is really a strength (“Sometimes, I work too much and don’t maintain a work-life balance.”); and you shouldn’t be so honest that you throw yourself under the bus (“I’m not a morning person so I’m working on getting to the office on time.”)

Take a break to rest. Work in smaller increments of time to increase focus with breaks in between. Delegate tasks to those that are willing to help.

I'm a people person. I was always happiest and most satisfied when I was interacting with community residents, making sure I was able to meet their needs and giving them the best possible comfort in a tough situation. It was my favorite part of the job, and it showed. Part of the reason I'm interested in this job is that I know I'd have even more interaction with the public, on an even more critical level.

Focus on the issue that impacts the business most first.

I am punctual, I always have excellent attendance on any job In Freese and Nichols, I have a keen eye for both large and small details, and I am always finding ways to improve a process and shorten the length of time it takes to complete a project.

Talk about a story / experience about how you achieved success and be sure to share details on the results and outcome. Have it highlight a strong characteristic such as leadership, work ethic and so forth.

Everyone disagrees with the boss from time to time, but in asking this interview question In Freese and Nichols, hiring managers want to know that you can do so in a productive, professional way. “You don’t want to tell the story about the time when you disagreed but your boss was being a jerk and you just gave in to keep the peace. And you don’t want to tell the one where you realized you were wrong,”. Tell the one where your actions made a positive difference on the outcome of the situation, whether it was a work-related outcome or a more effective and productive working relationship.

You're looking for someone who enjoys working with the elderly, or a caring, sociable, and nurturing person.